The Onyx High Roller Series is back in North Cyprus for a series of high-stakes tournaments at the Merit Royal Diamond from August 7–16, 2026.
The schedule is compact, with buy-ins ranging from $5,200 to the $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship.
More than $10 million in guaranteed prize pools is on offer across the headline events, including two separate $5 million guarantees. The series also has specific rules on face coverings and the pace of play.
$5 Million Premiere Opens the Series
The first major attraction is the $10,400 Onyx Premiere, which carries a $5 million guarantee.
Three starting flights run from August 7–9 before Day 2 on August 10 and the final day on August 11.
Players begin with 100,000 chips, and the opening flights use 40-minute levels before the structure slows down later in the tournament.
Alongside the Premiere, the opening weekend includes satellites, a $5,200 Super Turbo and a $5,200 PLO Bounty.
Another $5 Million Guaranteed in the Main Event
The centerpiece of the festival is the $25,500 Onyx Main Event.
It begins on August 11 with Day 1A, followed by Day 1B on August 12, Day 2 on August 13 and the final on August 14. The Main Event also carries a $5 million guaranteed prize pool.
Players start with 200,000 chips, while the structure moves from 40-minute levels during the starting flights to 60-minute levels later in the event.
Players can also qualify for the $25,500 Main Event through satellites held during the series.
$1 Million Mystery Bounty Adds Another Major Event
Between the Premiere and Main Event comes the $10,400 Mystery Bounty on August 10–11. That tournament carries another $1 million guarantee.
Mystery bounty tournaments are common on major tours, but the Onyx event has a higher buy-in than many festival bounty events.
The five-figure buy-in and Onyx’s usual high-stakes field should attract well-known players before the Main Event.
The Buy-Ins Keep Climbing
The second half of the festival moves even further into high roller territory.
On August 13, the $15,300 6-Max begins. August 14 then brings a $30,300 Single Re-Entry event.
The biggest scheduled buy-in arrives over the final weekend. The $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship starts on August 15 and concludes on August 16.
Players receive 300,000 starting chips, with 40-minute levels on Day 1 and 60-minute levels for the final day. The same weekend also features a $10,200 Bounty and a $25,250 Finale.
Major Onyx High Roller Series Events
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 7–11 | Onyx Premiere | $10,400 | $5,000,000 |
| Aug. 10–11 | Mystery Bounty | $10,400 | $1,000,000 |
| Aug. 11–14 | Main Event | $25,500 | $5,000,000 |
| Aug. 13–14 | 6-Max | $15,300 | — |
| Aug. 14 | Single Re-Entry | $30,300 | — |
| Aug. 15–16 | Onyx High Roller Championship | $50,500 | — |
| Aug. 15–16 | Bounty | $10,200 | — |
| Aug. 16 | Finale | $25,250 | — |
No Sunglasses, Masks or Scarves While You Are in a Hand
One of the more unusual details of the Onyx High Roller Series has nothing to do with prize money.
The tournament rules prohibit players from intentionally covering their faces while they have live cards. That includes sunglasses, masks and scarves.
Players may be used to seeing sunglasses at high-stakes tables. At Onyx, opponents must be able to see a player’s face while that player has live cards.
Shot Clocks From the Start
A shot clock limits the time available for each decision. Shot clocks are used from the beginning of the tournaments, rather than being introduced only late in an event.
The clocks are intended to keep play moving, including during lengthy high-stakes decisions.
Re-entry is permitted during the registration period, while Onyx also uses a set number of hands per level at final tables under rules announced by the tournament director.
High-Stakes Cash Games Alongside the Tournament Schedule
The tournament series is only part of the attraction.
Onyx Club is built specifically around high-stakes poker and private gaming, and its festivals traditionally generate substantial cash-game action away from the tournament tables.
The club operates from the dedicated Onyx Room at Merit Resorts and describes itself as an invite-only environment aimed at high-stakes players.
Players attending the $25K or $50K tournaments can also look for high-stakes cash games after their tournament sessions.
Onyx Has Already Attracted Major Poker Names
The brand has become increasingly visible among elite live players.
Earlier Onyx festivals have attracted some of poker’s biggest names, and the January–February 2026 High Roller Series produced several seven-figure results.
Jean-Robert Bellande won the $100,000 NLH High Roller Championship for $1.5 million, while the series also featured major PLO events and some of the strongest high-stakes fields of the year.
Those earlier results give some context for the August schedule: Onyx has already drawn substantial high-stakes fields and generated multimillion-dollar prize pools.
The Action Is Already Underway
As the series moves through its opening weekend, the $10,400 Premiere is taking center stage. Sunday, August 9 features the third Premiere starting flight alongside the $5,200 PLO Bounty and the final day of the $5,200 Super Turbo.
The $1 million Mystery Bounty begins August 10, followed by the $5 million Main Event on August 11. The final weekend includes events with buy-ins of $30,300 and $50,500.
The week offers several events to follow for viewers interested in high-stakes poker.
A Schedule Focused on High Stakes
The main schedule concentrates on high rollers, with relatively few lower-buy-in events.
A $10,400 tournament is near the bottom of the main schedule. The Main Event costs $25,500. The Championship costs $50,500.
Add two $5 million guarantees, a $1 million Mystery Bounty, PLO, 6-Max, bounty events and high-stakes cash games, and the Onyx High Roller Series has become one of the more concentrated high-stakes festivals on the 2026 calendar.
Previous editions have drawn well-known players, and the August series runs through August 16.