2026 WSOP Guide: Schedule, Main Event Changes and Players to Watch

The 2026 World Series of Poker kicks off on this week. Players from all over the world will descend on Las Vegas in search of gold and the title of poker superstar. Here’s a brief preview of what to expect from this summer’s events, what’s changing, and a few players to watch

130 Bracelets Up for Grabs

The 2026 World Series of Poker features 130 total bracelets. The live series in Las Vegas includes 100 bracelet events, the same as last year. Additionally, 30 bracelets will be up for grabs via the 2026 WSOP Online at WSOP.com in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Players of all skill levels and bankroll sizes can compete in events, with buy-ins starting as low as $500. Multiple high-roller events are also available, including the $100,000 High Roller and $250,000 Super High Roller. Other notable events include the $10,000 GGMillion$ High Roller, the Millionaire Maker, and the Poker Player’s Championship. 

The WSOP is increasing capacity this year, offering 749 tables, up from 667 last year. The Paris Ballroom will host a new streaming stage to improve the broadcast experience. Other improvements include a dealer rating system and a permanent WSOP Hall of Fame store. 

ESPN Returns to Broadcast Main Event

Back in March, the WSOP announced a multi-year deal with ESPN to broadcast the WSOP Main Event. Under the terms of the deal, ESPN will broadcast around 100 hours of original content each year. 

For the 2026 WSOP, ESPN will live broadcast the Main Event starting with Day 1A on July 2nd. Each day will receive at least eight hours of coverage, culminating in a three-day finale. 

When players reach the final table on July 13, play will pause for 20 days. The final table will run August 3-5 from 9 pm to Midnight.

The delayed final table brings back a version of the old “November Nine” model, giving ESPN time to package player storylines and build anticipation before the champion is crowned.

In addition to the ESPN broadcasts, WSOP will live-stream all events on YouTube, featuring commentary from Ali Nejad, David Williams, Lon McEachern, and Norman Chad.

Players to Watch

Shaun Deeb

Why they matter: Deeb has been on a monster heater in WSOP final tables in the last two years. He won two WSOP bracelets last summer, finished runner-up in three events (one online), and third in another. This year, he finished runner-up in two WSOP Europe events.

Shiina Okamoto

Why they matter: Okamoto won the WSOP Ladies Championship in 2024 and 2025, after finishing runner-up in 2023. All eyes will be on her to see if she can three-peat. She cashed in the WSOP Europe Main Event, so we could see her break out in the open-field arena too.

Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey

Why they matter: Phil Hellmuth tends to win a bracelet every two to three years, and with 2023 being his last bracelet win, we could see him capture No. 18 this summer. Phil Ivey is always a player to watch because when he’s playing his best, a bracelet win is virtually guaranteed.

Alex and Kristen Foxen

Why they matter: Poker’s power couple are a pair to watch, especially in the high rollers. For Alex Foxen, two of his three bracelets are in high roller events, making him a threat in any WSOP events with a buy-in above $10k. Kristen is also a high-roller threat, but she has yet to win a high-roller bracelet. Three of her records (for women) and five bracelets are online.

WSOP Rule Changes

The WSOP is always looking to improve the player experience, and typically makes small tweaks to its rules and regulations. Most are minor, but this year, there are multiple major rule changes players need to know to avoid getting into hot water. Some of these changes have become highly controversial heading into “summer camp.”

• No third-party deals tied to WSOP events.
• Players who intentionally stall at a money bubble or pay jump are subject to penalties.
• The WSOP will blind off stacks for all registered players from the start of play. 
• All sponsorship details must be submitted to the WSOP 24 hours before a player can display sponsorship materials at a table.
• No more than two players can show the same sponsor on any featured table or live stream.

The third-party deals rule addresses situations such as ClubWPT’s Gold Rush, which resulted in blatant chip dumping during the Millionaire Maker. The stalling rule has been long overdue, and will hopefully speed up the pace of play at the bubble or near pay jumps in events.

The WSOP will no longer allow players to delay claiming their stack in pre-registered events, a tactic some used to gain an advantage in the past. The last two rule changes have drawn the most criticism from players, as the WSOP now requires them to go through a sponsor approval process. 

While some of these rule changes are necessary to address past issues, others feel that other changes are an overreach of authority by the WSOP.

Will The Main Event Set Records?

In 2023, the Main Event set a new record with a field of 10,043 entrants. Last year, “only” drew a field of 9,723 entrants, the third largest in history. Michael Mizrachi had a historic year, taking down the 2026 Main Event after winning the $50,000 Poker Players’ Championship. 

Earlier this year, the WSOP Europe shattered records with 2,617 players, more than tripling its previous best. While the Vegas Main won't see that type of record growth, the field size will likely eclipse the 2025 total.

Numerous live and online promotions will help to boost this year’s total, including a pair of 25-Seat scrambles on WSOP.com leading up to the Main Event.