World Poker Tour (WPT)

Introduction

The World Poker Tour (WPT) is one of the world’s most prestigious live poker tournament series, founded in 2002. Known for pioneering televised Texas Hold’em poker tournaments with hole card cameras, WPT helped popularize poker globally. Today, it hosts major live poker events, high-stakes tournaments, and WPT Prime festivals across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Australia. The season concludes with the prestigious WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. Alongside the WSOP and EPT, the WPT forms poker’s renowned Triple Crown, making it a premier destination for professional and recreational poker players alike. 

WPT Tournament Rating

Our comprehensive rating of the World Poker Tour covers prestige, accessibility, prize pools, broadcast quality, and overall player experience, rated across 9 key categories.

Category	Rating	Notes
Prestige & Reputation	★★★★★	One of poker’s top 3 tours globally — alongside WSOP & EPT
Prize Pool Size	★★★★★	Season-ending WPT World Championship $15M+ guaranteed
Global Coverage	★★★★★	Events across USA, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia
Accessibility	★★★★☆	Events range from $1,100 (WPT Prime) to $10,400 (WPT World Championship)
TV & Streaming	★★★★☆	WPT YouTube (free live), Travel Channel, PokerGO, and more
Player Experience	★★★★★	Top-tier venues, world-class dealers, Action Clock used for fairness
Qualifier Paths	★★★★★	Online satellites from $0 via ClubWPT Gold, WPT Global, partypoker
Competition Level	★★★★☆	Mix of recreational and professional players at all levels
Innovation	★★★★★	WPT The Victor (new 2026 cash game format), WPT Prime expansion
Overall Rating	9.2 / 10	One of the most complete and prestigious poker tours in the world

Verdict: The World Poker Tour earns a 9.2 out of 10 overall rating — an elite-tier global poker tour delivering world-class events at accessible price points, powered by a rich 24-season history and a growing international footprint.

WPT Tournament Overview — Season 24 (2026)

Season at a Glance

•        Season: 24 (WPT Season XXIV)

•        Season Period: January 2026 – December 2026

•        Main Tour Format: 6–7 day Championship events, $3,500–$5,000 buy-ins

•        WPT Prime Format: Shorter festivals, $1,100 buy-in, $1M+ guarantees

•        Season Finale: WPT World Championship — Wynn Las Vegas, December 2026

•        Season Finale Buy-In: $10,400 (includes $10,400 seat as 1st place bonus for all Main Tour events)

•        WPT App: Download iOS / Android to register, sign Player Release Form, and track events

•        Minimum Age: 18+ (varies by jurisdiction)

•        All 1st place prizes include a $10,400 seat to the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas

WPT Format, How It Works

Each WPT Main Tour event follows a standard structure designed to balance accessibility with prestige. Events run over 4–7 days, beginning with multiple Day 1 starting flights that allow re-entry. Late registration typically remains open through Day 2. The final table is typically 6–9 players and is often livestreamed on the WPT YouTube channel.

• Day 1A, 1B, and 1C: multiple starting flights (re-entry allowed until late registration closes)

• Day 2: surviving Day 1 players combine into one field

• Day 3–5, elimination rounds down to the final table

• Final Table : 6 players, livestreamed on WPT YouTube | The winner earns trophy + $10,400 WPT World Championship seat

•        Action Clock,  Introduced at Level 14 of Day 2 (Protection Poker Action Clock) to keep play moving.

• Tables, 9-handed at start, 8-handed from Day 3 onwards

Winners, Prize Pools & Final Tables 

As of June 12, 2026, five WPT Main Tour events have been completed in Season 24. Below is the complete results summary with winners, prize pools , and field sizes.

Date	Event	Venue	Buy-In	Entries	Prize Pool	Winner	Country	1st Prize
Jan 16-20	WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open	Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood FL	$3,500	1,229	$3,932,800	Giuseppe Iadisernia	USA	$611,700
Feb 3-8	WPT Cambodia Championship	NagaWorld Resort, Phnom Penh	$3,500	425	$1,455,400	Xiaosheng Zheng	China	$244,500
Feb 19-24	WPT Venetian Las Vegas Spring	The Venetian, Las Vegas	$5,000	488	$2,244,800	Nicholas Seward	USA	$418,700
Mar 29–Apr 1	WPT Rolling Thunder Championship	Thunder Valley Casino, Lincoln CA	$3,500	310	$992,000	Alexander Farahi	USA	$193,725
Apr 8-28	WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown	Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood FL	$3,500	1,417	$4,534,000	Ian Cohen	USA	$656,200

