A Live Poker Update: May 2026

Poker Series in Las Vegas

2026 DeepStack Extravaganza II: The Venetian Hotel and Casino

The ongoing DeepStack series continues in May, as the Venetian prepares to host its last Extravaganza before the summer. A total of 64 tournaments don the schedule that runs through May 17th, and among the final tournaments of this series are the $250 NLH starting on May 2nd with a $125k guarantee and the $800 NLHE 5-day event starting on May 6th, which features a $200k GTD!

2026 Chainsaw Mixed Series of Poker – Caesars Palace 

Allen Kessler will be thrilled to see the Chainsaw Mixed Series of Poker come to Caesars Palace from May 9th to the 19th, featuring two $1,100 mixed events on May 17th, HORSE and May 18th, TORSE.

World Series Circuit Events in the Americas

2026 WSOP Circuit Cherokee (Spring): Harrah’s Cherokee & Los Angeles, Commerce Casino

With the main series in Las Vegas on the horizon, the WSOP Circuit kicks into high gear hosting seven series in different parts of the US, Canada & the world, four of them simultaneously! One of the two domestic events will take in Cherokee, North Carolina, while the other happens on the West Coast at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. Both series will award 18 rings, and include main events beginning on May 15th at Cherokee, and May 14th in LA.

2026 WSOP International Circuit Panama: Hilton Hotel Panama City, Panama City, Panama

The third WSOP Circuit series running in early May will kick off on the same day as the two in the US. Panama City will host 12 ring events from May 7th through the 17th, and included in the series are a $300 NLHE event starting on May 7th, lasting nine days with the $1,700 NLHE Main Event starting May 12th.

2026 WSOP International Circuit: Playground Poker, Montreal, Quebec

The fifth circuit event of the month kicks off in Canada, as Playground Poker will welcome the world from May 10th until the 26th. Among the 18 ring events, there is the $400 CAD NLHE with a $400k guarantee, starting on May 11th and the $2,500 CAD NLHE Main Event with a $500k guarantee that starts on May 21st.

2026 WSOP Circuit New Orleans: Caesars New Orleans, Louisiana

The Bayou will host the last US circuit event before the WSOP congregates in Las Vegas, as New Orleans will host 18 ring events from May 14th until May 25th. A $400 multi-day $100k guarantee tournament is on the schedule, starting May 14th, as well as the $1,700 NLHE Main Event with a $500k guarantee that kicks off on May 21st.

2026 WSOP International Circuit Uruguay: Casino Carrasco, Montevideo

The last stop before the WSOP in Las Vegas takes poker players to the southern hemisphere. Casino Carrasco in Montevideo, Uruguay will play host to 12 ring events from May 18th to the 24th. The abbreviated schedule features 5 tournaments with $1k buy-ins or larger including the $1,700 NLHE Main Event starting on May 21st.

Poker Series Elsewhere in the United States, Canada & Central America

2026 Spring Poker Open: Borgata Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ

The Borgata will wrap up the Spring Poker Open on May 8th after 17 days of incredible action. In the final week of the series, 21 tournaments will crown champions, including the winner of the $2,700 NLHE Main Event with a $1 million guarantee that kicks off May 3rd. 

2026 Colorado Spring Poker Championship: Bally’s Black Hawk, Black Hawk, CO

Colorado is quickly becoming a home for amazing tournament poker as Bally’s Black Hawk hosts its next series, the Spring Poker Championship. Having started on April 29th, this four-week plus series ends on May 23rd, featuring over 60 poker tournaments including the $400 NLH event starting on April 29th with a $100k guarantee and the $1,200 NLHE 4-day tournament that starts May 14th featuring $200k in guaranteed prize money.

2026 PGT Texas Poker Open: Champions Club Texas, Houston, TX

The PokerGo Tour stops in Texas in May for 13 days of poker action! From April 29th until May 11th, some of the key tournaments of the 35 on the schedule include the $3,300 NLHE High Roller event on May 6th and the $2,200 NLHE Main Event with a $1 million guarantee starting on May 7th.

2026 Pure Poker Tour Yellowhead: Pure Casino Yellowhead, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Who says all the great poker action in the great white north is only in Montreal or Calgary? Edmonton, Alberta also has an emerging poker scene, and in May Pure Casino Yellowhead will play host to a two-week series leading into the WSOP. Starting May 3rd, and running until the 17th, the poker action promises to be as good as what you find at Deerfoot in Calgary! 

2026 Poker Atlas Tour Houston: Texas Card House, Houston, Texas

Houston is a hotbed for poker in May as another series will take over the city as the Poker Atlas Tour comes to Texas Card House from May 6th to the 26th. This series includes 26 tournaments, some of which are the $250 NLHE with a $200k guarantee starting on May 7th; a $400 PLO three-day event beginning on May 11th; and a $800 NLHE Events that wraps up the series, starting on May 21st. 

