October 2026 U.S. Poker Tournaments: Major Series and Main Events
October 2026 is loaded with live tournament poker across the United States.
The month brings major WSOP Circuit stops to Florida, New York, California, Indiana, Nevada, Oklahoma and Ohio, while the World Poker Tour has championship action in Texas and California before opening another major festival at The Venetian in Las Vegas. RunGood Poker Series has several Golden Expedition stops during the month, MSPT brings a $1 million guaranteed championship back to FireKeepers, and Las Vegas has overlapping schedules at Wynn, The Venetian and the PokerGO Studio at ARIA.
Several of the month’s biggest series actually begin in late September, so players looking at the first weekend of October already have major choices in California, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas and Las Vegas.
Here is the Angry Aces Poker guide to the major U.S. live poker tournament series worth watching in October 2026.
Major Late-September/October Poker Tournaments
October begins with several established tournament series already underway.
Pearl River Poker Open — Choctaw, Mississippi
The 2026 Pearl River Poker Open runs September 24 through October 4 at Pearl River Resort in Choctaw, Mississippi.
Its biggest October tournament is the $700 Main Event, which carries a $300,000 guarantee and has four starting flights across October 2 and 3 before the surviving field returns October 4.
The festival also includes another $300,000 guaranteed multi-flight event earlier in the schedule, while the October portion features a $400 Super Stack with a $50,000 guarantee.
Players can review the full festival in the 2026 Pearl River Poker Open Tournament Guide.
For venue information, the Pearl River Poker Room Guide covers the room inside Golden Moon Casino.
The complete event calendar is available through the official Pearl River Poker Open schedule.
WPT Prime Lodge Championship — Round Rock, Texas
The World Poker Tour’s WPT Prime Lodge festival began September 24 and continues through October 12 at The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock, Texas.
The $1,100 WPT Prime Lodge Championship runs October 8-12 with a $1 million guaranteed prize pool.
The Championship has four starting flights scheduled across October 8-10. The festival also includes a $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha event with a $100,000 guarantee and a $2,000 WPT Prime Lodge High Roller with another $100,000 guaranteed.
The Texas stop produced 1,648 entries in its 2025 debut, building a prize pool well above that year’s $1 million guarantee. The same seven-figure guarantee returns for 2026.
See the 2026 WPT Prime Lodge Championship Tournament Guide for the complete Angry Aces preview.
Players planning a trip to the property can also use the The Lodge Card Club Austin Poker Room Guide.
The WPT has published the official WPT Prime Lodge Championship schedule.
WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley — Lincoln, California
The WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley series runs September 24 through October 5 at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California.
October contains the biggest events of the stop.
The $1,700 WSOP Circuit Main Event has starting flights October 2 and 3 and carries a $500,000 guarantee. October also includes the conclusion of the $400 Monster Stack with a $200,000 guarantee, a $3,300 High Roller and several additional ring events.
Thunder Valley has 16 official WSOP Circuit ring events on the schedule, giving Northern California players one of the strongest early-October tournament options in the West.
See the 2026 WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Tournament Guide and the Thunder Valley Casino Resort Poker Room Guide for planning information.
The complete event list is posted on the official WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley schedule.
RGPS Golden Expedition at Lake Erie Poker Room — Elyria, Ohio
RunGood Poker Series opened its Lake Erie Poker Room stop September 28, with Golden Expedition action continuing through October 4 in Elyria, Ohio.
The $600 RunGood Main Event carries a $200,000 guarantee and begins during the October portion of the stop.
RunGood lists nine ring events across the series, including a $400 PokerNews PowerStack and a mix of additional tournament formats around the Main Event.
Players can review the stop in the RGPS Golden Expedition Lake Erie Poker Room Tournament Guide.
The Lake Erie Poker Room Guide has additional venue information, while the official RunGood Lake Erie page has the current series schedule.
MSPT 100 Grand Stack at Sycuan — El Cajon, California
MSPT’s 100 Grand Stack at Sycuan Casino Resort runs September 29 through October 4 in El Cajon, California.
The centerpiece is a $1,110 Main Event with a $100,000 guarantee.
MSPT is also adding a $3,500 MSPT Championship seat to first place in the Main Event, giving the eventual champion another significant prize beyond the tournament payout.
The series includes 10 Gold Card tournaments.
