Last Updated on September 11, 2026 by Bala Kumar
Introduction
Live poker in the second half of 2026 doesn’t have one single headline event the way the WSOP summer series does, instead, it’s a genuinely global spread of mid-major and regional tours, all running at the same time. Right now, as of mid-September, there’s a US state championship wrapping up in Las Vegas, a French tour heading into its penultimate stop, an English festival closing out a UK circuit, and an Asian tour building toward a 17-day, $8 million guaranteed season finale in Taipei.
That’s the real value of tracking a global poker tournament calendar: it’s not just about the WSOP or the EPT. Mid-stakes tours like MSPT, France Poker Open, 888poker LIVE, and the Asian Poker Tour make up the bulk of where recreational and semi-professional players actually put in volume, and their schedules move fast enough that a listing from even two months ago is already stale.
Live Poker Tournaments Happening Right Now and Through the Rest of 2026
Below is a current snapshot of confirmed live poker events, current as of September 2026, spanning the US, Europe, and Asia:
| Tournament / Event | Location | Dates | Buy-In |
| MSPT Nevada Poker State Championship | The Venetian, Las Vegas, USA | Sep 10 – 13 | $1,100 |
| WSOP Circuit Casino Malta | St. Julian’s, Malta | Sep 25 – Oct 5 | ~$1,700 Main Event |
| APT Jeju 2026 | Jeju Shinhwa World, South Korea | Sep 25 – Oct 4 | ~$1,600 Main Event |
| 888poker LIVE London (The Victoria) | London, United Kingdom | Oct 8 – 18 | ~€1,000 Main Event |
| FPO Lyon | Pasino Grand, La Tour-de-Salvagny, France | Oct 6 – 11 | €600 Main Event |
| WSOP Circuit Casino Gran Via | Madrid, Spain (first-ever Spanish stop) | Oct 23 – Nov 2 | ~$1,700 Main Event |
| WPT Seoul | INSPIRE Entertainment Resort, South Korea | Oct 30 – Nov 9 | $3,500+ (tour debut in Korea) |
| EPT Prague | Hilton Prague, Czech Republic | Dec 2 – 13 | €5,300 Main Event |
| APT Championship 2026 | Red Space & Asia Poker Arena, Taipei, Taiwan | Nov 13 – 29 | $10,000 Main Event / $5M GTD |
| WSOP Paradise | Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas | Dec 1 – 18 | $25,000 Super Main Event |
| FPO Paris | Club Circus, Paris, France | Dec 14 – 21 | €600 Main Event |
Why Live Poker Tournaments Continue Growing
The mid-major tour landscape has genuinely expanded this year, and it’s worth understanding why rather than just tracking the dates.
1. Mid-Stakes Tours Are Filling a Gap the Majors Don’t Cover
MSPT’s Main Events sit at a $1,100 buy-in with six and seven-figure guarantees, and 888poker LIVE keeps its flagship events in the €800–€1,200 range. That’s a real, deliberate gap between WSOP Circuit-style accessibility and WPT/EPT-level buy-ins, and 2026 has seen more tours lean into it rather than chase bigger guarantees.
2. Regional Tours Are Becoming True International Circuits
France Poker Open just wrapped its ninth season and expanded to six stops for its tenth anniversary year in 2026. The Asian Poker Tour is marking its own 20th anniversary with a five-stop 2026 calendar that set an all-time Asian poker record in 2025 — 28,265 entries and $34 million awarded at the APT Championship alone. These aren’t side circuits anymore; they’re drawing fields that rival some EPT stops.
3. Mobile Access and Online Satellites Are Doing the Recruiting
Nearly every tour on this list — MSPT, 888poker, FPO, APT — now runs its own online satellite system, meaning a player anywhere in the world can win a Main Event seat for a few dollars and show up at a live festival without ever having played a live qualifier in person. That’s the single biggest driver behind field sizes trending upward across mid-major tours this year.
Major Upcoming Poker Events Worldwide
MSPT Nevada Poker State Championship (Las Vegas)
Running September 10–13 at The Venetian, this stop carries a $300,000 guaranteed $1,100 Main Event, plus a $3,500 seat into the MSPT Championship awarded to the winner. It’s a good example of how MSPT structures its majors — a strong guarantee, an added incentive prize, and a buy-in still well under $2,000.
888poker LIVE London — The Victoria
Running October 8–18, this is the closing stop of the 2026 888poker LIVE main tour after Madrid, Glasgow, and Barcelona. “The Vic” is one of London’s most storied poker rooms, and 888poker has built the whole festival around accessible buy-ins backed by a livestream on 888pokerTV.
France Poker Open — FPO Lyon and FPO Paris
FPO Lyon runs October 6–11 at the Pasino Grand in La Tour-de-Salvagny, followed by the traditional season-closer, FPO Paris, from December 14–21 at Club Circus. Both stops keep the FPO’s signature €600 Main Event buy-in with satellites running year-round on PMU Poker.