2026 Poker Atlas Tour Thunder Valley: Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Lincoln, California

The second stop on the Poker Atlas Tour this month heads west to Thunder Valley for nine days of poker action from May 10th to the 18th. Included among the schedule are a $155 NLHE Event with a $100k guarantee that kicks off on May 10th, and a $1,100 NLHE Main Event with a $250k guarantee that begins on May 16th.

2026 May Deep Stack Series: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida

The giant guitar welcomes poker players to its casino from May 12th to the 25th for their May Deep Stack series, and on the schedule of 10 tournaments are the $400 NLHE $30k deep stack, starting on May 14th and the $1,700 NLHE Main Event that gets underway on May 21st.

2026 Tampa Spring Poker Open: Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Tampa, Florida

Both sides of Florida will feature poker series in May, as Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock will host the Tampa Spring Poker Open – a 10-tournament series from May 19th through to the 31st, featuring a main event of $1,200 that lasts four days and kicks off on May 28th.

Poker Series in Europe

2026 EPT Monte Carlo: Sporting Monte Carlo

One of the most prestigious events on the calendar is when PokerStars brings the EPT to Monte Carlo. A total of 46 tournaments, some with buy-ins as high as the €250k Super High Roller on May 4th, and as low as the €330 events scheduled for May 3rd & 10th. Many of these bigger events should be streamed online, giving everyone a chance to see the action live!

2026 EPT Italian Poker Open San Remo: Casino San Remo, Italy

Italian poker fans will be thrilled to head to San Remo from May 1st to the 12th for the Italian Poker Open! Some of the marquee tournaments on the schedule, part of the European Poker Tour include the €550 NLHE opening event with a €1 million guarantee and the three-day €1,100 NLHE Main Event starting on May 10th.

2026 WSOP International Circuit Netherlands: Holland Casino Venlo, The Netherlands

The fourth circuit event kicks off May 8th in Venlo with 14 ring events scheduled up until the 16th. Included in this series are the €1,500 NLHE Main Event with a €500k guarantee that kicks off on May 10th, lasting a full week.

2026 The PartyPoker Tour Madrid: Gran Casino Madrid, Madrid, Spain

PartyPoker makes a splash in the live poker world again as they are hosting a series in Madrid, Spain from May 11th to the 17th, and in this series, poker players should look forward to playing these lower cost events like the €150 NLHE with a €50k guarantee that starts on May 11th, a €500 NLHE event that features a €100k guarantee, a €60 Crazy Pineapple Bounty tournament on May 15th, and a €30, yes €30 NLHE Hyper Turbo tournament on May 16th.

2026 Triton Super High Roller Series Montenegro: Maestral Resort

The richest buy-in poker series returns to Montenegro from May 13th to the 28th to get the top poker pros warmed up for the WSOP and the 16 tournament series features the $200k NLHE Invitational event starting on May 19th, the $100k NLHE starting on May 21st, and the $100k PLO beginning on May 25th, to name a few of the high roller events on the schedule.

2026 888poker LIVE Barcelona: Casino Barcelona

Spain will also host another online poker operator’s live events in May as 888Poker will head to Barcelona for the 888Poker LIVE event from May 14th to the 24th, and included in their 15-tournament series are the €220 NLHE 4-day event that starts on May 14th, and the €888 NLHE 5-day event that starts on May 20th.

2026 PokerStars Open Namur: Circus Casino Resort, Namur, Belgium

Not to be outdone by their online counterparts, PokerStars is hosting the latest edition of the PokerStars Open, on from May 27th through June 7th. The 17-tournament schedule is highlighted by the €1,100 NLHE Main Event that begins May 30th and lasts nine days, with a €1 million guarantee.

Poker Series in Asia and Oceania

2026 Poker Dream 22 Jeju: LES A Casino, Jeju Island, South Korea 

One of the most beautiful spots on the world poker scene continues to be Jeju Island off the south coast of South Korea. For nine days in May, it will be the backdrop to the Poker Dream 22 Series! On from the 1st to the 9th, the jam-packed schedule includes tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $225 USD all the way up to the $19k USD high roller.

2026 Gods of Poker Incheon: Paradise City Hotel & Resort, Incheon, South Korea

For those across the other pond, not all the great poker action in South Korea is found on Jeju Island. Paradise City in Incheon will host the Gods of Poker from May 15th until the 24th, and among the 80 tournaments on the schedule are those with a buy-in just over $200 USD, and there are plenty of them on the schedule, to those just under $10k USD.

All of these poker series will lead up to the poker bonanza that occurs in late May. This summer, Las Vegas will play host to multiple major poker series throughout Sin City, both on the Strip and off, making it near impossible not to get ecstatic knowing what’s to still to come in the 2026 poker season!