Last Updated on August 25, 2026 by Bala Kumar
If you’ve been trying to plan your poker calendar for the rest of 2026, you’ve probably noticed the problem: the three biggest tours , WSOP Circuit, World Poker Tour, and European Poker Tour, all publish their schedules separately, on their own timelines, in their own formats. Nobody puts them side by side. So we did. Here’s every major upcoming poker tournament worth knowing about through the rest of 2026, what’s live right now, and how to actually plan around it instead of finding out a stop happened after the fact.
What’s Happening Right Now
Before the full schedule, here’s the story developing as of today. The PokerStars EPT Barcelona 2026 Main Event attracted 1,823 entries and an €8,841,550 prize pool, and after a brutal Day 2 that saw the field cut down through the money bubble, only 205 players remain heading into Day 3. Poland’s Grzegorz Kozieja currently leads the counts as the only player past the seven-figure chip mark, with first place worth €1,370,050. If you want a live, in-progress example of how fast these fields move, this is it — check our full Day 2 recap for the complete chip counts and storylines.
That’s the benefit of tracking a live poker tournament schedule in real time rather than working off a static list: you catch the moments that actually matter while they’re happening, not two weeks later.
WSOP Circuit 2026: The Grinder’s Tour
The World Series of Poker Circuit runs almost continuously and is the most accessible of the three major tours — Main Event buy-ins typically sit at $1,700, with ring events starting as low as $250. According to WSOP’s official 2026 season announcement, this year marked the first time the WSOPC moved to a permanent calendar-year format, so the schedule now runs January through December without the split-season overlap of previous years.
Here’s what’s on deck for the rest of 2026:
| Dates | Stop | Location |
| Aug 26 – Sep 12 | WSOP Super Circuit Canada | Kahnawake, QC, Canada |
| Aug 26 – Sep 7 | Hard Rock Tulsa | Catoosa, OK, USA |
| Sep 1 – 14 | Partouche Casino Club | Paris, France |
| Sep 10 – 22 | Grand Casino Liechtenstein | Gamprin, Liechtenstein |
| Sep 24 – Oct 5 | Thunder Valley Casino Resort | Lincoln, CA, USA |
| Sep 25 – Oct 5 | Casino Malta | St. Julian’s, Malta |
| Oct 15 – 26 | Turning Stone Resort Casino | Verona, NY, USA |
| Oct 22 – Nov 2 | Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe | Stateline, NV, USA |
| Oct 28 – Nov 9 | Choctaw Casino Resort | Durant, OK, USA |
| Nov 2 – 17 | Playground | Kahnawake, QC, Canada |
| Nov 12 – 23 | Caesars New Orleans | New Orleans, LA, USA |
| Nov 26 – Dec 7 | Harrah’s Cherokee | Cherokee, NC, USA |
| Dec 2 – 17 | 2026 WSOP Paradise (bracelet festival) | Baha Mar Resort, Nassau, Bahamas |
Why this matters if you’re playing: WSOP’s official promotional terms confirm that every gold ring event winner in the 2026 season receives a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package (tournament buy-in plus hotel accommodations at Baha Mar Resort, Bahamas), which functions as an invitation to the WSOP Circuit Championship. Worth noting: WSOP briefly excluded winners of Online Circuit ring events from this package in mid-2026 after player backlash on social media, then reversed course and confirmed in August that all qualifying ring winners — live and online, U.S. and international — are eligible. If international travel is on the table, GGPoker offers online satellite routes into some non-U.S. Circuit stops (Malta, Liechtenstein, Paris), though availability varies by event — check the specific stop’s page before booking a flight and paying full price.
WPT 2026: The Global High-Guarantee Tour
The World Poker Tour schedule for the back half of 2026 is stacked with international stops and seven-figure guarantees:
| Dates | Event | Location |
| Sep 10 – 30 | WPT Australia (incl. WPT Prime & Championship) | The Star, Sydney |
| Sep 17 – 22 | WPT Prime Australia Championship (AUD $1,500) | The Star, Sydney |
| Sep 24 – 30 | WPT Australia Championship (AUD $5,000) | The Star, Sydney |
| Sep 24 – Oct 12 | WPT Prime Lodge (Championship Oct 8–12, $1M gtd) | The Lodge Card Club, Austin, TX |
| October (TBC) | WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star | Bay 101 Casino, San Jose, CA |
| Oct/Nov (TBC) | WPT Venetian | The Venetian Resort, Las Vegas, NV |
| Oct 30 – Nov 9 | WPT Seoul | INSPIRE Entertainment Resort, South Korea |
| December (TBC) | WPT World Championship | Wynn Las Vegas |
Dates and venues marked TBC had not been officially finalized as of late August 2026 and are subject to change — this table is a planning guide, not a confirmed schedule.
The WPT World Championship is traditionally the biggest closing event of the poker calendar year — the 2025 edition at the Wynn drew a $10,400 buy-in field with guarantees in the eight figures, and 2026’s edition is expected to follow a similar pattern once dates are confirmed.
