WSOP 2026 reveals bold changes: More tables, stricter rules, and expanded broadcasts
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) launched a new look for the summer series landing page on Thursday, adding a glance at the Dealer Rating System that will be used on the WSOP Live app in 2026.
A powerful purple page now welcomes players with the full schedule and several preview tiles of what to expect. Some of it we already knew, like the 100 bracelets and the $1M Player of the Year race, as well as a permanent WSOP Hall of Fame Store that will sit between Paris and Horseshoe.
We also now know that there will be free streaming on YouTube throughout the series and a live WSOP Main Event Final Table on ESPN in August. And the WSOP is going to boast 749 tables in total, up from 667 last year.
And there was an AI teaser of what the new TV set might look like in Paris. We've talked to someone very close to this, and he told us that players are going to be impressed.
Rating system, rule changes drive fresh look
What's new is a Dealer Rating System, which will offer a chance for players to score their experience on the WSOP app. There's no indication what might be done with the feedback, but it's likely a crucial step for WSOP to improve training and the development of new dealers throughout the summer.
Meanwhile, the WSOP has also announced some rule changes for 2026, starting with a note on tournament registration.
Players who register before a tournament begins will now have their chip stack put in play and blinded off. Rule 35 now says you can no longer wait to claim your chips and a seat, and refunds will be hard to come by once the tournament begins.
A second rule change (Rule 40e) is a direct response to last year's ClubWPT Gold controversy, where two players conspired in heads-up play to claim a $1M prize offered by the third-party poker website. 'Host Properties' can now penalize such behavior that might be "inconsistent with WSOP Official Tournament Rules or the best interests of the WSOP Tournament."
This includes "the Participant accepting any payment or prize from a third-party person or entity (e.g, pursuant to a promotion, product or service) based on the outcome or results of any WSOP Event, in which case the Participant shall forfeit all of the WSOP prize money; if the prize money has already been paid to the Participant, then the Host Properties shall have the right to the return of all the prize money plus interest."
It's vague and specific at the same time. The regulations appear to outlaw a lot of activities that have gone on for years, like last longers, bracelet bets, and anything else that might have some outside influence on a WSOP tournament.
But policing that would be near impossible, so the rule change likely boils down to not being a jerk about it. The penalties are severe, so players may think twice about going along with crazy promotions. That probably won't stop ClubWPT Gold from trying something this summer.
Finally, Rule 80 addresses players who stall when attempting to ladder. Anyone who might be doing so intentionally can now be placed on a clock for all decisions. Players who call for the clock without a good reason or to stall, including "purposely depleting time banks to ladder up in the payout," can now be put on a reduced clock or incur a penalty.
It's not necessarily the Will Kassouf Rule, but it does address some of the tactics used to waste everyone's time and energy. The problem is more common near pay jumps, where players will do anything to buy another 30 seconds.
New era begins May 26
The new rules should clean up some of the more aggravating things about the WSOP with a speedier pace of play near the bubble and less disruptive time-wasting. Blinding off a registered player's chips may end up encouraging more late registration, but it will get things moving along all the same and prevent a few angles.
In addition, speculation grows on this year's live presentation, which we know will be anchored by a core team of Ali Najad, David Williams, Lon McEachern, and Norman Chad.
More are expected to join a crew that will offer free streaming on the WSOP YouTube for every bracelet event throughout the series from a brand-new setup in the Paris Ballroom. The live YouTube coverage will serve as a summer-long setup for the big show on ESPN, with the live WSOP Main Event returning to ESPN platforms for the first time since 2019.
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