The World Poker Tour (WPT) is a leading poker brand in 2024. Explore the latest WPT news, upcoming tournaments, past winners and more here. The World Poker Tour (WPT) has a long and storied tradition dating back to 2002 and is well-known as one of the most prestigious brands in poker in 2022. Here you will find everything WPT-related including the history of the WPT, what the WPT currently offers, current WPT news, the WPT 2022 schedule, previous WPT winners, the tour’s online offerings, and more.

The WPT is the World Poker Tour, best known for its Main Tour but also its several other live poker festivals, including WPT500, WPT Prime (formerly WPTDeepStacks), WPT Alpha8, WPT National, WPT Regional, WPT Cruises, and special events.

World Poker Tour players can also join in the action online via ClubWPT and WPT Global. WPT also aims to empower its players by teaching poker skills to aspiring WPT champions via its LearnWPT training site

WPT Main Tour

The WPT Main Tour, founded by attorney and television producer Steve Lipscomb and currently privately owned, is the crown jewel of the WPT’s offerings. It offers medium to large buy-in events around the world, with the majority taking place in the United States where the World Poker Tour got its start.

The tour began in May 2002 with the $10,000 buy-in Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Resort & Casino, where two legends played heads-up for the first official WPT title. GusHansen made history as the first WPT champion by navigating a tough field of 146 players, including the formidable John Juanda in the heads-up match. Hansen win a huge $556,460 top prize.

The WPT Main Tour operates mostly in the United States at prestigious venues like Wynn Las Vegas and Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Florida. It does leave America, too, such as for WPT Australia at The Star Gold Coast. All events have been live except during the 2020 pandemic, when the WPT partnered with partypoker (as WPT Global had yet to launch) to offer WPT online poker tournaments.

The tour has crowned hundreds of winners over the past two decades. Each WPT poker winner is rewarded with a huge top prize and Player of the Year points, and they earns the right to have their name engraved on the Champions Cup. The cup was renamed the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup in May 2020 after Champions Club member and long-time WPT commentator Mike Sexton retired. (The poker world would mourn his loss soon after when poker’s greatest ambassador passed away from prostate cancer in September 2020.)

## WPT World Championship

Early History

The World Poker Tour started the concept of the WPT World Championship from Season 1. That year, the season ended in April with the finale at Bellagio, where Martin de Knijff won $2,728,356 to go with the championship title. Going forward, that event closed out each season at the Bellagio, with Carlos Mortensen winning the largest ever for nearly $4 million to close out the fifth season. This continued through Season 11, when David “Chino” Rheem won it for $1,150,279.

The next year, the WPT moved it to the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but two years later, they switched to the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. Aria Las Vegas hosted it for Seasons 16 and 17, but it fell from the schedule after that.

WPT World Championship Revival

The 20th anniversary of the World Poker Tour brought many changes, including a revival of the WPT World Championship.

To celebrate Season 20 and close it out in style, the World Poker Tour created the WPT World Championship, a series of tournaments in December at Wynn Las Vegas. The three-week festival of tournaments boasted of many tournaments, including the WPT Prime Championship, WPT Ladies Championship, and the WPT World Championship Main Event. There were mixed games and bounty tournaments, a massive MUG (meet-up game), player party, and a tag team bomb pot event to close it out.

The Main Event was a $10,000 buy-in affair with an eye-popping $15 million guarantee on the prize pool. The buzz around the entire series – from customer service to Wynn poker cash games – brought pro players in from around the world, and satellite winners who won packages for free played a high buy-in event for the first time. When registration closed, it showed that there were 2,960 entries, which created an actual record prize pool of $29,008,000. The final table was livestreamed and filmed for a later broadcast.

When the tournament finished, Eliot Hudon defeated Benny Glaser for the first-place prize of $4,146,400.

WPT World Championship 2023

The WPT-Wynn partnership was a match made in poker heaven. Players raved about the series, and the 2022 event won the Global Poker Award Best Event of the Year honor. So, it was locked in for a follow-up series in 2023.

