The World Series of Poker’s European flagship lands in Prague for the first time on March 31, headlined by a €5,300 Main Event carrying a €10,000,000 guarantee. That is the largest guaranteed prize pool in European live poker history.
The 17th edition of WSOP Europe runs March 31 through April 12 at King’s Casino inside the Hilton Prague. Fifteen bracelet events, a brand-new $1,000,000 Player of the Year race, and satellite paths starting at pocket change make this the most accessible WSOP Europe ever staged.
GGPoker’s WSOP Express satellite system offers a complete route from $0.50 to a $10,000 Bracelet Pass covering your Main Event entry and 10 nights at the Hilton Prague. We break down every step below.
- Dates: March 31 to April 12, 2026.
- Venue: King's Casino inside the Hilton Prague.
- Bracelet events: 15, with buy-ins from €565 to €20,800.
- Main Event: €5,300 buy-in, €10,000,000 guarantee, three Day 1 flights.
- Online satellites: GGPoker WSOP Express from $0.50. WSOP.com from $215 (US only).
- Player of the Year: first leg of the new $1,000,000 unified POY race.
Why This WSOP Europe Is Different
The move from King’s Resort in Rozvadov to the Hilton Prague represents a dramatic reset. Rozvadov is a village of roughly 800 residents on the Czech-German border. Prague offers direct flights from every major European hub, world-class dining, and one of Europe’s most walkable city centres.
The calendar shift matters just as much. WSOP Europe traditionally occupied a September or October slot, but the 2026 edition moves to late March. That positions it as the first of three flagship WSOP festivals this year: Prague, then Las Vegas (May 26 to July 15), then Paradise in the Bahamas (December 1 to 18).
Despite cutting the Main Event buy-in in half (from €10,350 to €5,300), WSOP doubled the guarantee from €5M to €10M. That demands roughly 2,000+ entries to cover, a steep climb from the 659 entries the 2025 edition attracted at double the price.
With GGPoker targeting 1,000+ online qualifiers alone and the lower buy-in pulling in recreational players, organisers are betting on record-shattering attendance.
Full Schedule: All 15 Bracelet Events
The schedule runs 13 days with buy-ins ranging from €565 to €20,800. Four events carry multiple starting flights. Four are dedicated PLO formats, making this the most Omaha-heavy WSOP Europe lineup ever.
| Event | Name | Date | Buy-in | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | The Opener Mystery Bounty | Mar 31 | €1,100 | NLH | 4 flights (Mar 31 to Apr 1) |
| #2 | Mixed PLO / PLO8 / Big O | Mar 31 | €3,300 | Mixed PLO | 40K stack, 40-min levels |
| #3 | COLOSSUS NLH | Apr 2 | €565 | NLH | 2 flights (Apr 2) |
| #4 | PLOSSUS Bounty | Apr 3 | €565 | PLO Bounty | 50K stack, 2 flights (Apr 3) |
| #5 | Europe Main Event | Apr 3 | €5,300 | NLH | €10,000,000 GTD. 3 flights (Apr 3 to 5) |
| #6 | Ladies Championship | Apr 4 | €1,000 | NLH | First-ever Ladies event at WSOPE |
| #7 | Turbo Bounty NLH | Apr 5 | €2,200 | NLH Turbo Bounty | Single start, 2 PM |
| #8 | MONSTER STACK NLH | Apr 6 | €1,650 | NLH | Single start, 2 PM |
| #9 | PLO European Championship | Apr 6 | €5,300 | PLO | 60K stack, 40/60-min levels |
| #10 | Rounder Cup (EU vs. World) | Apr 7 | €2,750 | NLH | Ryder Cup-style team format |
| #11 | Super High Roller NLH | Apr 8 | €20,800 | NLH | Single start, 2 PM |
| #12 | European Circuit Championship | Apr 8 | €1,500 | NLH | €1,500,000 GTD. 4 flights (Apr 8 to 9). NEW |
| #13 | GGMillion$ High Roller NLH | Apr 9 | €8,400 | NLH | Single start, 2 PM |
| #14 | PLO Double Board Bomb Pot | Apr 10 | €1,100 | PLO DBBP | NEW format at WSOPE |
| #15 | The Closer Turbo Bounty | Apr 10 | €2,750 | NLH Turbo Bounty | Presented by GGPoker |
All buy-ins include the entry fee (e.g. the Main Event is €5,000 + €300). All events allow unlimited re-entry unless otherwise stated.
The €10M Main Event: What You Need to Know
The €5,300 Main Event is the centrepiece. Three Day 1 flights run April 3 to 5, each starting at 12:00 PM local time, with unlimited re-entries available through late registration.
