If you’re planning a trip around Aria poker tournaments, it helps to know that this isn’t just another Strip poker room with a daily tournament bolted on, it’s arguably the highest-stakes poker address in the world right now. Between its recurring daily events, its annual summer series, and the high-roller festivals streamed out of the attached PokerGO Studio, Aria covers a wider range of poker than almost anywhere else in Las Vegas. This guide breaks down the current 2026 schedule, what each tier of event actually costs to play, and how the room fits into the bigger Las Vegas poker calendar.
Aria’s Place in the Las Vegas Poker Scene
Aria’s rise to the top of the Strip poker hierarchy wasn’t gradual, it happened almost overnight. When Bellagio’s legendary poker room closed in 2020, most of its high-stakes traffic, including the famed ‘Ivey Room’ cash games later renamed ‘Table One,’ shifted over to the aria poker room. Bellagio’s room has since reopened, but Aria never gave up the ground it gained: it remains home to the PokerGO Studio, the broadcast venue for the Super High Roller Bowl, Poker Masters, the U.S. Poker Open, and the PokerGO Cup. No other Las Vegas property hosts this concentration of televised high-stakes poker under one roof.
Current Daily Tournament Schedule
Aria runs a recurring daily no-limit hold’em tournament that’s become a fixture for both tourists and grinders looking for a reliable game outside of festival season. Here’s the current structure, based on 2026 reporting:
| Day | Buy-In | Start Time | Starting Chips | Guarantee |
| Sunday – Thursday | $160 | 1:00 PM | 20,000 | $4,000 |
| Friday – Saturday | $240 | 1:00 PM | 20,000 | $4,000 |
Levels run 20 minutes each, and registration typically stays open through the early break, which gives late arrivals a real shot at building a stack without missing the softer early levels entirely.
A current aria poker schedule always deserves a same-day check before you go — buy-ins, guarantees, and start times shift slightly around major series and holidays, and the room occasionally adds bonus flights during high-traffic weekends.
Cash Games and Comps
Beyond the daily tournament, Aria spreads a full range of cash games, from standard $1/$2 and $1/$3 no-limit hold’em up through the high-stakes mixed games that made the room famous. Players using an MGM Rewards card in a cash game currently earn approximately $2 in comps per hour, which adds up meaningfully across a multi-day trip and is worth activating before you sit down, not after.
The 2026 Aria Poker Classic
Aria’s marquee summer series, the Aria Poker Classic, ran May 27 through July 12, 2026, with buy-ins spanning $300 up to $3,500 across the schedule. The series is built to overlap deliberately with the WSOP, the Wynn Summer Classic, and the Venetian DeepStack Championship Series, giving traveling players a reason to build an entire summer trip around the Strip rather than choosing just one series.
| Event | Dates | Buy-In | Guarantee |
| Opening Events | May 27, 2026 | From $300 | Varies |
| BetMGM Championship (headline event) | June 29 – July 4, 2026 | $3,500 | $4,000,000 |
| Series Finale (NLH) | July 12, 2026 | $800 | $100,000 |
The BetMGM Championship was the standout of the 2026 schedule — a $4 million guaranteed no-limit hold’em event that anchored the back half of the series and drew the deepest fields of the summer.
High Roller Series Hosted at the PokerGO Studio
Attached directly to the aria poker room, the PokerGO Studio hosts the festivals that put Aria on the map for high-stakes poker specifically. These aren’t part of the Aria Poker Classic — they run on their own annual calendars, typically outside peak WSOP season:
| Series | Typical Buy-In Range | Signature Prize | Notes |
| Super High Roller Bowl | $300,000 | Multi-million-dollar first prize | Hosted at Aria since its 2015 debut; buy-in reduced from an original $500,000 |
| Poker Masters | $10,000 – $50,000+ | The Purple Jacket | Typically held in fall |
| U.S. Poker Open | $10,000 – $50,000 | The Golden Eagle Trophy | Multiple editions per year in recent seasons |
| PokerGO Cup | $10,000 – $100,000 | PokerGO Cup trophy | Points-based series across multiple events |
These events are streamed live on PokerGO and regularly feature the best-known names in the game, which makes the studio worth visiting even if you’re not entering — rail seating is typically available to the public during filming.
Practical Tips Before You Go
● Register early for the daily tournament on weekends. The $240 Friday/Saturday flights fill up noticeably faster than weekday events, especially during festival overlap weeks.
● Activate your MGM Rewards card before your first cash game session, not after — comps aren’t retroactive.
● If you’re chasing the BetMGM Championship or similar headline events, satellite qualifiers typically run in the days leading up to the main event at a fraction of the direct buy-in.
● Check the room’s live-updated schedule the same day you plan to play. Even well-established recurring events shift by an hour or adjust guarantees around major series.
Compare Before You Book Your Trip
Aria isn’t the only Strip room worth building a trip around. PokerClubGames maintains an independently researched comparison of Las Vegas poker rooms, daily schedules, comps, and series calendars side by side, so you can decide whether Aria, Bellagio, or another Strip property fits your bankroll and travel dates best.
FAQs
What is the current Aria poker schedule for daily tournaments?
As of 2026, Aria runs a daily no-limit hold’em tournament starting at 1:00 PM. The buy-in is $160 Sunday through Thursday and $240 on Friday and Saturday, with 20,000 starting chips and a $4,000 guarantee. Always confirm the same-day schedule, as details can shift around major series.
What was the biggest event in the 2026 Aria Poker Classic?
The BetMGM Championship was the headline event of the 2026 Aria Poker Classic, running June 29 through July 4 with a $3,500 buy-in and a $4,000,000 guarantee, making it the largest guarantee of the entire series.
What high roller series are hosted at the Aria poker room?
The PokerGO Studio at Aria hosts the Super High Roller Bowl, Poker Masters, the U.S. Poker Open, and the PokerGO Cup — four of the most prominent high-stakes poker festivals in the world, all broadcast on PokerGO.
Do I need an MGM Rewards card to get comps at Aria?
Yes. Cash game players using an MGM Rewards card currently earn approximately $2 in comps per hour of play. The card should be activated at the podium before you sit down, since comps are not applied retroactively.
Is Aria still the top high-stakes poker room in Las Vegas?
Aria remains the primary hub for televised high-stakes poker in Las Vegas thanks to the attached PokerGO Studio, though Bellagio’s poker room has reopened since its 2020 closure and now offers competing high-stakes action as well.
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