The Onyx High Roller Series is back in North Cyprus, bringing another concentrated run of nosebleed tournament poker to the Merit Royal Diamond from August 7–16, 2026.
This is not a festival built around hundreds of small side events. Onyx keeps the schedule compact and expensive, with buy-ins climbing from $5,200 all the way to the $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship.
More than $10 million in guaranteed prize pools is attached to the headline events, including two separate $5 million guarantees. As usual with Onyx, a few house rules make the series feel different from almost anything else on the live poker calendar.
$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.
The Premiere alone would be a major high roller at most festivals, but at Onyx it is effectively the warm-up for what comes next. The opening weekend also 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.
For players who do not want to put up the full $25,500 directly, Onyx is running multiple satellites throughout 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 have become standard across major poker tours, but the Onyx version sits at a much higher price point than the average festival bounty event.
With a five-figure buy-in and the type of field Onyx typically attracts, the tournament should produce plenty of recognizable names before the Main Event even gets underway.
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.
It is a noticeable departure from the classic high-stakes poker image of players hiding behind dark glasses and hoodies. Onyx is clearly leaning in the opposite direction: if you are involved in a hand, your opponents get to see your face.
Shot Clocks From the Start
Players also will not be able to sit indefinitely over every decision. Shot clocks are used from the beginning of the tournaments, rather than being introduced only late in an event.
That should keep the pace relatively quick even with some of the world’s most deliberate high-stakes players in the field.
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.
That combination has helped Onyx establish a distinctive place in the high roller market. Players can come for the $25K or $50K tournaments and still find serious action after they are eliminated.
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.
That history makes the August edition especially interesting. This is not simply a festival advertising high buy-ins. Onyx has already shown that it can bring enough high-stakes players together to generate serious fields and 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.
From there, things accelerate quickly. The $1 million Mystery Bounty begins August 10, followed immediately by the $5 million Main Event on August 11. By the final weekend, the buy-ins reach $30,300 and $50,500.
For anyone who enjoys watching poker played at stakes where every pot matters, the next week in Cyprus should deliver plenty of action.
A High Roller Series That Actually Feels Like One
Poker schedules have become increasingly crowded with events carrying the “High Roller” label. Onyx is not stretching the definition.
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.
If the action from previous Onyx events is any indication, there should be plenty of recognizable players fighting for those trophies before the series wraps up on August 16.