Top 10 World Series of Poker storylines for 2026

The World Series of Poker is just days away, and the hype is getting very real, as players around the world prepare to take on the biggest poker festival of the year. For the poker fans, the WSOP guarantees dozens of exciting storylines and plots, some recurring each year, and others emerging spontaneously as the Series progresses. The following is our prediction for the top 10 WSOP storylines for 2026, revolving around some of the biggest names in poker and the key events of the summer. 10. The $25k Fantasy Contest is on The $25k Fantasy WSOP contents, organized by Daniel Negreanu, is one of the most entertaining side plotlines for the Series each year. The competition is most interesting for the teams who pony up the $25k buy-in to take part in it, but it’s also made for the poker fans, who get to cheer on the teams throughout the summer. If you are a stat-oriented poker fan, keeping track of the developments in the $25k Fantasy contest offers nearly endless entertainment. If you want to compete yourself, a number of smaller buy-in contests are usually organized alongside the $25k, allowing casual fans to support their favorite players and gamble on the best performers of the entire Series. 9. Will Kassouf looks to play again Will Kassouf made a name for himself at the 2016 WSOP Main Event, when he made a deep run and antagonized his opponents for days, until he finally busted with pocket Kings against pocket Aces. The Englishman brought the same energy to the 2025 WSOP and once again made a very deep run in the Main Event, but this time around, his actions cost him more than he expected. When his Main Event run ended, Kassouf was escorted off the property by security and told he could not participate in any further WSOP events in 2025. Whether his ban extended past 2025 or not was not made clear at the time, and it will be interesting to see if he shows up at this year’s Series. Kassouf has historically been one of the most entertaining players to watch at the WSOP, and another appearance by the quirky Brit in the Main Event could make the entire affair that much more fun to watch. 8. Martin Kabrhel brings the circus back to town If you are a poker fan who enjoys a little controversy, then Martin Kabrhel is surely one of your favorite poker players. Over the last couple of years, the Czech high roller has entertained us in a fashion we have rarely seen before, and we expect him to bring back that same energy in 2026. A highly successful poker player and entrepreneur, Martin consistently brings his A game to WSOP events and makes the right decision more often than not. Yet, his funny demeanor, his jokes made in broken English, and his willingness to talk smack even to poker legends like Daniel Negreanu make him infinitely fun to watch. If you watch poker on TV for the laughs, make sure to tune into any featured tables with Kabrhel on them, as they are guaranteed to be more entertaining than most. 7. The Hustler Casino and WSOP partner up For the first time in WSOP’s history, the Series will feature live-streamed cash games, organized in partnership with Hustler Casino Live. GGPoker acquired a share of the show when previous co-owner Nick Vertucci left, and that partnership is about to materialize as multiple live shows in Las Vegas this summer. The most notable among these will be the Million Dollar Game, which was moved to a June 12 slot in Las Vegas, although it was originally scheduled for the usual venue in May. The Series and HCL will also stream a number of other games throughout June, keeping players occupied with live action alongside all the thrilling tournament streams. The addition of live-streamed cash games to the WSOP might just make the 2026 Series the most content-heavy poker festival we have ever seen, and much of that content should be available for free via YouTube and other streaming platforms. For those who want to scratch the casino itch from home while following the Series, there are some solid online casinos worth exploring during the long Vegas summer. 6. The Series returns to ESPN For the first time in a long time, the WSOP will air on ESPN, one of the world's biggest sports TV networks. Beginning 2 July, the World Series of Poker will air on ESPN, meaning a wide mainstream audience will get to watch poker’s best players compete for gold bracelets. The return to ESPN should mean a major boost in production value, as the network is known for producing high-end content across dozens of popular sports. This new partnership could also help boost attendance and take the Main Event over the edge, setting another attendance record in 2026.

BREAKING: WSOP returns to ESPN

The Main Event returns to prime time with a three-night live finale (Aug 3–5) and 100+ hours of coverage.

