When and where was WSOPE 2026 held?

WSOPE 2026 was held at King's Casino Prague in Prague, Czech Republic. It was the first time the WSOPE visited Prague, which became the fourth host city in the series' history after Rozvadov, Cannes, and Berlin. The series ran for approximately two weeks and set a new attendance record with over 15,000 total entries across all events.

Who won the WSOPE 2026 Main Event?

Lithuanian professional Marius Kudzmanas won the WSOPE 2026 Main Event, defeating Italian Gianluca Speranza heads-up after overcoming a 3:1 chip deficit. Kudzmanas earned €2,000,000 and his first WSOP bracelet. The Main Event attracted 1,247 entries with a total prize pool of €11,970,720.

What new tournament formats were introduced at WSOPE 2026?

WSOPE 2026 introduced two notable new formats: the PLO Double Board Bomb Pot (€1,650), where two separate community boards are dealt per hand, won by Jens Kyllönen; and the Rounder Cup (€25,500), a high-roller event with a 20-second shot clock per decision, won by Adrian Mateos. Both formats were popular with players and highlighted how format innovation can create new strategic challenges.

WSOPE 2026 Prague: Complete Recap, Key Results & Strategic Takeaways

WSOPE Comes to Prague: A Historic First

The 2026 World Series of Poker Europe marked a watershed moment as the prestigious tournament series made its debut in Prague, Czech Republic. The charming city of a hundred spires provided a stunning backdrop for two weeks of intense poker action, drawing players from over 70 countries to King's Casino Prague.

Prague became the fourth city to host WSOPE, following Rozvadov, Cannes, and Berlin. The move was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the European poker community, with total entries across all events exceeding 15,000 — a new WSOPE record.

Main Event: Marius Kudzmanas Claims the Bracelet

The €10,350 Main Event attracted 1,247 entries, generating a prize pool of €11,970,720. After five grueling days of play, Lithuanian professional Marius Kudzmanas emerged victorious, claiming his first WSOP bracelet and the top prize of €2,000,000.

Kudzmanas, who had been grinding the European circuit for over a decade, delivered a masterclass in final table play. His heads-up battle against Italian pro Gianluca Speranza lasted nearly four hours, with Kudzmanas overcoming a 3:1 chip deficit through patient, disciplined play that perfectly exemplified GTO-informed decision-making under pressure.

Final Table Results

1st — Marius Kudzmanas (Lithuania) — €2,000,000
2nd — Gianluca Speranza (Italy) — €1,240,000
3rd — Thomas Muehloecker (Austria) — €880,000
4th — Stephen Chidwick (United Kingdom) — €640,000
5th — Paul Phua (Malaysia) — €475,000
6th — Jens Lakemeier (Germany) — €360,000

New Formats That Stole the Show

The 2026 WSOPE introduced several innovative tournament formats that proved hugely popular with players:

PLO Double Board Bomb Pot

The most talked-about new event was the €1,650 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot. This wild format dealt two separate community boards for each hand, creating double the action and double the decision trees. The event drew 412 entries and was won by Finnish pro Jens Kyllönen, who collected €125,600 and his second career bracelet.

From a strategic perspective, the Double Board format dramatically increased the complexity of each decision. Players needed to evaluate their equity across two independent boards simultaneously, making range calculation and pot odds assessment exponentially more challenging than standard PLO.

Rounder Cup

The €25,500 Rounder Cup was a new high-roller format featuring a shot clock with just 20 seconds per decision (15 seconds pre-flop). The time pressure created fascinating dynamics, forcing even the most deliberate players into faster — and sometimes more instinctive — decisions. The event was won by Spain's Adrian Mateos, who earned €720,000.

The shot clock format particularly punished players who relied on lengthy tanking to make decisions. Those with well-studied ranges and pre-built decision trees had a significant edge — a powerful argument for studying GTO solutions as a foundation for timed play.

Other Notable Bracelet Winners

€550 Colossus — Pavel Veksler (Ukraine) — 3,402 entries — €285,400
€1,650 NLHE 6-Handed — Maria Ho (USA) — 487 entries — €168,200
€2,200 PLO — Eelis Pärssinen (Finland) — 312 entries — €144,800
€3,000 NLHE Mixed Max — Mikita Badziakouski (Belarus) — 256 entries — €198,400
€50,000 Diamond High Roller — Jason Koon (USA) — 64 entries — €960,000

Strategic Takeaways for Your Own Game

1. Patience Pays in Deep-Stack Play

Kudzmanas's Main Event victory was built on extraordinary patience. During his heads-up deficit, he didn't panic or make speculative bluffs. Instead, he waited for spots where his range advantage allowed him to apply maximum pressure. This discipline mirrors the GTO principle of not forcing action when the math doesn't justify it.

2. Shot Clock Rewards Preparation

The Rounder Cup demonstrated that players who internalize range-based thinking have a massive advantage under time pressure. If you can identify the correct play within seconds because you've studied similar situations, you avoid the costly mistakes that come from rushed decisions.

3. Multi-Board Thinking Sharpens Decision-Making

Even if you never play a Double Board Bomb Pot, the mental exercise of evaluating multiple boards simultaneously strengthens your ability to think about range vs. range interactions. Practice running through different runout scenarios in your study sessions.

4. Tournament ICM Changes Everything

Multiple final table bubbles saw players making seemingly tight folds that were actually +EV given the payout structure. Understanding ICM implications — and having tools to practice ICM spots — is essential for tournament success.

Looking Ahead

The success of WSOPE Prague virtually guarantees the series will return to the Czech capital. WSOP officials hinted at an expanded schedule for 2027, potentially adding more mixed game events and a second high roller. For players preparing for the next edition, the lesson is clear: study fundamentals, prepare for new formats, and arrive with the patience of a champion.