Venetian DeepStack Showdown
The 2026 Venetian DeepStack Showdown – August gives tournament players nearly a full month of No-Limit Hold'em at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, with buy-ins from $200 to $600 and more than $1.1 million in guaranteed prize pools. The series combines one-day tournaments, bounty events and six larger multi-flight tournaments.
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Series Overview
The Venetian DeepStack Showdown runs throughout August as part of The Venetian's year-round DeepStack tournament calendar. The 2026 August edition features 37 numbered events, with an emphasis on accessible lower- and mid-stakes No-Limit Hold'em.
Players can choose between recurring $200 bounty tournaments, $300 one-day events and larger multi-flight tournaments carrying guarantees of up to $150,000.
For additional background on the festival, Angry Aces Poker's Venetian DeepStack Showdown series preview looks at the series within the broader Las Vegas tournament calendar.
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The Venetian Poker Room and Venue
The series is played at The Venetian Poker Room, located at The Palazzo on Level 2 of the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
The room features 50 poker tables across approximately 14,000 square feet and is open 24 hours daily. The location also provides convenient access from The Palazzo self-parking garage.
Players visiting for the first time should allow enough time to reach the poker room before registration or their scheduled starting flight. The Venetian and Palazzo complex is large, and the poker room is not located directly on the main casino floor.
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Series Dates
The 2026 Venetian DeepStack Showdown – August runs from August 3 through August 31, 2026.
Tournament action is scheduled throughout the month, with one-day events mixed among several multi-flight tournaments. Most regular daytime events begin at 11:10 AM, while many recurring bounty tournaments begin at 5:10 PM.
Players should use the official Venetian DeepStack Showdown schedule for the latest event times, structure sheets and any schedule changes.
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Tournament Formats and Buy-Ins
The August series is focused on No-Limit Hold'em, with scheduled buy-ins ranging from $200 to $600.
The main tournament options include:
$200 one-day No-Limit Hold'em bounty events
$250 multi-flight No-Limit Hold'em events
$300 one-day No-Limit Hold'em events
$300 multi-flight No-Limit Hold'em events
$400 multi-flight No-Limit Hold'em
$600 multi-flight No-Limit Hold'em
$300 No-Limit Hold'em Seniors event for players age 50 and older
Many of the recurring $200 bounty tournaments carry $10,000 guarantees. The standard $300 one-day tournaments carry $20,000 guarantees.
The schedule does not designate one tournament as the series Main Event. Instead, several multi-flight events serve as the biggest tournaments of the festival.
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Major Guaranteed Events
Six multi-flight tournaments provide the largest individual guarantees on the August schedule:
$600 No-Limit Hold'em with a $150,000 guarantee, featuring four starting flights from August 5 through August 8 and Day 2 on August 9
$300 No-Limit Hold'em with a $150,000 guarantee, featuring six starting flights from August 10 through August 12 and Day 2 on August 13
$400 No-Limit Hold'em with a $100,000 guarantee, featuring three starting flights from August 14 through August 16 and Day 2 on August 17
$250 No-Limit Hold'em with a $125,000 guarantee, featuring six starting flights from August 17 through August 19 and Day 2 on August 20
$300 No-Limit Hold'em with a $100,000 guarantee, featuring four starting flights from August 21 through August 24 and Day 2 on August 25
$250 No-Limit Hold'em with a $100,000 guarantee, featuring four starting flights from August 27 through August 30 and Day 2 on August 31
The two $150,000 guaranteed tournaments are the largest individual guarantees on the published schedule.
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Starting Stacks and Level Lengths
Starting stacks and blind levels vary by tournament, making the official structure sheet important for anyone comparing events or deciding which flight to play.
Representative structures include:
$200 bounty events: 25,000 starting chips with 30-minute levels
Standard $300 one-day events: 40,000 starting chips with 30-minute levels
$600 multi-flight event: 40,000 starting chips with 40-minute levels
$400 multi-flight event: 40,000 starting chips with 40-minute levels
$300 multi-flight events: 30,000 starting chips
$250 multi-flight events: 30,000 starting chips
$300 Seniors event: 40,000 starting chips with 30-minute levels
Players considering the six-flight $300 and $250 tournaments should pay particular attention to the difference between their daytime and evening structures.
The 11:10 AM starting flights use 40-minute levels, while the 5:10 PM starting flights use 30-minute levels. Both begin with 30,000 chips.
The later four-flight $300 and $250 tournaments use 40-minute levels during their starting flights.
A player deciding between morning and evening flights should therefore compare the structures rather than assuming every flight in the same tournament plays at the same pace.
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Registration and Late Registration
Late-registration periods differ by event.
Published examples include:
Standard $300 one-day events beginning at 11:10 AM close registration after 10 levels and a break, at approximately 4:55 PM
$200 bounty events beginning at 5:10 PM close after eight levels and a break, at approximately 9:40 PM
The $600 multi-flight event closes registration after nine levels and a break, at approximately 5:55 PM
The $400 multi-flight event also closes registration at approximately 5:55 PM
Daytime flights in the six-flight $300 and $250 events close at approximately 3:40 PM
Evening flights in those six-flight tournaments close at approximately 8:40 PM
The later four-flight $300 and $250 events close registration at approximately 3:40 PM
The $300 Seniors event begins at 10:10 AM and closes registration at approximately 4:25 PM
The official structures state that participants must have a Venetian Rewards card. Standard events require players to be at least 21 years old, while the Seniors tournament requires players to be at least 50.
Players who pre-register should also be aware that the official structures state that pre-registered stacks are placed in play when the tournament begins. Arriving late can therefore mean returning to a stack that has already been blinded down.
