WPT Seoul 2026: KRW 1 Billion Championship Headlines 11 Days of Poker at INSPIRE
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The World Poker Tour is about to deal its first cards in South Korea’s newest poker room. WPT Seoul 2026 runs for 11 days, from October 30 to November 9, at INSPIRE Entertainment Resort in Incheon.
The star of the show is the WPT Seoul INSPIRE Championship, a KRW 1,750,000 (about $1,250) event with a KRW 1 billion guarantee. Depending on the exchange rate, that’s somewhere around $700,000 to $755,000, which makes it one of the biggest guarantees on the Korean poker calendar this year.
With 45 tournaments on the schedule plus daily satellites, there’s something for almost every bankroll. Here’s what you need to know.
WPT Seoul 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Dates | October 30 – November 9, 2026 |
| Venue | INSPIRE Entertainment Resort (YY Poker Club), Incheon |
| Events | 45 plus satellites |
| Championship buy-in | KRW 1,750,000 |
| Championship guarantee | KRW 1,000,000,000 |
| Lowest buy-in | KRW 300,000 (about $230) |
| Highest buy-in | KRW 8,000,000 (about $6,050) |
| Website | worldpokertour.com |
A Brand-New Poker Room for the WPT
WPT Seoul is the first major tournament series inside INSPIRE’s new YY Poker Club, so players will be among the first to try out the room. The festival is run by the WPT’s official licensee, Khartes, in partnership with INSPIRE.
Don’t let the name fool you, though. Even though it’s called WPT Seoul, the action actually takes place in Incheon, right next to Incheon International Airport. The resort is only about 15 minutes from the terminal, which makes it an easy trip for players flying in. Anyone who wants to see Seoul itself can still get there for a day out between sessions.
One thing worth knowing before you go: WPT Seoul is listed as a special event, not an official WPT main tour stop. That means results here won’t earn WPT Player of the Year points.
The WPT Seoul INSPIRE Championship
Buy-In and Guarantee
The Championship costs KRW 1,750,000 to enter and comes with a KRW 1 billion guaranteed prize pool. Levels are 40 minutes long, and late registration stays open until the start of Level 10 on each Day 1.
Championship Schedule
There are four starting flights before everyone left in the field combines on Day 2:
| Date | Flight |
| Thursday, November 5 | Day 1A |
| Friday, November 6 | Day 1B |
| Saturday, November 7 | Day 1C |
| Saturday, November 7 | Day 1D (Turbo, runs alongside Day 1C) |
| Sunday, November 8 | Day 2 |
| Monday, November 9 | Final Day |
The day flights start at 11:30 a.m. local time. If you’d rather play fast, the Day 1D turbo flight on Saturday evening is your last chance to get in.
How to Qualify for Less
You don’t have to pay the full buy-in to play the Championship.
Live “Win Your Seat” Satellites
Throughout the festival, KRW 400,000 Win Your Seat satellites run almost every day from November 1 to November 6. They’re the cheapest live route into the Championship.
Online Through WPT Global
If you’re still at home, WPT Global runs an online path that starts at just $1.10. Players work their way up through an $8.80 step and an $88 qualifier, with three $1,500 packages guaranteed every Sunday. A package includes a Day 1A seat in the Championship plus $250 for expenses.
Other Highlights on the Schedule
Championship Warm Up
The festival’s first big event is the KRW 700,000 Championship Warm Up, with a KRW 100 million guarantee. It has three flights on Saturday, October 31, and finishes on November 1.
Mystery Bounty Events
Bounty fans get two chances. The KRW 1,000,000 Mystery Bounty runs November 1–2, and a bigger KRW 3,300,000 Mystery Bounty High Roller plays on November 6.
Survivor Bounty and Monster Stack
The KRW 1,300,000 Survivor Bounty runs November 3–4, while the KRW 1,000,000 Monster Stack plays November 2–3.
Mini Championship
Can’t stretch to the main Championship? The KRW 700,000 Mini Championship runs November 8–9, wrapping up on the same day as the big event.
PLO and Omaha Events
Omaha players have plenty to choose from, including Big O, a PLO Double Board Bomb Pot, PLO 5-Card, a PLO Bounty Turbo and an unusual PLO 4/5/6 event. In that one, each Day 1 flight uses a different number of hole cards, and the final day switches games every level.
High Roller Events
For bigger bankrolls, the festival builds steadily toward the top of the schedule:
| Event | Buy-in | Date |
| NLH Mini High Roller Warm Up | KRW 2,200,000 | October 31 |
| NLH High Roller Hyper | KRW 2,500,000 | November 1 |
| NLH Super High Roller Warm Up | KRW 3,300,000 | November 2–3 |
| NLH Deepstack High Roller | KRW 2,750,000 | November 4 |
| NLH Super High Roller | KRW 8,000,000 | November 5–6 |
| Mystery Bounty High Roller | KRW 3,300,000 | November 6 |
| Extreme Hyper Turbo High Roller | KRW 2,500,000 | November 7 |
| NLH High Roller (KRW 150M GTD) | KRW 3,500,000 | November 8–9 |
The KRW 8 million Super High Roller is the biggest buy-in of the festival.
Every Night: Evening Hyper Turbo
If you bust early, there’s always a late game. A KRW 1,000,000 Evening Hyper Turbo runs almost every night of the festival.
Full WPT Seoul 2026 Schedule
Buy-ins shown as total cost (buy-in plus fee). Events with a number in brackets continue across multiple days.
