Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by Bala Kumar
PokerStars Spooky Season runs from 9 October to 11 November 2026. It gives you two free ways to win a $109 ticket to the Season Finale Sunday Million on Sunday 8 November:
• Solve five poker puzzle challenges to reach a Sunday All-In Shootout.
• Knock out a PokerStars Ambassador in one of seven hosted tournaments.
The four shootouts alone hand out $400,000 in Sunday Million tickets. That is more than 3,600 seats at $109 each.
Alongside the ticket hunt, PokerStars is running a 48-episode Halloween tournament series with buy-ins from $3.30 to $215. Here is everything you need to know, with the full schedule.
Spooky Season at a glance
| Item | Detail |
| Promotion dates | 9 October – 11 November 2026 |
| Tournament series | 48 episodes, 11 October – 9 November 2026 |
| Buy-in range | $3.30 to $215 |
| Prize | Free $109 Season Finale Sunday Million tickets |
| Ways to win a ticket | Puzzle Challenge leading to All-In Shootouts; Ambassador knockout events |
| Shootout ticket pool | $100,000 per shootout, $400,000 across four Sundays |
| Ambassador events | 7 events, 15 October – 1 November 2026 |
| Sunday Million Finale | Sunday 8 November 2026, $109 Progressive KO, $1,000,000 guaranteed |
Way 1: the Spooky Season Puzzle Challenge
The main ticket route is free and is open to every player who takes part in the promotion.
1. Complete five poker challenges. These are puzzle-style tasks set inside the PokerStars client. The announcement does not list the individual tasks, so check the Spooky Season promotion page in your client to see each one.
2. Earn a seat in a Spooky Season All-In Shootout. Finishing all five challenges gets you entry to a shootout.
3. Play the shootout on a Sunday. Four shootouts run on Sundays during the series. Each one awards $100,000 in Sunday Million tickets.
4. Use your ticket in the Season Finale Sunday Million on 8 November.
All-in shootouts usually play fast, because every player is all in on every hand. You need no skill edge to win a seat, so it is a pure freeroll shot at a $109 ticket. Check your client for the exact shootout dates and start times.
Way 2: knock out a PokerStars Ambassador
In seven hosted tournaments, a PokerStars Ambassador sits at the tables. If you eliminate one, you win a Sunday Million ticket. The announcement does not say how many ticket bounties each event carries.
| Date (2026) | Host | Event | Buy-ins | Time (UK) |
| Thu 15 Oct | Spraggy | Thursday Thrill (Progressive KO) | $11 / $109 | 13:05 |
| Thu 22 Oct | Marle Spragg (MarlzTV) | Thursday Thrill (Progressive KO) | $11 / $109 | 13:05 |
| Fri 23 Oct | David Lappin (PHISHINBOY) | Friday Fright Night, Big Knockout (7-Max PKO) | $8 / $75 | 15:30 |
| Thu 29 Oct | nophilings | Thursday Thrill (Progressive KO) | $11 / $109 | 12:05 |
| Thu 29 Oct | Flavio del Valle (FDelVAlle) | Twisted Thursday (6-Max Turbo PKO) | $5.50 / $55 | 14:05 |
| Sat 31 Oct | Seb Huber (peace&loove) | Haunted HORSE (6-Max) | $11 / $55 | 13:30 |
| Sun 1 Nov | Kenny Hallaert (SpaceyFCB) | Spooky Sunday Special (Progressive KO) | $5.50 / $55 | 13:05 |
Tip: Ambassadors are well-known players, so you will not always get a chance at them. Pick the buy-in level you would play anyway, and treat the ticket as a bonus. A Progressive KO already pays you for every knockout.
