2026 WSOP Is Now Ongoing

The 2026 World Series of Poker began Tuesday at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, with 100 live bracelet events scheduled from May 26 through July 15.

Good to Know

• The 2026 WSOP Main Event starts July 2 and plays down to nine players on July 13.
• ESPN platforms will air the Main Event final table from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5.
• Phil Hellmuth enters summer with 17 bracelets, still clear of Phil Ivey at 11.

The first hands in Las Vegas did not start with the usual Industry Employees event. WSOP instead opened bracelet play with the $500 Mini Mystery Millions, a lower buy-in version of the mystery bounty opener used in 2025. A $5,000 no-limit Hold’em event also began on the first day.

The schedule now runs daily until mid-July, while 30 online bracelet events sit alongside the live Las Vegas series. WSOP has also tightened the look of the tournament floor through new rules on patches, logos and outside promotions, giving the 2026 series a different feel before many major events begin.

Main Event Coverage Gets A Longer Pause

The biggest calendar change comes after the Main Event reaches nine players. Instead of finishing right away, players will bag chips on July 13 and return Aug. 3 to Aug. 5 for a live ESPN finale. ESPN said the deal includes more than 100 hours of Main Event coverage from July 2 through the three-night finish.

Until ESPN coverage takes over, final tables and streams will run through WSOP digital channels, mainly YouTube, starting May 29. Joe Stapleton, known for PokerStars and European Poker Tour broadcasts, joins the coverage team.

The bracelet race also adds a strong second layer to the summer. Hellmuth leads all players with 17 wins. Ivey sits second with 11, while Erik Seidel, Johnny Chan and the late Doyle Brunson remain grouped at 10.

Shaun Deeb, Benny Glaser and Michael Mizrachi, winner of the 2026 Main Event, enter 2026 tied at eight bracelets. Nick Schulman, last year inducted into the poker hall of fame, Josh Arieh, Daniel Negreanu, Brian Rast and Scott Seiver sit at seven, leaving several players close enough to reshape the all-time list with one hot summer.

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