2026 WSOP Main Event Satellite Guide

There are 100 bracelet-awarding events on the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule, but every poker player dreams of becoming the champion of just one of those tournaments: the $10,000 WSOP Main Event. Unfortunately for some, the $10,000 buy-in puts the 2026 WSOP Main Event out of reach, which is where satellites come into their own.

Since the inaugural WSOP Main Event in 1970, some 160,704 players have exchanged $10,000 for the chance to become poker’s world champion. Across the 56 WSOP Main Events in history, only 49 individuals have taken the crown, with Johnny Moss, the late Doyle Brunson, the late Stu Ungar, and Johnny Chan winning the “Big Dance” more than once.

In 2003, the aptly-named Chris Moneymaker, then an accountant from Atlanta, Georgia, won a $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat via an $86 buy-in satellite online at PokerStars. Moneymaker outlasted 838 opponents, including defeating seasoned pro Sammy Farha heads-up, to win the WSOP Main Event and kickstart the phenomenon that would be called the Moneymaker Effect.

Fastforward to today, and hundreds, if not thousands, of players will head to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas hoping to win their way into the 2026 WSOP Main Event for a fraction of the $10,000 asking price. The 2026 WSOP Main Event satellites run from July 1-7 and come in buy-ins of $150, $260, $585, $1,100, and $2,200.

Step Satellites Are Your Cheapest Route Into the 2026 WSOP Main Event

The $150 Main Event Landmark Step Satellites shuffle up and deal at 8:00 a.m. local time from July 1. Although these do not get you into the 2026 WSOP Main Event, they are a cheap way to get into the $1,100 Main Event Landmark Satellites, where a WSOP Main Event seat awaits.

The aim of these $150 Main Event Landmark Step Satellites is to turn your 10,000 starting stack into 100,000. Hit that landmark, and you’ll progress to the $1,100 Main Event Landmark Satellite at 1:00 p.m. local time.

At 2:00 p.m. local time from July 1-6, a $260 Main Event Landmark Step Satellite gets underway. Again, the aim is to turn a 10,000 starting stack into 100,000 . Manage this, and you’ll win a seat in the $2,200 Main Event Landmark Satellite at 7:00 p.m.

The 2026 WSOP Main Event Satellites That Award $10,000 Seats

The cheapest way to win a 2026 WSOP Main Event seat directly at the Horseshow and Paris Las Vegas is in the twice-daily $585 Main Event Landmark Satellites. They begin at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time between July 1-6.

Build from a 10,000 starting stack to 200,000, and a 2026 WSOP Main Event seat or $10,000 in chips is all yours. While there are no guarantees on these satellites, a WSOP Main Event seat will be available for every $10,000 in the prize pool.

If your bankroll allows, or if you have won a seat via a $150 step satellite, there is a $1,100 Main Event Landmark Satellites each day at 1:00 p.m. local time on July 1-3, another at 8:00 a.m. local time on July 7, and two per day (at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. local time) on July 4-6.

The $1,100 buy-in 2026 WSOP Main Event satellites, starting at 8:00 a.m. local time, play to a turbo blind structure (10-minute clock), with the 1:00 p.m. local time featuring 20/30-minute levels. Regardless, the aim is to turn a 15,000 starting stack into 150,000 chips. Those who reach that total receive a 2026 WSOP Main Event entry or $10,000 in casino chips.

Last but not least are the $2,200 Main Event Landmark Satellites, which start at 7:00 p.m. local time July 1-6. Here, players start their quest for glory with 20,000 chips and try to reach a 200,000 stack. Again, a 2026 WSOP Main Event seat or $10,000 in casino chips are the prizes offered.

2026 WSOP Main Event Live Satellites Schedule

2026 WSOP Main Event Online Satellites

GGPoker is the best place to win your 2026 WSOP Main Event seat online; it’s parent company are the new owners of the WSOP. For the past few months, GGPoker has been running its WSOP Express satellite path.

This four-step path starts with a $0.50 buy-in All-In or Fold Sit & Go before progressing to a $2 Spin & Go tournament. From there, the WSOP Express moves onto a $10 Turbo tournament where you progress to the next stage once you turn your 3,000 stack into 50,000 chips.

Step 4 is a $150 buy-in regular tournament where you get to choose to play for a $10,000 Bracelet Pass.

Some other online poker rooms may offer 2026 WSOP Main Event satellites. However, due to branding rules, they are not permitted to call these satellites WSOP Main Event qualifiers. Instead, look for operators offering satellites that award a “Las Vegas Tournament Entry,” a “$10,000 Las Vegas Bankroll,” or similar.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.