World Series of Poker 2026 Schedule and Biggest Events
The World Series of Poker 2026 schedule includes 100 live gold bracelet events, and the world’s biggest poker festival returns to the Las Vegas Strip from May 26 through July 15. The 57th annual WSOP takes place at Hoseshoe and Paris Las Vegas for the 5th straight year, and the huge tournament turnouts continue. For a majority of poker players, the higher-entry tournaments are not an option without winning their way in through WSOP satellites or other top online poker sites. That includes WSOP.com and BetOnline, which along with a bigger menu of sports betting options, also offers poker promotions as poker players gear up for more tournaments and the biggest events of the year at the World Series of Poker.
That includes in the prestigious WSOP Main Event, which I've covered in the past for Forbes and OSGA. The $10,000 entry No-Limit Hold 'em 2025 WSOP Main Event drew the third-largest turnout in WSOP history with 9,735 total entries, and a prize pool of $90.5 million. A total of 1,461 places were paid starting at $15,000, and the final table of 9 players all earned at least $1 million. The 2025 Main Event world champion was top poker pro Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, who won $10 million and the prestigious Main Event gold bracelet. 
The 2026 Main Event Final Table is Aug. 3-5, and this year starts 20 days after play is paused on July 13. ESPN will televise the Main Event from 9pm - 12am ET all three nights. ESPN platforms will feature approximately 100 hours of original programming with each tournament day receiving a minimum of six hours of programming.
But beyond the WSOP Main Event, poker players from more than 100 countries have plenty of options not only for the 100 live gold bracelet events, but 30 additional online bracelet events. There are also WSOP daily deepstack side events ranging from $200-$400 plus landmark mega satellites for smaller events to the biggest $50,000 entry Poker Players Championship (9 game mix).
WSOP Biggest Tournaments and Turnouts
Dates listed are 2026 starting dates with multiple Day 1 flights. A full list of all 100 live events at the 2026 WSOP includes the biggest tournaments and turnouts. Most entries expected to the No-Limit Hold 'em poker events below, unless listed otherwise.
May 26 - Event #1: $550 Mini Mystery Millions (New event)
May 31 - Event #10: $600 Deepstack
June 1 - Event #13: $1,500 6-handed
June 2 - Event #15: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack
June 3 - Event #18: $1,500 Monster Stack
June 4 - Event #21: 1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or better
June 5 - Event #22: $1,500 Big O
June 7 - Event #25:$500 Freezeout
June 8 - Event #28: $600 No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha Mixed Deepstack
June 9 - Event #29: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty
June 10 - Event #34: $500 Colossus
June 14 - Event #43: $800 Deepstack 8-Handed
June 16 - Event #46:$1,000 Seniors Championship
June 17 - Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker
June 21 - Event #59: $500 Salute to Warriors
June 22 - Event #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em
June 23 - Event #63:$1,000 Mystery Millions
June 23 - Event #65: $1,500 Freezeout
June 24 - Event #66: $1,000 Tag Team
June 25 - Event #68: $1,000 Ladies Championship
June 28 - Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event
July 1 - Event #78: $600 Deep Stack Championship
July 2 - Event #81: $800 Summer Celebration
July 2 - Event #82: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship
July 2 - Event #83: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot
July 5 - Event #86: $600 Ultra Stack
July 7 - Event #87: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Mystery Bounty
July 8 - Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker
July 11 - Event #93: $1,500 The Closer
July 14 - Event #99:$5,000 8-Handed
Top All-Time WSOP Tournament entries
2019: Big 50 - 28,371 entries from a $500 buy-in with a prize pool of $13,509,435. First place $1,147,499.
2025: Gladiators of Poker - 24,629 entries from a $300 buy-in with a prize pool of $6,457,723. First place $420,680.
2023: Gladiators of Poker - 23,088 entries from a $300 buy-in with a prize pool of $5,679,648. First place $499,852.
2015: Colossus - 22,374 entries from a $565 buy-in with a prize pool of $11,187,000. First place $638,880. This was the first-ever Colossus event, and 39% of the 14,284 unique players were playing a WSOP event for the first time.
2016: Colossus - 21,613 entries from a $565 buy-in with a prize pool of 10,806,500. First place $1,000,000.
2024: Gladiators of Poker - 20,647 entries from a $300 buy-in with a prize pool of $5,079,162. First place $401,210.
2022: Housewarming - 20,080 entries from a $500 buy-in with a prize pool of $8,435,280. First place $701,215.
2025: Mystery Millions - 19,654 entries from a $1,000 buy-in with a prize pool of $17,295,520. First place $1,000,000.
2024: Colossus - 19,337 entries from a $400 buy-in with a prize pool of $5,940,883. First place $501,240.
2024: Mystery Millions - 18,409 entries from a $1,000 buy-in with a prize pool of $16,199,920. First place $1,000,000.
