Image courtesy of WSOP / Poker Red (Jonathan Perez)
Although the 2026 World Series of Poker is still a few months away, with the full summer schedule announced recently (and the poker world reacting to it), it’s time to start making some predictions for the biggest poker festival of the year.
There are a few main areas that most players and fans are most curious about. The biggest one is, of course, the Main Event, and if the poker world championship will manage to break the 10,000-player mark, and/or potentially set a new attendance record.
Among high rollers, the concerns about tax changes introduced by the Big Beautiful Bill could influence the turnout for higher buy-in tournaments.
And finally, for all the poker fans out there, one big question is what the coverage will look like, and if we’ll be able to enjoy more of the WSOP for free. Early indicators are quite positive in this particular department.
#1 The 2026 WSOP Main Event Will Not Be a Record-Breaker
While it is common for the poker media to try and hype things up, it is not realistic to expect that the 2026 WSOP Main Event would break the attendance record. We don’t have a crystal ball, of course, and anything can happen, but it’s not likely.
Although it’s safe to assume that GGPoker will put in quite an effort to boost player numbers via various Texas Holdem online satellites and promotions, this alone won’t be enough.
The current economic and geopolitical situation in the world isn’t the best. It’s no secret that at least some players might be reluctant to travel to the US (for one reason or another), so we’ll probably see a dip in international attendance.
The price of Bitcoin has dropped significantly in recent months. Of course, it could bounce back, but if the downward trend continues, it will impact a fair few poker players and their bankrolls.
All this isn’t to say that the Main Event will be a flop. Live poker is still booming, and the World Series, as a whole, should do pretty well. This year’s Main will likely have a very solid turnout, but it’s not likely to be a record-breaker.
#2 Smaller Turnout for Bigger Buy-Ins
Big buy-in events at this year’s World Series of Poker will likely have somewhat smaller fields than what we saw in years prior.
With the Big Beautiful Bill now in full force, there are serious adverse tax implications for the players, and quite a few of them have already stated that these changes will influence their ability to play high-rollers.
Some of them may make exceptions for the WSOP, as they aren’t just competing for the money. Bracelets and prestige are on the line, too.
There are currently efforts to amend certain provisions of the Bill, and if these are implemented before the series kicks off in late May, it will be a good thing for attendance in high roller events. Otherwise, we’ll likely see a dip.
#3 Much Better Free Coverage
One of the things that fans were really upset about during last year’s series was the lack of free coverage. While some of it was available on YouTube, those who wanted more had to pay for a PokerGO or YouTube subscription.
It seems that won’t be the case for the 2026 World Series of Poker. Although details are still under wraps, organizers have announced that the coverage will be free, and it looks like they are planning to really go all out with it.
This is great news as there are very few (if any) events in poker that generate as much global interest as the WSOP. Removing pay walls and obstacles will result in more people tuning in, which, hopefully, will lead to a general increase in interest for the game.
From what we understand, it’s not just the Main Event that will get extensive coverage. There will be non-stop content coming out on official channels during the series, so it looks like we’re in for an exciting summer!
