What Changes Could Be Coming to the 2026 WSOP?
It’s that time of year again.
The 2026 World Series of Poker schedule has been teased as “coming soon,” and a cryptic tweet from GGPoker telling fans to “be ready for February 13” has only fueled the speculation.
Friday the 13th might be unlucky for some, but for tens of thousands of players planning their Las Vegas summer, it could mark the start of another poker pilgrimage.
This will be the second full WSOP summer under GG’s ownership, and follows a hugely successful WSOP Paradise. So what could a more fully “GG-influenced” WSOP look like in 2026?
Here’s what PokerNews thinks could be different this year.
A Clearer GGPoker Identity
One thing we definitely expect in 2026 is a much stronger GGPoker fingerprint on the series.
Last summer was technically the first WSOP under the GG umbrella, but in truth it still felt very much like a continuation of the Caesars-era World Series. Everything felt familiar, from the schedule to the structures.
The biggest visible change was the WSOP+ app, which was genuinely excellent. Players could register quickly, skip long queues, check seat draws, and manage their schedule from their phone. It felt modern and, frankly, overdue. But beyond that? It was largely business as usual.
Now, with a full year under, this summer feels like the moment we see a clearer identity shift and that could mean:
- More GG-style branding and presentation across bracelet events. Events inspired by popular online formats. A live Mystery Bounty Battle Royale Shootout wouldn’t feel out of place on the schedule.
- Bigger guarantees backed by online qualification ecosystems. GGPoker has the player pool to funnel thousands of qualifiers into Las Vegas. If they want to hang a bold number on an event, there's the infrastructure to support it.
- More bounty events. GGPoker loves its PKOs and bounty-heavy formats. They’re recreational-friendly, keep players engaged even if they don’t cash, and inject more immediate money back into the field. Yes, first-place prizes might be slightly smaller, but in theory there’s more liquidity circling, which benefits the wider ecosystem.
- Carrying combined stacks forward. In some GGPoker events, players can enter multiple starting flights and, if they bag more than once, combine those stacks for Day 2. It is an effective way of boosting prize pools and rewarding volume. The question is whether that format would divide opinion, especially among players with limited bankrolls who don't get unlimited shots.
It really does depend on how bold they're willing to be with poker's most historic brand. Last year was transitional whereas this year could be the real beginning of the GGPoker-era WSOP.
A Modern “November Nine”?
GGPoker knows it has to put on a show this year. More importantly, it knows how to.
Projects like Game of Gold proved that GG understands modern poker storytelling. And with the PokerGO contract coming to an end, GG will now control WSOP broadcasting this summer. That gives them real freedom to reshape how the Main Event is presented to the world.
Which brings us to the big one — a modern "November Nine."
No one is expecting a four-month gap like the old days. But a shorter break between the Main Event final table being set and played out? That feels realistic.
Poker has never had more mainstream attention than during the November Nine era. The pause created build-up. Profiles were written and casual fans learned the players’ names, who in turn became stars. The final table felt like the most important thing in the world.
The Main Event is a grind. That’s part of its charm. But when you reach the last nine, it should feel like the biggest thing in poker. A short delay could allow WSOP and GG to tell those stories properly and turn the finale into a true spectacle.
There’s also a logistical argument.
What if the Main Event ran earlier in the series, with the final table playing out toward the end of the summer? Horseshoe and Paris often feel relatively quiet by the time the champion is crowned. Shifting the timing would allow finalists to bring bigger rails, fill the stands, and create an atmosphere worthy of poker’s world championship.
More Free to Watch Poker
Another major sticking point in recent years has been the paywall.
Yes, plenty of WSOP streams were available for free. But when it came to the business end of the most prestigious tournament in poker, fans needed a subscription to watch the Main Event final table.
Many in the poker community argued that it limited the game’s growth. The biggest moment of the summer should be accessible to everyone.
Now, with GGPoker at the helm, there’s an opportunity to rethink that model. If GG truly wants to make the WSOP Main Event feel like a global sporting spectacle, putting it front and center, free to watch, and with a big marketing campaign would be a powerful statement.
More Battle of the XYZ Style Events?
It was Battle of the Ages last summer. Now it’s the Rounder Cup at the upcoming World Series of Poker Europe.
Clearly, GGPoker and the WSOP have developed a taste for X vs Y formats.
The $1,000 Battle of the Ages at the 2025 WSOP split the field into two Day 1 flights: under 50s in one, over 50s in the other.
From Day 2 onwards, the two merged, and it became a standard bracelet event but the storyline carried through. In the end, Sebastiaan de Jonge flew the flag for the under-50s contingent and gave that side bragging rights.
Now the Rounder Cup brings Europe vs The World to WSOPE. One starting flight for Europeans and one for everyone else.
So what’s next? If GG and WSOP want to lean into this format, there are plenty of ways to build on it:
- Battle of the Sexes – A true 50/50 field split with equal starting stacks and separate flights before combining. It would generate headlines immediately.
- Pros vs Qualifiers – One flight reserved for bracelet winners and high-profile pros. The other for online qualifiers and recreational players.
- Old School vs New School – Bracelet winners from pre-2010 in one flight and post-2010 crushers in another.
A Super Main Event Structure & Guarantee?
When it came to the WSOP Super Main Event at WSOP Paradise, GG had to come up with some new ways to hit the lofty $60 million guarantee. They ended up smashing it, generating a $72,275,000 prize pool.
And it was the following structure that allowed GG and the WSOP to close a few mouths:
- Four starting flights.
- Two separate Day 2s.
- Players who busted on the first Day 2 still had the option to re-enter via a later starting flight or jump into the second Day 2.
- Survivors from Day 1a and 1b advanced to Day 2a.
- Day 1c and 1d fed into Day 2b.
- The field merged on Day 3.
It was designed to maximise entries and it worked. The Super Main feels like a Paradise flagship, but could elements of that model make their way to Las Vegas in the form a $15 million guaranteed Mini Main Event?
Last year’s $1,000 Mini Main Event attracted 10,794 entries and built a $7,937,277 prize pool. It’s already one of the most popular events of the summer.
With GG showing they're willing to shake up the status quo when it comes to structures, a $15 million guaranteed Mini Main, suddenly doesn’t feel outrageous.