When the World Poker Tour announced the 2023 WPT World Championship at Wynn Casino in Las Vegas, it did so with a longer schedule – starting November 29 and finishing December 23 – and an even bigger Main Event. The team decided to take it to the next level and make poker history yet again. They put a jaw-dropping $40 million guarantee on the prize pool.

The 2023 WPT Prime Championship (December 7-12) offers a $5 million guarantee, the WPT Ladies Championship has a $250,000 guarantee, the Mystery Bounty $2 million, and a final NLHEevent $3 million.

Another big announcement was the return of the largest charity tournament in the world. The WPT Big One for One Drop, with proceeds benefiting the One Drop Foundation, returns after a years-long hiatus, and it will require a $1 million buy-in. Phil Ivey was the first to buy in for a million dollars, and others who followed months before the event included Daniel “Jungleman” Cates, Nick Petrangelo, Chris Brewer, Talal Shakerchi, David Einhorn, and Rick Salomon. More will buy in as the event nears.

The series will feature special events like the Premier MUG (Dec 1) with cash games open to play against names like DJ Steve Aoki and poker pro Patrik Antonius, a LearnWPT workshop (Dec 4-5), WPT Ladies Championship viewing party (Dec 7), WPT Ambassador Tag Team Challenge (Dec 9), and the Ultimate Players Party (Dec 11) at Area15. In addition, Phil Ivey will play heads-up poker (Dec 10) against two ClubWPT qualifiers for a Main Event seat.

See the full WPT schedule.

The WPT Main Tour, founded by attorney and television producer Steve Lipscomb and currently privately owned, is the crown jewel of the WPT’s offerings. It offers medium to large buy-in events around the world, with the majority taking place in the United States where the World Poker Tour got its start.

The tour began in May 2002 with the $10,000 buy-in Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Resort & Casino, where two legends played heads-up for the first official WPT title. GusHansen made history as the first WPT champion by navigating a tough field of 146 players, including the formidable John Juanda in the heads-up match. Hansen win a huge $556,460 top prize.

The WPT Main Tour operates mostly in the United States at prestigious venues like Wynn Las Vegas and Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Florida. It does leave America, too, such as for WPT Australia at The Star Gold Coast. All events have been live except during the 2020 pandemic, when the WPT partnered with partypoker (as WPT Global had yet to launch) to offer WPT online poker tournaments.

The tour has crowned hundreds of winners over the past two decades. Each WPT poker winner is rewarded with a huge top prize and Player of the Year points, and they earns the right to have their name engraved on the Champions Cup. The cup was renamed the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup in May 2020 after Champions Club member and long-time WPT commentator Mike Sexton retired. (The poker world would mourn his loss soon after when poker’s greatest ambassador passed away from prostate cancer in September 2020.)

## WPT World Championship

Early History

The World Poker Tour started the concept of the WPT World Championship from Season 1. That year, the season ended in April with the finale at Bellagio, where Martin de Knijff won $2,728,356 to go with the championship title. Going forward, that event closed out each season at the Bellagio, with Carlos Mortensen winning the largest ever for nearly $4 million to close out the fifth season. This continued through Season 11, when David “Chino” Rheem won it for $1,150,279.

The next year, the WPT moved it to the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but two years later, they switched to the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. Aria Las Vegas hosted it for Seasons 16 and 17, but it fell from the schedule after that.

WPT World Championship Revival

The 20th anniversary of the World Poker Tour brought many changes, including a revival of the WPT World Championship.

To celebrate Season 20 and close it out in style, the World Poker Tour created the WPT World Championship, a series of tournaments in December at Wynn Las Vegas. The three-week festival of tournaments boasted of many tournaments, including the WPT Prime Championship, WPT Ladies Championship, and the WPT World Championship Main Event. There were mixed games and bounty tournaments, a massive MUG (meet-up game), player party, and a tag team bomb pot event to close it out.

The Main Event was a $10,000 buy-in affair with an eye-popping $15 million guarantee on the prize pool. The buzz around the entire series – from customer service to Wynn poker cash games – brought pro players in from around the world, and satellite winners who won packages for free played a high buy-in event for the first time. When registration closed, it showed that there were 2,960 entries, which created an actual record prize pool of $29,008,000. The final table was livestreamed and filmed for a later broadcast.

