button in SafariWorld Poker Tour's Return Could Rejuvenate Iconic LA Poker Classic
At long last, the World Poker Tour (WPT) is heading back to Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.
The historic $10,000 buy-in LA Poker Classic, a tournament that had just 50 entrants this year, will run in partnership with the WPT for the first time since COVID. And this is a big deal for both parties as the WPT branding could help rejuvenate the LAPC, and the WPT bringing back one of its most iconic tournaments is great for its brand.
The 2026 WPT LA Poker Classic Championship will take place Feb. 26 to March 3, 2027 in Southern California. Commerce will host a full WPT LAPC series from Jan. 15 through March 7, although a full schedule hasn't yet been released.
“The LAPC holds an incredibly important place in the history of the World Poker Tour, " said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “Our partnership with The Commerce Hotel & Casino helped create countless memorable moments over the years, and we are proud to return in Season 25 and build upon that remarkable legacy together.”
WPT's Impact on the LA Poker Classic
The tournament is rare in modern poker in that it is a freezeout. Balakrishna Patur is the last WPT LAPC champion, having won the event in May 2021 for $1,015,000, beating Matas Cimbolas heads-up for the title.
Patur, and his five opponents, had to wait more than a year to play out the final table. The tournament played down to six in Los Angeles in March 2020, and was scheduled to wrap in Las Vegas a month later at Luxor. But the pandemic had other plans, and it wasn't until the following year until the World Poker Tour could figure out a reschedule date.
Patur's win in 2020/2021 came against a field of 490 entrants, which is nearly 10 times as many players who entered this year's non-WPT branded field. Alex Massman went on to win it in 2026 for $158,030, a typical sixth-place finish during the WPT LAPC days.
First place has routinely paid over $1 million when the LA Poker Classic has run under the WPT's assistance. But none of the winners have been paid more than $402,000 since the World Poker Tour last hosted the prestigious event.
The WPT LA Poker Classic has a storied history and was part of the WPT's schedule in each of the tour's first 18 years of existence. Some of the biggest names ever such as Phil Ivey, Michael Mizrachi, and Gus Hansen have won this event. Hansen, aka "The Great Dane," was the first ever WPT LAPC champion back in 2003.
LA Poker Classic Results from the Past Decade
| Year | Entries | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017* | 521 | Daniel Strelitz | $1,001,110 |
| 2018* | 493 | Dennis Blieden | $1,000,000 |
| 2019* | 546 | David "ODB" Baker | $1,015,000 |
| 2020* | 490 | Balakrishna Patur | $1,015,000 |
| 2021 | 69 | Michael Liang | $175,300 |
| 2022 | 119 | Huy Lam | $300,280 |
| 2023 | 181 | Alex Petrosian | $401,650 |
| 2024 | 139 | Wesley Haymond | $279,450 |
| 2025 | 145 | Michael Nia | $308,270 |
| 2026 | 50 | Alex Massman | $158,030 |
*Denotes a WPT year.
