Last Updated on July 10, 2026 by Bala Kumar
The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event is one of poker’s biggest stories of the summer. With a $10,000 buy-in, a field that ranks among the largest in the tournament’s history, and a $10 million top prize on the line, this year’s edition has generated significant excitement among poker fans worldwide. It also comes with a major broadcast shake-up: for the first time in years, the Main Event returns to ESPN under a new multi-year rights deal, and the final table has been pushed back to a live, prime-time August broadcast.
Here’s everything you need to know: the full schedule, key dates, how the format works, and exactly how to watch every stage of the action.
Quick Facts: 2026 WSOP Main Event
| Detail | Information |
| Event | Event #82: $10,000 Main Event NLH World Championship |
| Location | Horseshoe & Paris Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Starting Flights | July 2–5, 2026 |
| Field Size | 9,208 entries (4th-largest Main Event ever) |
| Prize Pool | $85,634,400 |
| Champion’s Payout | $10,000,000 |
| Money Bubble / Final Table Formation | July 13, 2026 |
| Final Table Broadcast | August 3–5, 2026 (live) |
| Primary Broadcaster (US) | ESPN / ESPN app |
| International Broadcasters | Eurosport, TNT Sports (UK & Ireland), TSN, HBO Max, Abema TV, Groupe M6 |
Full Main Event Schedule
The Main Event unfolds in stages, starting with four separate starting flights before the field combines and plays down toward the final table:
| Day | Dates | What Happens |
| Day 1A–1D | July 2–5, 2026 | Four separate starting flights; players choose one flight to begin |
| Day 2ABC / Day 2D | July 6–7, 2026 | Survivors from Day 1 combine; late registration remains open through early Day 2 |
| Day 3 | July 8, 2026 | All remaining players combine for the first time |
| Day 4 | July 9, 2026 | Money bubble bursts; field narrows toward the money |
| Day 5–7 | July 10–12, 2026 | The field continues narrowing toward the final table. |
| Day 8 / Final Table Set | July 13, 2026 | Play continues down to the final 9 players |
| Final Table Day 1 | August 3, 2026 | 9 players play down to 6 |
| Final Table Day 2 | August 4, 2026 | 6 players play down to 3 |
| Final Table Day 3 | August 5, 2026 | Final 3 players play down to a champion |
This structure reflects a notable change for 2026: after the final table is set on July 13, there’s a nearly three-week break before the final nine players return for a fully live, prime-time broadcast on August 3–5, a shift designed to build audience anticipation and give ESPN time to produce curated highlight coverage in between.
Why the Final Table Was Delayed to August
This year’s scheduling change follows WSOP’s updated broadcast plans, creating a gap between the final table being set and the live championship broadcast. As part of the deal, ESPN will air a series of specially curated prime-time episodes during the three-week gap between the final table being set and actually being played, using the delay to build momentum heading into the live August broadcast. It’s a similar approach to the “November Nine” format WSOP used years ago, but compressed into a shorter, more modern window.
How to Watch the 2026 WSOP Main Event
In the United States:
- Daily coverage of the Main Event streams throughout July, with the July 2–8 sessions airing from 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM ET and Day 4 through Day 8 coverage airing from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET. The live final table will be broadcast from August 3–5.
- The final table airs live on ESPN and the ESPN app from August 3–5, with at least six hours of live coverage per day.
- Free daily streams of the broader WSOP series (outside the Main Event) are also available on the official WSOP YouTube channel, starting May 29.
Internationally:
- UK & Ireland: TNT Sports, with Main Event highlight episodes and full final table coverage
- Canada: TSN
- Europe & Asia: Eurosport, with additional French-language commentary streams via Winamax’s official YouTube channel
- Latin America: HBO Max
- Japan: Abema TV
- France: Groupe M6
For UK viewers specifically, TNT Sports coverage includes Magazine Highlights episodes airing August 3–4, followed by live Final Table Day 1 coverage in the early hours of August 4 (UK time), Final Table Day 2 spanning August 5–6, and the concluding Final Table Day 3 broadcast airing August 6.
Main Event Payout Structure
With over 9,000 entries, the payout structure is one of the biggest attractions of the Main Event, with millions of dollars awarded to the deepest finishers. Here’s how the top nine payouts break down:
| Place | Payout |
| 1st | $10,000,000 |
| 2nd | $6,000,000 |
| 3rd | $3,750,000 |
| 4th | $2,750,000 |
| 5th | $2,250,000 |
| 6th | $1,750,000 |
| 7th | $1,500,000 |
| 8th | $1,250,000 |
| 9th | $1,000,000 |
The top 1,382 finishers out of the 9,208-entry field share in the prize pool, with min-cashes starting at $15,000.
Notable Storylines to Watch
This year’s Main Event carries extra weight thanks to a deep field of past champions. Twelve former Main Event winners advanced past the early days of the tournament, including defending champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, 17-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, 2004 champion Greg Raymer, 1996 champion Huck Seed, and 2012 champion Greg Merson, any of whom could join an extremely short list of multi-time Main Event champions that currently includes just four names in WSOP history: Stu Ungar, Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan.
One interesting piece of WSOP history is that the Main Event’s $10,000 buy-in has remained unchanged since 1972, despite inflation pushing its equivalent value to roughly $86,000 today.
Final Thoughts
With a record-sized field, a $10 million first-place prize, and a revised broadcast format leading up to the live August final table, the 2026 WSOP Main Event is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated editions in recent years. Whether you’re following along through ESPN’s daily coverage in July or tuning in for the live final table on August 3–5, this is the schedule to bookmark for the rest of poker’s biggest summer event.
FAQs
Do you need to qualify for the WSOP Main Event?
No qualification is required. Anyone aged 21 or older can enter, provided they have the $10,000 buy-in — though live and online satellites also offer a cheaper path in for players who don’t want to pay the full amount directly.
How is the WSOP Main Event bracelet made?
Recent Main Event bracelets have been produced by Jostens using over 300 grams of 10-karat gold and thousands of diamonds, making it one of the most valuable individual trophies in professional sports.
Has anyone won the WSOP Main Event more than once?
Yes — four players in WSOP history have won it multiple times: Stu Ungar and Johnny Moss (three times each), and Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan (twice each).
Where can I follow live updates during the Main Event?
Beyond the ESPN broadcast windows, live chip counts and hand-by-hand updates are available through the WSOP Live app and PokerNews’ live reporting throughout each day of the tournament.
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