When the tournament finished, Eliot Hudon defeated Benny Glaser for the first-place prize of $4,146,400.

WPT World Championship 2023

The WPT-Wynn partnership was a match made in poker heaven. Players raved about the series, and the 2022 event won the Global Poker Award Best Event of the Year honor. So, it was locked in for a follow-up series in 2023.

When the World Poker Tour announced the 2023 WPT World Championship at Wynn Casino in Las Vegas, it did so with a longer schedule – starting November 29 and finishing December 23 – and an even bigger Main Event. The team decided to take it to the next level and make poker history yet again. They put a jaw-dropping $40 million guarantee on the prize pool.

The 2023 WPT Prime Championship (December 7-12) offers a $5 million guarantee, the WPT Ladies Championship has a $250,000 guarantee, the Mystery Bounty $2 million, and a final NLHEevent $3 million.

Another big announcement was the return of the largest charity tournament in the world. The WPT Big One for One Drop, with proceeds benefiting the One Drop Foundation, returns after a years-long hiatus, and it will require a $1 million buy-in. Phil Ivey was the first to buy in for a million dollars, and others who followed months before the event included Daniel “Jungleman” Cates, Nick Petrangelo, Chris Brewer, Talal Shakerchi, David Einhorn, and Rick Salomon. More will buy in as the event nears.

The series will feature special events like the Premier MUG (Dec 1) with cash games open to play against names like DJ Steve Aoki and poker pro Patrik Antonius, a LearnWPT workshop (Dec 4-5), WPT Ladies Championship viewing party (Dec 7), WPT Ambassador Tag Team Challenge (Dec 9), and the Ultimate Players Party (Dec 11) at Area15. In addition, Phil Ivey will play heads-up poker (Dec 10) against two ClubWPT qualifiers for a Main Event seat.

See the full WPT schedule.

WPT Prime

WPT Prime is a new live tournament format with lower buy-in tournaments than the WPT Main Tour. It launched in 2022 and replaced the long-running WPTDeepStacks as the mid-major global series arm of the World Poker Tour. The lower buy-ins are designed to be accessible to more players around the world and establish the WPT in more markets.

As with the Main Tour tournaments, WPT Prime features shot clock play, WPT titles, and tournament coverage from the WPT Digital Content Team. The WPT Prime Main Events will also count towards the WPT Player of the Year leaderboard, which awards $30,000 worth of prizes at the end of each year.

WPT Prime is a new live tournament format with lower buy-in tournaments than the WPT Main Tour. It launched in 2022 and replaced the long-running WPTDeepStacks as the mid-major global series arm of the World Poker Tour. The lower buy-ins are designed to be accessible to more players around the world and establish the WPT in more markets.

As with the Main Tour tournaments, WPT Prime features shot clock play, WPT titles, and tournament coverage from the WPT Digital Content Team. The WPT Prime Main Events will also count towards the WPT Player of the Year leaderboard, which awards $30,000 worth of prizes at the end of each year.

WPT500

While the WPT attracts professional and recreational poker players alike, the WPT500 provides a more reasonable entry point for many amateur players with a buy-in of $500.

The WPT500 hosted a handful of events starting in 2014 and then went online at partypoker during the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID pandemic. In 2023, the WPT500 hosted the WPT Spring Festival online at WPT Global, a UK event at Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham, and an event focused on the Mexican market.

While the WPT attracts professional and recreational poker players alike, the WPT500 provides a more reasonable entry point for many amateur players with a buy-in of $500.

The WPT500 hosted a handful of events starting in 2014 and then went online at partypoker during the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID pandemic. In 2023, the WPT500 hosted the WPT Spring Festival online at WPT Global, a UK event at Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham, and an event focused on the Mexican market.

WPT Global

WPT Global is the newest product from the World Poker Tour, which launched the online poker room that now operates in over 100 countries. The poker site went live in April 2022 and offers numerous tournament series and entries into WPT Main Tour and WPT Prime events.

