While they are on break for the 2026 World Series of Poker, the World Poker Tour is actively setting its schedule for the second half of 2026. The WPT has announced that, for one of its second-half tournaments, the carnival will return to Sydney, Australia, with the Star Sydney as host. The Star Sydney will host two major events: a $ 1,500 WPT Prime event and a $5,000 WPT Australia Main Event, which will take place during the WPT’s 20-day stay “down under,” along with a plethora of preliminary events.
Long History for WPT Australia
The WPT Australia will make its journey to the Star Sydney from September 10-30, with a full schedule of preliminary events that will entice poker players from the Asia/Australia region. The first major tournament will be the $1,500 (Australian) WPT Prime Australia Championship, held from September 17-22. The second event that should draw a sizeable throng of players is the WPT Australia Championship, a $5,000 buy-in event that will run from September 24-30. Both final tables will be livestreamed by the WPT, allowing the festivities to be seen around the world.
“We are thrilled to return to The Star Sydney for another WPT Australia festival,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska during the announcement of the stop. “Australia continues to be one of the world’s most passionate poker regions, and we look forward to welcoming players from around the globe as we crown the next WPT Champion.”
In addition to the two major tournaments, the WPT is going to great lengths to give the ladies their own moment in the sun. A $500 WPT Ladies Australian Championship will be contested from September 15-16. There will also be a host of other tournament disciplines featured at WPT Australia, including Pot Limit Omaha, bounty tournaments, and a variety of cash games and stakes.
For those who do not know, the WPT Australia has been a major part of the schedule for several years now. Dating back to the COVID years, the WPT Australia has built a long and storied history, with Hari Varma topping George Psarras in 2019 to win the inaugural title. After taking a break due to the pandemic, the WPT Australia would return in 2022, with David Tang earning the championship.
Richard Lee would earn his first WPT title and over $800K (Australian) by winning the 2023 version of the tournament at the Star Gold Coast, topping hometown hero Martin Kozlov for the title. Australian poker professional James Obst would defend his home ground by winning in 2024, while Alan Pham took the 2025 WPT Australia title and is expected back to defend his crown.
Second Half of WPT Schedule Filling Up
The Season 24 schedule for the WPT finished off its first half with its stop at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown at the end of April. Since then, the WPT has been rather tight-lipped over what players might expect over the next seven months. Now, the WPT is slowly sketching out some details to pencil in on the calendar.
In August, the WPT will be at the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Spa in Cyprus for a tournament, then head to Australia in September after that event’s conclusion. No dates have been set for the WPT Cyprus tournament, with a rundown of events still being determined by the WPT.
In September, the WPT has pending events at the WPT bestbet Scramble in Jacksonville, FL, and WPT Prime at the Lodge in Austin. October will bring the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star in San Jose, while November is being reserved for the WPT Venetian. The historical closing tournament, the WPT World Championship, will be held at Wynn Las Vegas in December.
There are no further details available for these events other than that they will be part of the Season 24 schedule. Keep an eye on WPT.com for a firm update on the second half schedule for the Season 24 schedule of the World Poker Tour.
