WPT Prime Championship 2026: $1,100 Buy-In, $5M Guaranteed at Wynn Las Vegas

If you’ve ever wanted to play a seven-figure tournament without risking a seven-figure bankroll, this is the event to circle on your calendar. The WPT Prime Championship returns to Wynn Las Vegas from December 5 to 12, 2026. It costs $1,100 to enter and carries a $5,000,000 guarantee. In each of the last three editions, the winner took home more than a million dollars.

It’s the event where recreational players, online qualifiers and seasoned grinders all collide in one huge field. Here’s what you need to know: the schedule, the structure, the real numbers from past years, and practical advice if you’re planning to play.

WPT Prime Championship 2026 at a glance

Event: WPT Prime Championship (No-Limit Hold’em)
Venue: Wynn Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Dates: December 5–12, 2026
Buy-in: $1,100
Guarantee: $5,000,000, the largest guarantee on the 2026 festival schedule
Starting stack: 40,000 chips
Blind levels: 40 minutes
Day 1 flights: four (1A–1D), all starting at 11:00 AM
Final table: Saturday, December 12, 2:00 PM

Full schedule

Day 1A: Saturday, December 5, 11:00 AM
Day 1B: Sunday, December 6, 11:00 AM
Day 1C: Monday, December 7, 11:00 AM
Day 1D: Tuesday, December 8, 11:00 AM
Day 2: Wednesday, December 9, 12:00 PM
Day 3: Thursday, December 10, 12:00 PM
Day 4: Friday, December 11, 12:00 PM
Final table: Saturday, December 12, 2:00 PM

One detail worth noticing: the 2024 edition finished with its final table on Day 3. The 2026 schedule adds a Day 4 before the final table. With fields close to 10,000 entries, that extra day gives the late stages more breathing room.

All times are Pacific (Las Vegas local time). If you’re following from India, add 13.5 hours, so the 2:00 PM final table starts at 3:30 AM IST on December 13. For the UK, add 8 hours.

Past results: what the numbers say

The $5 million guarantee looks big, but recent history shows the event has comfortably beaten it. Here’s how the last three editions played out:

2023: 10,512 entries, $10,196,640 prize pool. Winner Calvin Anderson, $1,386,280.
2024: 9,670 entries, $9,379,900 prize pool. Winner Zak VanKeuren, $1,162,350 (including a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat).
2025: 9,876 entries, $9,579,720 prize pool. Winner Aaron Johnson, $1,010,400 (after a heads-up deal; Fernando Martin Del Campo took $942,480).

The first edition was won by Stephen Song in 2022.

Three things stand out from these numbers.

1. The guarantee has been comfortably exceeded. By our calculation from the published results, each $1,100 entry added about $970 to the prize pool in 2023, 2024 and 2025. If 2026 follows the same pattern, the event would need roughly 5,155 entries to reach $5 million. It has averaged about 10,000 over those three years. This is a projection from past data, not a guarantee of future turnout.
   
2. The field has been remarkably stable. After the 2023 record, entries dipped about 8% in 2024 and then recovered slightly in 2025. Based on that trend, our estimate for 2026 is between 9,500 and 10,500 entries, which would mean a prize pool of roughly $9.2 to $10.2 million. That’s a PokerClubGames estimate, not an official figure.
   
3. A million-dollar top prize has been the norm. Every edition from 2023 to 2025 paid the winner over $1 million. In 2025 the final two made a deal, which is common when the money jumps so sharply at the top.
   

Prize pool contribution: a historical calculation

Dividing each year’s published prize pool by its entries gives about $970 per $1,100 entry, or roughly 88.2%. The remaining $130 or so (about 11.8%) would cover fees and costs. This is our calculation from 2023–2025 results. WPT has not published a 2026 fee breakdown, so check the official structure sheet at registration.

Why does this matter? In a tournament with thousands of players, your edge is often thin, and the fee eats into it. If you’re a winning player, a big, soft field can still make this a good spot. If you’re playing for fun, factor the fee into your budget as the cost of the experience.

How many players get paid?

In 2024, 1,206 of the 9,670 entries cashed, about 12.5% of the field. If 2026 is paid at a similar percentage with around 10,000 entries, that would be roughly 1,200 to 1,250 places. That’s an estimate; the official payout structure is released once registration closes.

Structure explained for beginners

You start with 40,000 chips, and blinds go up every 40 minutes. In practical terms:

A 40,000 stack gives you plenty of room early. You don’t need to gamble in the first few levels. In big recreational fields, patience tends to be rewarded.

