WSOP 2026 Kicks Off With 100 Events, Early Bracelet Drama, and Fresh High-Stakes Additions
The Felt Is Live: WSOP 2026 Gets Under Way in Las Vegas
The poker calendar’s most eagerly anticipated festival has arrived. The 2026 World Series of Poker opened its doors on 26 May at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, setting in motion a 57-day marathon of tournaments that will run through to 15 July. Across that stretch, players will have 100 scheduled events to compete in, culminating in the Main Event — the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em championship that remains the sport’s most coveted prize.
The series is barely a week old, yet the felt has already delivered the kind of storylines that keep the poker world talking long after the chips are bagged.
Opening Week Delivers Bracelet Drama
Two early results have stood out above the rest, each carrying its own distinct narrative weight.
Dimitar Danchev claimed the first high-profile gold of the series, taking down the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship in a format that demands relentless focus and adaptability over multiple one-on-one matches. Heads-Up events are widely regarded as among the most technically demanding on the schedule, and Danchev’s victory reinforced his standing as one of the circuit’s most formidable tournament players.
Arguably the week’s most talked-about result, however, came in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship, where Scott Clements secured the bracelet after a run that included eliminating two of the game’s most legendary figures. According to reports, Clements sent both Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson to the rail on his way to the title — a path to victory that would raise eyebrows in any era of the game. For a mixed-game specialist working through a field that included genuine icons of the sport, it was a result worth savouring.
New Events Broaden the Appeal
Beyond the familiar pillars of the schedule, this year’s WSOP introduces two additions designed to attract different corners of the player pool.
- Mini Mystery Millions No-Limit Hold’em: This new event comes with a $1 million bounty prize guarantee, a format designed to inject extra tension into every elimination and give recreational players a meaningful shot at a life-changing payout in a more accessible buy-in structure.
- GGMillion$ High Roller: Aimed squarely at the game’s elite, this event is expected to draw a strong field of high-stakes regulars and touring professionals. Its inclusion reflects the continued appetite among the top echelon of the game for prestigious, well-structured high-roller opportunities alongside the traditional bracelet events.
Together, the two additions signal an effort to serve both ends of the player spectrum — deepening the series’ reach without diluting its prestige.
The Road to the Main Event
With the bulk of the schedule still to unfold, the coming weeks will bring a procession of mixed-game championships, No-Limit Hold’em tournaments at various buy-in levels, and the kind of impromptu moments — a surprise deep run, an unlikely final table, a veteran finally claiming a first bracelet — that define what the WSOP means to the poker community.
The Main Event itself, traditionally a focal point of the global sporting calendar for poker fans, is expected to begin in early July, drawing thousands of entrants from across the world to Las Vegas in what promises to be another landmark chapter in the series’ history.
For now, though, the series is in its most unpredictable phase — and if the opening week is any indication, 2026 has every intention of living up to its billing.