WPT Global is a licensed partner of the World Poker Tour which has been around for nearly 20 years and it is one of the biggest and most valuable poker brands. The new online poker site offers cash games, tournaments and various different game formats such as No Limit Texas Hold’em, Short Deck and Pot Limit Omaha.

WPT Global is the newest product from the World Poker Tour, which launched the online poker room that now operates in over 100 countries. The poker site went live in April 2022 and offers numerous tournament series and entries into WPT Main Tour and WPT Prime events.

WPT Global is a licensed partner of the World Poker Tour which has been around for nearly 20 years and it is one of the biggest and most valuable poker brands. The new online poker site offers cash games, tournaments and various different game formats such as No Limit Texas Hold’em, Short Deck and Pot Limit Omaha.

All WPT’s Online Offerings

For many years, the World Poker Tour was a live tour brand and did not venture online. However, WPT executives knew that it was a part of the company’s evolution, and the pandemic only solidified it. ClubWPT, PlayWPT, and LearnWPT were already a part of the brand, and WPT Global is the most recent addition.

- ClubWPT offers subscription-based online poker where players can win up to $100,000 in cash and prizes, including a seat into the WPT Main Event. Players can try the VIP subscription for free for up to two weeks. Monthly subscription fees range from $27.95 per month or $264.95 per year for a VIP membership and up to $149.95 per month for a Diamond membership.

• PlayWPT – is another online service, this one a WPT free poker app. This differs from ClubWPT as it is purely social gaming for those that enjoy poker without any financial risk. They can compete against other poker players around the world. It is a free-play site with lessons for beginners and tips for taking your game to the next level.
• LearnWPT – is a poker training site where you can learn both basic concepts and advanced concepts. The site includes a GTO training tool and is considered a bargain by many with a $29 per month price point. Those looking to learn can test drive LearnWPT for even cheaper than that with the first month costing just $5.
• WPT Global – is the real-money online poker product offered by the World Poker Tour and launched in 2022. The site is available in more than 100 countries around the world and in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. New players can take advantage of various welcome packages. WPT Global offers an alternative online poker offering, as they can earn seats to upcoming WPT stops.

For many years, the World Poker Tour was a live tour brand and did not venture online. However, WPT executives knew that it was a part of the company’s evolution, and the pandemic only solidified it. ClubWPT, PlayWPT, and LearnWPT were already a part of the brand, and WPT Global is the most recent addition.

- ClubWPT offers subscription-based online poker where players can win up to $100,000 in cash and prizes, including a seat into the WPT Main Event. Players can try the VIP subscription for free for up to two weeks. Monthly subscription fees range from $27.95 per month or $264.95 per year for a VIP membership and up to $149.95 per month for a Diamond membership.

• PlayWPT – is another online service, this one a WPT free poker app. This differs from ClubWPT as it is purely social gaming for those that enjoy poker without any financial risk. They can compete against other poker players around the world. It is a free-play site with lessons for beginners and tips for taking your game to the next level.
• LearnWPT – is a poker training site where you can learn both basic concepts and advanced concepts. The site includes a GTO training tool and is considered a bargain by many with a $29 per month price point. Those looking to learn can test drive LearnWPT for even cheaper than that with the first month costing just $5.
• WPT Global – is the real-money online poker product offered by the World Poker Tour and launched in 2022. The site is available in more than 100 countries around the world and in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. New players can take advantage of various welcome packages. WPT Global offers an alternative online poker offering, as they can earn seats to upcoming WPT stops.

How to Qualify for the WPT

Players typically have a choice in how they wish to qualify for the WPT Main Tour or a WPT Prime tour stop. Players can choose to directly buy in at the venue or play a live satellite to qualify in for a fraction of the cost. Players at ClubWPT will find online satellites, and those outside of the US with access to WPT Global will find satellites online as well.

Previous World Poker Tour Winners

The World Poker Tour kicked off in style with Gus Hanson winning the inaugural event. Hanson went on to win two more WPTs and joins five others in Brian Altman, Eric Afriat, Chino Rheem, Anthony Zinno, and Carlos Mortensen. Meanwhile, Darren Elias is the only player to win four separate WPT Main Tour events.

