Top 10 poker predictions for 2026

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Tadas Peckaitis

Tadas Peckaitis has been a professional poker player, coach and author for almost a decade. He is a manager and head coach at mypokercoaching.com where he shares his experience, and poker strategy tips. Tadas plays poker, mostly online, but also manages to play live events while travelling through Europe and the U.S. He is a big fan of personal effectiveness and always trying to do more. Tadas regularly shares his knowledge about both of these topics with his students, and deeply enjoys it. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or visit www.mypokercoaching.com

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Top 10 poker predictions for 2026

8 December 2025
By Tadas Peckaitis

2025 was one of the most memorable poker years in the game’s history. As the expansion of poker continued, new records were set, and memorable stories were written with every passing month.

While the year is still not in the books, and there are a few major events to look forward to, it’s about time to start looking beyond December and toward 2026.

As the turn of the year edges closer, we thought about everything that happened in the poker world this year, and what we might expect in the next.

These are our top 10 poker predictions for 2026.

10. Streamed cash games will get even bigger
2025 was the year of live-streamed cash games. Week after week, we saw new high-stakes games running across multiple shows, including Hustler Casino Live, Poker at the Lodge, Venetian Poker Live, High Stakes Poker, and more.

The second half of the year even gave us some insanely high-stakes live heads-up matches that included the likes of Jungleman and Ossi “Monarch” Ketolla, where millions of dollars were exchanged in the matter of minutes.

New high-stakes stars like Senor Tilt came about, while the existing poker legends like Alan Keating, Doug Polk, Nik Airball, Mariano, and Rampage all battled it out in some of the biggest games we ever saw.

In 2026, things will only escalate to the next level, as we expect the same group of players to regularly play on stream, with stakes potentially reaching new highs, and some new faces joining the mix.

One thing we know for sure is that we will get to watch many seven-figure pots on various poker streams in 2026, and one of them might even go and break the current records.

9. New poker scandals will emerge
Whether we like it or not, poker is a game that attracts all sorts of drama, and we have seen no shortage of it in 2025 or the years leading up to it.

Early in 2025, a Supreme Court lawyer, Tom Goldstein, was charged with tax evasion for participating in high-stakes poker games. Just recently, a massive poker chatting scandal emerged involving NBA superstars and other high-profile figures, again to the tune of millions of dollars.

These were only a few of the biggest poker scandals of 2025, and there were many others that tainted the game's purity in the eyes of the general public.

Unfortunately, such scandals are unlikely to stop in 2026, as there is simply too much cold, hard cash involved in poker to keep cheaters away.

The best the poker community can do is stay vigilant, report scammers wherever they are spotted, and continue fighting cheaters on a bigger scale than ever before.

Will Kassouf loves to be in the spotlight.

8. Controversial figures will dominate the WSOP headlines
There is something about people who break the rules, talk very loudly, and make trouble for everyone that humans simply seem to like.

If you look back at the headlines from the 2025 WSOP, you will see the names of Martin Kabrhel and Will Kassouf come up more than any others, even including the year’s big winners.

Some poker players enjoy being in the spotlight, creating controversy, and making everyone else in the room uncomfortable. Such players are guaranteed to be back in 2026, and they are very likely to dominate the headlines once more.

One player we all know will be there, making trouble from day one, is the Czech sensation Martin Kabrhel, who has already shown us most of his tricks.

Yet, as more time passes, we expect new players with a similar approach to the game to emerge and create trouble for their unsuspecting opponents.

7. There will be more poker X drama
X, formerly Twitter, has become the go-to platform for poker players to argue in public, air their dirty laundry, and seek support from the community in various situations.

Some recent examples of such drama include Nicky P’s appearances on several episodes of HCL, which sparked plenty of back-and-forth on the platform, and Abby Merk’s hot take on WPT Gold’s new ad, which drew backlash against the popular content creator.

Whether you enjoy it or not, there will be tons of new X drama involving poker players in 2026. The only question is who will get involved and what will trigger it this time around.

