Las Vegas is the unofficial center of the tournament poker world year-round, but the summer is always the busiest. While the 2026 World Series of Poker takes center stage with 100 gold bracelet events, there are tens of millions of dollars to be won elsewhere in Las Vegas over the course of the summer.
There are tournament options for bankrolls of all sizes, all over town and beyond the strip, at almost any buy-in level in a vast variety of games and formats. Throughout the year, Card Player highlights all of the tournament action available in Las Vegas, and it’s especially helpful if you need a breakdown of a given day’s schedule.
But as you plan out your summer, whether you’re a local, a short-term visitor, or hunkering down in Vegas for the long haul, it’s important that you know all of the options on the table.
The Wynn Summer Classic
Dates: May 20 – July 13
Buy-in range: $600 – $25,800
Games offered: No-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, variety of mixed games
Full schedule | Structures
Wynn Las Vegas has rightfully claimed the status of one of the can’t-miss tournament poker locations in the city. The summer is one of the stretches during which Wynn kicks up its already strong offering into another gear. The 2026 Wynn Summer Classic features 87 tournaments, running from May 20 through July 13, with more than $40 million in total prize pool guarantees to be paid out along the way.
The signature Wynn Summer Classic event, the $10,400 buy-in Wynn Summer Championship, carries a $10 million guarantee. There are four starting flights, running daily from June 21 through June 24. Ten other tournaments during the Wynn Summer Classic carry seven-figure guarantees, including a $3,500 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed no-limit hold’em event, and two different multi-flight PLO tournaments.
Wynn also offers a robust selection of satellites into all of their major tournaments, with most satellites guaranteeing a minimum of 10 seats via the milestone satellite format.
Venetian DeepStack Championship Poker Series
Dates: May 18 – Aug. 2
Buy-in range: $200 – $2,500
Games offered: No-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, other Omaha variants
Full schedule | Structures
Venetian Las Vegas has carved out a significant reputation in tournament poker, as well. They’re offering one of the most robust schedules of any property this summer. The Venetian DeepStack Championship Poker Series has more than $16 million in guarantees across 121 tournaments. The festival opens on May 18 and runs all the way into the start of August.
The Venetian’s summer offerings keep the more recreational players in mind, with buy-ins as low as $200. Five tournaments carry guarantees of at least $1 million. Seniors have back-to-back opportunities at big prize pools of the series. It starts with an $1,100 buy-in, $1 million guaranteed seniors event in mid-June. A few days later, there’s also a $1,600 buy-in, $1.5 million guaranteed tournament for the 50-and-over crowd in mid-June.
Two Major Series of Poker: The Tour events in July also carry seven-figure guarantees. An $1,100 MSPT buy-in event runs from July 11-July 14, followed immediately by an MSPT major. The $1,600 buy-in Heart Poker Championship runs from July 15-19.
Aria Poker Classic
Dates: May 27 – July 12
Buy-in range: $300 – $3,500
Games offered: No-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, variety of mixed games
Full schedule | Structures
The Aria Poker Classic returns for 2026 with well over $8 million in total guarantees. There’s a healthy dose of mixed game tournaments, but no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha carry the biggest guarantees.
The signature event of the series is the returning $3,500 buy-in, $4 million guaranteed BetMGM Championship. The multi-flight no-limit hold’em tournament runs from July 1 through July 4. Two other events during the Aria Poker Classic carry seven-figure guarantees: a $2,200 no-limit hold’em mystery bounty event, and a $2,200 PLO championship event.
Orleans Summer Open
Dates: May 22 – July 12
Buy-in range: $125 – $1,100
Games offered: No-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, variety of mixed games
Full schedule | Structures
The summer tournament action in Las Vegas is not limited to The Strip by any measure. The Orleans has established itself as a local-friendly and mixed game-focused property, and the Orleans Summer Open reflects that. There are 160 total tournaments on offer between May 22 and July 12, with over $4.7 million in total guarantees.
Beyond a healthy range of mixed game tournaments, the signature offering of the Orleans Summer Open is a $600 buy-in no-limit hold’em event. It carries a $500,000 guarantee and runs from July 1- 5.
MGM Grand Summer Poker Festival
Dates: June 3 – July 10
Buy-in range: $160 – $700
Games offered: No-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, variety of mixed games
Full schedule | Structures
Aria isn’t the only MGM property running a tournament festival this summer. The MGM Grand is bringing back its Summer Poker Festival, starting in early June. This series is also focused on more recreational players. Buy-ins start as low as $160, and a variety of different game formats.
There are $2.5 million in total tournament guarantees, highlighted by a pair of $250,000 guaranteed no-limit hold’em events. The $700 buy-in multi-flight $300,000 guaranteed ‘grand finale’ tournament closes out the series in early July.
South Point
Dates: May 25 – July 12
Buy-in range: $120 – $300
Games offered: No-limit hold’em, Omaha eight-or-better, Crazy Pineapple
Full schedule and structures
For locals, and poker players willing and able to travel, there’s value at South Point Las Vegas. There are over $3 million in guaranteed prize pools over the course of the summer, anchored by several multi-flight tournaments.
For seven weeks, from May 25 through July 12, there will be a $300 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed no-limit hold’em event. Starting flights run on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and day 2 is on Thursday. That’s in addition to an enhanced version of South Point’s typical daily tournament schedule, with bigger buy-ins and guarantees.
Grand Poker Series at Golden Nugget
Dates: June 3 – June 28
Buy-in range: $200 – $2,500
Games offered: No-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, other Omaha variants
Full schedule
Despite some controversy in 2025, the Grand Poker Series at Golden Nugget returns. It stands as the lone downtown Las Vegas venue for tournament poker. The abbreviated 2026 edition of the festival offers a variety of game types and buy-in levels. Beyond open events, the series once again highlights the Bar Poker Open, celebrating its 10-year anniversary at Golden Nugget. The festival culminates in a $600 buy-in, multi-flight no-limit hold’em event with a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
As of May 14, no tournament structures have been released on the Golden Nugget’s website or social media.