The Season Finale Sunday Million
The Sunday Million is the prize everyone is playing for. It is Episode 45 of Spooky Season.
| Detail | Season Finale Sunday Million |
| Date | Sunday 8 November 2026 |
| Start time | 13:05 UK / 13:05 UTC (8:05 ET, 18:35 IST) |
| Buy-in | $109 |
| Format | No-Limit Hold’em, Progressive Knockout |
| Guarantee | $1,000,000 |
Because it is a Progressive KO, part of every buy-in goes into bounties on each player’s head. Each time you knock someone out, you collect part of their bounty and the rest is added to your own. Players who build a big stack early also build a big bounty, which makes them a target later on.
Biggest Spooky Season events by guarantee
| Date (2026) | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
| Sun 8 Nov | Episode 45: Season Finale Sunday Million (PKO) | $109 | $1,000,000 |
| Sun 11 Oct | Episode 02-M: Spooky Sunday Special (PKO) | $75 | $250,000 |
| Sun 25 Oct | Episode 22-M: Spooky Sunday Special (PKO) | $75 | $250,000 |
| Sun 1 Nov | Episode 35-M: Spooky Sunday Special (PKO) | $55 | $250,000 |
| Sun 18 Oct | Episode 11-M: Super Sunday (Mystery Bounty) | $75 | $200,000 |
| Sun 8 Nov | Episode 46: Zombie Parade Phase 2 (PKO) | $11 | $150,000 |
| Sun 11 Oct | Episode 01-M: Spooky Season Opener (PKO) | $33 | $100,000 |
| Sun 18 Oct | Episode 13: Vampire Parade Phase 2 (PKO) | $5.50 | $100,000 |
| Sun 25 Oct | Episode 21-M: Secret Sunday (Mystery Bounty) | $55 | $100,000 |
Halloween day events (Saturday 31 October)
| Time (UK) | Event | Buy-ins | Guarantees |
| 10:30 | Episode 30: Monster Mayhem | $5.50 / $55 | $10K / $10K |
| 12:05 | Episode 31: Trick or Treat (Mystery Bounty) | $8 / $75 | $20K / $40K |
| 13:30 | Episode 32: Haunted HORSE (6-Max) | $11 / $55 | $3K / $6K |
| 14:30 | Episode 33: Ghost Hunt (7-Max Turbo PKO) | $4.40 / $44 | $8K / $20K |
Full Spooky Season 2026 schedule
Episodes with an L, M or H suffix run at low, medium and high buy-ins at the same time. All times are UK time (see the note under the table).
| Date (2026) | Time (UK) | Episode | Format | Buy-ins | Guarantees |
| Sun 11 Oct | 09:15 | 00 The Prologue | NLHE | $11 / $55 | $25K / $30K |
| Sun 11 Oct | 11:05 | 01 Spooky Season Opener | NLHE PKO | $3.30 / $33 / $215 | $12.5K / $100K / $80K |
| Sun 11 Oct | 13:05 | 02 Spooky Sunday Special | NLHE PKO | $8 / $75 | $30K / $250K |
| Mon 12 Oct | 13:05 | 03 Mystic Monday (Late Reg Edition) | NLHE | $11 / $82 | $25K / $40K |
| Mon 12 Oct | 15:05 | 04 Pumpkin Carver | NLHE PKO | $8 / $75 | $15K / $40K |
| Thu 15 Oct | 13:05 | 05 Thursday Thrill (host: Spraggy) | NLHE PKO | $11 / $109 | $30K / $75K |
| Thu 15 Oct | 15:05 | 06 Twisted Thursday | 6-Max NLHE PKO | $5.50 / $55 | $10K / $20K |
| Fri 16 Oct | 14:30 | 07 Mystery Manor | NLHE | $5.50 / $27 | $15K / $30K |
| Fri 16 Oct | 15:30 | 08 Friday Fright Night, Big Knockout | NLHE PKO | $8 / $75 | $10K / $30K |
| Fri 16 Oct | 16:30 | 09 Spooky Shuffle | Heads-Up Turbo Total KO | $5.50 / $55 | $5K / $10K |
