The World Poker Tour is heading back to Texas this fall after the inaugural WPT Prime Lodge Championship exceeded expectations in 2025.
Players will return to The Lodge Card Club in Austin for an 18-day festival running from September 24 to October 12, with the spotlight firmly on the $1,100 WPT Prime Lodge Championship taking place October 8-12. The marquee tournament once again features a $1 million guaranteed prize pool.
WPT Prime Returns to Austin
Last year’s debut proved to be one of the biggest WPT Prime events of the season.
The 2025 championship attracted 1,648 entries, creating a $1,598,560 prize pool, comfortably beating its seven-figure guarantee. After four days of play, Harvey Castro captured the title and banked $225,020 for first place.
With another $1 million guarantee announced for 2026, expectations are high that the tournament could once again draw one of the largest fields on the WPT Prime calendar.
“The response to last season’s WPT Prime Lodge Championship demonstrated just how strong the poker community is in Texas,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “We are thrilled to return to The Lodge Card Club with another $1 million guaranteed Prime Championship event.”
Full Festival Schedule
While the WPT Prime Championship is the centerpiece of the series, players will have plenty of opportunities to get involved throughout the festival.
The schedule includes:
- Festival dates: September 24 – October 12
- WPT Prime Lodge Championship: October 8-12
- Buy-in: $1,100
- Guaranteed prize pool: $1 million
- Live satellites into the Main Event
- Daily tournaments and side events throughout the series
Live satellites will once again offer players a lower-cost route into the championship event.
Livestream Coverage Confirmed
Fans unable to travel to Austin won’t miss the action.
The WPT has confirmed the championship will once again be broadcast live from The Lodge Card Club’s dedicated streaming studio, with additional broadcast details expected closer to the festival.
Busy Finish to WPT Season 24
The return to Texas forms part of a packed second half of the World Poker Tour’s Season 24 schedule.
Upcoming stops include:
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| WPT Cyprus | August |
| WPT Australia | September |
| WPT bestbet Scramble | September |
| WPT Prime Lodge Championship | September 24 – October 12 |
| WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star | October |
| WPT Venetian | October-November |
| WPT World Championship | December |
Additional Season 24 events are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as the tour builds towards its year-ending World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
With another seven-figure guarantee and the success of last year’s inaugural event still fresh in players’ minds, the WPT Prime Lodge Championship is shaping up to be one of the standout stops on the 2026 WPT Prime schedule.