Total Prize Money Awarded (Season 24 to date): $13,158,900+

Total Entries Across Completed Events: 3,869+ players

Event 1: WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open, Final Table

January 16-20, 2026 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida | 1,229 entries | $3,932,800 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Giuseppe Iadisernia	Italy/USA	$611,700
2nd	Jorge Gomez	USA	$395,000
3rd	Thomas Boivin	Belgium	$295,000
4th	Martins Adeniya	UK	$220,000
5th	Anatoly Nikitin	Russia	$167,000
6th	Nicholas Blumenthal	USA	$127,000

Giuseppe Iadisernia claimed his first WPT title, topping a massive 1,229-entry field at the iconic Seminole Hard Rock. His victory included a $10,400 seat to the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.

Event 2: WPT Cambodia Championship, Final Table

February 3-8, 2026 | NagaWorld Integrated Resort, Phnom Penh, Cambodia | 425 entries | $1,455,400 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Xiaosheng Zheng	China	$244,500
2nd	Micheal O’Neill	Ireland	$249,700
3rd	Kunal Patni	India	$145,000
4th	Chengcai Pan	China	$110,000
5th	Julien Sitbon	France	$83,000
6th	Yong Kok	Malaysia	$63,000

Xiaosheng Zheng of China topped a strong international field at NagaWorld to win his first WPT title. The event attracted players from across Asia, Europe, and North America, reinforcing WPT Cambodia’s status as a premier Asian stop.

Event 3: WPT Venetian Las Vegas Spring Championship, Final Table

February 19-24, 2026 | The Venetian Las Vegas, Nevada | 488 entries | $2,244,800 prize pool (exceeded $2M guarantee)

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Nicholas Seward	USA	$418,700
2nd	Gregory Brown	USA	$310,000
3rd	Drake Kemper	USA	$220,000
4th	Lily Kiletto	USA	$165,000
5th	Anthony Zinno	USA	$125,000
6th	Edward Pak	USA	$96,000

25-year-old Nicholas Seward claimed his first WPT title at The Venetian, banking $418,700 for outlasting a 488-player field. The event exceeded its $2,000,000 guarantee, reflecting the continued strength of Las Vegas as a WPT destination.

 Event 4: WPT Rolling Thunder Championship, Final Table

March 29–April 1, 2026 | Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Lincoln, California | 310 entries | $992,000 prize pool

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Alexander Farahi	USA	$193,725
2nd	Matthew Salsberg	USA	$151,275
3rd	Arish Nat	USA	$100,000
4th	Marco Johnson	USA	$74,000
5th	TBA	USA	$55,000
6th	TBA	USA	$42,000

Event 5: WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown , Final Table

April 8-28, 2026 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida | 1,417 entries | $4,534,000 prize pool (blew past $3M guarantee)

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Ian Cohen	USA	$656,200
2nd	Richard Seymour	USA	$430,000
3rd	Michael Amato	USA	$320,000
4th	Frank Funaro	USA	$240,000
5th	Johnny Bromberg	USA	$181,000
6th	Rajesh Vohra	India	$138,000

Ian Cohen won the largest prize pool of Season 24 so far, banking $656,200 from a massive 1,417-entry field. The event crushed its $3,000,000 guarantee, generating over $4.5 million — one of the biggest prize pools in WPT Seminole history.

Upcoming WPT Events in 2026 

Events remaining in 2026 — from the brand-new WPT The Victor format in June to the season-ending WPT World Championship in December. All WPT World Championship qualifiers include a $10,400 seat in their first-place prize.

Date	Event	Venue	Buy-In	Entries	Guarantee	Status	Type
Jun 4-6	WPT The Victor Cash Game (NEW)	Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas NV	$25/$50 Blinds	Rotating	TBA	LIVE on WPT YouTube	Special Format
Jul 29–Aug 11	WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open	Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood FL	$3,500	TBA	$3M+ GTD	TBA	Main Tour
Sep 10-30	WPT Australia Festival	The Star Sydney, Australia	AUD $1,500 / $5,000	TBA	TBA	TBA	Dual Championship
Sep 15-16	WPT Prime Australia Championship	The Star Sydney, Australia	AUD $1,500	TBA	TBA	TBA	WPT Prime
Sep 24-30	WPT Australia Championship	The Star Sydney, Australia	AUD $5,000	TBA	TBA	TBA	Main Tour
Sep (TBA)	WPT bestbet Scramble Championship	bestbet Jacksonville, Florida	$3,500	TBA	$1M GTD	TBA	Main Tour
Oct–Nov	WPT Prime Cyprus Championship	Chamada Prestige Hotel, Cyprus	$1,100	TBA	$1M GTD	TBA	WPT Prime
Nov–Dec	WPT Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open	Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood FL	$3,500	TBA	$4M+ GTD	TBA	Main Tour
Dec 2026	WPT World Championship ★	Wynn Las Vegas, Nevada	$10,400	TBA	$15M+ GTD	TBA	Season Finale