Friday, October 30
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 1 | NLH INSPIRE Superstack | KRW 600,000 |
| 2 | PLO | KRW 500,000 |
| 3 | NLH Turbo Bounty | KRW 400,000 |
| 4 | NLH Hyper Turbo | KRW 300,000 |
| 5 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
Saturday, October 31
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 6 | NLH Championship Warm Up (Days 1A, 1B, 1C) | KRW 700,000 |
| 7 | Big O | KRW 500,000 |
| 8 | NLH Mini High Roller Warm Up | KRW 2,200,000 |
| 9 | NLH Megastack Turbo | KRW 500,000 |
| 10 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
| – | Satellite to Mystery Bounty | KRW 300,000 |
Sunday, November 1
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 6 | Championship Warm Up Day 2 | – |
| 11 | NLH Mystery Bounty (Days 1A, 1B) | KRW 1,000,000 |
| 12 | NLH Freezeout | KRW 500,000 |
| 13 | PLO | KRW 600,000 |
| 14 | NLH Hyper Turbo | KRW 300,000 |
| 15 | NLH High Roller Hyper | KRW 2,500,000 |
| – | Win Your Seat | KRW 400,000 |
Monday, November 2
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 11 | Mystery Bounty Day 2 | – |
| 16 | NLH Deepstack (Days 1A, 1B, 1C and Final) | KRW 300,000 |
| 17 | PLO Double Board Bomb Pot | KRW 600,000 |
| 18 | NLH Super High Roller Warm Up Day 1 | KRW 3,300,000 |
| 19 | NLH Monster Stack Day 1 | KRW 1,000,000 |
| 20 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
| – | Satellite to Survivor Bounty | KRW 300,000 |
Tuesday, November 3
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 21 | NLH Survivor Bounty (Days 1A, 1B) | KRW 1,300,000 |
| 22 | NLH Freezeout | KRW 500,000 |
| 18 | Super High Roller Warm Up Day 2 | – |
| 19 | Monster Stack Day 2 | – |
| 23 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
| – | Win Your Seat | KRW 400,000 |
Wednesday, November 4
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 21 | Survivor Bounty Day 2 | – |
| 24 | PLO 4/5/6 (1A PLO4, 1B PLO5, 1C PLO6, then Final) | KRW 700,000 |
| 25 | NLH Deepstack High Roller | KRW 2,750,000 |
| 26 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
| – | Win Your Seat (two sessions) | KRW 400,000 |
Thursday, November 5
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 27 | WPT Seoul INSPIRE Championship Day 1A | KRW 1,750,000 |
| 28 | PLO | KRW 1,000,000 |
| 29 | NLH Super High Roller Day 1 | KRW 8,000,000 |
| 30 | NLH Superstack Turbo Bounty | KRW 650,000 |
| 31 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
| – | Win Your Seat | KRW 400,000 |
Friday, November 6
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 27 | Championship Day 1B | KRW 1,750,000 |
| 29 | Super High Roller Day 2 | – |
| 32 | PLO 5-Card | KRW 500,000 |
| 33 | NLH Mystery Bounty High Roller | KRW 3,300,000 |
| 34 | NLH Megastack Freezeout Turbo | KRW 500,000 |
| 35 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
| – | Win Your Seat | KRW 400,000 |
Saturday, November 7
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 36 | NLH Turbo Freezeout | KRW 500,000 |
| 27 | Championship Day 1C | KRW 1,750,000 |
| 27 | Championship Day 1D (Turbo) | KRW 1,750,000 |
| 37 | NLH Extreme Hyper Turbo High Roller | KRW 2,500,000 |
Sunday, November 8
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 27 | Championship Day 2 | – |
| 38 | NLH Mini Championship (Days 1A, 1B) | KRW 700,000 |
| – | High Roller Satellite | KRW 600,000 |
| 39 | NLH High Roller Day 1 | KRW 3,500,000 |
| 40 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
Monday, November 9
| # | Event | Buy-in |
| 27 | Championship Final Day | – |
| 38 | Mini Championship Day 2 | – |
| 39 | High Roller Day 2 | – |
| 41 | NLH Closer 7-Max | KRW 600,000 |
| 42 | PLO Bounty Turbo | KRW 500,000 |
| 43 | NLH Championship Turbo | KRW 1,750,000 |
| 44 | NLH Evening Hyper Turbo | KRW 1,000,000 |
| 45 | NLH 10/10/10 | KRW 350,000 |
Why WPT Seoul Is Worth the Trip
South Korea has become one of Asia’s busiest poker destinations, and WPT Seoul adds another big name to the list. The festival offers a huge Championship guarantee, plenty of mid-stakes events, a solid run of high rollers, and an easy commute from the airport.
It’s also a rare chance to be part of the first-ever tournament series in a brand-new poker room. Whether you’re chasing the KRW 1 billion Championship or just looking for a fun week of poker near Seoul, the action starts October 30.
FAQs
1. When and where is WPT Seoul 2026 taking place?
WPT Seoul 2026 runs from October 30 to November 9, 2026, at the YY Poker Club inside INSPIRE Entertainment Resort in Incheon, South Korea.
2. What is the WPT Seoul INSPIRE Championship buy-in and guaranteed prize pool?
The Championship has a KRW 1,750,000 buy-in and a guaranteed prize pool of KRW 1 billion, equivalent to approximately $700,000 to $755,000, depending on the exchange rate.
3. What are the WPT Seoul INSPIRE Championship dates?
The Championship has four starting flights: Day 1A on November 5, Day 1B on November 6, and Days 1C and 1D on November 7. Day 2 takes place on November 8, followed by the final day on November 9, 2026.
4. How can players qualify for the WPT Seoul Championship at a lower cost?
Players can enter KRW 400,000 live Win Your Seat satellites scheduled during the festival. Online qualifiers are also available through WPT Global, starting at $1.10, with Sunday packages that include a Championship seat and $250 for expenses.
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