APT Championship 2026 (Taipei)
This is the marquee event on the Asian calendar for the rest of the year — 17 days, 210 trophy events, and a $10,000 buy-in Main Event carrying a $5 million guarantee. It follows APT Jeju (Sep 25–Oct 4) and closes out the tour’s 20th anniversary season, which has already broken multiple attendance records in 2026.
EPT Prague and WSOP Paradise
These two land within days of each other in December and function as the closing events for European and global poker respectively. EPT Prague (Dec 2–13) decides the season-long PokerStars Live League standings, while WSOP Paradise (Dec 1–18) carries the year’s final WSOP Player of the Year points and, based on 2025’s $72 million Super Main Event prize pool, is likely to be the single largest tournament remaining on the 2026 calendar.
Most Popular Poker Tournament Formats on Tour Right Now
No-Limit Hold’em
Still the default format across every tour listed here — MSPT, FPO, 888poker, APT, WSOP Circuit, EPT — because it balances accessibility for recreational players with enough strategic depth to keep the format interesting at the highest stakes.
Pot-Limit Omaha and Mixed Games
APT’s 2026 schedule alone includes 36 Omaha events plus assorted draw and mixed-game tournaments — a noticeably larger spread than a few years ago, reflecting growing player demand for format variety beyond straight NLH.
Turbo and Hyper-Turbo Events
Nearly every festival on this list runs at least one turbo or hyper-turbo side event, aimed at players who want a faster, lower-time-commitment tournament without traveling for a full multi-day series.
Mystery Bounty and Knockout Formats
Bounty-style tournaments continue to be one of the fastest-growing side event categories across WSOP Circuit, EPT, and WPT schedules, rewarding players directly for eliminations rather than only for finishing position.
Why Following a Live Poker Tournament Calendar Matters
● Better travel planning — knowing FPO Lyon runs the same week as WSOPC Malta lets you choose rather than miss one by accident.
● Bankroll management — comparing a $600 FPO buy-in against a $10,000 APT Championship buy-in helps set realistic goals for the stakes you actually play.
● Access to online satellites — nearly every tour above sells cheap satellite tickets, but only if you know the qualification deadline before the live event starts.
● Awareness of debut and one-off stops — 2026 alone introduced WSOP Circuit’s first-ever Spanish stop and WPT’s first-ever event in South Korea, both one-time opportunities worth planning around.
● Sharper tournament strategy — watching how bigger fields (APT Championship’s 28,265 entries in 2025) play out in real time is a genuinely useful study tool before you sit down yourself.
Final Thoughts
The picture that emerges from the current global schedule is a live poker industry that’s grown well past the WSOP/EPT/WPT trio most casual fans think of first. MSPT, 888poker LIVE, France Poker Open, and the Asian Poker Tour are each running full, professionally structured seasons with genuine six and seven-figure guarantees, record attendance, and real international reach — Taipei’s APT Championship alone paid out more than most EPT stops.
Whether you’re chasing a $600 FPO Main Event or building toward a $10,000 APT Championship buy-in, the events above represent real, currently confirmed opportunities rather than a stale seasonal guess. Stay close to each tour’s own site for exact satellite deadlines, since those move faster than the Main Event schedule itself.
Before stepping into any of these fields, it’s worth building real reps first — reading bet sizing, understanding bubble pressure, and getting comfortable with bounty and mystery formats in a low-pressure setting. That kind of practical, no-money-on-the-line practice is exactly what poker club games are built for, and it’s a smart stop before any of the tournaments listed here.
FAQs
What are poker tournament schedules?
They’re listings of upcoming live and online poker events with confirmed dates, locations, and buy-ins, letting players plan travel, bankroll, and satellite qualification around specific tournaments.
Which are the major poker events left on the 2026 calendar?
EPT Prague (Dec 2–13), WSOP Paradise (Dec 1–18), the APT Championship in Taipei (Nov 13–29), and WPT’s debut event in Seoul (Oct 30–Nov 9) are the standout stops for the rest of the year, alongside ongoing MSPT, FPO, and 888poker LIVE stops.
Why are mid-major poker tours growing so quickly?
Lower buy-ins in the $600–$1,700 range, expanding online satellite systems, and genuine international expansion — like WSOP Circuit’s first Spanish stop and WPT’s first Korean event in 2026 — are all driving bigger fields across these tours.
How can I track live poker tournament schedules for 2026?
Each tour publishes its own schedule directly — MSPT, 888poker, PMU Poker/Texapoker for FPO, and the Asian Poker Tour’s own site all maintain current calendars, and most also list online satellite deadlines alongside the live dates.
What poker formats are most common on these tours right now?
No-Limit Hold’em remains standard everywhere, with Pot-Limit Omaha, turbo/hyper-turbo events, and Mystery Bounty or knockout formats making up a growing share of side events across nearly every tour listed here.
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