Key Upcoming Events, What to Watch

WPT The Victor, June 4-6, 2026 (BRAND NEW EVENT)

Hosted at the iconic Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, WPT The Victor is a first-of-its-kind cash game format for the WPT. Three days of livestreamed cash games (4:00 PM PST daily on WPT YouTube) featuring $25/$50 blinds, pot-limit pre-flop, and no-limit post-flop action. Each session features two designated rivals who bring real-life rivalry to the felt. The Main Event winner earns a $100,000 Golden Ticket bonus. Satellites closed June 2, 2026.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, July 29–August 11, 2026

One of the WPT’s most prestigious annual stops returns to Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood for the summer. This is historically one of the largest-field WPT events of the year, with prize pools regularly reaching $3–5 million. The 2025 edition drew 1,224 entries and generated a $4M prize pool won by Kevin Nee ($605,100). The 2026 edition is expected to attract a similarly large field.

WPT Australia Festival, September 10-30, 2026 (Dual Championship)

For the first time, WPT Australia runs a dual-championship festival at The Star Sydney, the most ambitious Australian poker event in WPT history. The 21-day festival includes the AUD $500 Ladies Australian Championship (Sep 15-16) and AUD $1,500 WPT Prime Australia Championship (Sep 17-22), and AUD $5,000 WPT Australia Championship (Sep 24-30). Both championship final tables will be livestreamed. The 2025 WPT Australia winner Alan Pham (Melbourne) won AUD $558,211 and his name on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

WPT World Championship, December 2026 (Season Finale)

The crown jewel of every WPT season. Held at Wynn Las Vegas with a $10,400 buy-in, the WPT World Championship is expected to draw 1,800+ entries and generate a prize pool of $15 million or more. The 2025 edition attracted 1,865 entries with an $18.2 million prize pool ,  won by Schuyler Thornton ($2,258,856). Every WPT Main Tour winner from Season 24 receives a complimentary $10,400 entry into this event as part of their first-place prize.

Who Plays in WPT Events? 

2026 Season 24, Notable Winners & Participants

•        Giuseppe Iadisernia, WPT Lucky Hearts champion, January 2026. The Italy-based player claimed his first WPT title in a 1,229-entry field.

•        Xiaosheng Zheng, WPT Cambodia champion, February 2026. Top Chinese poker player claiming his first WPT trophy at NagaWorld.

•        Nicholas Seward (25 years old), WPT Venetian Spring champion. One of the youngest WPT champions of 2026, winning $418,700 in his debut WPT final table.

•        Alexander Farahi,  WPT Rolling Thunder champion, April 2026. Claimed $193,725 in Northern California.

•        Ian Cohen, WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown champion. Won $656,200  the largest prize in Season 24 so far.

•        Anthony Zinno, 5th place at WPT Venetian Spring. Four-time WPT champion, one of the most decorated WPT players in history.

•        Martins Adeniya, 4th place at Lucky Hearts. UK-based pro with multiple WPT final table appearances.

•        Lily Kiletto,  4th place at WPT Venetian Spring. One of poker’s most accomplished female professionals.

Types of Players Who Compete at WPT Events

Professional Poker Players

WPT events attract the world’s top professionals, including multiple-time champions, EPT and WSOP winners, and high-volume tournament players who travel the global circuit. Names like Anthony Zinno (4x WPT champion), Darren Elias (4x WPT champion), and Ari Engel (multiple WPT titles) are regularly seen at WPT tables. 

Recreational Players

WPT’s expanding WPT Prime format (buy-ins from $1,100) and accessible satellite paths make WPT events open to recreational players who qualify online for a fraction of the direct buy-in. WPT Prime events specifically target mid-stakes players looking for a world-class experience without a $3,500+ investment.