The €10,000,000 guarantee eclipses every prize pool guarantee previously offered for a European live poker tournament. To put the challenge in perspective: previous WSOP Europe Main Events at €10,350 drew between 659 and 817 entries in recent years. Reaching the guarantee at €5,300 requires more than double the largest field the event has ever attracted.
The halved buy-in is a calculated gamble by WSOP and GGPoker. If the guarantee is met organically, the prize pool will rival or exceed that of recent editions at a fraction of the cost to individual players.
Tournament preparation tip: If you are satellite qualifying into a field this large, solid fundamentals will matter more than ever. Our tournament strategy guide covers the key adjustments for deep-stacked bracelet events.
Three Brand-New Events Debut in Prague
€1,500 European Circuit Championship (Event #12)
This is the “Mini Main Event” of the series. With a €1,500,000 guarantee spread across four starting flights on April 8 to 9, it bridges the gap between WSOP Circuit events and full bracelet competition.
One hundred seats are being distributed through ClubGG (at $9.99 per month), making this one of the most affordable bracelet-event qualification paths in WSOP history.
€1,100 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot (Event #14)
The format popularised by high-stakes cash game live streams comes to WSOP Europe for the first time. At just €1,100, it targets the recreational PLO community. Expect 30-minute levels, a 25,000-chip starting stack (250 big blinds), and unlimited re-entries.
€1,000 Ladies Championship (Event #6)
The first-ever Ladies event at WSOP Europe. The winner receives a uniquely designed gold bracelet with custom gemstone settings. Confirmed attendees include Vanessa Kade, Leo Margets, Kitty Kuo, and UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Mackenzie Dern, who was the first to register.
Rise in Prague Golden Egg Promotion: €159,000 in Free Re-Entries
The Easter-themed “Rise in Prague” promotion gives busted Main Event players a shot at a free re-entry. Here is exactly how it works.
Step 1: Get eliminated from any Day 1 flight of the Main Event.
Step 2: Purchase a re-entry. You must commit to another €5,300 bullet first.
Step 3: Visit the Featured Table stage area and physically select one egg from a pool of “magical eggs.”
Step 4: If you draw a Golden Egg, you receive €5,300 instantly credited to your WSOP+ account. That is a full refund of your re-entry.
- Total Golden Eggs: 30 (10 per Day 1 flight).
- Total value: €159,000 (€5,300 per egg).
- Rollover: unclaimed eggs from one flight carry to the next. Any remaining after Day 1C carry into Day 2.
- Limit: none. Every re-entry earns another draw. Satellite qualifiers planning multiple bullets gain genuine overlay.
Key detail: you must commit to the re-entry before drawing (no “try before you buy”). The credit goes directly to your WSOP+ account.
GGPoker’s WSOP Express: From $0.50 to a $10,000 Bracelet Pass
This is the section that matters most if you are reading this on a budget. The WSOP Express system on GGPoker is a multi-step satellite ladder that builds from pocket change to a $10,000 Prague package. Here is the complete step structure.
Step-by-Step Satellite Path
Step 0: Free. Log into GGPoker daily to receive a free Avatar Race ticket. Roughly a 1-in-3 chance of advancing to Step 1. One ticket per day, expires in 24 hours.
Step 1: $0.50. 4-max All-In or Fold Sit & Go using N-Stack format (three stacks of 80 chips). Winner advances to Step 2. Runs 24/7, on demand.
Step 2: $2.00. 6-max Spin & Gold with a random multiplier wheel. Typical prize is a Step 3 ticket, though rare spins can award up to a $30,000 Super Pass. On demand, 24/7.
Step 3: $10.00. Turbo Target Stack MTT starting when 8 players register. Hit the target chip stack and you automatically receive a Step 4 ticket. On demand.
Step 4: $150.00. Standard MTT running daily, with 1 Bracelet Pass guaranteed per event. Runners-up receive Step 4 re-entry tickets.
Sunday $1,200 WSOP Express Final. Step 4 tickets also feed into the weekly Sunday final, which guarantees 100 Bracelet Passes worth $1,000,000 every Sunday.
Players can buy into any step directly. Serious grinders frequently enter at Step 3 ($10) or Step 4 ($150) to skip the variance-heavy lower tiers.
You can also earn free tickets through cash game play: 100 hands earns a free Step 1 ticket, 300 hands earns a free Step 2 ticket. New players receive double rewards on their first claim.