Players can review the event in the MSPT 100 Grand Stack Tournament Guide and learn more about the property in the Sycuan Casino Resort Poker Room Guide.
Current event information is available through the official MSPT website.
Las Vegas Has Month-Long Tournament Options at Wynn and The Venetian
Las Vegas players do not have to build an October trip around a single championship weekend.
Both Wynn and The Venetian have tournament series covering most of the month.
Wynn Fall Classic — September 28-October 25
The 2026 Wynn Fall Classic runs September 28 through October 25 at Wynn Las Vegas.
Wynn advertises more than $2 million in guaranteed prize pools across four weeks of tournament action.
The schedule includes No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, mixed games, Seniors events, satellites and nightly turbos rather than revolving around one officially designated Main Event.
That makes the Fall Classic particularly useful for players who want flexibility in choosing dates and formats during an October Las Vegas trip.
See the 2026 Wynn Fall Classic Tournament Guide for the complete Angry Aces breakdown.
The Wynn Las Vegas Poker Room Guide covers the host room, and Wynn maintains current tournament information on its official poker page.
Venetian DeepStack Showdown — September 28-October 27
The Venetian DeepStack Showdown runs almost alongside Wynn’s series, covering September 28 through October 27 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
The Venetian advertises nearly $1 million in guaranteed tournament prize pools.
The schedule emphasizes affordable No-Limit Hold’em tournaments, bounty events and repeated multi-flight events. Several No-Limit Hold’em tournaments carry $100,000 guarantees, with published buy-ins generally ranging from $200 to $400.
The Venetian does not designate one tournament on the October DeepStack Showdown schedule as an official Main Event, so players should avoid treating the largest individual guarantee as one.
See the 2026 Venetian DeepStack Showdown October Tournament Guide and the Venetian Poker Room Guide.
The complete event-by-event lineup is available on the official Venetian DeepStack Showdown schedule.
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Pompano Beach — October 1-12
South Florida gets one of October’s largest WSOP Circuit Main Event guarantees when the Circuit reaches Harrah’s Pompano Beach from October 1-12.
The $1,700 Main Event has three starting flights from October 8-10 and a $1 million guarantee.
The buildup includes a $600 Mini Main Event with a $250,000 guarantee, a $500 Monster Stack with $150,000 guaranteed and a $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em event carrying a $100,000 guarantee.
That combination gives Pompano Beach one of the deeper early-month schedules for players looking for several substantial guaranteed events at the same stop.
Our Harrah’s Pompano Beach Poker Room Guide has additional property information.
The full schedule is posted on the official WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Pompano Beach page.
RGPS Golden Expedition at Hollywood Casino St. Louis — October 6-11
RunGood Poker Series reaches Hollywood Casino St. Louis in Maryland Heights, Missouri, from October 6-11.
The $800 RGPS Main Event carries a $200,000 guarantee and anchors the six-day Golden Expedition stop.
The schedule also includes a $400 PokerNews PowerStack with a $50,000 guarantee, giving players another multi-flight target before the Main Event.
For the complete stop, see the RGPS Hollywood Casino St. Louis Tournament Guide.
The Hollywood Casino St. Louis Poker Room Guide has venue information for players making the trip.
Poker Masters Brings High-Stakes Poker to ARIA — October 12-23
October is not limited to regional Main Events and mid-stakes tour stops.
The 2026 Poker Masters runs October 12-23 inside the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
PokerGO has announced 10 events for the series. Buy-ins range from $10,500 through the $51,000 Poker Masters Championship.
The player accumulating the most PokerGO Tour points during the series will receive the Poker Masters Purple Jacket and a $25,000 PGT Passport.
Poker Masters therefore occupies a different part of the October calendar than Wynn’s Fall Classic or The Venetian’s DeepStack schedule: this is concentrated high-stakes tournament poker built around a relatively small field of elite and high-volume players.
The complete series is available from the official Poker Masters 2026 page.
Players visiting the property can also use the ARIA Resort & Casino Poker Room Guide, although Poker Masters itself is played in the PokerGO Studio.
RGPS Golden Expedition at Champions Club Texas — October 12-18
RunGood moves from St. Louis to Champions Club Texas in Houston for another Golden Expedition stop from October 12-18.
The Houston series has 11 ring events and $510,000 in advertised guarantees.
