57th World Series of Poker Kicks Off Today: $550 Mini Mystery Millions and $5,000 8-Handed Events Begin

57th WSOP Kicks Off Today

The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) officially begins today (May 26) at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas. As the most prestigious annual poker event, this year's WSOP is expected to attract thousands of players from around the globe. Two gold bracelet events are scheduled on opening day: Event #1: $550 No-Limit Hold'em Mini Mystery Bounty and Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed.

Event #1: $550 Mini Mystery Bounty

This event is a lower buy-in version of last year's $1,000 Mystery Bounty, designed to draw a larger field. In the 2025 WSOP, the $1,000 Mystery Bounty drew a record 19,654 entries, with Michael Wilklow taking the title and the $1,000,000 top prize.

The Mini Mystery Bounty features six starting flights, with each player allowed two re-entries per flight. Schedule as follows:

• Flight A: May 26 (Tuesday) at 12:00 PM PST
• Flight B: May 27 (Wednesday) at 10:00 AM PST
• Flight C: May 28 (Thursday) at 10:00 AM PST
• Flight D: May 29 (Friday) at 10:00 AM PST
• Flight E: May 30 (Saturday) at 10:00 AM PST
• Flight F: May 30 (Saturday) at 6:00 PM PST

Mystery Bounty

The bounty pool for the Mini Mystery Bounty is funded by $200 from each player's buy-in. Bounty play begins on Day 2 (May 31), with the top bounty being $1,000,000. During the 2025 WSOP, Thomas Zanot and Tyler Montoya each drew a $1,000,000 mystery bounty within an hour, with Montoya also gifting $10,000 to every player at his table.

Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed

This event kicks off today at 2:00 PM PST and runs for four days. The high buy-in attracts many top professionals, all vying for the gold bracelet and a substantial prize pool. In the 2025 WSOP, Antonio Galiana won his second career gold bracelet in this event, earning $582,008.

WSOP Live App and Main Event Preview

The WSOP Live App returns for its second year, offering schedule information, seat assignments, and registration. Players can download it for use.

This year's WSOP Main Event ($10,000 No-Limit Hold'em) begins on July 2, with ESPN televising from July 2 through 13. A special Final Table broadcast is scheduled for August 3-5. ESPN will provide over 100 hours of Main Event coverage, with commentary from David Williams, Mario Ho, Joe Stapleton, Lon McEachern, Norman Chad, Jeff Platt, Ali Nejad, and 2025 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Nick Schulman. Other gold bracelet events will be streamed for free on the WSOP official YouTube channel.

Event Outlook

This year's WSOP is regarded as one of the most pivotal in recent years, offering opportunities for players of all bankrolls, from the $300 "Poker Gladiators" to the $100,000 High Roller events. Good luck to all competitors!