▶ Lock in the best deal before you start grinding. Sign up through our GGPoker bonus page to get the best welcome offer and rakeback deal. The money you save on rake during your satellite grind can fund additional shots at Step 3 and Step 4.
What the $10,000 Bracelet Pass Includes
Each pass is a full package valued at $10,000.
- €5,300 Main Event seat (Day 1A entry).
- 10 nights at the Hilton Prague (April 2 to 12).
- Player's Lounge access with food benefits.
- Platinum Discord server membership.
- GGPoker and WSOPE branded merchandise.
- Bubble protection: cash-out insurance at the money bubble.
How Close Are They to 1,000+ Qualifiers?
As of late February 2026, over 100 players had already won WSOP Europe packages through GGPoker, with more than a month of satellites still remaining. The Sunday finals alone guarantee 100 passes per week, making the 1,000+ qualifier target realistic.
GGPoker successfully sent over 1,000 qualifiers to the 2025 WSOP Las Vegas Main Event, and the infrastructure for Prague is even more developed.
The WSOP Super Circuit running throughout March adds a bonus layer: a $3,000,000 WSOP Express Ticket Drop randomly distributes $10, $150, and $1,200 WSOP Express tickets to players during any Super Circuit gameplay.
WSOP.com Satellites for US-Based Players
GGPoker serves global players excluding the US. If you are based in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, or Pennsylvania, WSOP.com launched weekly Sunday satellites on March 1, 2026.
The $215 buy-in satellite runs every Sunday at 5:30 PM Pacific Time and awards at least one $10,000 WSOP Europe Main Event Package per week. The package covers the €5,300 Main Event entry, hotel at the Hilton Prague, and exclusive winner perks.
Tournament structure: 5,000-chip starting stack, 10-minute blind levels, 130 minutes of late registration, and unlimited re-entries. Players must be at least 21 years old and physically located in a licensed state to participate.
The $1M Player of the Year Race Starts Here
The 2026 WSOP Player of the Year competition is the most dramatic overhaul in the award’s history. For the first time, the race spans all three flagship festivals (Prague, Las Vegas, and Paradise) with a $1,000,000 total prize pool distributed among the top 100 finishers.
The points formula weighs buy-in size, finishing position, and field size. Only a player’s best 15 scores count toward the leaderboard. Online bracelet events and restricted events (Ladies, Seniors, Tag Team) are excluded.
| POY Rank | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $100K WSOP Paradise Package + POY Title |
| 2nd to 3rd | $100K WSOP Paradise Package each |
| 4th to 15th | $30K Super Main Event Package each |
| 16th to 50th | $5K Circuit Championship Package each |
| 51st to 100th | $2.5K Circuit Championship Ticket each |
Previous POY winners received just a $10,000 Main Event seat. This year’s top prize represents a tenfold increase. With Prague as the opening leg, players who perform well here gain an immediate leaderboard advantage heading into the summer.
17-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth has confirmed he is planning to play “almost every event” in Prague as he chases #18, which would extend his all-time record.
Reigning Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi, defending POY winner seven-time bracelet winner Shaun Deeb, and Czech local hero Martin Kabrhel are also confirmed.
For full WSOP schedule details and results across all three festivals, check our hub page.
Key Takeaways for VIP-Grinders Readers
The numbers speak for themselves.
- $0.50 gets you into the WSOP Express satellite system.
- $10,000 is what the Bracelet Pass covers: entry, hotel, and perks.
- €565 is the cheapest direct buy-in (COLOSSUS or PLOSSUS).
- €159,000 is being given away through the Golden Egg re-entry promotion.
If you are looking to qualify for your first live bracelet event, find the most +EV satellite structure, or figure out whether Prague is worth the trip, here is the action plan.
- Enter the WSOP Express ladder at Step 3 ($10) or Step 4 ($150) to skip the high-variance lower steps. The Sunday $1,200 finals offer the best value.
- Review your satellite fundamentals before grinding. Small adjustments to bubble play and stack management make a measurable difference in step-ladder formats.
- Book early if you win a pass. Bracelet Passes are transferable, non-refundable, and expire 365 days from issuance. They can also be redeemed for WSOP Las Vegas events.
Our satellite tournament strategy guide covers the adjustments that matter most in step-ladder formats. And make sure you are getting the best possible return on your grind with the right rakeback deal locked in before you start.
Satellites are running now. The series starts March 31. Time is short, but at $0.50 a pop, you have plenty of shots.
WSOP Europe Prague 2026 runs March 31 to April 12 at King’s Casino, Hilton Prague. GGPoker satellites are live now through the WSOP Express system. WSOP.com satellites run every Sunday for US-based players.