Some of the Previous WPT Winners

Ema ZajmovicEric AfriatGus HansenJoe HachemOle SchemionBrian AltmannDaniel NegreanuDarren EliasDoyle BrunsonAll Pictures via WorldPokerTour.com

Ema ZajmovicEric AfriatGus HansenJoe HachemOle SchemionBrian AltmannDaniel NegreanuDarren EliasDoyle Brunson All Pictures via WorldPokerTour.com

How to Watch the WPT Live

The WPT broadcasts many of its events on the regional network Bally Sports in the United States. Additional premier broadcast partners include NBC Sports, AT&T Sports Net, and MSG.

Reputable commentators Vince Van Patten and Tony Dunst are the main commentators with Lynn Gilmartin hosting the events as the anchor.

ClubWPT members have access to shows dating back to 2003, with the entire library available to VIP and Diamond members. WPT also highlights many interesting hands at its World Poker Tour YouTube channel. And the WatchWPT app, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play, offers WPT streaming.

World Poker Tour FAQs

• WHAT IS WPT?

  The WPT stands for the World Poker Tour, one of the most prestigious brands in poker. The WPT dates back to 2002 and celebrated its 20th season in 2022.

• HOW DOES THE WPT WORK?

  The WPT offers many live and online events throughout the year. Players can buy directly in at the venue or online poker provider or qualify via many satellite paths.

• HOW DO YOU QUALIFY FOR THE WPT?

  Players can qualify for the WPT at the casino where the event is held. Players can also qualify via Club WPT and online (outside of the US) at WPT Global.

• WHO WON THE FIRST WPT MAIN TOUR EVENT?

  Gus Hanson won the inaugural WPT Main Tour event in 2002, when he defeated John Juanda heads-up to win the Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Resort & Casino for $556,460.

• WHAT PLAYERS HAVE WON THE WPT PLAYER OF THE YEAR (POY)?

  The disgraced Howard Lederer, who at the time was a formidable poker player, won the first Player of the Year award. Since then, many other big names have won the WPT POY, including Erick Lindgren (Season 2), GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu (Season 3), Jonathan Little (Season 6), Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (Season 7), Anthony Zinno (Season 13), and Brian Altman (Season 18).

• WHAT CHANNEL IS THE WORLD POKER TOUR ON?

  The World Poker Tour is broadcasted primarily on Bally Sports with hosts Tony Durst and Vince Van Patten alongside anchor Lynn Gilmartin. World Poker Tour players and poker enthusiasts can also watch at BT Sport in the United Kingdom and Ireland with highlights published frequently at the World Poker Tour YouTube channel.

• WHERE CAN I FIND WPT LIVE UPDATES?

  WPT live reports many of its events on the World Poker Tour website. In addition to live updates, the WPT website houses tons of historical information along with the WPT schedule of upcoming events.

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP and WSOP?

  The WPT World Championship is the season-ending series hosted by the World Poker Tour and its partner, Wynn Las Vegas. The WSOP is a separate, unaffiliated poker operator.

• HOW CAN I QUALIFY to WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?

  There have been satellite tournaments online at WPT Global and ClubWPT, as well as social media giveaways and contests. There will be more giveaways at the WPT-Wynn series in Las Vegas, as well as satellites.

• WHAT IS THE BUY-IN FOR THE WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?

  The buy-in is $10K – officially $10,400 including fees – to play the WPT World Championship Main Event.

• WHEN IS WPT AT WYNN LAS VEGAS PLAYED?

  The full WPT-Wynn series plays November 29 through December 23. The Main Event plays December 12-21.

• WHAT IS WPT?

  The WPT stands for the World Poker Tour, one of the most prestigious brands in poker. The WPT dates back to 2002 and celebrated its 20th season in 2022.

• HOW DOES THE WPT WORK?

  The WPT offers many live and online events throughout the year. Players can buy directly in at the venue or online poker provider or qualify via many satellite paths.

