Posted on: May 27, 2026, 01:57h.
Last updated on: May 27, 2026, 02:09h.
The highly anticipated 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) commenced on May 26 in Las Vegas, marking the exciting return of seven weeks filled with tournaments, rule modifications, and thrilling high-stakes action at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos.
This edition of the WSOP kicked off with a $550 buy-in Mini Mystery Millions instead of the usual casino staff event, featuring six starting flights and a seven-figure bounty still underway.
The 2026 WSOP boasts 100 live bracelet events and 30 online competitions, running daily until July 15. The Main Event is set to begin on July 2, with a break once the final nine players are determined on July 13, resuming for the final matches from August 3 to August 5, televised live on ESPN — marking the network’s first WSOP final table coverage in six years.
This year’s tournament is accompanied by a series of new regulations that have already sparked debate. Tournament officials are imposing stricter guidelines on patches, logos, and outside sponsorships, aiming to avert a repeat of last year’s Millionaire Maker incident, which resulted in an unauthorized promotion triggering a million-dollar bonus and the disqualification of poker professionals Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll.
A fresh rule has been introduced stipulating that any participant who accepts third-party payments related to tournament outcomes will forfeit all winnings from the WSOP.
Ongoing Storylines from Hold’em
The narratives from last summer are still potent. Michael Mizrachi’s commanding victory in the Main Event and his record-setting fourth win at the Poker Players Championship solidified his position in the Hall of Fame. Benny Glaser secured three more bracelets, bringing his total to eight, while Shaun Deeb claimed Player of the Year with impressive performances across multiple events. Shiina Okamoto aims for an unprecedented third consecutive Ladies Championship title.
The race for the all-time bracelet title remains competitive, with Phil Hellmuth leading with 17 victories. Phil Ivey begins the season with 11, while a competitive group — including Deeb, Glaser, Mizrachi, Schulman, and more — is within reach of the double-digit milestone.
This year sees significant expansion in broadcast coverage. Before ESPN’s Main Event programming launches, the WSOP will stream final tables and key events across its platforms, featuring a new stage within Paris. Commentary will be provided by Ali Nejad, Lon McEachern, Norman Chad, David Williams, Joe Stapleton, and Jeff Platt.
Attendance is uncertain. After a series of record-setting fields, the previous year experienced a slight decline, and new U.S. tax regulations limiting gambling-loss deductions may deter high-rollers. The first event this year attracted a respectable, if not record-setting, participant count of around 1,635 for Flight 1.
2026 WSOP Main Events Schedule
May 27–29 – Mini Mystery Millions Flights
- May 27 – Flight 2 (10 a.m.)
- May 28 – Flight 3 (10 a.m.)
- May 29 – Flight 4 (10 a.m.) + First WSOP YouTube livestreams start
May 30 – Final Mini Mystery Millions Flight
June 3 – Monster Stack
- $1,500 Monster Stack No-limit Hold’em
June 10 – Colossus
- $500 Colossus No-limit Hold’em
June 12 – Million Dollar Cash Game
- $1,000,000 minimum buy-in cash game
June 13 – Super High Roller
- $250,000 Super High Roller No-limit Hold’em
June 15 – High Roller PLO
- $25,000 High Roller Pot-limit Omaha
June 17 – Millionaire Maker
- $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-limit Hold’em
June 21 – Poker Players Championship
- $50,000 Poker Players Championship
June 23 – Mystery Millions
- $1,000 Mystery Millions No-limit Hold’em
July 2 – Main Event Starts
- $10,000 No-limit Hold’em World Championship (Day 1A)
- ESPN coverage begins
July 13 – Main Event Final Table Established
- Game pauses once the final nine players are confirmed
August 3–5 – Main Event Final Table Broadcast
- Live on ESPN, 6–9 p.m. PT each evening