With the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise slowly drawing to a close in the Bahamas, the WSOP came out with two major announcements to end the year on a high note and leave players in anticipation of what’s to come in 2026.
The full schedule for the 2026 WSOPE was released, with the popular European series moved from its usual time slot in the fall to spring 2026, and the venue changed from Rozvadov to Prague, a more balanced and welcoming home to the festival.
Along with that, the World Series of Poker announced that, for the first time in its history, the Player of the Year (POY) race would award serious cash prizes, with a million-dollar prize pool reserved for next year’s top finishers.
The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Has a New Home
As announced earlier in 2025, the popular WSOPE will be moving to a new home next year, although it won’t be going too far.
Starting from 2026, the biggest European poker festival will move to the Czech capital of Prague, where it will play out in the newly constructed Kings Casino Prague, a sister casino of the previous Rozvadov venue.
The festival will also be switching to a new time slot, as it’s scheduled to run from March 31 to April 12, 2026, after being played in September and October for years.
Moving the WSOPE to this new time slot may end up adding to its popularity, as quite a few players may decide to use it as training grounds for the summer events in Las Vegas.
The full schedule for the 2026 WSOPE was released, featuring 15 bracelet events, including a discounted €5,300 WSOPE Main Event with a massive €10,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.
The Series will also feature a more affordable €1,500 European Circuit Championship with a €1,500,000 guarantee, providing a great opportunity for mid-stakes players with shallower bankrolls.
Here is a look at the full schedule of all 15 bracelet events at the 2026 WSOPE in Prague:
| Date | Event | Buyin |
| March 31 | #1 – The Opener: NLH Mystery Bounty | €1,000 |
| March 31 | #2 – PLO Mixed | €3,000 |
| April 2 | #3 – COLOSSUS NLH | €500 |
| April 3 | #4 – PLOSSUS Bounty PLO | €500 |
| April 3 | #5 – Main Event NLH European Championship | €5,300 |
| April 5 | #6 – NLH Super Turbo Bounty | €2,000 |
| April 6 | #7 – Monster Stack NLH | €1,500 |
| April 6 | #8 – PLO European Championship | €5,300 |
| April 7 | #9 – Rounder Cup NLH: EU vs. Rest of the World | €2,500 |
| April 8 | #10 – NLH Freezeout | €800 |
| April 8 | #11 – High Roller 8-Max NLH | €10,400 |
| April 9 | #12 – European Circuit Championship NLH | €1,500 |
| April 10 | #13 – GGMillion$ High Roller NLH | €25,000 |
| April 11 | #14 – PLO Double Board Bomb Pot | €1,000 |
| April 12 | #15 – The Closer NLH Turbo Bounty | €2,0000 |
New POY Race Set to Award $1 Million
For years, players have been asking the WSOP to expand its POY race and add a monetary incentive for the players. Finally, the WSOP has listened, as the 2026 POY race is set to have a new format and a million-dollar prize pool.
For the first time in years, all three major WSOP festivals will count toward the POY title, with Prague, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas events all contributing points.
To further increase competition, the WSOP will add a $1 million prize pool for the race, split among the top 100 finishers across all three festivals.
The winner of the POY race in 2026 will receive a unique prize in the form of a $100,000 WSOP Paradise package, which will presumably be good for the following year.
For years players have been asking for the WSOP POY to award prize money, and that is finally going to happen next year with a $1 million prize pool. https://t.co/xb2w8ndHlW
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) December 16, 2025
The new incentive will surely catch the attention of grinders like Shaun Deeb, who will now have even more of a reason to put in big volume and chase bracelets across the continents.
Speaking on the new POY format, WSOP CEO Ty Steward said: “We are thrilled to kick off 2026 with a bold new vision for the World Series of Poker,” Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP, said. “By uniting our three flagship live series under a unified, $1M Player of the Year competition, we’re giving players a true global season to chase history.”
“Starting with a monster guarantee in Prague, continuing 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.”
