The World Series of Poker is shaking up its Player of the Year race in a big way for the upcoming season. 2026 will see several key changes, most notably the introduction of a $1,000,000 top prize and the inclusion of all three of the WSOP’s tentpole festivals.
The next POY will have to top all others across the WSOP in Las Vegas, WSOP Europe making its debut in Prague, and the WSOP Paradise next December. In addition to revealing these changes, WSOP organizers also posted the full schedule for the WSOPE, which runs March 31 through April 12. Among the details is a €10,000,000 guarantee for the €5,300 main event at the stop, which will be held at the Hilton Prague in the Czech capital next spring.
“We are thrilled to kick off 2026 with a bold new vision for the World Series of Poker,” said WSOP Chief Executive Officer Ty Stewart. “By uniting our three flagship live series under a unified, $1 million Player of the Year competition, we’re giving players a true global season to chase history. Starting with a monster guarantee in Prague, continuing through our summer homecoming in Las Vegas, and culminating in Paradise, we are dedicated to offering the best value and the biggest stages in the world.”
The press release revealing these POY changes also noted that the “…winner will claim an enhanced $100,000 WSOP Paradise package, with a variety of other WSOP packages and/or tickets awarded to the top 100 players on the leaderboard at the conclusion of the season.”
New-Look WSOP Europe Slated For Spring
The full 15-bracelet schedule for WSOP Europe can be found below. In addition to the marquee main event, other notable tournaments include the new European Circuit Championship €1,500 buy-in event with a €1,500,000 guarantee.
There are also a few pot-limit Omaha offerings and a pair of high rollers, with €10,400 and €25,000 price points, respectively.
The WSOP will run from May 26 to July 15 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, while the WSOP Paradise dates are set for Dec. 1 – 18
| Event | Date | Buy-In |
| #1 The Opener – NLH Mystery Bounty | March 31 | €1,000 |
| #2 PLO Mixed (Big O, PLO 8, PLO) | March 31 | €3,000 |
| #3 COLOSSUS NLH | April 2 | €500 |
| #4 PLOSSUS Bounty PLO | April 3 | €500 |
| #5 Main Event NLH European Championship – €10M GTD | April 3 | €5,300 |
| #6 NLH Super Turbo Bounty | April 5 | €2,000 |
| #7 MONSTER STACK NLH | April 6 | €1,500 |
| #8 PLO European Championship | April 6 | €5,300 |
| #9 Rounder Cup NLH (EU vs Rest of World) | April 7 | €2,500 |
| #10 NLH Freezeout | April 8 | €800 |
| #11 High Roller 8-Max NLH | April 8 | €10,400 |
| #12 European Circuit Championship NLH – €1.5M GTD | April 9 | €1,500 |
| #13 GGMillion$ High Roller NLH | April 10 | €25,000 |
| #14 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot | April 11 | €1,000 |
| #15 The Closer – NLH Turbo Bounty | April 12 | €2,000 |