Registration times and procedures can change. Players making travel plans around a specific event should verify the current structure and registration process with The Venetian before arriving.
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Re-Entry Information
Players should not assume that every tournament in the August DeepStack Showdown uses the same re-entry rules.
The published Venetian structure sheets provide detailed late-registration information but do not consistently state one series-wide re-entry policy or a universal number of permitted re-entries.
Anyone planning multiple entries should confirm the re-entry policy for that specific tournament with The Venetian Poker Room before registering.
This is especially important when budgeting for a multi-flight event. Late registration, re-entry and entering a different starting flight are separate rules and should not be treated as interchangeable.
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Day 2 and Multi-Flight Notes
The major multi-flight tournaments use a qualifying format rather than requiring every Day 1 flight to play a predetermined number of levels.
Each starting flight is scheduled to continue until approximately 12.5% of that flight's field remains. Those surviving players advance to Day 2 and are considered in the money.
Once a player bags chips for Day 2, the official structures state that the player may not enter a subsequent starting flight of the same tournament.
Published Day 2 restart times are:
$600 $150,000 guaranteed event: August 9 at 11:00 AM
$300 $150,000 guaranteed event: August 13 at 1:00 PM
$400 $100,000 guaranteed event: August 17 at 11:00 AM
$250 $125,000 guaranteed event: August 20 at 1:00 PM
$300 $100,000 guaranteed event: August 25 at 11:00 AM
$250 $100,000 guaranteed event: August 31 at 11:00 AM
The multi-flight structures state that when Day 2 begins, the tournament clock reverts to the earliest stopping point reached among the Day 1 flights.
The official structures also allow action clocks to be introduced on Day 2 at the tournament director's discretion. If implemented, players receive 20 seconds for preflop decisions and 30 seconds for postflop decisions, with time-extension chips available. The published rules state that shot clocks are removed at the final table.
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Practical Tips for Players
Get a Venetian Rewards card before you need to register. The official tournament structures require one for participation.
Check the structure sheet for the exact event or flight you intend to play rather than relying only on the series schedule.
Compare daytime and evening flights in the six-flight $300 and $250 tournaments. The daytime flights use 40-minute levels while the evening flights use 30-minute levels.
Do not assume late registration protects a full starting stack. The Venetian states that pre-registered stacks are placed in play when the event begins.
Verify the re-entry policy before budgeting for multiple entries because the published structures do not establish one universal rule for the entire series.
Once you qualify for Day 2, do not plan to play another flight of the same tournament. Players who bag chips are not permitted to enter a later starting flight.
Confirm the Day 2 restart time when you bag. Some events restart at 11:00 AM while the six-flight $300 and $250 tournaments restart at 1:00 PM.
Allow extra time on your first visit to locate the room. The poker room is at The Palazzo on Level 2 of the Grand Canal Shoppes.
Bounty players should remember that the standard $200 bounty structure awards a $50 bounty for each opponent eliminated.
Players age 50 or older can consider the $300 Seniors tournament on August 26.
Recheck the official schedule shortly before playing. Venetian management reserves the right to cancel or change tournaments.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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When is the 2026 Venetian DeepStack Showdown – August?
The series runs from August 3 through August 31, 2026 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
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Where is the Venetian DeepStack Showdown played?
The tournaments are held in The Venetian Poker Room, located at The Palazzo on Level 2 of the Grand Canal Shoppes.
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How much is guaranteed during the August series?
The official Venetian schedule advertises more than $1.1 million in guaranteed tournament prize pools across the series.
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What are the buy-ins?
Scheduled buy-ins range from $200 to $600. The series includes one-day bounty tournaments, standard one-day No-Limit Hold'em events, a Seniors tournament and several multi-flight events.
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Is there a Main Event?
The official schedule does not designate one tournament as the Main Event. The largest individual guarantees are $150,000, attached to the $600 multi-flight tournament beginning August 5 and the $300 multi-flight tournament beginning August 10.
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What is the largest buy-in?
The highest scheduled buy-in is $600.
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Are there bounty tournaments?
Yes. The series includes recurring $200 No-Limit Hold'em bounty tournaments. The standard structure awards a $50 bounty for each opponent eliminated.
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Can players re-enter tournaments?
The published structure sheets do not establish one universal re-entry rule for every August event. Players who intend to enter more than once should verify the policy for their specific tournament directly with The Venetian Poker Room.
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How many chips do players start with?
Starting stacks range from 25,000 to 40,000 chips depending on the event. Standard $200 bounty tournaments start with 25,000, most $250 and multi-flight $300 events start with 30,000, and the $400, $600, standard one-day $300 and Seniors events start with 40,000.
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How long are the blind levels?
The published structures use either 30-minute or 40-minute levels. Some six-flight tournaments use 40-minute levels during daytime flights and 30-minute levels during evening flights.
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How do players qualify for Day 2?
Each starting flight in the major multi-flight tournaments plays until approximately 12.5% of the field remains. Those survivors advance to Day 2 and are considered in the money.
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Can a player enter another flight after bagging chips?
No. The official multi-flight structures state that a player who bags chips for Day 2 may not enter a subsequent flight of the same tournament.
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Do I need a Venetian Rewards card?
Yes. The official tournament structures require participants to have a Venetian Rewards card.
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How old do you have to be to play?
Players must generally be at least 21 years old. The $300 Seniors tournament on August 26 requires players to be at least 50.
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Where should players verify last-minute tournament information?
Players should check the official Venetian DeepStack Showdown schedule and the structure sheet for their specific tournament before registering. Event times, structures and tournament procedures remain subject to change.