WSOP Paradise runs December 2 to 17 at Baha Mar in the Bahamas, with $120 million in total guarantees across 20 gold bracelet events. It also decides the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year race, with $1 million in prizes for the top 100 finishers. The headline numbers are big, but a close reading of the fine print shows how guarantees are structured and what players need to know before travelling.
The headline events
According to the WSOP's schedule announcement, the three marquee events are:
- Event #1: Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty. $2,750 buy-in, $5 million guarantee. It opens the festival.
- Event #4: GGMillion$ No Limit Hold'em Championship. $10,000 buy-in, $20 million guarantee.
- Event #13: $26,000 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event. The flagship, with a $50 million guarantee.
Daily coverage streams on the WSOP YouTube channel starting December 5 at 3 p.m. ET. Entry fees are added to all events.
The fine print: up to 5% withheld
The WSOP notes that up to 5% of buy-ins is withheld for staff and operational costs, and that this percentage is deducted from guaranteed prize pools before payouts. It also reserves the right to cancel or modify any event without notice, with structures published on the WSOP Live app.
That sentence changes how you should read the guarantee. If up to 5% of each buy-in is withheld, then the guarantee is measured against the net prize pool, not the gross money collected. Here is an illustrative calculation, which is my own arithmetic rather than a WSOP figure. Assume the full 5% is withheld:
| Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Entries to hit it with no overlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty | $2,750 | $5M | about 1,914 |
| GGMillion$ NLH Championship | $10,000 | $20M | about 2,106 |
| Super Main Event | $26,000 | $50M | about 2,025 |
Without any withholding, the same guarantees would be met at 1,819, 2,000 and 1,924 entries. So a full 5% withholding means roughly five percent more entries are needed before the field generates the guaranteed pool on its own. Below those numbers, the guarantee creates an overlay, which benefits players because the added money exceeds what they paid in. Above them, the prize pool grows beyond the guarantee. Since the withholding is described as "up to" 5%, the exact numbers could be a little lower, but the principle holds.
For a recreational player, the main takeaway is that guarantees are good value when fields are below the break-even level and less meaningful when they are above it. Check the event structure in the WSOP Live app before you register. Our tournaments page explains how guarantees and overlays work in general.
The $26,000 Super Main Event
The Super Main Event is the centrepiece. A $50 million guarantee on a $26,000 buy-in requires, as computed above, around 2,025 entries before overlay disappears with a full 5% withholding. Bigger fields mean bigger first prizes. For players hoping to qualify cheaply, GGPoker players can win seats through WSOP Express satellites, and WSOP Circuit ring winners receive a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package, including a seat in the $2,750 Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty and complimentary accommodations. WSOP Online bracelet winners have also received a $30,000 Super Pass, as in the case of Andrii Novak's win in the WSOP Online Main Event.
Early-bird packages were also on offer, with deposits due October 31. A $100K Paradise Package required a minimum $100K in buy-ins including GGMillion$ Day 1A and Super Main Event Day 1A, with a $5,000 deposit. A $300K VIP Package required $300K in buy-ins with the same two Day 1A events, a $10,000 deposit and added perks. The deadline has now passed, so check with WSOP if you are interested in a package. For the broader schedule, see our WSOP schedule page.
The Player of the Year finale
Paradise decides the 2026 Player of the Year race. The prize structure announced by the WSOP:
- Prize pool: $1,000,000 for the top 100 finishers.
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd: each receives a $100K Paradise Package.
- 4th through 15th: each receives a $30K Super Main Event Package.
- Additional packages and championship tickets are paid down to 100th place.
The standings before the finale:
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaun Deeb (defending champion) | 3,410 |
| 2 | Naoya Kihara | 3,388 |
| 3 | William Alex Foxen | 3,381 |
| 6 | Daniel Negreanu | 2,698 |
| 12 | Nicholas Schulman | 2,552 |
The top three are separated by just 29 points, which means a single deep run could decide it. Negreanu, an eight-time bracelet winner and two-time former POY, said, "WSOP Paradise is the perfect setting for a dramatic finish to the year." He added that he is "a few hundred points back" and that a third POY title is within reach. His gap to Deeb is 712 points, which is meaningful but not impossible in a festival with 20 bracelet events and a $50 million main event.
The announcement did not describe how POY points are calculated, so I will not speculate about how many points a deep run in the Super Main Event is worth. Players near the top will have to decide whether to chase points in many events or concentrate on the biggest fields.
The WSOP parlay promotion
An additional $1,000,000 in parlay prizes is available to players who compete in the Bahamas. Any player who has reached a WSOP bracelet event final table in 2026, live or online, is eligible. This is a promotional layer on top of the festival and will add motivation for players who made final tables earlier in the year.
Practical advice for attendees
Do the maths on your buy-ins. Entry fees are added to all events, so your total cost is higher than the listed buy-in. Budget accordingly and read our bankroll management guide.
Understand variance. With fields of 2,000 or more in the biggest events, even excellent players cash a small percentage of the time. The ICM explainer helps with late-stage decisions.
Study for the structure. Large field events reward patience and good hand selection early, then aggression as the money approaches. Our poker strategy hub is a good starting point.
Consider online qualifiers. If you cannot afford the $26,000 directly, WSOP Express satellites on GGPoker offer a cheaper route. Compare online and live poker before you decide.
Check the schedule. The festival can change without notice, so follow the WSOP Live app.
If you want to follow the results as they happen, our WSOP 2026 results page tracks the season, and the poker on TV guide covers where to watch.
Bottom line
WSOP Paradise's $120 million in guarantees is real, but the withholding of up to 5% of buy-ins means the net prize pool is slightly smaller than a simple multiplication suggests, and the number of entries needed to cover each guarantee is correspondingly higher. For the $26,000 Super Main Event, that is roughly 2,025 entries by our estimate. Meanwhile, the Player of the Year race is tight: Deeb, Kihara and Foxen are separated by 29 points, with Negreanu 712 back. Between the bracelets, the $1 million POY ladder and the parlay prizes, December in the Bahamas promises plenty of drama.