2026 WPT World Championship Expands to 85+ Events

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Tue Sep 15, 2026, 10:00 am ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

2026 WPT World Championship Expands to 85+ Events

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The World Poker Tour (WPT) will close Season 24 with an expanded WPT World Championship festival at Wynn Las Vegas. Running from November 27 through December 21, the series will feature more than 85 events and over $20 million in guaranteed prizes.

The festival will offer tournaments across a broad range of buy-ins and formats, giving recreational players opportunities alongside established professionals. Moreover, the schedule combines major championship events with mixed-game tournaments and high-roller contests.

2026 WPT World Championship Festival: More Events, More Prizes

The expanded festival will give players more opportunities throughout December, with buy-ins ranging from $400 events to tournaments costing five figures. Meanwhile, the schedule extends beyond No-Limit Hold'em, featuring PLO, Big O, HORSE, TORSE, Limit Omaha 8, and Mixed Triple Draw.

Several headline tournaments will also carry multimillion-dollar guarantees. The WPT Prime Championship features a $5 million guarantee, while the new Super Gold Million offers a $3 million guaranteed prize pool.

Event Dates Buy-In Guarantee
Opening No-Limit Hold'em Nov. 27 $600 $400,000
WPT Prime Championship Dec. 5-12 $1,100 $5,000,000
PLO Mystery Bounty Dec. 6-7 $1,600 $500,000
Super Gold Million Dec. 10-14 $400 $3,000,000
Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship Dec. 13 $1,100 $250,000
WPT World Championship Dec. 13-20 $10,400 $1,000,000 mystery bounty added
Closing No-Limit Hold'em Turbo Dec. 21 $600 —

$10,400 Championship Adds $1 Million in WPT-Funded Bounties

The $10,400 WPT World Championship remains the festival's centerpiece, with the tournament scheduled for December 13 through December 20. This year's edition will introduce $1 million in additional mystery bounty money funded directly by WPT.

Importantly, that $1 million sits outside the prize pool generated from player entries. Therefore, players will compete for the standard tournament prize pool while also pursuing additional WPT-funded mystery bounty rewards.

The added money should provide another incentive to chase knockouts throughout the event, while strengthening the value of the flagship tournament without increasing the entry-generated prize pool. The championship will feature three starting flights before players combine for Day 2, and the final table will receive live-stream coverage.

Schuyler Thornton is expected to return as the defending champion after winning the 2025 event for $2,258,856. He defeated a field of 1,865 entries to secure the title, setting a significant benchmark for this year's championship.

New $400 Super Gold Million Offers $3 Million Guarantee

The Super Gold Million stands out as one of the festival's biggest additions because it combines a $400 buy-in with a $3 million guarantee. Running from December 10 through December 14, the event will also use a mystery bounty format.

Consequently, the tournament gives players a lower-cost route toward a major guaranteed prize while adding another potential source of significant payouts. The event also reinforces the festival's focus on accessible buy-ins and broad player participation.

Players researching US online poker sites may also view the live festival as a major offline alternative, particularly with several tournaments offering relatively low entry points.

WPT Prime Championship Returns With $5 Million Guarantee

The $1,100 WPT Prime Championship remains another major attraction and will run from December 5 through December 12 with a $5 million guarantee. Aaron Johnson is expected to return as the defending champion after winning the 2025 edition from a field of 9,876 entries.

Johnson collected $1,010,400 for that victory, so the 2026 event should again attract a substantial field. The combination of its accessible buy-in and large guarantee makes the Prime Championship one of the festival's key events.

Broad Schedule Covers Players at Every Level

At the higher end of the spectrum, the festival caters to seasoned pros through several major buy-in tournaments, including $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em and PLO events. Furthermore, a $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller gives elite players another marquee opportunity to compete for massive prizes.

Beyond the high-roller action, the schedule includes a $1,100 Ladies Championship with a $250,000 guarantee, alongside a dedicated mixed-game lineup for specialists. Consequently, attendees can mix and match between popular Hold'em tournaments and specialized poker disciplines as the series unfolds.

With more than 85 events, the WPT World Championship festival will provide sustained tournament action for nearly a month. The combination of major guarantees, varied buy-ins, and different formats should make Wynn Las Vegas a major poker destination this December.

The $10,400 World Championship remains the centerpiece, but the $400 Super Gold Million and $5 million Prime Championship could attract some of the festival's largest fields. 

As WPT Season 24 approaches its finale, the expanded schedule gives players plenty of reasons to make the trip to Las Vegas.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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