Get Ready for the 2018 XL Eclipse Series at 888poker
One of the biggest series of the year at 888poker returns this week. The XL Eclipse online poker festival will run from Sept. 13-23 with 34 events on the menu. The series kicks off with a $109 buy-in Opening Event on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. GMT, which guarantees a prize pool of at least $100,000.
XL Eclipse Series Highlights
The highlight of the series will be the $1,050 buy-in Main Event, which will take place on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 6:00 p.m. GMT and boasts a $1 million guarantee. The Mini and Micro Main Events will kick off at the same time as the big one, and will feature buy-ins of $160 and $33 with guarantees of $150,000 and $50,000 respectively.
More highlights include the XL Eclipse #9: $100,000 Mega Deep for a $215 buy-in and XL Eclipse #10: $125,000 Tune Up for a buy-in of $160, both taking place on Sunday, Sept. 16. Another $100,000 Mega Deep event with a $215 buy-in is offered on the final Sunday, before the Main Events.
Players will also find three tiers of high rollers on Tuesday, Sept. 18 with the $2,600 buy-in XL Eclipse #16 boasting a $200,000 guarantee. The final week of the series also features 8-max, Quarterback, Knockout and 6-Max events with three different buy-ins for each. Check out the full schedule below.
2018 XL Eclipse Schedule
| Date | Time (GMT) | Event | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thurs., Sept. 13 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #1 - $100,000 Opening Event | $109 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #2 - $20,000 Mini Opening Event | $12 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #3 - $25,000 Late Opening Event | $55 | |
| Fri., Sept. 14 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #4 - $20,000 Twins Royal | $55 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #5 - $20,000 Twins Flush | $55 | |
| Sat., Sept. 15 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #6 - $30,000 Crazy 8 | $88 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #7 - $15,000 Mini Crazy 8 | $8.80 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #8 - $12,000 Late Crazy 8 | $44 | |
| Sun., Sept. 16 | 4:30 p.m. | XL Eclipse #9 - $100,000 Mega Deep | $215 |
| 5:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #10 - $125,000 Tune Up | $160 | |
| 5:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #11 - $50,000 Mini Tune Up | $12 | |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #12 - $15,000 Micro Tune Up | $5.50 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #13 - $25,000 Late Tune Up | $55 | |
| Mon., Sept. 17 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #14 - $30,000 R&A Event | $55 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #15 - $15,000 Mini R&A | $5 | |
| Tues., Sept. 18 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #16 - $200,000 High Roller | $2,600 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #17 - $100,000 Mini High Roller | $215 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #18 - $30,000 Late High Roller | $160 | |
| Wed., Sept. 19 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #19 - $50,000 8-Max | $109 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #20 - $15,000 Mini 8-Max | $12 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #21 - $15,000 Late 8-Max | $30 | |
| Thurs., Sept. 20 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #22 - $50,000 Quarterback | $215 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #23 - $25,000 Mini Quarterback | $44 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #24 - $20,000 Late Quarterback | $109 | |
| Fri., Sept. 21 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #25 - $25,000 Knockout | $150 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #26 - $15,000 Mini Knockout | $35 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #27 - $15,000 Late Knockout | $75 | |
| Sat., Sept. 22 | 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #28 - $30,000 6-Max | $160 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #29 - $20,000 Mini 6-Max | $30 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #30 - $15,000 Late 6-Max | $55 | |
| Sun., Sept. 23 | 4:30 p.m. | XL Eclipse #31 - $100,000 Mega Deep | $215 |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #32 - $1,000,000 Main Event | $1,050 | |
| 6:00 p.m. | XL Eclipse #33 - $150,000 Mini Main | $160 | |
| 6:30 p.m. | XL Eclipse #34 - $50,000 Micro Main | $30 |
888poker Ambassadors Look Forward to XL Eclipse
As per usual, plenty of big names in poker will be competing for XL Eclipse titles during the series, including 888poker ambassadors Chris Moorman, Martin Jacobson and Dominik Nitsche.
Moorman, who now resides in Las Vegas, told 888 he will be playing most of the series from Mexico.
“It’s a good time zone to play which gives you a chance to go out in the morning for a workout as well as being able to go for dinner at the end of the day. I usually travel with a monitor, which helps me to be able to play more tables. I will be studying in the next few weeks to feel better prepared as well.”
Moorman recently captured his 29th online Triple Crown, and plans to play events with buy-ins ranging from $30 to the $2,600 High Roller.
Jacobson, who plans to play between six and nine with buy-ins of $100 and up, will be focused on keeping his body and mind right as he grinds the series from his home in London.
“I never travel for online series simply because if I did, I would never be home,” Jacobson said. “I have a pretty good setup at my house with a gym and office all in the same room. My routine will be strategic for long days/nights behind the screen and consist of meditation, running, moving, meal prepping, supplementation, and recovery techniques.”
Nitsche, who chopped the $1,050 buy-in Main Event two years ago when it was called the Super XL Series IV, looks to improve upon past results, but will have to do so after he is finished playing the Poker Masters in Las Vegas, which runs from Sept. 7-13. Though he may have to miss some early events, Nitsche is determined to fire his fair share of XL tournaments.
“I'll try to play as much as I can, but I don't have a schedule yet as I’m quite busy,” said Nitsche. “I will most likely play all the higher buy-ins though, and I'd love to take down the Main Event this time. I chopped it before, and I really want to do better.”
Bonus Offerings
Players can participate in free qualifiers or earn XL Eclipse entries through a number of satellites, which start at just $0.01. Free Eclipse Main Event qualifiers are running daily at 9 p.m. GMT with the top three players winning $1,050 seats, while 30 $12 seats into the Eclipse Mini Tune Up are awarded in free qualifiers that begin at 5 p.m. GMT daily.
Not only that, but 888 is offering bonuses to players who can make their way to the winner’s circle on more than one occasion, and for those who can consistently run deep during the series. Bonuses for multiple wins are available as follows:
| Events Won | Bonus Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 2 | $1,000 |
| 3 | $10,000 |
| 4 | $100,000 |
| 5 | $1,000,000 |
In addition, players who manage to reach three or more final tables will earn a $600 tournament ticket. For those who consistently make the money and cash in eight or more events, a $215 tournament ticket will be awaiting them.