If history is anything to judge by, it appears that live-streamed games and poker vlogs spark more X drama than anything else, so keep an eye on your favorite content creators’ X pages, and you are likely to come across at least a few juicy posts in 2026.

6. Triton Poker will keep expanding
A few poker tours dominated the poker tournament scene until very recently, when Triton Poker entered the scene and started making waves.

In 2025, the first edition of Triton One, a mid-stakes poker tour, was launched alongside the popular Super High Roller Series, and it was a huge hit.

Triton One is the tour’s attempt to bring even more players to Triton Poker festivals than before and capitalize on the brand's growing popularity.

In 2026, we expect Triton Poker to expand even further, host at least a few Triton One stops, and introduce new festivals in new locations.

Just how big Triton Poker can become remains to be seen, but it appears to be on the right track to become the world’s number one poker brand in due time.

5. There will be changes to the WSOP schedule
Ever since GGPoker acquired the WSOP brand in 2024, there has been talk about how it might impact the world’s biggest poker tour.

Despite the merger, the 2025 WSOP schedule remained similar to previous years, both in Las Vegas and at the various international stops.

One thing we know for sure is that the WSOPE, the European leg of the Series, will be moving from Rozvadov to Prague, which could significantly increase attendance at the festival.

Beyond that, it remains to be seen if GGPoker and WSOP will look to expand the Series to new locations, which would likely include new WSOPC stops in America, Europe, or Asia.

4. Sweepstakes poker sites will be in trouble
Sweepstakes poker sites have been running poker games on American soil for years by applying the sweepstakes model and staying within the realm of “legal.”

Yet, a major crackdown on such sites started in 2025, with several states, including New York, now banning sweepstakes poker sites outright, and others working on similar legislation.

Before long, most states across America could ban sweepstakes poker, at which point such sites will have to exit the markets.

In 2026, we expect more states to introduce such bans, while sweepstakes sites seek new ways to continue operating within the legal framework.

WPT Gold already made the first such move, moving away from the traditional sweepstakes approach, merging with Upswing Poker, and now selling poker coaching along with “poker chips” redeemable for real money.

Other sweepstakes sites may follow a similar path if it means staying in the markets for a few more years, as they explore further options or seek proper licensing.

3. More games will move to crypto sites and private apps
Online poker is getting more regulated by the day, and it’s becoming harder and harder for players from various parts of the world to play on the same regulated platform.

For that reason, many players look to crypto poker sites, which are licensed in various offshore locations like Curaçao, or to private poker apps, which have no real-money gambling regulation, for their poker games.

Playing on unregulated poker apps or crypto poker sites with questionable licenses may be risky, but it beats not playing online poker at all or playing only in a small player field with unbeatable rake structures. For example, you can use the CoinPoker code and access games from anywhere across the globe.

In 2026, poker apps and crypto poker sites will gain even more momentum, especially if the US crackdown on sweepstakes poker continues.

Ivey winning his 11th WSOP bracelet in 2024.

2. Phil Ivey will win a WSOP bracelet
It wouldn’t be a poker predictions piece if we didn’t mention at least one legend of the game, and this time around, we’re picking Phil Ivey as our favorite to win WSOP gold in 2026.

This year, Ivey came close to winning his 12th WSOP bracelet, as he made three final tables, along with a ninth place in an 8-handed NLH event.

Despite falling short at the 2025 WSOP, Ivey had quite a year at the tournament felt, as he was one of the most dominant figures on the Triton Poker Tour.

In 2026, we expect Ivey to make at least a few final tables once more and close the deal in at least one of them to add another bracelet to his impressive poker resume.

1. Poker will continue to expand on a global level
Despite regulatory obstacles and the general stigma the game faces among the mainstream, poker has been experiencing a revival and a brand-new boom since the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

Poker has continued to grow steadily in North America and Europe, but new markets in Asia, South America, and even Africa have emerged since 2020.

In 2026, these markets will continue to grow, attracting new players and capital into the game. In turn, the big international poker brands like WSOP, Triton Poker, GGPoker, and others will also continue to expand.

With countless millions of potential players across the world, and a growing interest in the game with the younger population, there is no telling just how big poker can get in 2026 and beyond.

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