888poker PNOC Main Event: 2 Players From Canada Make the Top 4, Barone Falls Heads-Up for $17,211
Updated on October 29, 2026.
The 888poker PNOC Main Event ended on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with two players listed under Canada in the top four. “IOwnU888” beat 888 ambassador Aaron “abarone68” Barone heads-up to win $25,522, while Barone took $17,211 and “for_science” finished fourth for $13,299, according to PokerNews. The $250 Mystery Main Event drew 1,091 entries and a $254,203 prize pool.
Quick summary
- Event: $250 Mystery Main Event of the PokerNews Online Championship (PNOC), played on 888poker from Oct. 18 to 27.
- Field: 1,091 entries and a $254,203 prize pool, above the $250,000 guarantee.
- Winner: “IOwnU888,” for $25,522 including bounties.
- Canada: Aaron Barone finished second ($17,211) and “for_science” fourth ($13,299), both listed under Canada in PokerNews’ results.
- Biggest bounty: $25,000, won by “d5t6y7,” who finished 12th and collected $35,020 in total.
Who won the 888poker PNOC Main Event?
“IOwnU888,” an 888poker regular, won the 888poker PNOC Main Event on Oct. 27 for $25,522, PokerNews reported. PokerNews did not list a country for the winner.
The final table restarted at 7 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET) with eight players left from a Day 2 that began with 141. Kazakhstan’s “LookAround” led with 55 big blinds, and “for_science” was second with 52. Barone sat fourth with 37.
Barone reached heads-up well behind, with about 19 big blinds against IOwnU888’s 72. By the final hand, Barone was down to about 15 big blinds. IOwnU888 moved all in with jack-ten, and Barone called with ace-queen of hearts. The turn and river completed a straight for IOwnU888 and ended the tournament.
The second-place finish capped a strong series for Barone. He won the PNOC’s first event, a $16.50 Mystery Bounty with 1,060 entries, for $1,375, and he finished 21st in the $25 Mystery Mini Main.
How did the players from Canada do?
Two of the final eight players were listed under Canada, and both made the top four. Barone, an 888 ambassador, took $17,211 for second place.
“for_science” started the final table second in chips and won a big pot early, when pocket eights caught a full house on the river against ace-king. The run ended in fourth place. With about 17 big blinds, for_science moved all in from the button with pocket fives, and IOwnU888 called with ace-king and flopped two pair. The finish paid $13,299 in total, including a $5,004 bounty.
| Place | Player | Country | Total won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOwnU888 | Not listed | $25,522 |
| 2 | Aaron "abarone68" Barone | Canada | $17,211 |
| 3 | LookAround | Kazakhstan | $17,164 |
| 4 | for_science | Canada | $13,299 |
| 5 | sankovski | Lithuania | $13,685 |
| 6 | 01tdr | Romania | $6,134 |
| 7 | Iperenoei13 | Montenegro | $4,178 |
| 8 | UrExNewBF | United Kingdom | $2,687 |
Totals include bounties, as published by PokerNews.
Why did 5th place pay more than 4th?
Fifth place paid more than fourth because of the mystery bounties. In a mystery bounty tournament, each knockout from a set stage awards a random bounty prize, so the payout order can differ from the finishing order.
Lithuania’s “sankovski” won $6,137 in prize money but also collected the largest bounty at the final table, $7,548, for $13,685 in total, PokerNews reported. That is $386 more than for_science received for fourth.
The biggest prize of the whole event did not go to the champion. “d5t6y7” won the $25,000 jackpot bounty before the final table and finished 12th, for $35,020 in total.
What it means for players in Canada
The PNOC ran on 888poker’s international player pool. Ontario has had its own ring-fenced market since 2022, and Alberta’s first regulated online poker room, 888poker, opened on Oct. 13 with a pool limited to the province, according to Pokerfuse and CanadianPoker.com. Players there compete only against others in their own province, so international series like this one aren’t available to them. Each province sets its own rules, and our guide to online poker in Canada explains how they work.
888poker is not one of our partner rooms, and we don’t offer rakeback there. If you want rakeback on your volume, several international rooms that accept players from Canada work with us. One of them is ACR Poker, an international site that is not licensed by any Canadian province. Through our deal, you get 35% rakeback at ACR, plus its 100% first-deposit bonus up to $2,000. Sign up through the button in our ACR Poker review, message us on Telegram, and we pay the rakeback monthly. Check the room’s terms and your province’s rules before you deposit.
To compare the options, see our list of the best online poker sites. And if you play mystery bounty or PKO events, our poker bankroll calculator can help you size your buy-ins for the swings.
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Frequently asked questions
Who won the 888poker PNOC Main Event 2026?
"IOwnU888" won the $250,000 guaranteed Mystery Main Event on Oct. 27, 2026, beating 888 ambassador Aaron "abarone68" Barone heads-up. The win paid $25,522, including bounties, according to PokerNews.
How many players entered the PNOC Main Event?
The $250 Mystery Main Event drew 1,091 entries across several Day 1 flights, for a $254,203 prize pool. That is $4,203 above the $250,000 guarantee.
How did the players from Canada do?
Two of the final eight were listed under Canada. Aaron Barone finished second for $17,211, and "for_science" finished fourth for $13,299, including a $5,004 bounty.
Who won the biggest bounty in the PNOC Main Event?
"d5t6y7" won the $25,000 jackpot bounty before the final table. Combined with the prize for 12th place, that player collected $35,020, more than the champion.
Sources
- PokerNews: IOwnU888 defeats Barone heads-up to win the PNOC Main Event
- PokerNews: 888’s Aaron Barone reaches PNOC Main Event final table
- CanadianPoker.com: PokerStars confirms Alberta return through FanDuel
- Pokerfuse: Ontario online poker sites guide
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