WSOP Circuit Shifts to Calendar-Year Scheduling, Reveals First-Half Stops for 2026

The World Series of Poker announced a sweeping scheduling shift for 2026 and beyond. Starting next year, the WSOP Circuit will move to calendar-year scheduling, ending its season in December rather than May, prior to the summer WSOP in Las Vegas.

Additionally, WSOP revealed the first-half stops for the 2026 season. In addition to usual player favorites like Cherokee and Choctaw, the WSOPC will plant a flag in Texas for the first time. The schedule lists a stop at Texas Card House in Austin.

WSOP stated in its press release that the scheduling shift to a calendar-year timeline will be permanent and “mark a new era of predictability” for players. A WSOP representative clarified to PokerScout that only the January-to-December timeline for each season of the Circuit is permanent—the specific lineup of stops and their relative timing may still change year-to-year.

WSOP Circuit Ring Winners to Receive $5K WSOP Packages

WSOP also dropped a few important notes for the coming season in its release. Of particular interest to players will be that ring winners will receive a $5,000 WSOP package, redeemable at either WSOP Europe or WSOP Paradise.

The package includes both tournament buy-in and hotel accommodations. Presumably, that means ring winners would be on the hook for travel costs, which would not be insignificant for most American players. Both stops would require international flights.

WSOP Europe will move to Prague for 2026, shifting locales for the first time in almost a decade. Attendance had begun waning in Rozvadov, an out-of-the-way town tucked into the far Western border of Czechia. Players and media had called for change, and the WSOP responded.

WSOP Europe is scheduled for March 2026. PokerScout queried WSOP on whether ring winners for post-March events would be able to redeem their packages at the 2027 WSOP Europe, or whether they’d be locked into redeeming at WSOP Paradise. WSOP did not respond immediately to that query.

The $5,000 packages are presumably the new standard “rakeback” prize given to circuit ring winners.

In past seasons, winners earned seats to a season-ending bracelet event, which took place either just before or after the summer WSOP. The Los Angeles-area Commerce Casino hosted the last two. However, the most recent one was poorly attended. More than half of the qualifiers skipped the event entirely.

Finally, the WSOP announced that all circuit stops will utilize the WSOP+ app. A hit with players this summer due to its ability to shorten the registration process significantly, the app will provide its trademark convenience for circuit participants going forward.

Full WSOP Circuit Schedule for Early 2026

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