WSOP Circuit Returns to Texas Card House Austin With 18 Ring Events and $4 Million in Guarantees
The WSOP Circuit returns to Texas Card House in Austin from September 10 to 21, 2026, with 18 ring events, nearly $4 million in guarantees, and a $1,700 Main Event carrying a $2 million guarantee.
WSOP Circuit Returns to Austin
The WSOP Circuit is back at Texas Card House in Austin, Texas, running from September 10 through September 21, 2026. The stop features 18 official WSOP Circuit ring events and nearly $4 million in guaranteed prize pools across the schedule, giving players from Texas and the surrounding region a long list of chances to compete for WSOP gold rings.
The series marks the return of the Circuit to Texas Card House following an inaugural stop earlier in the year. That first series drew attention when its Main Event produced what was described as the largest poker tournament prize pool in Texas state history, setting a new benchmark for tournament poker in the state.
The return also lands at a meaningful point in the 2026 WSOP Circuit season. Every player who wins a Circuit ring during the year earns an additional opportunity to compete at WSOP Paradise 2026 in The Bahamas, adding extra incentive to every event on the schedule.
Main Event Details
The flagship event of the series, a $1,700 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event, begins Thursday, September 17. It carries a $2 million guaranteed prize pool, making it the largest guaranteed event on the Texas Card House schedule.
The tournament offers three starting flights, giving players three opportunities to enter:
- Flight A: Thursday, September 17 at 11 A.M.
- Flight B: Friday, September 18 at 11 A.M.
- Flight C: Saturday, September 19 at 11 A.M.
The Main Event follows the earlier Texas Card House stop, where the inaugural WSOP Circuit Main Event set a new record for the largest prize pool in Texas state history. That result was widely framed as a landmark moment for poker in the state and as evidence of growing appetite for major tournament series in Texas.
Action Clocks Introduced for Marquee Events
The upcoming series will introduce action clocks for the festival's marquee tournaments. The addition is designed to help maintain a consistent pace of play during some of the series' biggest events.
Under the format, players competing in marquee tournaments have a designated amount of time to make their decisions. The structure is intended to create a more predictable pace while preserving the strategic elements that define tournament poker. The marquee events using action clocks include some of the biggest tournaments on the Austin schedule, among them the $1,700 Main Event.
Action clocks, sometimes called shot clocks, are a common feature in high-stakes and televised poker. In a typical example, a player is given a set amount of time to act, with the option to extend by using time-bank chips. The exact rules and procedures for the Texas Card House series are published by the operator.
What Else Is on the Schedule
Beyond the Main Event, the series includes a $750,000 guaranteed Mini Main, giving players a lower buy-in path into a large-field tournament. In total, 18 gold rings will be awarded across the schedule.
Each ring winner during the 2026 WSOP Circuit season also receives a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, which covers entry and related costs for the WSOP Paradise 2026 festival in The Bahamas. By the conclusion of the series on September 21, 18 new Circuit champions will have been crowned, each earning a place in the WSOP Circuit record books.
Why the Stop Matters
The Austin return combines several elements that make it one of the more notable stops on the 2026 Circuit calendar: a large guaranteed prize pool, a headline Main Event with a seven-figure guarantee, a new action-clock format for marquee events, and a direct pathway to WSOP Paradise for ring winners.
For players in the Lone Star State and beyond, the series offers a concentrated stretch of tournament poker with multiple buy-in levels and formats. The previous Texas Card House stop established the market's capacity to support a major series, and the 2026 edition aims to build on that foundation.
Following the Action
Poker.Org is the official media partner of the WSOP Circuit for the 2026 season and provides coverage of Circuit Main Events throughout the year. Fans can follow the Texas Card House Main Event through the Poker.Org Instant Live Feed and the site's social media channels, which keep viewers updated on the biggest moments from the tournament.
For those unable to attend in person, that coverage provides a way to track results and key hands as the series unfolds. The reigning Texas Card House WSOP Circuit Main Event champion is Thomas Brabham.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Dates: September 10 to September 21, 2026
- Venue: Texas Card House, Austin, Texas
- Ring events: 18
- Total guarantees: nearly $4 million
- Main Event: $1,700 No-Limit Hold'em, $2 million guaranteed
- Main Event flights: September 17, 18, and 19 at 11 A.M.
- Mini Main guarantee: $750,000
- New feature: action clocks in marquee tournaments
- Season incentive: $5,000 WSOP Paradise package for each ring winner
FAQ
- The series runs from September 10 through September 21, 2026, and features 18 official WSOP Circuit ring events.