Its $600 Main Event carries a $250,000 guarantee and begins October 15, with six starting flights available before the October 18 restart.
A $400 Monster Stack opener has a $100,000 guarantee, while the $400 PokerNews PowerStack carries another $50,000 guaranteed.
See the RGPS Champions Club Texas Tournament Guide for the full schedule.
The Champions Club Texas Poker Room Guide covers the venue.
RunGood has the complete confirmed schedule on its official Champions Club Houston event page.
MSPT SPADE Poker Championship at FireKeepers — October 13-18
One of October’s biggest Midwest guarantees belongs to MSPT.
The SPADE Poker Championship runs October 13-18 at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan.
The $1,110 Main Event carries a $1 million guarantee and is officially classified by MSPT as a MAJOR.
MSPT is also adding a $3,500 MSPT Championship seat to first place.
The festival includes nine Gold Card tournaments, but the seven-figure Main Event is the clear reason FireKeepers stands out on the October calendar.
See the SPADE Poker Championship Tournament Guide for the full Angry Aces preview.
Players can also use the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Poker Room Guide.
Current stop information is available through the official MSPT website.
WSOP Circuit Turning Stone — October 15-26
The WSOP Circuit heads to Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, from October 15-26.
The $1,700 Main Event is scheduled with a $1 million guarantee and starting flights during the final weekend of the stop.
Turning Stone also gives players substantial action before the Main Event, including a $400 Mini Main with a $600,000 guarantee and a $400 Monster Stack with $400,000 guaranteed.
Those guarantees make Turning Stone one of October’s more substantial WSOP Circuit stops even before the Main Event is considered.
The Turning Stone Resort Casino Poker Room Guide covers the host room.
Players should verify final event details through the official WSOP tournament schedule.
WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star — October 16-November 1
The World Poker Tour returns to Bay 101 Casino in San Jose, California, for the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star festival from October 16 through November 1.
The $5,300 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship is scheduled during the October portion of the festival.
Bay 101 remains distinctive because of its Shooting Star bounty concept, with designated players carrying special bounties during the Championship.
Unlike the WPT Prime Lodge Championship, the official WPT information reviewed for this roundup does not currently advertise a guaranteed Championship prize pool. Angry Aces is therefore not assigning one.
The Bay 101 Poker Room Guide has additional room and venue information.
Players should use the World Poker Tour’s official website for the latest Championship updates.
RGPS Golden Expedition at Hard Rock Tulsa — October 20-25
RunGood’s next October stop runs October 20-25 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Catoosa, Oklahoma.
The $800 RGPS Main Event carries a $100,000 guarantee, with four starting flights scheduled across October 23 and 24 before the October 25 finals.
Earlier in the week, the $400 PokerNews PowerStack carries a $50,000 guarantee.
RunGood lists eight ring events during the six-day stop.
The Hard Rock Tulsa Poker Room Guide covers the host property.
The detailed schedule is available on the official RunGood Hard Rock Tulsa page.
WSOP Circuit Caesars Southern Indiana — October 22-November 2
The WSOP Circuit returns to Caesars Southern Indiana in Elizabeth from October 22 through November 2.
October contains most of the opening schedule, including the Mini Main Event and several other Circuit ring events before the $1,700 Main Event begins at the end of the month.
Main Event starting flights are scheduled for October 30 and 31, with play continuing into November.
For players in Indiana, Kentucky and the Louisville market, the stop offers a regional WSOP Circuit series without a long-distance trip.
The Caesars Southern Indiana Poker Room Guide has additional venue information.
The latest event list is available on the official WSOP Circuit Caesars Southern Indiana page.
WSOP Circuit Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe — October 22-November 2
At the same time, another WSOP Circuit series opens at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada.
The stop also runs October 22 through November 2.
The $1,700 Main Event begins during the final weekend of October, with starting flights scheduled October 30 and 31.
The October schedule includes a $400 Mini Main, No-Limit Hold’em events, Omaha formats and several other ring tournaments before the Main Event.
The current official WSOP schedule does not advertise a Main Event guarantee, so players should not assume one based on previous Lake Tahoe stops.
The Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe Poker Room Guide has property information.
The complete current schedule is posted on the official WSOP Circuit Lake Tahoe page.
RGPS Golden Expedition at bestbet Jacksonville — Late October
RunGood finishes its October U.S. schedule at bestbet Jacksonville in Florida.
