Last Updated on July 17, 2026 by Bala Kumar
As the summer’s biggest poker event winds down in Las Vegas, the tournament grind is already shifting to the Lone Star State. Champions Club in Houston, one of the top card rooms in Texas, is set to host the Texas Summer Poker Open, a live poker festival running from August 5 through August 17, 2026, with a combined $1.2 million in guarantees across the schedule.
For players who can’t make it back to Las Vegas but still want serious tournament action, this series offers a full slate of events across multiple poker variants, with something for beginners, grinders, and specialists alike.
Series Highlights
The Texas Summer Poker Open kicks off on August 5 with the $400 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack, carrying a $100,000 guarantee, alongside a smaller $250 NLH event and the first satellites feeding into the series’ centerpiece.
That centerpiece is the $800 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, which begins the following day, August 6, with a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Players get several opportunities to buy into the Main Event, with multiple Day 1 starting flights running through August 9. Day 2 takes place on August 9, and the final table is scheduled for August 10 at Champions Club.
Beyond the Main Event, the schedule branches out into several mixed-game and specialty tournaments, giving the series broader appeal than a typical No-Limit Hold’em-only stop:
- $500 H.O.R.S.E. — $10,000 guaranteed
- $300 Big O — $10,000 guaranteed
- $250 Women’s No-Limit Hold’em — $10,000 guaranteed
- $250 Senior’s No-Limit Hold’em — $10,000 guaranteed
- $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship — at least $150,000 guaranteed, running across four Day 1 flights starting August 10
The series also features a $400 Multi-Bag Mystery Bounty with a $200,000 guarantee, spread across multiple Day 1 flights in the back half of the schedule — a format that’s become increasingly popular for adding extra action and unpredictability to tournament poker.
Full Series Schedule Snapshot
With more than 50 events packed into 13 days, the Texas Summer Poker Open schedule is dense, but a few key dates stand out for players planning their trip:
- August 5: Series kicks off with the $400 NLH Monster Stack ($100,000 GTD)
- August 6–9: Main Event Day 1 flights, plus H.O.R.S.E. and Big O side events
- August 9: Main Event Day 2
- August 10: Main Event final table, plus the start of the $1,100 PLO Championship
- August 13: PLO Championship Day 2
- August 13–17: Multi-Bag Mystery Bounty flights and closing events
Satellites run throughout the series, giving recreational players multiple low-cost paths into both the Main Event and the PLO Championship — a structure that helps keep the fields accessible without watering down the overall prize pools.
Why This Series Matters for Texas Poker
Texas has quickly become one of the more active regions on the U.S. live poker calendar, with card rooms like Champions Club helping fill the gap between the WSOP summer series in Las Vegas and the rest of the year’s tournament calendar. A series carrying $1.2 million in guarantees, a half-million-dollar Main Event, and a genuinely varied schedule of side events gives both local grinders and traveling players a strong reason to make Houston a stop on their summer poker plans.
For players attending in person, Champions Club is also offering a discounted hotel rate for the duration of the series, a detail worth checking directly with the venue when booking travel.
Final Thoughts
With the WSOP wrapping up in Las Vegas and its delayed Main Event final table still weeks away, the Texas Summer Poker Open gives players a real reason to keep the tournament momentum going through August. Between the $500,000 Main Event, the $150,000 PLO Championship, and a full slate of side events, Champions Club Houston is shaping up to be one of the more significant live poker stops of the late summer.
Planning to play? Check our latest poker tournament coverage for satellite paths, structure details, and updates throughout the series.
FAQs
1. When is the Texas Summer Poker Open 2026?
The series runs from August 5–17, 2026 at Champions Club Houston.
2. What is the Main Event guarantee?
The $800 NLH Main Event features a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
3. Are satellites available for the Main Event?
Yes. Low-cost satellites run throughout the series for the Main Event and PLO Championship.
4. What poker games are included in the series?
The schedule includes No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., Big O, Mystery Bounty, Women’s, and Seniors events.
5. How much is guaranteed across the entire series?
The Texas Summer Poker Open offers $1.2 million in total guaranteed prize pools across more than 50 events.
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