With a few months of 2024 already behind us, we have had a chance to see quite a few massive live tournaments play out, with many more to come before the year is over.
By all indicators, 2024 could be one of the biggest years for live poker yet, and some of the biggest poker tournaments of the year are still ahead of us.
Whether you are looking to play in some of these events or simply can’t wait to watch them on TV and enjoy the performances of your favorite poker heroes, we are bringing you a list of the biggest Texas Hold’em poker tournaments you should look out for in the rest of 2024.
- #1 – WSOP Main Event (July 3 – 17)
- #2 – WPT World Championship (December 3 – 23)
- #3 – EPT Barcelona (September 1 – 8)
- #4 – EPT Prague (December 4 – 15)
- #5 – WPT Australia (September 20 – 25)
- #6 – WPT Prime Paris (October 22 – 27)
- #7 – WSOP Colossus (June 28 – 30)
- #8 – WSOP Poker Players Championship (June 23 – 28)
- #9 – WSOP Europe Main Event (October 4 – 10)
- #10 – WSOP Paradise (TBD)
#1 – WSOP Main Event (July 3 – 17)
The biggest poker festival in the world, the World Series of Poker (WSOP), is coming back to Horseshoe and Paris casinos in Las Vegas this summer.
The Series is now less than a month away, with the Main Event traditionally being one of the latter tournaments on the Series’ schedule.
Last year, the Main Event broke its attendance record, which had stood for a long time. This time around, it will be looking to match the number or make it bigger.
For a $10k buyin, the Main Event is widely considered to be the best tournament in the world, as it features more amateur players and weak spots than any other event in this buyin range.
For that reason, poker pros worldwide look forward to the WSOP Main Event and many of them make the trip out to Nevada specifically to play in the tournament.
If you are looking for the best and biggest poker tournaments in 2024, you should not miss the 2024 WSOP Main Event, which kicks off on July 3 and features four starting days for your convenience.
And don’t forget to brush up on your poker ICM to fully capitalize on your deep runs.
#2 – WPT World Championship (December 3 – 23)
The WPT World Championship is the only $10k tournament that can come close to the WSOP Main Event in terms of size, and even it falls significantly shorter.
Yet, last year’s WPT World Championship was a true spectacle with its $40,000,000 guarantee, which the WPT failed to meet by a small margin.
This year, the WPT has not set any such guarantees on the World Championship event just yet but will probably be doing a guarantee of some sort to draw players in.
Played in the spectacular environment of the Wynn Las Vegas, the WPT World Championship promises to be another fantastic poker event and one of the biggest poker tournaments of 2024.
If you can’t quite make it to Las Vegas this summer for whatever reason, keep December in mind as another time when you can play a huge poker event in the same city but at a slightly different period.
#3 – EPT Barcelona (September 1 – 8)
Historically speaking, EPT Barcelona has been the most attractive stop on the biggest poker tour in Europe, and we fully expect it to be such this year as well.
In 2023, the €5,300 Main Event attracted 2,120 runners, with the eventual champion winning over €1.13 million for his efforts and all players who made the final table getting six-figure payouts.
This year, EPT Barcelona Main Event is scheduled for the early days of September, putting it at a perfect time slot between the WSOP and the various poker events played in the winter time.
If you are looking to play some poker this fall, EPT Barcelona is probably one of the best choices, as it is almost guaranteed to be one of the biggest poker tournaments of the year.
#4 – EPT Prague (December 4 – 15)
If you are not a fan of the summer heat and the seaside vibes of Barcelona and would rather play poker in a winter wonderland, EPT has you covered.
Like every year, EPT Prague will be played in the days leading up to Christmas, which is the one time when the Czech capital is at its most festive.
While the tournament itself is guaranteed to draw in thousands of players and create a fantastic poker experience, there is just something about EPT Prague that makes it a completely unique experience.
If you make it to Prague during the festival, you will also get to experience the city’s fabled Christmas markets, a variety of outdoor events, and certainly a snowball fight or two with your poker buddies along the way.
#5 – WPT Australia (September 20 – 25)
WPT Prime Gold Coast just ended a couple of weeks ago, and it was a resounding success. To the joy of players Down Under, the WPT will be coming back before the year is out.
This time around, the WPT Main Tour will be played at the same venue, with the Main Event featuring a buyin of AUD $8,000 and a variety of side events played in the lead-up.
