For those who live and breathe live tournament poker, 2026 is already shaping up to be a real doozy of a year. The tournament calendar looks more packed than ever before - major festivals are spreading their wings across multiple continents.
Poker is no longer just a thing that happens in one city or a single series. You've got your established European powerhouses and your growing Asian-Pacific destinations - the next round of tournaments seems to be offering something for every type of player out there. Whether you're chasing those big prize pools or just looking for a fantastic poker experience, there's something for everyone.
Asian Poker Tour
The Asian Poker Tour is pretty busy in 2026, with a whole load of stops across South Korea and Taiwan on the cards. We've got Jeju, Incheon and Taipei confirmed, along with a season ending shindig back in Taipei. Fields are looking strong and once players get there, they tend to come back for more.
Manila's still got its regular festivals going on and Vietnam is churning out big guarantees in places like Hanoi and Da Nang.
From late January all the way through to November, the APT has got tournaments ticking over left, right and centre, giving players loads of options to mix in some travel with their poker. Even if you're just a recreational player, it's well worth the trip.
Irish Open
Late March and early April see Dublin getting packed out with players - just as much for the craic as for the poker. Fields are massive, tables are loud and stories are being made left and right.
Qualifiers are running both live and online, and loads of players use it as their first live festival. Once you've been, you can bet that you'll be itching to go back for another go.
World Series of Poker Main Event
The WSOP Main Event turns up in July, doing what it's always done: bringing a massive field of thousands and a $10,000 buy-in. You'll be stuck in for long days, but it's all worth it for the memories that'll last a lifetime. Poker's moved on a bit since the WSOP Main Event was the be-all and end-all of the game, but it still means something special to sit down at it. And even as poker spreads across the globe, there are still some things that don't need changing.
European Poker Tour Barcelona
EPT Barcelona doesn't need much selling - if it's on, people will be there in droves.
August sunshine, the beautiful beaches of Catalunya, and the Main Event bring in a pretty massive field every year. Qualifying online is pretty easy, so it's no wonder the side events keep rolling on - and yet, somehow, the place never gets dull.
Some tournaments feel like a chore. Barcelona is never one of them. That's why it keeps ending up on so many players' schedules.
Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju
Triton Poker's the new kid on the block, but it's quickly become the go-to destination for the high rollers. The Jeju stop in South Korea's a particular favourite, drawing in pros from all over the world. These tournaments may not be massive - usually 30 to 200 players - but the buy-ins and payouts can get pretty huge.
Jeju makes geographical sense, especially for Asian players, but Europeans and Americans are still turning up in droves. And if you follow poker at all, you'll probably find yourself glued to the streams whether you meant to or not.
World Poker Tour World Championship
December in Las Vegas means one thing: the WPT World Championship. Hosted at the Wynn, it's delivered some massive prize pools and record-breaking attendance in the past. With a $10,300 buy-in, the event attracts a great mix of players: seasoned pros looking to get their name on the Mike Sexton trophy, rising stars and ambitious amateurs all rubbing shoulders.
For anyone who wants a shot at this live event, online qualifiers are where it gets interesting. Which is why, for those looking for a seat or wanting to stay sharp, playing online poker is now a pretty common pastime.
This tournament's become the unofficial finale for live poker - the one that everyone wants to be a part of.
European Poker Tour Prague
EPT Prague rounds off our list and the European season. December in the city is a winter wonderland, with poker and holiday markets thrown in for good measure. It's poker and a mini-vacation all rolled into one.
The Final Word
The best thing about this year? Choice. You can mix and match - Jeju, Barcelona, Dublin and Vegas: the options are endless. You can't go wrong. Just different stories waiting to happen.