| Sun 18 Oct | 10:30 | 10 Sunday Eliminator | NLHE PKO | $4.40 / $27 / $109 | $15K / $80K / $40K |
| Sun 18 Oct | 13:05 | 11 Super Sunday | PKO / Mystery Bounty / NLHE | $11 / $75 / $215 | $60K / $200K / $80K |
| Sun 18 Oct | 14:30 | 12 Tarantula | 8-Game | $4.40 / $44 | $2K / $4K |
| Sun 18 Oct | 15:05 | 13 Vampire Parade Phase 2 | NLHE PKO | $5.50 | $100K |
| Sun 18 Oct | 16:05 | 14 Sunday Cooldown | Mystery Bounty | $11 / $109 | $40K / $50K |
| Mon 19 Oct | 13:05 | 15 Mystic Monday | 6-Max NLHE | $11 / $82 | $25K / $30K |
| Mon 19 Oct | 16:20 | 16 Spectral Shadow | Heads-Up Turbo Total KO | $8 / $75 | $5K / $10K |
| Thu 22 Oct | 13:05 | 17 Thursday Thrill (host: MarlzTV) | NLHE PKO | $11 / $109 | $30K / $75K |
| Thu 22 Oct | 15:05 | 18 Twisted Thursday (Deep Stack Turbo) | NLHE Turbo PKO | $5.50 / $55 | $10K / $20K |
| Fri 23 Oct | 15:30 | 19 Friday Fright Night, Big Knockout (host: PHISHINBOY) | 7-Max NLHE PKO | $8 / $75 | $10K / $30K |
| Fri 23 Oct | 16:30 | 20 Spooky Sprint | 6-Max Hyper-Turbo | $5.50 / $55 | $10K / $15K |
| Sun 25 Oct | 09:30 | 21 Secret Sunday | Mystery Bounty | $5.50 / $55 | $25K / $100K |
| Sun 25 Oct | 12:05 | 22 Spooky Sunday Special | NLHE PKO | $8 / $75 | $30K / $250K |
| Mon 26 Oct | 12:05 | 23 Big Mystic Monday | 7-Max NLHE | $11 / $44 | $20K / $20K |
| Mon 26 Oct | 13:30 | 24 Nightmare on 5th Street | 6-Max Razz | $11 / $55 | $2.5K / $5K |
| Thu 29 Oct | 12:05 | 25 Thursday Thrill (host: nophilings) | NLHE PKO | $11 / $109 | $30K / $75K |
| Thu 29 Oct | 14:05 | 26 Twisted Thursday (host: FDelVAlle) | 6-Max Turbo PKO | $5.50 / $55 | $10K / $20K |
| Fri 30 Oct | 13:30 | 27 Mystery Manor | NLHE | $4.40 / $44 | $10K / $15K |
| Fri 30 Oct | 14:30 | 28 Friday Fright Night, Big Knockout | NLHE PKO | $8 / $75 | $10K / $30K |
| Fri 30 Oct | 15:30 | 29 Spooky Shuffle | Heads-Up Turbo Total KO | $5.50 / $55 | $5K / $10K |
| Sat 31 Oct | 10:30 | 30 Monster Mayhem | NLHE | $5.50 / $55 | $10K / $10K |
| Sat 31 Oct | 12:05 | 31 Trick or Treat | Mystery Bounty | $8 / $75 | $20K / $40K |
| Sat 31 Oct | 13:30 | 32 Haunted HORSE (host: peace&loove) | 6-Max HORSE | $11 / $55 | $3K / $6K |
| Sat 31 Oct | 14:30 | 33 Ghost Hunt | 7-Max Turbo PKO | $4.40 / $44 | $8K / $20K |
| Sun 1 Nov | 10:30 | 34 Secret Sunday | Mystery Bounty | $3.30 / $33 | $15K / $75K |
| Sun 1 Nov | 13:05 | 35 Spooky Sunday Special (host: SpaceyFCB) | NLHE PKO | $5.50 / $55 | $25K / $250K |
| Mon 2 Nov | 13:05 | 36 Mystic Monday | NLHE | $11 / $82 | $25K / $40K |
| Thu 5 Nov | 13:05 | 37 Thursday Thrill | NLHE PKO | $11 / $109 | $30K / $75K |
| Thu 5 Nov | 15:05 | 38 Twisted Thursday | NLHE PKO | $5.50 / $55 | $10K / $20K |
| Sat 7 Nov | 12:30 | 39 Bounty BOOnanza | NLHE PKO | $11 | $30K |
| Sat 7 Nov | 14:05 | 40 Bounty BOOnanza, Mini Saturday KO | NLHE PKO | $22 | $40K |
| Sat 7 Nov | 15:30 | 41 Bounty BOOnanza, Mystery | Turbo Mystery Bounty | $44 | $17.5K |
