Three hundred and fifty players will earn the right to call themselves online world champions this September. WCOOP 2026 — the World Championship of Online Poker, now in its 25th edition — has locked in its schedule: September 6-30, with 121 events and six Main Events guaranteeing more than $6.5 million combined.
The facts: 121 events across three tiers, mains on September 27-28
The structure keeps the formula that opened the festival to every bankroll: each event runs in three tiers — Low, Medium and High — with buy-ins starting at $5.50. That turns 121 events into 350 tournaments with a world title on the line, across disciplines ranging from No-Limit Hold'em and PLO to HORSE, Razz, Triple Draw, 8-Game, PKOs and the Women's Championship.
The marquee weekend is September 27-28. Sunday the 27th brings the three NLHE Main Events: $109 with $1.25 million guaranteed, $1,050 with $2 million, and the $10,300 championship with $2.5 million. Monday the 28th belongs to PLO, with mains at $109, $1,050 and $10,300. Other headline titles include the $5,200 6-Max Championship (September 6) and the $2,100 8-Game Championship (September 24).
The budget route is real, too: satellites from $0.55, themed Spin & Gos from $0.75, and promotions distributing over $675,000 in tickets and entries throughout the festival.
Why it matters: a festival like this is planned, not improvised
For players on a tight bankroll, WCOOP is the clearest case for what we teach about qualifying through satellites: the risk gap between buying into the $109 main directly and climbing there from $0.55 steps is enormous. The golden rule still applies — a satellite only makes sense if the target tournament fits your bankroll even when you don't win it.
The second lesson is about volume. A month with 350 tournaments tempts you to register for everything, and that's the classic mistake: more tables and more events only add up if your winrate survives the pace. Before building your September grid, review how many tables you should actually play and choose a few events played well over many played on autopilot. At August's WCOOP Boot Camp, Brazilians dominated the main events — and that LatAm wave will hit the big festival in force.
Building your September plan? Join the KryptoKings community and talk it through with players who study the game seriously.