Last Updated on September 4, 2026 by Bala Kumar
The World Poker Tour is heading back to Australia this month, and the buzz is already building. WPT Australia 2026 takes over The Star Sydney from September 10–30, bringing three weeks of tournament poker, 36 events, and one of the richest prizes on the WPT calendar, the A$5,000 WPT Australia Championship.
Before a new name gets added to the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup, here’s a full breakdown of the schedule and a look back at the players who’ve won it in recent years.
WPT Australia 2026 Full Schedule
| Dates | Event | Buy-in (AUD) |
| Sept 10–14 | Australian Poker Cup | A$1,250 |
| Sept 15–16 | Ladies Australian Championship | A$500 |
| Sept 17–22 | WPT Prime Australia Championship | A$1,500 |
| Sept 21–23 | Mystery Bounty | A$1,350 |
| Sept 23–24 | WPT Australia High Roller | A$10,000 |
| Sept 24–30 | WPT Australia Championship | A$5,000 |
| Sept 27–28 | Mini Championship | A$2,000 |
| Sept 29–30 | WPT Prime World Champs Warm-Up | A$1,150 |
| Sept 29–30 | Australian PLO Championship | A$5,000 |
The headline A$5,000 WPT Australia Championship runs across multiple starting flights — Day 1A on September 24, followed by Day 1B and 1C on September 25 and 26. Survivors regroup for Day 2 on September 27, with the action playing down to a livestreamed final table on September 30.
The Last Four WPT Australia Champions
Since 2022, four different players have lifted the WPT Australia trophy, each with a very different path to the title.
| Year | Champion | Entries | First Prize (AUD) |
| 2025 | Alan Pham | 600 | A$588,211 |
| 2024 | James Obst | 396 | A$585,359 |
| 2023 | Richard Lee | 600 | A$854,890 |
| 2022 | David Tang | 710 | A$647,470 |
2025 — Alan Pham Crosses the $1 Million Mark
Alan Pham took down a 600-entry field at The Star Sydney to win his first WPT title, a result that pushed his career live tournament earnings past the $1 million mark. He came from behind in heads-up play, eventually turning things around with a full house before closing out the win.
2024 — James Obst’s Poker Comeback Continues
James Obst’s win capped off a remarkable return to the game after stepping away in 2018 to chase professional tennis. He came back to poker with a bang, capturing a WSOP bracelet earlier the same year before dominating a 396-entry WPT Australia field with a big chip lead into heads-up play.
2023 — Richard Lee’s Record-Breaking Payday
Richard Lee still holds the biggest first-place prize among the last four champions. The American topped a 600-entry field at The Star Gold Coast, earning A$854,890 — the largest payout awarded to a WPT Australia champion in the past four editions.
2022 — David Tang’s Almost-Missed Trip
David Tang’s win is one of the more memorable stories in recent WPT Australia history — he nearly skipped the trip altogether to attend the AFL Grand Final back home, only entering because he couldn’t get a flight refund. He went on to outlast a 710-entry field and became the first player to win a WPT Main Tour title on Australian soil.
Who Will Win WPT Australia in 2026?
With the A$5,000 Championship kicking off September 24, poker fans are already speculating about who could join Pham, Obst, Lee, and Tang on the list of champions. Entry numbers, structure details, and live updates will become available once the festival gets underway on September 10, with the biggest storylines expected to emerge closer to the Championship’s final table on September 30.
FAQs
1. What was Queens & Cards at Champions Club Texas?
Queens & Cards was a multi-day women-focused poker festival at Champions Social Club in Texas, featuring tournaments, a tag-team event, a celebrity cash game, and a Main Event.
2. How many entries did the Queens & Cards Main Event attract?
The $500 buy-in Main Event attracted 158 entries, with Phil Hellmuth adding $25,000 to the prize pool.
3. Who won the Queens & Cards Main Event?
Cheryl Spencer-Nejtek won the Main Event, taking home $25,230 for first place.
4. What happened in the Ladies vs. Hellmuth cash game?
The livestreamed $5/$10 no-limit hold’em game featured several female poker personalities against Phil Hellmuth, who played with a $900 stack and had a $1,000 bounty on his head.
5. Who won the Queens & Cards Women’s Tag Team event?
Tricia Symansic and Sarah Landell won the $150 buy-in Women’s Tag Team event, each earning just under $2,000.
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