EPT 2026: Europe’s Marquee Tour
The European Poker Tour, founded by PokerStars in 2004, remains one of Europe’s premier live poker circuits. Barcelona has been its flagship stop for over two decades, and this year’s Main Event is tracking close to one of the largest in the tour’s history — last year’s 2025 edition drew 2,045 entries for a €9.9 million prize pool, and 2026 has attracted 1,823 entries so far with the event still in progress.
A Separate Note: WSOP Europe Is Moving to Spring 2027
It’s worth flagging a scheduling change that’s easy to confuse with the EPT calendar but is actually a distinct tour: WSOP Europe — the European arm of the World Series of Poker, not the PokerStars-run EPT — has shifted to a spring slot for the first time. It will run March 31 to April 12, 2027, at King’s Resort in Prague, with a €10 million+ guaranteed Main Event. That’s a genuinely significant change worth noting now if you’re planning travel a year out, even though it falls outside this article’s 2026 window.
Side-by-Side: Which Tour Fits Your Bankroll?
A quick comparison for players trying to decide where to spend their travel budget for the rest of 2026:
| Feature | WSOP Circuit | WPT | EPT |
| Typical Main Event buy-in | $1,700 | $1,100–$10,400 | €1,650–€5,300 |
| Frequency | Weekly, year-round | Roughly monthly | A handful of marquee stops per year |
| Best for | Recreational players, regional grinders | Mid-to-high stakes players chasing guarantees | Players wanting the biggest international fields |
| Signature prize this cycle | $5,000 WSOP Paradise package per ring | $1M+ guarantees at most stops | €1.37M+ current EPT Barcelona top prize |
Practical Tips for Planning Around This Schedule
Check satellites before booking travel. Many major stops offer online satellite routes through their affiliated poker platforms, GGPoker for WSOP Circuit international events, WPT Global for WPT stops, and PokerStars for EPT events. Satellite availability varies by individual event and jurisdiction, so confirm on the specific tournament’s page rather than assuming it applies tour-wide. Where available, turning a $75–$150 satellite entry into a Main Event seat is a far better use of a travel budget than paying the sticker buy-in outright.
Dates move, confirm close to the event. Several 2026 stops above are still marked TBC for exact dates (WPT Bay 101, WPT Venetian, WPT World Championship). Tour organizers routinely finalize these a few weeks to a couple of months out, so treat this schedule as a planning guide and reconfirm directly with WSOP.com, WorldPokerTour.com, or PokerStarsLive.com before locking in flights.
Watch for overlap. WSOP Super Circuit Canada and WPT Australia both run through September, and Circuit stops at Playground (Canada) show up twice in this window alone. If you’re trying to hit multiple events, map out the overlaps before you commit to a route.
Final Word
Between the WSOP Circuit’s year-round grind, the WPT’s global guarantee-chasing swing through Australia, Texas, and Korea, and the EPT’s marquee Barcelona stop currently down to its final 205 players, the rest of 2026 has no shortage of upcoming poker tournaments worth following, whether you’re planning to play or just want to watch the live streams. Bookmark this page and check back as dates firm up; we’ll keep it updated as the WPT confirms its remaining Q4 stops.
Schedule details reflect official tour announcements and live tournament reporting as of August 25, 2026. Dates, venues, and guarantees are subject to change, always confirm directly with the official tour website before booking travel.
FAQs
What are the biggest upcoming poker tournaments in 2026?
The biggest upcoming poker tournaments include events from the WSOP Circuit, World Poker Tour (WPT), and European Poker Tour (EPT), with major stops scheduled across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
What is the next major WSOP Circuit event in 2026?
Several WSOP Circuit stops are scheduled from late August through December 2026, including WSOP Super Circuit Canada, Hard Rock Tulsa, Thunder Valley, Playground, Harrah’s Cherokee, and WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
When is the 2026 WPT World Championship?
The 2026 WPT World Championship is currently listed for December at Wynn Las Vegas, although the exact dates were still marked TBC as of August 25, 2026.
How much does it cost to enter major poker tournaments in 2026?
Buy-ins vary significantly by tour and event. WSOP Circuit Main Events are typically around $1,700, while WPT events range from approximately $1,100 to $10,400, and EPT Main Events generally range from €1,650 to €5,300.
Where can I find the latest 2026 poker tournament schedules?
For the most accurate dates, locations, buy-ins, and guarantees, check the official WSOP, WPT, and PokerStars/EPT tournament pages before booking travel, as schedules can change.
Founder of PokerClubGames.com and a Poker Researcher with 10+ years of experience in SEO, WordPress development, and gaming content strategy. Specializes in researching online poker sites, poker apps, tournaments, bonuses, and poker strategies. Experienced in poker platform reviews, affiliate marketing, and creating SEO-focused poker content for global audiences.
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