For the players in this part of the world, WPT Australia will certainly be one of the biggest poker tournaments in 2024 that they can travel to easily and affordably.
While we can’t tell you the exact numbers to expect from the WPT Australia Main Event, it is quite likely that the event will be one of the biggest ever played in Australia, making it well worth your time and effort to jump into.
#6 – WPT Prime Paris (October 22 – 27)
We have covered quite a few large $10k and $5k events thus far, but it’s only fair to include a few events for players looking to play at slightly lower stakes.
The WPT Prime Paris comes to the City of Love in late October and will be offering the full WPT experience for a price of just €1,100.
Like other WPT festivals, WPT Prime Paris will feature a number of side events as well and will allow for re-entries, making the trip to Paris worth your time.
Like events in Barcelona or Prague, WPT Prime Paris will be an event that allows you to have plenty of fun away from the tables as well, as it will be played in one of Europe’s most beautiful tourist destinations.
The tournament itself will be one of the biggest poker tournaments in the mid-major buyin range this year, especially if we are only considering events on European soil.
If EPT Barcelona happens to be slightly above your pay grade for fall poker fun, then WPT Prime Paris may be the exact event you were looking for.
#7 – WSOP Colossus (June 28 – 30)
The Main Event is certainly the most appealing event of the WSOP, but the $10k buyin is a bit too steep for many poker players out there.
For that reason, the Series has added a number of smaller events over the years, allowing players with more modest bankrolls a chance to play in a field much like that of the Main Event.
WSOP Colossus will be one of the biggest poker tournaments of the year in terms of sheer size, although its significantly reduced $400 buyin will make the prize pool less mind-blowing.
Still, for such a low price, you will get a chance to play against thousands of poker players and compete for a multi-million dollar prize pool, giving you a real shot at making it big in poker overnight.
If you are coming to Vegas this summer, the Colossus is an event you should not miss out on, and firing at least one bullet in this monster tournament should be obligatory.
#8 – WSOP Poker Players Championship (June 23 – 28)
The WSOP is a poker festival for everyone. There are events like Colossus and the Main Event that are made for everyone, and then there are events like WSOP Poker Players Championship for the top pros only.
With a $50k buyin and a mix of poker games familiar only to the top players, the Poker Players Championship is a very exclusive event.
In fact, this event usually gets very few entries, and what makes it one of the biggest poker tournaments in the world is its exclusivity.
While the event is technically open to anyone, very few players dare come up against the best mixed games players in the world.
Instead of thinking about playing this one, make sure to book the dates and remember to watch the live PokerGO streams of this one, as you may just learn quite a lot from watching a few hours of action from this particular poker tournament.
#9 – WSOP Europe Main Event (October 4 – 10)
For many European players, the cost of traveling out to Las Vegas and staying there for a month simply doesn’t make sense. For that reason, the WSOP will be coming to Europe shortly after the festivities end in Sin City.
Between October 4 and 10, European players and visitors from all over the world will get a chance to play the WSOP Main Event in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, the European poker capital.
The luxurious Kings Casino Rozvadov will host another amazing WSOPE poker festival, with some of the top European and international players in attendance.
Unlike the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, the WSOPE Main Event tends to feature a much tougher field stacked with many pros and few amateurs, so you will absolutely need to have a strong GTO poker foundation.
Yet, WSOPE Main Event will be one of the biggest poker tournaments, and certainly the most prestigious ones in 2024, and one worth a visit for any aspiring poker pros out there.
#10 – WSOP Paradise (TBD)
At this time, the WSOP has not announced any dates for WSOP Paradise, but following the success of the inaugural edition last year, we expect to see it added back to the schedule in 2024 as well.
Last year, the event was only announced after the Series in Las Vegas ended, and we expect a similar situation to happen this year.
The tropical setting of Paradise Island in the Bahamas should make WSOP Paradise the perfect stop for poker players looking to play poker and have a winter vacation at the same time.
WSOP Paradise will likely be played in December or early 2025 and will probably feature about a dozen bracelet events, including a Main Event with a substantial guarantee.
If you are looking for an alternative to the WPT World Championship and want to play a few poker hands in a retreat-like environment, WSOP Paradise might just be it. If you plan things right and get your logistics in order ahead of time, you will likely be able to make both festivals.