• HOW DO YOU QUALIFY FOR THE WPT?

  Players can qualify for the WPT at the casino where the event is held. Players can also qualify via Club WPT and online (outside of the US) at WPT Global.

• WHO WON THE FIRST WPT MAIN TOUR EVENT?

  Gus Hanson won the inaugural WPT Main Tour event in 2002, when he defeated John Juanda heads-up to win the Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Resort & Casino for $556,460.

• WHAT PLAYERS HAVE WON THE WPT PLAYER OF THE YEAR (POY)?

  The disgraced Howard Lederer, who at the time was a formidable poker player, won the first Player of the Year award. Since then, many other big names have won the WPT POY, including Erick Lindgren (Season 2), GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu (Season 3), Jonathan Little (Season 6), Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (Season 7), Anthony Zinno (Season 13), and Brian Altman (Season 18).

• WHAT CHANNEL IS THE WORLD POKER TOUR ON?

  The World Poker Tour is broadcasted primarily on Bally Sports with hosts Tony Durst and Vince Van Patten alongside anchor Lynn Gilmartin. World Poker Tour players and poker enthusiasts can also watch at BT Sport in the United Kingdom and Ireland with highlights published frequently at the World Poker Tour YouTube channel.

• WHERE CAN I FIND WPT LIVE UPDATES?

  WPT live reports many of its events on the World Poker Tour website. In addition to live updates, the WPT website houses tons of historical information along with the WPT schedule of upcoming events.

• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP and WSOP?

  The WPT World Championship is the season-ending series hosted by the World Poker Tour and its partner, Wynn Las Vegas. The WSOP is a separate, unaffiliated poker operator.

• HOW CAN I QUALIFY to WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?

  There have been satellite tournaments online at WPT Global and ClubWPT, as well as social media giveaways and contests. There will be more giveaways at the WPT-Wynn series in Las Vegas, as well as satellites.

• WHAT IS THE BUY-IN FOR THE WPT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?

  The buy-in is $10K – officially $10,400 including fees – to play the WPT World Championship Main Event.

• WHEN IS WPT AT WYNN LAS VEGAS PLAYED?

  The full WPT-Wynn series plays November 29 through December 23. The Main Event plays December 12-21.

The WPT stands for the World Poker Tour, one of the most prestigious brands in poker. The WPT dates back to 2002 and celebrated its 20th season in 2022. The WPT offers many live and online events throughout the year. Players can buy directly in at the venue or online poker provider or qualify via many satellite paths. Players can qualify for the WPT at the casino where the event is held. Players can also qualify via Club WPT and online (outside of the US) at WPT Global. Gus Hanson won the inaugural WPT Main Tour event in 2002, when he defeated John Juanda heads-up to win the Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Resort & Casino for $556,460. The disgraced Howard Lederer, who at the time was a formidable poker player, won the first Player of the Year award. Since then, many other big names have won the WPT POY, including Erick Lindgren (Season 2), GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu (Season 3), Jonathan Little (Season 6), Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (Season 7), Anthony Zinno (Season 13), and Brian Altman (Season 18). The World Poker Tour is broadcasted primarily on Bally Sports with hosts Tony Durst and Vince Van Patten alongside anchor Lynn Gilmartin. World Poker Tour players and poker enthusiasts can also watch at BT Sport in the United Kingdom and Ireland with highlights published frequently at the World Poker Tour YouTube channel. WPT live reports many of its events on the World Poker Tour website. In addition to live updates, the WPT website houses tons of historical information along with the WPT schedule of upcoming events. The WPT World Championship is the season-ending series hosted by the World Poker Tour and its partner, Wynn Las Vegas. The WSOP is a separate, unaffiliated poker operator. There have been satellite tournaments online at WPT Global and ClubWPT, as well as social media giveaways and contests. There will be more giveaways at the WPT-Wynn series in Las Vegas, as well as satellites. The buy-in is $10K – officially $10,400 including fees – to play the WPT World Championship Main Event. The full WPT-Wynn series plays November 29 through December 23. The Main Event plays December 12-21.