Back to Learn

WSOP 2026: Official Schedule and Key Highlights

Everything you need to know about the 57th Annual World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker announced the 2026 schedule on February 16, 2026, confirming another full summer slate in Las Vegas. The 57th annual series runs May 26 through July 15 at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, featuring 100 bracelet events with buy-ins ranging from $300 to $250,000.

For players planning trips, satellites, or bankrolls, two headline details stand out immediately:

  • The 2026 WSOP Main Event runs July 2-15
  • The series includes 100 total bracelet events

Key Dates at a Glance

  • Schedule announced: February 16, 2026
  • Series location: Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas
  • Full series window: May 26 - July 15, 2026
  • Main Event window: July 2-15, 2026
  • Total bracelet events: 100
  • Lowest buy-in: $300 (Gladiators of Poker)
  • Highest buy-in: $250,000 (Super High Roller)

What the Main Event Dates Mean

With the Main Event set for July 2 through July 15, players now have a clear timeline for travel, accommodations, and pre-Event volume. The Main Event features four starting flights (Days 1A through 1D), with late registration open through Day 2D on July 7. Blind levels run 120 minutes, making it one of the deepest-structured tournaments in poker.

If you plan to play multiple summer events, locking in lodging around this window early can help avoid higher rates as the field builds toward the championship days.

100 Bracelet Events: A Full Summer Grind

The confirmed 100-event bracelet schedule gives every player type more options:

  • Large-field no-limit hold'em events at every buy-in tier
  • Mixed-game and stud championships
  • PLO variants including Five-Card PLO and Big O
  • Bounty and mystery bounty formats
  • Deep stack, turbo, and freezeout structures
  • Specialty events for seniors, veterans, and industry employees

That depth is especially useful for anyone building a series plan around volume, rest days, and bankroll management.

Understanding Tournament Formats

Not every WSOP event plays the same way. The 2026 schedule features a wide range of structures, and knowing the differences can help you pick events that match your style and bankroll.

Deep Stack

Deep stack events give players significantly more starting chips relative to the blind levels. Where a standard tournament might start you with 15,000 chips at 25/50 blinds, a deep stack could hand you 50,000 or more. Combined with longer blind levels (typically 40-60 minutes), this creates more room for post-flop play and complex decision-making. You are less likely to be forced into all-in preflop situations early on.

The 2026 schedule includes several deep stack options: the $600 Deepstack NLH events, the $600 Deepstack PLO, the $1,500 Monster Stack (which starts players with 50,000 chips), the $600 Ultra Stack, and the $600 Deepstack Championship NLH on July 1-4.

Turbo and Super Turbo

Turbo events flip the script on deep stacks. Blind levels increase every 15-20 minutes (or as short as 10-15 minutes for Super Turbo), compressing the entire tournament into a much shorter time frame. Most Super Turbo events at the WSOP finish in a single day. Strategy shifts heavily toward push-fold decisions as stacks get shallow quickly. These are high-variance but time-efficient, which makes them popular with players deep into a long series grind.

The 2026 schedule features three Super Turbo Bounty events at $1,500, $5,000, and $10,000 buy-ins, plus a $1,000 Super Turbo NLH that closes out the entire series as Event #100 on July 15.

Bounty and Mystery Bounty

Bounty tournaments put a cash prize on every player's head. When you knock someone out, you collect their bounty immediately regardless of your final finish. Progressive bounties (PKO) add a twist: when you eliminate a player, you pocket half their bounty and the other half gets added to your own, creating escalating prizes as the tournament goes deeper.

Mystery bounty events work differently. Bounties are not collected from the start. Instead, once the tournament reaches the money, each subsequent elimination earns the eliminator a randomly drawn envelope from a prize pool. The envelope could contain anything from a small amount up to a headline jackpot. The 2026 Mini Mystery Millions ($550) opens the series with a guaranteed $1,000,000 top bounty, while the Mystery Millions ($1,000) runs six starting flights in late June. There is also a $10,000 Mystery Bounty NLH and a $1,000 Mystery Bounty PLO for those who want the format at higher stakes or in a different game.

Freezeout

Freezeout is the original tournament format. You pay one buy-in, receive one stack of chips, and play until you either bust or win. No re-buys, no re-entries, no second chances. It rewards patient, disciplined play and careful stack management. The WSOP Main Event itself is a freezeout. The 2026 schedule also includes four dedicated Freezeout bracelet events at $500, $1,500, $2,500, and $3,000 buy-ins for players who prefer pure single-entry competition.

Re-Entry

Most WSOP events now use a re-entry structure. If you bust during the registration period, you can buy back in for a new stack at a new seat. Re-entries are typically capped (one or two per flight). This format tends to generate larger prize pools, but it also means the average skill level at your table can be higher since strong players who bust early will often re-enter. For 2026, the $1,000 Mystery Millions expanded to allow two re-entries per flight, up from one in 2025.

