WPT Venetian 2026: Las Vegas Championship Preview

Last Updated on September 23, 2026 by Bala Kumar

Good news if you’ve been waiting on dates: they’re official. The World Poker Tour is heading back to The Venetian Resort this fall, and with about six weeks until the first cards are dealt, here’s everything you need to plan your trip.

Quick Facts

The Dates Are Locked In

The WPT announced on August 13 that the Venetian Las Vegas Fall Festival will run from October 28 to November 15, with the $5,000 Fall Championship taking place November 5–10 and carrying a $2 million guaranteed prize pool.

As of today, that means the festival kicks off in 35 days, and Day 1A of the Championship is 43 days away.

The Championship also fits into a busy stretch of WPT action in the U.S. The tour’s championship calendar lists WPT bestbet on September 4, WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star on October 23, and then WPT Venetian Las Vegas on November 5. Players on a fall swing can realistically hit Bay 101 in San Jose and then head straight to Vegas.

Why This Stop Matters: Spring Set the Bar

This is the WPT’s second Venetian stop of 2026, and the first one went very well. The spring edition drew 488 entries at $5,000 each back in February, and the prize pool topped $2.2 million, beating its $2 million guarantee.

The winner was 25-year-old Nicholas Seward, who claimed his first WPT title and $418,700. He topped a strong final table that included names like Drake Kemper and Anthony Zinno.

With the same buy-in and the same guarantee, the fall event will be measured directly against that spring turnout. If the field matches or beats 488 entries, the $2M guarantee should be comfortably covered again.

The WPT Fall Championship Schedule

One nice touch for fans watching from home: the final table will be livestreamed from the new streaming room inside The Venetian Poker Room. The Venetian’s schedule lists PokerGO as the streaming partner for the final days.

If you’re planning to play, remember the spring rules as a guide. Players had to be at least 21 and show government-issued ID plus a Venetian Rewards card, and on-site registration with unlimited re-entry per day ran until the start of Level 9. Check the fall event page for any changes before you go.

Can’t Afford $5,000? Satellite In

This is where the festival gets interesting for everyday players. The Venetian has built in plenty of routes to a Championship seat:

$550 Milestone Satellites run from November 4 through November 6, with nightly sessions guaranteeing either five or three seats, each awarding direct entry into the Championship. There’s also a $550 Turbo satellite on the morning of November 7 with two seats guaranteed, perfect for anyone hoping to grab a last-minute spot for Day 1C.

For the other big event on the schedule, there are also $140 Milestone Satellites running October 28–31, each guaranteeing five seats into the $1,100 opener.

Other Big Events on the Schedule

The Championship is the headliner, but it’s far from the only reason to show up:

The $1,100 $500K GTD is the second-biggest guarantee of the festival, with flights running from October 29 through November 1 and Day 2 on November 2. It’s a great warm-up for anyone planning to play the Championship the following week.

At the other end of the series, the $600 $300K GTD gives budget-minded players six starting flights, including a turbo flight on the evening of November 14, before Day 2 closes things out on November 15.

And if bounties are your thing, there’s a $400 NLH Bounty with a $15K guarantee running almost every evening of the festival.

What to Expect

Here’s our read on how the fall Championship could play out:

A strong field is likely. The spring event proved there’s demand for a $5K WPT stop on the Strip, and early November sits in a quieter window on the Las Vegas tournament calendar. That should help turnout.

Plenty of satellite qualifiers. With nine separate $550 satellites feeding the Championship, expect a noticeable number of players who turned a few hundred dollars into a $5,000 seat. That tends to make fields bigger and softer.

Watch the spring stars. Don’t be surprised to see Seward and other spring final tablists back in Vegas trying to prove February wasn’t a one-off.

Plan Your Trip

WPT has said that more details, including satellite options and player hotel rates, will be posted on WPT.com. Keep an eye there and on the Venetian’s poker page for structure sheets, which are already available for most side events.

Key dates to save in your calendar:

• October 28: Festival opens
• October 29 – November 1: $1,100 $500K GTD flights
• November 4 – 7: $550 Championship satellites
• November 5 – 7: Championship Day 1 flights
• November 10: Championship final table (streamed)
• November 15: Festival ends

We’ll update this preview with live results once the action begins.

FAQs

Bala Kumar