WPT® Lucky Hearts Poker Open 2026: Schedule, Championship, Satellites

The WPT® Lucky Hearts Poker Open is how the live poker year now starts in Florida. In 2026 it returns as a full WPT® Main Tour stop with a $3,500 Championship and a $3,000,000 guarantee.

Lucky Hearts matters because it blends a long-running Florida festival, huge fields, and a WPT® title in January. If you want a real “season start” rather than a warm-up series, this is one of the key spots.

WPT® Global runs regular WPT Global Passport satellite events. When you win, you earn flexible Passport Dollars you can use for any WPT festival, including the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

The 2026 Lucky Hearts Poker Open runs from 6 to 20 January with a dense list of trophy events.

The structure follows a simple pattern that regulars know well.

Deep Stack Opener

This is the first massive-field spot. Locals and early arrivals use it to build a bankroll before the WPT® Championship.

• Early in the festival

• $600 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em Eight

• Day 1 flights spread across several days

• $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool

Mid-series NLH and mixed events

The exact names shift, but the mix stays friendly to mid-stakes grinders who want full days and good structures. Between the opener and the Championship you can expect:

• Extra $400–$1,100 NLH events

• Mystery bounty and progressive bounty formats

• PLO, PLO8, Big O and mixed events like T.O.R.S.E. and H.O.R.S.E.

• Seniors and ladies events

• One or more $5k-range deep-stacked tournaments

WPT® Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

The Championship is the clear main event of the series. Everything else in the schedule flows around it.

• Runs 16–20 January 2026

• $3,500 buy-in

• $3,000,000 guarantee

• Two Day 1 flights, then three more days until a winner

High Rollers and closing events

Towards the back end of the festival you see:

• $25,500 High Roller with a $1,000,000 guarantee

• A $10,000 Deep Stack with a $500,000 guarantee

• Extra $800–$1,700 events with strong guarantees

• “Closer” style tournaments on the last day, including bounty formats

On a seven to ten day trip you can:

• Fire later Deep Stack opener flights

• Grind satellites and mid-stakes events

• Play both Championship starting days

• Still have action after a bust-out, including the High Roller or closers

Inside the WPT® Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

The WPT® Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship is the crown event of the festival. It has kept the $3,500 buy-in for more than a decade, which suits live regulars and satellite winners.

Championship structure overview

Based on recent editions you should expect:

• Two Day 1 flights (11:00 starts) with deep stacks and a big blind ante

• Multiple re-entries allowed, with exact rules on the official structure sheet

• Shorter levels on Day 1, then longer levels from Day 2 onward

• A combined Day 2 that plays into the money

• Two further days that play down to the televised final table and the winner

For precise starting stacks, level lengths, and re-entry caps, always check the Seminole Hard Rock poker page and the WPT® event page before you buy in.

Field size and prize potential

Recent Lucky Hearts Championships give a clear picture that stacks are deep enough to create real post-flop play, along with payouts that are top-heavy enough that a single run can reshape a bankroll.

• 2021: Ilyas Muradi wins $809,515 from 1,573 entries

• 2022: Alexander Yen wins $975,240 from 1,982 entries

• 2024: Raminder Singh wins $486,353 from 1,188 entries

• 2025: Martins Adeniya wins $512,600 from 1,162 entries after a two-way deal

So a realistic expectation for 2026 is:

• Field in the 1,100–1,900 range

• Prize pool well above the $3,000,000 guarantee if demand stays strong

• First prize often in the high six figures, sometimes close to seven

Lucky Hearts offers several ways to reach the $3,500 Championship without paying full price.

Live satellites at Seminole Hard Rock

Across the festival you will find:

• Step satellites into the $600 opener and the $3,500

• Championship Mega satellites close to Championship days with multiple seats guaranteed

• Turbo and survivor formats that award direct seats or tournament credit

Typical examples include:

• $400 mega satellites with a set number of $3,500 seats

• Lower-buy-in steps that feed into bigger satellites later in the week

The exact buy-ins and seat counts change each year. Check the 2026 Lucky Hearts satellite section on the Seminole Hard Rock poker schedule for current details.

Online and WPT® ecosystem routes

Historically, players have also qualified through the wider WPT® ecosystem:

• Online qualifiers and promotions on WPT® platforms

• ClubWPT-style routes for selected televised WPT® events

• WPT® Global regular WPT® Global Passport satellite events which you can use Passport dollars.