International Players

WPT events draw participants from over 80 countries. Season 24 final tables have already featured players from the USA, China, Italy, Belgium, India, Ireland, Malaysia, and France. The WPT’s global footprint, spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, ensures a truly international player pool.

Online Qualifiers

A significant portion of WPT Main Tour fields qualify online via ClubWPT Gold, WPT Global, GGPoker, or PartyPoker. Super Saturday satellites (ClubWPT Gold) run weekly for $100/month members, offering WPT and WPT Prime passport packages. Online satellites typically start from as little as $1, making WPT titles accessible to any player regardless of bankroll.

How to Qualify for WPT Events

Multiple qualification paths are available for both WPT Main Tour and WPT Prime events. You do not need to pay the full buy-in to compete.

Qualifier Path	Entry Cost	Details
ClubWPT Gold Online	From $0 / freerolls	Weekly Super Saturday satellites — WPT & WPT Prime passports
WPT Global	From $1 satellites	Direct online qualifiers for Main Tour events globally
GGPoker	From $0.50	Partnership qualifiers for select WPT events
partypoker	From $1	Online satellite series for WPT Main Tour stops
Live Satellites On-Site	Venue-specific	Run during each festival at the host casino
Direct Buy-In	$1,100–$10,400	Register directly at worldpokertour.com or at the venue

•        Download the WPT App (iOS / Android) to complete the Player Release Form before arriving — required for all participants

•        Register at worldpokertour.com — create an account and pay entry fees online

•        Players must be 18+ years old with valid government-issued photo ID

•        Unity Card required at Seminole Hard Rock events — can be obtained free on-site

•        Overseas residents may be subject to tax withholding on prize winnings per casino policy

WPT History, 24 Seasons of Poker Excellence

•   2002: WPT was founded by Steve Lipscomb and Lyle Berman. The first season launched with technology for hole card cameras, revolutionising televised poker.

• In 2003, WPT broadcasts aired on Travel Channel, sparking the global poker boom alongside Chris Moneymaker’s WSOP win.

•        In 2006, WPT expanded internationally with European stops and Asian events.

•        2008-2016, WPT aired on Fox Sports, partnering with some of the world’s top casinos.

• In 2014, Season 12 kicks off WPT Prime events, making the tour accessible to mid-stakes players.

• In 2017, the Bally Technologies / Scientific Games era begins a new growth phase.

• In 2021, Element Partners acquired the World Poker Tour, launching a major rebrand and expansion.

• In 2023, the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas became the largest non-WSOP live tournament globally.

• In 2025, Schuyler Thornton wins the WPT World Championship for $2,258,856 from a $18.2M prize pool.

• In 2026, Season 24 launches with 5 events completed, WPT The Victor debuts, and WPT Australia’s first dual-championship festival.

• All-Time Multi-Title Champions: Darren Elias (4 titles), Anthony Zinno (4 titles), Gus Hansen (3 titles), and Carlos Mortensen (2 titles, Main Event and WPT Champion).

WPT vs WSOP vs EPT — How Does the WPT Compare?

Category	WPT	WSOP	EPT
Founded	2002	1970	2004
Annual Events	10–12 Main Tour stops	100 bracelet events	8–10 EPT stops + NPS
Main Buy-In Range	$3,500 – $10,400	$300 – $250,000	€5,300 (EPT Main)
Season Finale	WPT World Championship ($10,400)	WSOP Main Event ($10,000)	EPT Barcelona (€5,300)
Guarantee (Finale)	$15M+	No guarantee (field-driven)	€5M+
Global Reach	Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific	USA-focused (online globally)	Primarily European
Trophy	Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup	WSOP Gold Bracelet	EPT Trophy
TV Coverage	WPT YouTube, Travel Channel, PokerGO	ESPN (2026 return, 100hr+)	PokerGO, streaming
Online Qualifier	ClubWPT Gold, WPT Global	GGPoker, WSOP.com	PokerStars

Conclusion

The World Poker Tour (WPT) 2026 continues to be one of the most prestigious live poker tournament series in the world, offering massive prize pools, elite competition, and world-class poker experiences. From the WPT World Championship and WPT Prime events to major stops across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Australia, the tour attracts top professional poker players, rising stars, and recreational competitors alike. Whether you are searching for the latest WPT schedule 2026, WPT tournament results, Texas Hold’em tournaments, high-stakes poker events, or online poker qualifiers, the World Poker Tour remains a leading destination for tournament poker. Stay connected with PokerClubGames for the latest WPT news, player updates, poker strategy guides, and championship coverage.

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