PokerStars Sunday Million 20th Anniversary 2026: Schedule, $109 Buy-In & How to Qualify for the September 6 Finale

Last Updated on June 29, 2026 by Bala Kumar

Online poker’s most iconic weekly tournament has officially turned 20. The PokerStars Sunday Million 20th Anniversary 2026 kicked off on June 28, 2026, launching a special 10-week phased tournament that runs all summer long, with a massive finale scheduled for September 6, 2026. For the first time in the tournament’s history, PokerStars has stretched the iconic event into a multi-week journey, giving recreational players, satellite qualifiers, and grinders the longest qualification window the Sunday Million has ever offered.

In this guide, you’ll find the complete Sunday Million Anniversary schedule, the $109 buy-in details, how to qualify via satellites, what we know about the guarantee, and exactly how to reach the September 6 finale.

What Is the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary 2026?

The Sunday Million is PokerStars’ flagship weekly tournament. Launched in March 2006, it has paid out more than $1.4 billion in prize money across nearly two decades, becoming the most famous weekly online poker tournament in the world.

To mark its 20th anniversary, PokerStars has transformed the 2026 edition into a special phased tournament running for 10 full weeks. Instead of a single Sunday event, players have daily Phase 1 starting flights throughout the summer, each with the classic $109 buy-in, and one massive Phase 2 finale on September 6, 2026.

This is the richest and longest-running Sunday Million event PokerStars has ever staged. Previous milestone editions have shattered records — the 14th anniversary saw over 93,000 entries and an $18M+ prize pool, and the 19th anniversary in 2025 generated 28,444 entries and $6.1M in just one weekend.

If history is any guide, the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary guarantee is expected to break every record the tournament has ever set.

Sunday Million Anniversary Schedule (June 28 – September 6, 2026)

Here’s everything you need to know about the Sunday Million Anniversary schedule:

Phase	Dates	Format	Buy-In
Phase 1	June 28 – September 5, 2026	Daily starting flights on PokerStars .COM	$109
Phase 2 (Finale)	September 6, 2026	All Phase 1 survivors play down to a champion	No additional buy-in

Key Sunday Million 2026 dates to remember:

• June 28, 2026:  Anniversary launch day (first Phase 1 flight)
• Daily Phase 1 tournaments: Run on PokerStars .COM throughout summer
• September 6, 2026: Phase 2 Sunday Million Anniversary Finale
• Guaranteed cash:  Every player advancing to Phase 2 finishes in the money

This phased structure means you no longer need to clear your entire Sunday calendar. Players can fire a Phase 1 flight on any day that suits them, and survivors automatically advance to the Phase 2 finale on September 6.

Sunday Million 20th Anniversary Buy-In: Why $109 Matters

The Sunday Million buy-in remains $109 for the 20th anniversary,  keeping the iconic price point intact. Of that, $100 goes to the prize pool and $9 is taken as a rake.

The $109 buy-in is a deliberate choice. It’s been the Sunday Million price for years and remains affordable enough for recreational players while attracting elite online MTT grinders. Players who can’t justify $109 directly can still get in for as little as $1 through satellites, more on that below.

How to Qualify for the Sunday Million Anniversary Finale (September 6)

There are three main ways to qualify for the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary Finale on September 6, 2026:

1. Buy-In Direct to a Phase 1 Flight

The simplest path is buying in directly for $109 to any Phase 1 starting flight during the 10-week window. Survive your Phase 1 day (reach the end-of-day chip threshold) and your seat for the September 6 Phase 2 finale is locked in, with a guaranteed cash.

2. Win a Seat via PokerStars Satellites

PokerStars is running dozens of Sunday Million satellites daily, with buy-ins starting as low as $1. Win or finish in a satellite paying ticket prizes, and you receive an entry into a Phase 1 flight.

This is the most popular qualification path during Sunday Million anniversary events — in 2020, satellites accounted for over 40% of all entries.

3. PokerStars Power Path

PokerStars’ Power Path progression system runs continuously, allowing players to start from micro-stakes events (as low as $0.50) and stair-step up through tickets to land in a Phase 1 Sunday Million seat.

This is the most affordable path for new players and works perfectly with PokerStars’ new player bonus.

What’s the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary Guarantee?

PokerStars has not officially announced the final guarantee for the September 6, 2026 finale at the time of writing. However, based on historical patterns from previous milestone editions, expectations are significant:

Year	Anniversary	Entries	Total Prize Pool
2020	14th Anniversary	93,000+	$18,000,000+
2021	15th Anniversary	70,000+	$13,000,000+
2025	19th Anniversary	28,444	$6,115,460
2026	20th Anniversary	TBD	$10M+ expected

With 10 weeks of daily Phase 1 flights running into Phase 2, industry analysts widely predict the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary guarantee will exceed $10 million, potentially making it the richest Sunday Million tournament in PokerStars history.

Why the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary Matters in 2026

The 2026 edition arrives during a transitional moment for PokerStars. The room has scaled back regular Sunday Million scheduling in favor of phased formats and more flexibility for recreational players. The 20th anniversary represents a clear statement that the Sunday Million remains the centerpiece of PokerStars online poker.

For context:

• The Sunday Million has paid out over $1.4 billion in prize money since 2006
• It’s the longest continuously running major online poker tournament in history
• Past winners include some of the biggest names in online MTTs, including João “Naza114” Vieira, who has won 9 WCOOP titles on PokerStars under that alias
• The tournament has helped launch the careers of countless online pros across two decades

For new players, this anniversary event is the best entry point in years to experience a piece of online poker history, at the same $109 price point that’s defined the tournament since the start.

Final Thoughts, Don’t Miss the 20th Anniversary

The PokerStars Sunday Million 20th Anniversary 2026 is shaping up to be the biggest online poker event of the summer. With 10 weeks of qualification windows, the classic $109 buy-in, satellite paths starting at just $1, and the finale on September 6 all but guaranteed to crown the richest Sunday Million payout in years, there’s no better time to take a shot at online poker history.

Whether you’re a Sunday grinder hunting a milestone score or a recreational player looking to play a piece of poker history, the Sunday Million 20th Anniversary delivers more flexibility and more value than any previous edition. Phase 1 flights are running daily now.

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