40-minute levels are faster than a WPT Main Tour event but slower than a typical daily tournament. Expect the pressure to rise as Day 2 progresses and stacks shrink relative to the blinds.

Four flights mean flexibility. Re-entry options and rules can vary by event, so confirm them on the official structure sheet or at registration.

Which flight should you play? There’s no official data on attendance per flight. As a general rule at big live festivals, weekend flights tend to be busier, and the final flight often has a late surge. If you want to avoid long queues, register online in advance whichever day you choose.

Ways in through satellites

Not ready to pay $1,100 directly? WPT’s official schedule lists several satellites at Wynn that feed into the Prime Championship:

Milestone Satellite to the Prime Championship: Sunday, December 6, 12:00 PM. $200 buy-in, 20,000 chips, 20-minute levels, at least 50 seats guaranteed.

Double Play Milestone Satellite: Thursday December 3, Friday December 4 and Sunday December 6, all at 7:00 PM. $400 buy-in, 25 prizes guaranteed. Each prize is two $1,100 Prime Championship entries.

Prime + World Championship satellite package: Monday, December 7, 7:00 PM. $1,600 buy-in, 25 prizes guaranteed. This one is designed for players who want a path into both the Prime and the $10,400 WPT World Championship.

A note on satellites: what you win is tournament entries, not cash. The value of an entry depends entirely on how you play the event. Choose the satellite that fits your budget and schedule, and check the official terms for transferability and any restrictions.

Online, WPT Global ran a promotion from October 10 to 19 for players in Europe. A deposit of $10 or more earned a free satellite ticket on a ladder toward a $12,400 WPT World Championship package. That promotion has ended and was tied to the $10,400 main event, not the Prime. Check the WPT Global lobby for any current qualifiers.

The bigger picture: WPT World Championship festival 2026

The Prime Championship is one part of a much larger festival:

Festival dates: November 27 to December 21, 2026 at Wynn Las Vegas
Events: more than 85 over 25 days
Total guarantees: $20 million, with nine events guaranteed at $1 million or more
Livestream: December 6–21

Key events around the Prime:

Opening event: $600 NLH, $400,000 guaranteed, November 27
Super Gold Million: $400 mystery bounty, $3,000,000 guaranteed, December 10–14
Ladies NLH Championship: $1,100, $250,000 guaranteed, from December 13
WPT World Championship: $10,400, December 13–20, with $1 million in mystery bounties added on top of the prize pool
Seniors NLH Championship: $1,100, $500,000 guaranteed, from December 17
NLH High Roller: $25,800, two days, from December 17

Prime Championship vs other festival events

Super Gold Million: $400 buy-in, $3M guaranteed, mystery bounty format, aimed at the widest possible field.
WPT Prime Championship: $1,100 buy-in, $5M guaranteed, has averaged about 10,000 entries over the last three years.
WPT World Championship: $10,400 buy-in, plus $1M in added bounties. Expect a much tougher field with many professionals.

The Prime sits in the middle. It costs about a tenth of the World Championship, yet its top prize has topped $1 million in each of the last three editions. That combination is the main attraction for mid-stakes players.

Who should play the WPT Prime Championship?

Recreational players who want the full Las Vegas big-tournament experience and a genuine shot at a life-changing score.

Online grinders who are comfortable in big fields. Most of the skills you build online — patience early, aggression near the bubble — carry over directly.

Budget-conscious players, who can try the $200 or $400 satellites first.

Who should think twice? Anyone for whom $1,100 is money they can’t afford to lose. With around 10,000 entries, the most likely outcome for any single entry is not cashing. Treat it as a big-field shot, not a sure thing.

Practical tips for your trip

Book your hotel early. December is busy in Las Vegas, and WPT lists a preferred room rate at Wynn on its event page.

Register online before you travel to save time at the venue.

If you might re-enter, plan your bankroll for it in advance rather than deciding at the table.

US tax rules apply to winnings in Las Vegas. Non-US players may face withholding depending on their country’s tax treaty with the US, so check before you travel.

Final verdict

The WPT Prime Championship has become one of the most popular tournaments in live poker. Over the last three years it has drawn around 10,000 entries, comfortably beaten its guarantee and paid a seven-figure top prize each time. Add the satellite options and the atmosphere of the WPT World Championship festival, and it’s one of the most appealing $1,100 events on the 2026 calendar.

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