The Venom is WPN Network's biggest tournament of the year, carrying a $12,000,000 guaranteed prize pool and attracting thousands of entries across the Winning Poker Network.
Starting July 23rd, VIP-Grinders is giving tracked players an exclusive shot at three $2,650 Venom seats through the Road to the Venom qualifying series.
The total buy-in across all eight qualifying events is just $5.
This promotion is open to new and existing VIP-Grinders players on ACR Poker, Black Chip Poker, or Ya Poker. See the full schedule, leaderboard points table, and sign-up steps on the Road to the Venom promotion page.
What Is the Venom?
The Venom has become one of the largest online poker tournaments available to players outside of regulated US state markets. It runs on the Winning Poker Network and is open to players on all three WPN skins: Black Chip Poker, Ya Poker, and ACR Poker.
The 2026 edition carries a $12,000,000 guarantee with a $2,650 buy-in. For most players, that buy-in is a serious investment. The Road to the Venom series cuts that cost down to almost nothing.
How the Qualifying Series Works
VIP-Grinders is running 8 qualifying tournaments between July 23rd and August 16th across ACR Poker, Black Chip Poker, and Ya Poker. The series includes 3 freerolls and 5 × $1 buy-in events, all scheduled at 20:00 CET / 14:00 EDT.
Each tournament awards leaderboard points based on your finishing position. After all 8 events, the top 3 players on the overall leaderboard each win a $2,650 Venom buy-in.
Here's the key: only your best 6 results count towards your final score. If you miss one or two events, you are not at a disadvantage compared to players who entered all eight.
| Series Dates | July 23 to August 16, 2026 |
| Events | 8 (3 freerolls + 5 × $1 buy-in) |
| Total Investment | $5 |
| Prize | 3 × $2,650 Venom Buy-ins ($12M GTD) |
| Eligible Rooms | ACR Poker, Black Chip Poker, Ya Poker |
| Scoring | Top 6 results count per player |
For the full tournament schedule, leaderboard points breakdown, and live standings, visit the Road to the Venom promotion page. You can also track your ranking directly on the leaderboard.
Why $5 for a $2,650 Seat Is Exceptional Value
A standard satellite path to a $2,650 tournament usually requires grinding through multiple stages, with each step carrying its own rake and variance. The effective cost of satelliting into a major is often $50 to $200 or more after failed attempts.
The Road to the Venom inverts that entirely. Three freerolls mean you can score leaderboard points with zero risk, and the five $1 events add just $5 in total exposure. That puts the value ratio at 530:1 if you win a seat.
The top-6-results rule also removes the “must play every event” pressure. You can skip a couple of tournaments and still compete for the top 3 as long as your best six finishes are strong.
How to Get Started
If you already have a VIP-Grinders tracked account on ACR Poker, Black Chip Poker, or Ya Poker, you are automatically eligible. Just play the qualifying tournaments starting July 23rd.
New players can get set up in a couple of minutes:
- Clear your browser cookies (optional but recommended to ensure clean tracking).
- Create an account through VIP-Grinders on ACR Poker, Black Chip Poker, or Ya Poker.
- Submit your poker room username in your VIP-Grinders account to activate tracking.
- Play the qualifying tournaments and climb the leaderboard.
Stack It With Your Monthly VG Perks
The Road to the Venom does not run in isolation. VIP-Grinders players on the Winning Poker Network already earn from two monthly promotions that continue alongside this series:
- $4,000 WPN VG Race: earn points from rake across all cash games and tournaments. Top 40 players are paid every month.
- 2 × $500 Exclusive Freerolls: free entry every month for VG-tracked players. No deposit required.
Every hand you play during the Road to the Venom period also counts towards the VG Race leaderboard. You are effectively earning from three promotions at once with no extra effort.
The first event is a freeroll on July 23rd at 20:00 CET. No deposit needed to start earning points.
For the complete schedule, points table, and all the details, head to the full Road to the Venom promotion page.