2023: Mystery Millions - 18,188 entries from a $1,000 buy-in. First place $1,000,000.
2017: Colossus - 18,054 entries from a $565 buy-in with a prize pool of $9,027,000. First place $1,000,000.
2023: Colossus - 15,894 entries from a $400 buy-in with a prize pool of $5,245,020. First place $501,120.
2022: Million Dollar Bounty - 14,112 entries from a buy-in with a prize pool of $12,559,680. First place $750,120.
2022: Colossus - 13,565 entries from a $400 buy-in with a prize pool of nearly $4,500,000. First place $414,490.
2019: Colossus - 13,109 entries from a $400 buy-in with a prize pool of $4.39.515. First place $451,272.
The largest turnout for a live poker tournament in history belongs to the 2019 WSOP Big 50 event, which celebrated 50 years of the World Series of Poker. It shattered the $5 million guarantee prize pool with a total of $13,509,435 from 28,371 entries ($500 entry fee). I played in the event and cashed top 4% for $1,950.
2025 Top Tournament Entries
The 2025 WSOP set unprecedented benchmarks across entries, prize money, and payouts. A record 246,960 entries and $481,761,879 total prize money was awarded. A total of 43 players won at least $1 million in single payouts. A record 57 events exceeded $2+ million prize pools, and a record 9 events exceeded $10 million prize pools.
$1,000 Mystery Millions - 19,654 entries (first place $1,000,000).
$300 Gladiators of Poker - 24,629 entries (first place $420,680)
$1,500 Millionaire Maker - 11,996 entries, first place $1,133,750 and a new record for the largest $1,500 buy-in field in live tournament poker history.
$1,000 Mini Main Event - 10,794 entries (first place $843,140)
$10,000 Main Event World Championship - 9,735 entries (first place $10 million)
$777 Lucky 7's - 8,012 entries (first place $777,777)
$600 Deepstack - 6,090 entries (first place $318,842)
$3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship - 3,797 entries, first place $1,189,408 and the largest field ever for a $3,000 buy-in event
$1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha - 5,284 entries (first place $329,890)
The recent years WSOP Main Event turnouts and record include:
2025: 9,735 entries. First place $10 million.
2024: Record 10,112 entries. First place $10 million.
2023: 10,043 entries. First place record $12.1 million.
2022: 8,663 entries. First place $10 million.
The World Series of Poker has been held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas on The Strip since 2022. Previous WSOP events held at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino 2005-2021, and Binions Horseshoe 1970-2004. I covered the event and reported and interviewed players at the Final Table from 2022-2024 including the record-breaking turnout and $12.1 million first place prize in 2023 before a Main Event record turnout again in 2024.
WSOP And Poker Tournaments Across Las Vegas
Along with the WSOP, the Wynn Summer Classic and Deep Stack Championship at the Venetian/Palazzo are other big tournament series with strong turnouts. The Aria Poker Classic and lower-entry tournaments Orleans Open, MGM Summer Poker Festival and The Grand Poker Series at Golden Nugget downtown add to the huge summer poker tournaments across Las Vegas. 
I recently met and sat next to John Wasnock, now 52, who is traveling and playing more poker after finishing runner-up to Mizrachi in the 2025 WSOP Main Event to cash in for $6 million. I won a poker satellite into the Wynn Millions championship event and made the money from a field of 694 players to cash in for nearly $8,000 in early March.
Two days later after winning another Wynn satellite and seat into a $1,100 event, I was among the top 10 chip leaders in my flight nearing the money when I went heads up to a reraiser and I flopped top set of 10's. She moved all-in for 2x the pot on the flop, I called as a 2/1 favorite and better than 3/1 to the river, which was a King to give her a higher set. John and I had been talking sports, poker and travel when sitting next to me to witness the hand and biggest pot at our table. I would have been chip-leader of my flight with about 55 players remaining and 23 advancing to Day 2 (about 80 total from 3 flights). I busted out before the money with AQ suited when the big blind shoved all-in over my raise pre-flop with 66, I called and couldn't improve. Such is tournament poker and the roller coaster ride at times. The stories and poker probabilities and paydays will be ongoing starting this week as the World Series of Poker 2026 schedule begins.
I've been granted a media credential again for the World Series of Poker 2026 events at Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas. Along with select coverage and reporting of the WSOP in Las Vegas, I also coverd the 2024 WSOP Paradise event in the Bahamas. I'll be playing some cash games and select WSOP and other tournaments with some periodic coverage and updates from the WSOP and Las Vegas looking to cash in again.
You can bet on it.
FairwayJay is a proven poker player in Las Vegas playing cash games and select No-Limit Hold 'em tournaments. He's covered and played in WSOP events for two decades while living in Las Vegas. FairwayJay chips in sports betting and handicapping insight along with reporting on poker and sports news with information you can bet on. Follow FairwayJay here at OSGA.com and on X @FairwayJay.