Players should note an official-source date discrepancy before making travel plans.
RunGood’s current Golden Expedition calendar lists the stop as October 22 through November 1. bestbet Jacksonville’s own detailed tournament page lists the festival as October 21 through November 1 and schedules a $200 Ladies event for October 21.
The core tournament schedule is otherwise published.
A $400 multi-flight No-Limit Hold’em tournament carries a $200,000 guarantee. The $1,200 Main Event begins October 29 and carries a $300,000 guarantee, with three starting days before the November 1 final.
bestbet advertises $500,000 in total guarantees for the series.
The bestbet Jacksonville Poker Room Guide has additional room information.
Because the two official sources currently disagree on the opening date, players should check both the official RunGood bestbet Jacksonville page and the bestbet Jacksonville tournament schedule before traveling.
WPT Fall Festival at The Venetian — October 28-November 15
The Venetian moves directly from its October DeepStack Showdown into another major festival when the WPT Fall Festival begins October 28.
The complete festival runs through November 15 and advertises nearly $4 million in guaranteed prize pools.
The marquee $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship has a $2 million guarantee and runs November 5-10, so the Championship itself belongs primarily to the November calendar.
October still matters because festival events begin immediately after the DeepStack Showdown concludes, allowing players already in Las Vegas to transition from one series into another without changing venues.
The Venetian Poker Room Guide has additional room information.
WPT has also confirmed the festival and Championship details on the official World Poker Tour website.
WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant — October 28-November 9
The WSOP Circuit returns to Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, beginning October 28.
The stop runs through November 9.
October’s schedule opens with a $400 Monster Stack and then a $400 Gargantuan carrying a $250,000 guarantee, with multiple Gargantuan flights scheduled through October 31.
The $1,700 Main Event comes later, beginning November 6 with a $1 million guarantee. That means October players get the opening half of the series, while the Main Event belongs to the November portion.
The Choctaw Casino Durant Poker Room Guide covers the host property.
The complete schedule is available on the official WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant page.
MSPT Grand Falls Casino — October 28-November 1
MSPT closes October with a festival at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa, from October 28 through November 1.
The stop is built around a $1,110 MSPT Main Event with a $200,000 guarantee.
MSPT is again adding a $3,500 seat to its season-ending MSPT Championship to the Main Event winner.
The compact schedule makes Grand Falls a straightforward regional option for Midwest players looking to play a full MSPT festival over one long weekend.
The Grand Falls Casino Poker Room Guide has additional venue information.
Players should check the official MSPT website for the current tournament schedule and structures.
WSOP Circuit The Reserve Poker Club Toledo — October 29-November 9
The final major October series on the Angry Aces calendar begins October 29 at The Reserve Poker Club in Toledo, Ohio.
The WSOP Circuit stop runs through November 9.
October opens with a $400 Double Stack Kick-Off carrying a $100,000 guarantee, followed immediately by the $600 Mini Main.
The Mini Main is one of the most notable opening events of the stop, with a $500,000 guarantee and five starting flights scheduled from October 29-31.
The Main Event itself takes place later in the series during November, but the half-million-dollar Mini Main gives players substantial tournament action before October ends.
The Reserve Poker Club Poker Room Guide covers the venue.
The event schedule is available on the official WSOP Circuit The Reserve Poker Club page.
October Gives U.S. Tournament Players Plenty of Choices
October 2026 does not have one single tournament series dominating the entire U.S. calendar.
Instead, players have choices almost every week.
The opening weekend has WPT Prime, Thunder Valley, Pearl River, Lake Erie, Sycuan, Wynn and The Venetian already running. The middle of the month brings Poker Masters, RunGood Houston, the $1 million guaranteed MSPT SPADE Poker Championship, Turning Stone and Bay 101. The final stretch adds simultaneous WSOP Circuit stops, RunGood Jacksonville, MSPT Grand Falls and the opening of The Venetian’s WPT Fall Festival.
For players planning a trip, the individual Angry Aces Poker Tournament Guides contain the more detailed schedules, structures, registration information, re-entry rules and venue notes that do not fit into a monthly roundup.
Bookmark Angry Aces Poker and check the individual guides again before traveling. Tournament schedules can change, and the official organizers remain the final source for late registration updates, structure revisions and other last-minute adjustments.
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