World Series of Poker 2026 Schedule Released: May 26 – July 15
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the most prestigious annual poker festival in the world, held in Las Vegas every year. On Monday, Feb. 16, organizers announced the schedule for the 2026 installment of the WSOP.
As has been the case since 2022, the tournaments will be held at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos on the Vegas Strip. The 57th edition of the WSOP will take place from May 26 to July 15. It will consist of 100 live bracelet events: the same number as last year.
Main Event Info
The $10,000 World Championship Main Event will feature four starting days: July 2, 3, 4, and 5. The rest of the tourney will run until July 13, which is when the final table will be determined. Details on when and how the final table will play down to a winner will be revealed at some future date. Of all the 100 events on this year's schedule, the Main is the only one for which the dates and times involved have not been finalized.
This has fueled speculation that there may be big changes in the works for the 2026 Main Event. Some have argued that the vagueness in the announced timeframe of the final table hints at a return to a lengthy delay between when the final nine contenders are determined and when the final table actually plays out. This is what occurred from 2008 to 2016 when the “November Nine” took a months-long break before returning to conclude the event. During this time, they were able to prepare, seek poker coaching, obtain sponsorships, or even just take a well-deserved break.
Other Events
Buyins range from $300 for the NLHE Gladiators of Poker tournament to $250,000 for the Super High Roller NLHE event. However, most of the roster falls within the range of $1,000 to $10,000.
Several player-favorite events are back again, like the $500 COLOSSUS, the $1,500 Millionaire Maker, and the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Yet, a few new tournaments are coming too, including a $1,500 “Pick Your PLO” tournament that functions like Dealer's Choice with PLO, PLO-8, 5 Card PLO, and Big O as the choices. Also new to 2026 is a $550 Mini Mystery Millions NLHE tourney with a hefty $1 million in bounties guaranteed.
Online Bracelets
The bracelet schedule for WSOP Online has not yet been announced. Last year saw 30 bracelet events take place over the internet, so we expect around 30 this year as well.
As the four states that WSOP Online operates in (New Jersey, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania) are parties to the MSIGA, this cardroom has combined its traffic across all these states. This means that you don't have to be physically present in Las Vegas to win an online bracelet; you'll be able to access these tournaments from anywhere in WSOP Online's service area.
Circuit to Follow Main WSOP Action
The WSOP Circuit, a kind of minor league of the WSOP, is held at various cardrooms around the world and offers rings rather than the familiar gold bracelets that the main WSOP series does. The WSOP is trying something new this year by commencing a Summer Circuit series as the main series is winding down on July 14, and it will continue through July 25.
Comments From Individuals Connected to the WSOP
Speaking of this year's Series, Jack Effel, Senior Vice President of Poker Operations at Caesars Entertainment, said:
Our favorite time of year is around the corner, and we cannot wait to once again welcome the poker world back to the Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas. This summer's World Series of Poker promises more action and more opportunities to play your favorite events than ever before, from the first ‘Shuffle Up and Deal!’ to the crowning of the Main Event champion.
Online poker site GGPoker purchased the WSOP brand for half a billion dollars in October 2024 although Caesars kept the right to host WSOP games live and online for 20 years beyond that date. Daniel Negreanu, who became an ambassador for GGPoker a few years ago, commented:
GGPoker’s WSOP Express satellites allow enthusiasts all over the world to follow in the footsteps of their heroes. Whether you are an international player qualifying via GGPoker or a domestic U.S. player winning your seat via WSOP Online, we want to see you taking your shot at the gold in 2026!
GGPoker Representative Daniel NegreanuLast Year's WSOP
Last year's Main Event winner was Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi who bested a field of 9,735 to pick up the top prize of $10 million. Neither the number of participants nor the prize pool for the Main Event was the highest in history, but they were both the third highest. The series did set a record in 2025, however, for total prize money distributed across all events at $480.2 million.
2025 Main Event Champ Michael “The Grinder” MizrachiBecause there are the same number of events again (100), we foresee a similar amount of prizes awarded in 2026. However, organizers are doing taking several steps that might pique interest in the series among poker fans, including hosting a Circuit series immediately afterwards, expanding the number of starting flights for popular events, and introducing a free daily live stream on the WSOP's YouTube channel. Thus, all elements are in place to give the WSOP a chance to top the prize record for the second year in a row.
Player of the Year
The WSOP has announced a new $1m leaderboard for the Player of the Year contest. Las year's winner, Shaun Deeb, received only a trophy and free $10,000 entry to the 2026 Main Event, but this year's winners can look forward to substantially better prizes:
- 1st: $100K Paradise Package + P.O.Y. Title
- 2nd – 3rd: $100K Paradise Package
- 4th – 15th: $30K Super Main Event Package
- 16th – 50th: $5K Circuit Championship Package
- 51st – 100th: $2.5K Circuit Championship Ticket
Tournaments from WSOP Europe (March 31 – April 12), the Main WSOP series (May 26 – July 15), and WSOP Paradise (Dec. 1 – 18) will count toward the PoY leaderboard. Points are awarded according to a complex formula involving a player's finishing position, the total number of entries, and the buy-in level of the tournament.
WSOP+ App Information
Full details of the WSOP schedule are now available on the WSOP+ app. This app, available for both iOS and Android, contains info on the scheduling of events, the buyins and entry fees, the blind levels, and the number of people registered. As the tournaments begin to play out, you'll be able to track them in real time on the app, watching as players are eliminated and keeping apprised of the official tournament clock.
Screenshot From the WSOP+ AppIn order to enable this functionality, the WSOP requires that all players participating in any WSOP event register for an account with the WSOP+ app. All players must complete identity verification.
Win Your Seat Online!
Daniel Negreanu alluded to the fact that you'll be able to win WSOP seats at GGPoker and WSOP Online. However, GGPoker is not available to players in the United States, and WSOP Online in unavailable in 46 of the 50 states.
If you want a more realistic option for Americans, then ACR Poker is a good choice. It traditionally runs plenty of satellites to major WSOP events although it's too early in the season for them to have appeared yet. Keep watching the ACR tournament lobby because these valuable qualifiers are bound to show up in the coming months. ACR is actually a great place for tournaments overall because it hosts major series itself with massive guarantees and additionally has a robust weekly schedule of tourneys.
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To find out more about ACR before making an account, read this accurate ACR Poker review. ACR has a couple of sister sites that you may wish to also consider: Black Chip Poker, Ya Poker (non-US). For additional U.S.-friendly internet poker providers, head over to this online poker guide for Americans.
Feb. 19, 2026 – by Max Golden, Editor-in-Chief