For 2026, watch official WPT® and Seminole channels in late 2025 for confirmed online paths. Do not assume a specific route exists until it appears on those pages.

Mid-stakes grinders

If you usually play $1,000–$3,500 live events, Lucky Hearts gives you:

• A $600, $2M-guarantee opener

• A $3,500 WPT® Championship with a long record

• Several $1,100–$2,200 events where first prize still reaches six figures

You can build a proper January grind with strong structures on most days.

Recreational players on a poker holiday

For serious recreational players the festival works well because you can:

• Take one or two shots at Deep Stack opener flights

• Play a mid-buy-in side event

• Try one or two satellites into the Championship

The resort setting means non-playing friends or partners have plenty to do while you sit at the tables.

High rollers and action hunters

The $25,500 High Roller and other bigger buy-ins attract:

• Regular nose-bleed pros

• East Coast high-stakes cash game players

• Successful local and regional tournament winners

If you come for those games you still get a full menu of side events and cash games around them.

Lucky Hearts has become one of the key stories inside the WPT® season. Some headline years:

• 2013 Matt Giannetti wins $323,804 from 369 entries

• 2014 James Calderaro wins after a move to Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, from a 415-player field

• 2015 Brian Altman wins $723,008 from 1,027 entries at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood

• 2018 Darryll Fish wins $511,604 from 911 entries

• 2020 Altman wins the same WPT® event again, the first player ever to do so, for $482,636 from 843 entries

• 2021 Ilyas Muradi wins $809,515 from 1,573 entries

• 2022 Alexander Yen wins $975,240 from 1,982 entries

• 2024 Raminder Singh wins $486,353 from 1,188 entries

• 2025 Martins Adeniya wins $512,600 from 1,162 entries after a two-way deal

That track record shows clear momentum. Fields have grown from a few hundred to almost 2,000. First prizes have hit the $500,000–$975,000 band several times. The 2026 winner adds their name to that list and takes an early lead in the WPT® season narrative.

From 2023 to 2025 the LHPO Championship kept the $3,500 buy-in and strong fields, but ran as a Seminole series headliner rather than a WPT® Main Tour stop.

In 2026 WPT® puts its name back on the Championship and sets a $3,000,000 guarantee. The winner leaves Hollywood with a big score, a WPT® title, and a head start in any Player of the Year race.

That change matters because it:

• Turns Lucky Hearts into the official WPT® season opener

• Lifts the guarantee above the older $2,000,000 line

• Plugs Florida back into a clear live map that runs Seminole → Venetian → Choctaw → Wynn Las Vegas in December

Streaming and coverage

The 2026 WPT® Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship has full WPT® coverage:

• Live updates and chip counts on WPT.com across all

• Championship days Live streaming of the late

• Championship stages on the WPT® YouTube channel and WPT.com

• Festival coverage across WPT® and Seminole social channels

If you care about the broadcast side, check WPT.com before the event for exact streaming times and commentary details.

If you want a full Championship campaign plus side events, a 7–10 day stay works well.

A simple plan:

• Arrive for later Deep Stack opener flights and early satellites

• Play a mix of mid-stakes events and cash games on off days

• Fire both Championship Day 1 flights if your bankroll allows

• If you bust the Championship, move into the High Roller or closing events

Practical basics:

• Airports: Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International is closest. Miami International is a short drive.

• Where to stay: On-property at Seminole Hard Rock for convenience, or nearby Hollywood / Fort Lauderdale for cheaper rooms.

• Weather: January in South Florida is mild and dry, with comfortable pool weather between sessions.

• Food and entertainment: Dozens of on-site bars and restaurants, the Guitar Hotel light show, and a busy live music venue.

Be mindful, rooms and direct flights fill quickly once the full schedule is public. Booking before the end of 2025 or at the very start of 2026 is a smart move if you want on-property options.

Always recheck the official WPT® and Seminole Hard Rock pages for any last-minute changes to dates, guarantees, or structure before you lock travel.

Lucky Hearts has evolved from a nice Florida series to a major January festival that:

• Launches the WPT® year

• Puts up multi-million-dollar guarantees

• Offers a proven $3,500 Championship with big first prizes

• Sits inside a resort where you can handle everything on one property

If you want your year to start with a genuine major, not a small tune-up, the 2026 WPT® Lucky Hearts Poker Open deserves a place near the top of your live poker plans.