Poker’s biggest stage is back.https://t.co/5hVWG94qhD pic.twitter.com/ONNACIlfl7
— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) March 26, 2026

5. Daniel Negreanu’s VLOGs are back For many poker fans, Daniel Negreanu’s poker VLOGs have become the number one way of keeping track of what’s happening at the WSOP. Kid Poker’s popular VLOGs have been a staple of the WSOP for years, and we expect them to come back from day 1 of the 2026 Series. The production value of the VLOGs has reached new heights in recent years, and the insights from the Hall of Famer are hard to match. The 2026 WSOP VLOGs can’t get here soon enough, and if you haven’t had a chance to watch them in the past, make sure to tune in this year for a full accounting of Daniel’s Series exploits, but also insights into everything that happens behind the scenes. 4. New Main Event attendance record to be set The WSOP Main Event is the greatest poker event of the entire year and one that’s highly anticipated by poker players and fans alike. The tournament reached new heights in 2023, when it finally broke the 10,000-entry mark, and reached a total of 10,112 runners the very next year. While last year’s Main Event came slightly short of 10,000 runners, the 2026 edition may just see us reach a record number once again. Following a massively successful WSOPE festival in Prague, the Series will look to make the Las Vegas Series memorable as well, and a massive Main Event attendance could be a big part of that. 3. Phil Hellmuth seeks bracelet No. 18 Phil Hellmuth is widely considered one of the best tournament poker players in the world, and his WSOP resume speaks for itself. With 17 WSOP bracelets to his name, the Poker Brat doesn’t have much left to prove. Yet, he is constantly challenged by his peers, and those challenges seem to be his greatest motivator. In 2026, Hellmuth will be looking to win a WSOP event after two summers without a new bracelet, and if history is anything to go by, he is a favorite to do so. Phil’s track record in both Texas Hold’em and mixed game events in recent years has been impressive, and he’s one of the players who are almost guaranteed to make a final table run or two. If you are a fan of the Poker Brat, make sure to keep your eyes out for his name on the final days of the tournaments, as 2026 may just be the year he returns to the winner’s circle at the Series. 2. Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi defends his titles Michael Mizrachi’s performance at the 2025 WSOP was one of the most memorable runs any player has ever had at the Series, and one that won’t be easily replicated in the near future. Mizrachi has been very active on the poker circuit since winning the WSOP Main Event and the Poker Players Championship last year, and he will be coming into this year’s Series with a lot of momentum. A veteran of the game and one of the best tournament players out there, Michael will enter two of the most prestigious events of the summer as the reigning champion, with all eyes on him. While it would not be realistic to expect him to outright win either of the two, a deep run in one of them could create one of the most entertaining plotlines of the entire WSOP.

MICHAEL MIZRACHI WINS THE 2025 WORLD SERIES OF POKER MAIN EVENT TITLE AND ACHIEVES POKER IMMORTALITY

Having one of the most historic summers in WSOP history, read all about @TheGrinder44 win in the 2025 WSOP Main Event.

Link: https://t.co/6VpCcrztLp pic.twitter.com/48rfYqY1xA
— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 17, 2025

1. Shaun Deeb goes after his third POY title Some of the most exciting storylines in recent WSOP festivals revolved around the POY title race, and this year’s race should be one of the most competitive ever. The WSOP decided to award points for the WSOPE and WSOP Paradise tournaments this year, extending the POY race beyond the 100 bracelet events in Las Vegas. Already in the running is Shaun Deeb, the reigning POY, who has made chasing after this particular title one of his biggest missions, year after year. With several deep runs already in the books from the European leg of the 2026 WSOP, Deeb will surely be one of the frontrunners for the title by the time the summer is over. It will be interesting to watch Shaun fire dozens of bullets across the two months of action in the pursuit of his third POY title, while other mixed game experts and high rollers join the mix and try to outdo the master of volume.