Marquee Events

Colossus (Event #34) — $500

Running June 10-15, the Colossus is a multi-flight NLH tournament designed to attract the largest field possible. At $500, it is one of the most accessible bracelet events on the schedule and historically draws thousands of entries.

Millionaire Maker (Event #50) — $1,500

The Millionaire Maker runs June 17-24 and guarantees a seven-figure first-place prize. Multi-flight NLH with a structure that gives recreational players a real shot at a life-changing score.

Poker Players Championship (Event #60) — $50,000

Often called the "players' Main Event," this is a multi-game mixed event that runs June 21-25. It rotates through several poker variants and is considered one of the most prestigious bracelets in the series, testing players across the full range of poker disciplines.

Super High Roller (Event #41) — $250,000

The highest buy-in event on the 2026 schedule, running June 13-15. This NLH tournament draws the top professionals and high-stakes regulars for a small-field, high-skill competition.

Mixed Games and Non-Hold'em Events

The 2026 schedule is not all no-limit hold'em. A significant portion of the bracelet events cover other poker variants, giving mixed-game specialists plenty to play.

H.O.R.S.E. rotates through Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Stud Eight-or-Better. The 2026 schedule features three H.O.R.S.E. events: a $1,500 open, a $10,000 Championship, and a $25,000 High Roller. T.O.R.S.E. (Event #92, $3,000) is a variant that swaps Hold'em for 2-7 Triple Draw.

8-Game and 9-Game Mix events rotate through eight or nine different poker variants in a single tournament, including NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Stud, Stud Hi-Lo, 2-7 Triple Draw, and NL 2-7 Single Draw. The Nine Game Mix adds Badugi to the rotation.

Pot-Limit Omaha has a strong presence with events at $1,000, $1,500, $5,000, and a $10,000 PLO Championship, plus high roller PLO events at $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000. New for 2026 are Five-Card PLO ($1,500) and Pick Your PLO ($1,500), where players choose between PLO variants.

Stud and Razz each have $1,500 open events and $10,000 Championships. Lowball variants (No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw, Limit 2-7 Triple Draw) are also well represented with both open and championship-level events.

Dealers Choice events let players at each table vote on which poker variant to play each round, chosen from a list of approved games. The 2026 schedule includes a $1,500 open and a $10,000 Championship.

Specialty and Community Events

  • Seniors Championship (Event #46, $1,000): Restricted to players aged 50+, with two starting flights and consistently one of the largest fields at the WSOP. A $5,000 Seniors High Roller is also available.
  • Super Seniors (Event #61, $1,000): Restricted to players aged 60+.
  • Ladies Championship (Event #68, $1,000): NLH event running June 25-28.
  • Tag Team (Event #66, $1,000): Two-player teams share a single chip stack, swapping in and out at designated breaks. A good option for pairs with complementary skill sets.
  • Salute to Warriors (Event #59, $500): Open to all but created to honor military veterans.
  • Industry Employees (Event #3, $500): Restricted to casino and poker industry workers.
  • Gladiators of Poker (Event #88, $300): The lowest buy-in bracelet event on the schedule, running July 8-13.

New for 2026

Six events are making their first appearance on the WSOP bracelet schedule this year:

  • Mini Mystery Millions ($550) — Opens the series with a massive six-flight mystery bounty and a $1,000,000 top bounty guarantee
  • GGMillion$ High Roller ($10,000) — A branded high roller event in partnership with GGPoker
  • U.S. Circuit Championship ($1,700) — Previously a Circuit-only event, now awarded a bracelet on the main schedule
  • Five-Card PLO ($1,500) — First bracelet event for the five-card Omaha format
  • Pick Your PLO ($1,500) — Players choose between PLO variants each round
  • Summer Saver ($500) — A new low buy-in NLH event late in the series

The series also debuts a WSOP Summer Circuit running July 14-25, with 18 ring events ($300-$5,000 buy-ins) overlapping the final days of bracelet play. This is the first time a Circuit stop has run concurrently with the main summer series.

Planning Tips for 2026 WSOP

Identify your target events early and map dates on one calendar. Set buy-in limits before the summer starts to keep decisions disciplined. Book accommodations around your highest-priority tournaments first, and track entries, cashes, and swaps in real time so you can settle quickly.

Final Takeaway

The 2026 WSOP schedule gives players exactly what they need: firm Main Event dates (July 2-15), a full 100-bracelet-event summer spanning every major format and buy-in level, and six brand-new events that expand the variety even further. Whether you are grinding deep stacks at $600, chasing mystery bounties, or mixing it up in H.O.R.S.E., there is a bracket for every style. If you want a smoother series, planning now is a clear edge.