The WSOP Circuit has returned to Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa with 18 official ring events running through September 28. Every ring winner at the stop will also receive a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, giving the regional festival an extra reward beyond the usual jewellery and prize money.
The series began on September 17 and brings another full Circuit schedule to the Midwest as the 2026 season gathers pace. It also continues the WSOP’s push to connect regional ring events directly with its year-ending Paradise festival in the Bahamas.
18 Rings Up for Grabs in Iowa
Horseshoe Council Bluffs will host 18 official WSOP Circuit events across the stop. The schedule gives players from Iowa, Nebraska and the wider region nearly two weeks of tournament poker without needing to travel to one of the larger coastal markets.
The Circuit remains one of the clearest routes into WSOP-branded live poker for players who do not routinely fire four-figure and five-figure buy-ins. Ring events typically mix accessible preliminary tournaments with a larger Main Event, creating a festival where local regulars can share tables with travelling professionals.
Poker Type has followed the Circuit’s expansion throughout 2026. Recent stops have included WSOP Circuit Paris and the first WSOP Circuit series in Mexico City, showing how aggressively the brand has widened its calendar.
Main Event Starts September 25
The headline tournament in Council Bluffs is the $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, which begins on September 25. That gives players more than a week of preliminary events before the biggest title of the stop gets underway.
For many Circuit players, the Main Event is the natural target. It offers the largest field and usually the strongest first prize, while a deep run can turn a regional trip into a career-best result for players who do not spend the year on the high-roller circuit.
The timing is also useful for players chasing the broader 2026 Circuit season. Council Bluffs overlaps with several other international and US stops, meaning regulars need to choose schedules carefully rather than simply following every ring series on the calendar.
Every Winner Gets a WSOP Paradise Package
The biggest added incentive is the WSOP Paradise package attached to each ring. Every 2026 Circuit champion earns a $5,000 package that provides a route into the winter festival at Baha Mar in the Bahamas.
That policy turns even a smaller preliminary event into more than a standalone tournament. A player can win a regional ring in Iowa and leave with a path into a much larger international series several months later.
Poker Type previously covered the WSOP Paradise 2026 schedule, which carries $120 million in total guarantees across the festival. For a Circuit winner, the package therefore connects a local result directly to one of the largest poker series of the year.
A Busy Stretch for the WSOP Circuit
Council Bluffs arrives during a crowded period for the Circuit. Texas Card House in Austin is also hosting a stop, while additional series are scheduled in Thunder Valley, Malta, Calgary and other venues before the calendar moves deeper into autumn.
That density gives players options but also makes individual stops work harder for attention. Council Bluffs has one obvious selling point: 18 rings, a familiar Horseshoe venue and a Paradise package attached to every victory.
The Main Event will provide the clearest measure of the stop’s strength when cards get in the air on September 25. Before then, there are plenty of rings to win and plenty of chances for a regional grinder to turn one tournament into a ticket to the Bahamas.