| Sun 8 Nov | 10:30 | 42 Bounty BOOnanza, Sunday Eliminator | NLHE PKO | $27 | $75K |
| Sun 8 Nov | 11:30 | 43 Red Lotus | Mystery Bounty | $5.50 / $44 | $20K / $50K |
| Sun 8 Nov | 12:30 | 44 Four Card Fright | PLO | $5.50 / $22 | $5K / $10K |
| Sun 8 Nov | 13:05 | 45 Season Finale Sunday Million | NLHE PKO | $109 | $1M |
| Sun 8 Nov | 15:05 | 46 Zombie Parade Phase 2 | NLHE PKO | $11 | $150K |
| Mon 9 Nov | 13:05 | 47 Season Wrap-Up | NLHE PKO | $8 / $75 | $15K / $40K |
| Mon 9 Nov | 15:05 | 48 The Epilogue, Last Scream | NLHE Turbo | $11 / $82 | $20K / $20K |
Time zone note: the published schedule does not name a time zone. The times match UK time, which is BST until 25 October and GMT after that. That fits the Sunday Million’s 13:05 UTC start on 8 November. To convert to India time, add 4 hours 30 minutes before 25 October and 5 hours 30 minutes from 25 October onward. Always check start times in your PokerStars client, which shows your local time.
Tips for Spooky Season
• Start the puzzles early. Four shootouts run on separate Sundays. Finishing the five challenges in the first week gives you the most chances to win a ticket.
• Play the hosted Thursday Thrills. The $11 version is a cheap way to get a shot at an Ambassador knockout and a Sunday Million seat.
• Learn bounty strategy. Most of the big events are Progressive KO or Mystery Bounty. In bounty events you can call all-ins a little wider when you cover a player, because the bounty adds to what you win.
• Mind your bankroll. A $109 ticket is worth a lot more to a $5.50 player than to a $109 regular. If you win one, consider whether to play the Finale or keep the ticket’s value. Check the promotion terms first, because ticket rules vary.
• Target the Spooky Sunday Specials. Three of them (11 October, 25 October and 1 November) carry $250,000 guarantees, the biggest in the series after the Sunday Million.
FAQs
When is PokerStars Spooky Season 2026?
The promotion runs from 9 October to 11 November 2026. The 48-episode tournament series runs from 11 October to 9 November 2026.
How do I win a free Sunday Million ticket?
Complete five poker challenges in the Spooky Season Puzzle Challenge to reach an All-In Shootout, or knock out a PokerStars Ambassador in one of seven hosted events.
How many Sunday Million tickets are available?
Each of the four All-In Shootouts awards $100,000 in tickets, so $400,000 in total. Ambassador knockout events award more tickets on top of that.
When is the Season Finale Sunday Million?
Sunday 8 November 2026 at 13:05 UTC. That is 8:05 ET and 18:35 IST.
What is the Sunday Million guarantee?
The $109 Season Finale Sunday Million is a Progressive Knockout with a $1,000,000 guarantee.
Which Ambassadors host Spooky Season events?
Spraggy, MarlzTV, PHISHINBOY, nophilings, FDelVAlle, peace&loove and SpaceyFCB host events between 15 October and 1 November 2026.
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