The World Poker Tour is preparing one of its largest festivals in history to conclude its 24th season. The WPT World Championship 2026 will take place at Wynn Las Vegas from November 27 to December 21, offering over 85 tournaments with total guarantees exceeding $20,000,000 across 25 days.
The schedule is four days longer than the previous year, and organizers have designed it not only for pros with large bankrolls. Buy-ins will range from $400 to $25,800, with a significant portion of the schedule featuring accessible events between $600 and $1,600. There will also be high rollers, women's and seniors' tournaments, and a wide array of mixed games.
One Million Dollars Added in Mystery Bounty
The centerpiece of the festival remains the WPT World Championship with a $10,400 buy-in, scheduled from December 13 to 20. Players will have three starting flights and can use one entry in each. The last chance to register will be before the start of Day 2.
The biggest innovation is the introduction of the Mystery Bounty format. ClubWPT Gold will add $1,000,000 in cash and prizes to be distributed exclusively through bounty draws. This amount is separate from the regular prize pool created from players' buy-ins.
Eliminations in the later phases of the tournament won’t just lead to a title and a name on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup. Each eliminated opponent could also yield an unknown bonus reward. WPT has yet to reveal the exact distribution of the bounties or the highest prize value.
Last year's title was claimed by Schuyler Thornton, who outlasted 1,865 entries and after a heads-up deal took home over $2.2 million. This year's successor will be known by December 20.
Importantly, the World Championship itself currently has no designated standard guarantee. The communicated $20 million represents the sum of guarantees across the entire festival, while the million-dollar bounty fund will be added to the main event in addition to the buy-ins.
The Three Biggest Festival Tournaments
| Tournament | Date | Buy-in | GTD |
| WPT Prime Championship | December 5 – 12 | $1,100 | $5,000,000 GTD |
| Super Gold Million Mystery Bounty | December 10 – 14 | $400 | $3,000,000 GTD |
| WPT World Championship | December 13 – 20 | $10,400 | $1,000,000 added to mystery bounty |
Super Gold Million and WPT Prime Championship
One of the most exciting new additions is the Super Gold Million, which will run from December 10 to 14. With a buy-in of just $400, the event will have a $3,000,000 guarantee and likewise use the Mystery Bounty format. For recreational players, this offers one of the most accessible paths to a seven-figure prize pool during the packed December schedule in Las Vegas.
The WPT Prime Championship also returns. The $1,100 event will take place from December 5 to 12, again offering a $5,000,000 guarantee. The schedule includes four opening flights, after which the advancing players will merge in Day 2. This time, there won't be a week-long wait for the finale – the decisive phase will occur during the festival, with the final table broadcast live.
Mixed Games and High Rollers
WPT also reserved space for players who don't want to spend all of December exclusively on No-Limit Hold'em. The program features H.O.R.S.E., T.O.R.S.E., Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, Big O, Pot-Limit Omaha, PLO 6-Max, and Mixed Triple Draw.
For high roller players, NLH and PLO events are ready with a buy-in of $10,500, a Seniors High Roller for $5,000, and an NLH High Roller with a buy-in of approximately $25,000. The Ladies Championship offers a $250,000 guarantee.
Organizers have also included 25 satellites for the main events. The complete program kicks off on November 27, with the traditional WPT Meet-Up Game featuring cash games at blinds of $1/$3 and $2/$5 starting on December 1.
You can find the full tournament schedule here:
NO MORE WAITING.
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) September 14, 2026
REAL POKER IS BACK.
$20 MILLION GUARANTEED.
$1 MILLION ADDED TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.
$400 SUPER GOLD MILLION. $3 MILLION GTD.
$1,100 PRIME CHAMPIONSHIP. $5 MILLION GTD.
OVER 85 EVENTS.
NOV. 27 - DEC. 21.
The WPT World Championship at @WynnLasVegas. pic.twitter.com/xVW3yCmYOO
December Clash of Major Poker Festivals
The WPT World Championship will enter a highly competitive period, contending for players' attention and bankrolls alongside WSOP Paradise and the major December EPT festival in Prague.
WPT differentiates itself from the competition primarily through the breadth of its program and more accessible buy-ins. While on the Bahamas, the main attraction will be a series of bracelet high rollers, Wynn Las Vegas offers a combination of the World Championship, a $5 million WPT Prime, a new $400 event, and numerous moderately priced side events.
Sources: World Poker Tour, X, Flickr/WorldPokerTour
