You’ve seen the banners. You’ve probably heard the rumors at the local card room. But the way the wsop circuit 2025 schedule actually rolled out was a massive curveball for anyone who’s been grinding these events for years.
Honestly, the biggest shock wasn't a new location or a higher buy-in. It was the "calendar shift." For the longest time, the World Series of Poker Circuit followed this weird, school-year-style rhythm that started after the summer series and ended the following spring.
That’s gone.
Basically, 2025 became a bridge year. The organizers decided to move the whole operation to a standard January-to-December calendar starting in 2026. Because of that, the back half of the 2025 schedule felt faster, more intense, and way more international than usual.
The Massive Schedule Shake-up
The second half of the year was packed. If you were looking to snag a ring between July and December, you were looking at 17 domestic stops and 12 international ones.
Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma kicked things off in mid-July. It’s always Choctaw, right? It’s basically the unofficial home base for the mid-south grinders. But then things got spread out.
From the humidity of Harrah's Pompano Beach in October to the crisp air of Lake Tahoe at the new Caesars Republic, the tour didn't stay in one place for long.
One thing most people missed? The Commerce Casino in Los Angeles became a massive player. It hosted the Tournament of Champions back in May 2024, and it held onto that momentum with a huge 18-day stretch in November 2025.
Why the Points System Feels Different Now
If you’re chasing the Tournament of Champions (ToC) seat, things got confusing. For the 2024-2025 season (the one that wrapped up around May), everything was business as usual.
But for the "Part 2" 2025 season?
The ToC qualification changed. Instead of the standard seat, winners from the July-December 2025 events were funneled toward something called the "Ticket To Paradise."
Basically, if you won a ring in the second half of 2025, you were looking at a $5,000 package to the Bahamas. This included a $2,500 buy-in and a hotel stay. Not a bad trade-off, but it definitely changed the "freeroll" math for the grinders who usually plan their lives around the Vegas ToC.
Notable Stops on the wsop circuit 2025 schedule
If you were looking at the domestic U.S. map, here's how the heavy hitters landed.
Harrah's Cherokee in North Carolina is still the king of the East Coast. They had multiple stops—one in August and another late-season run starting on Thanksgiving. It’s always packed. You can’t even find a hotel room in the mountains once that series starts.
Then you had the Midwest rotation. Horseshoe Hammond (near Chicago) and Grand Victoria Casino were back-to-back powerhouses in September and November.
International players had it even better. The 2025 circuit went to some wild places:
- Tallinn, Estonia (Olympic Casino)
- Bratislava, Slovakia (Card Casino)
- North Cyprus (Merit Royal Diamond)
- Sanremo, Italy (Casino Sanremo)
The King's Resort in Rozvadov remains the European hub. If you’ve never been there, it’s basically a poker cathedral built in the middle of nowhere on the Czech border.
The Digital Takeover: WSOP+
We have to talk about the app. 2025 was the year the WSOP+ app became mandatory.
Some people hated it.
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"I just want to pay cash at the cage," was the common refrain. But honestly? Once you get the one-time ID verification out of the way, it's a lifesaver. You can see real-time seat alerts and skip the three-hour lines at the Paris ballroom or the local circuit stops.
The 2025 series also cracked down on tech at the table. No phones at the final three tables. No solvers. No "looking at charts" while you're in a hand. It seems like common sense, but the 2024 Main Event drama forced their hand.
How to Play the 2025/2026 Transition
Since we are currently moving into the 2026 calendar, the strategy for the wsop circuit 2025 schedule has shifted into a "points accumulation" phase for the new year.
The 2026 season officially starts on January 1st at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
If you're planning your travel, keep these tips in mind:
- Check the "Double Stops": Some months have two locations running simultaneously, like Harrah's Atlantic City and Graton in California. Pick the one with the better satellite structure.
- Verify the Payouts: Not all $1,700 Main Events are created equal. Some have $1M guarantees (like Choctaw), while others are much smaller.
- Book the Hotel Early: Especially for Cherokee and Lake Tahoe. These venues fill up months in advance, and the "poker rates" usually disappear two weeks before the first shuffle.
The 2025 schedule was a bit of a chaotic bridge to a more organized future. It favored the travelers and the people who were willing to jump on a plane to Estonia or Calgary.
As we hit the 2026 events, expect the fields to get even bigger as the "calendar year" format makes it easier for casual players to track the season.
Actionable Next Steps: Download the WSOP+ app now and complete your ID verification at your next local stop. If you're eyeing a 2026 ring, start with the Planet Hollywood or Choctaw events in January to get an early jump on the leaderboard.