Undoubtedly, PokerStars is one of the biggest entities on the poker scene. The poker world as we know it would look very different without PokerStars, and throughout the years, they have proved to be so much more than an online poker operator. When it comes to live poker, PokerStars is the brand behind the European Poker Tour (EPT), which is arguably the most popular live event circuit.
The EPT isn’t the only PokerStars-branded live event, though. The PokerStars Open has proven to be a very popular circuit, and in just a few weeks, the PokerStars Open season will begin in Campione. With a four-day Main Event, the 2026 live poker year will start in stellar fashion courtesy of PokerStars.
Main Event Takes the Cake
Located in Campione d’Italia, the Casinò di Campione is one of Italy’s oldest casinos, and, if PokerStars is to be trusted, “One of the best places to experience live poker in the world”. Perhaps the stellar setting is one of the reasons the 2026 PokerStars Open Campione is on the horizon, after a successful inaugural event last year.
The 2026 PokerStars Open Campione will be played January 23-February 1. A 10-day-long poker festival, in other words, and all players are in for a treat. The stunning surroundings aside, PokerStars have gone to great lengths to create a sublime tournament schedule, and everything indicates that the event will be even bigger and better compared to last year.
The €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event will, undoubtedly, be the tournament on most players’ lips. The tournament boasts a €1,000,000 guarantee, a substantial amount compared to its buy-in. It’s an educated guess that the guarantee will be absolutely shattered, considering the 2,423 entries last year resulted in a €2,326,080 prize pool. Romania’s Adrian State took home the title and the €363,000 first-place prize, and similar numbers are expected this year. The tournament is a four-day affair with four starting-day flights, so the presumptions for a massive event are all there.
The Main Event isn’t the only multi-day tournament, though. The whole festival will kick off with the €275 PokerStars Open Warmup. Players can choose between the two starting-day flights, before a winner is crowned after Day 2 on January 25. Those who don’t battle it out in the opener can compete for €1,100 Main Event tickets in the various target stack satellites, which are running continuously until January 30.
Another tournament on the schedule worth highlighting is the €400 PokerStars Open Mystery Bounty Cup. Nothing beats the thrill of a live poker mystery bounty tournament, and this ought to be the perfect event to round off the festival. The two-day event has two Day 1’s, both scheduled on January 31, i.e., the penultimate day of the festival. A winner will be declared on February 1, alongside the Main Event winner.
Including the various satellites, the 2026 PokerStars Open Campione schedule features 23 different events, and considering the buy-ins range from €220 to €4,975, the festival should appeal to many live poker players.
2026 PokerStars Campione – Tournament Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| January 23 | 17:00 | Event #1: €220 NLH Knockout |
| 20:00 | Event #2: €125 Target Stack Satellite to €1,100 Main Event | |
| January 24 | 13:00 | Event #4: €275 PokerStars Open Warmup Day 1a |
| 13:00 | Event #3: €30 Flip Qualifier to €275 PokerStars Open Warmup | |
| 19:00 | Event #4: €275 PokerStars Open Warmup Day 1b | |
| 21:00 | Event #5: €125 Target Stack Satellite to €1,100 Main Event | |
| January 25 | 14:00 | Event #4: €275 PokerStars Open Warmup Day 2 (Final Day) |
| 15:00 | Event #6: €220 NLH | |
| 20:00 | Event #7: €185 Target Stack Satellite to €1,100 Main Event | |
| January 26 | 17:00 | Event #8: €220 NLH Knockout |
| 20:00 | Event #9: €125 Target Stack Satellite to €1,100 Main Event | |
| January 27 | 16:00 | Event #10: €250 Target Stack Satellite to €2,200 PokerStars Open High Roller |
| 18:00 | Event #11: €2,200 PokerStars Open High Roller Day 1 | |
| 20:00 | Event #12: €185 Target Stack Satellite to €1,100 Main Event | |
| January 28 | 13:00 | Event #13: €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1a |
| 13:00 | Event #14: €220 PLO | |
| 13:00 | Event #11: €2,200 PokerStars Open High Roller Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 14:00 | Event #15: €220 Womens Event | |
| 18:00 | Event #16: €185 Target Stack Satellite to €1,100 Main Event | |
| 20:00 | Event #13: €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1b (Turbo) | |
| January 29 | 13:00 | Event #17: €185 Target Stack Satellite to €1,100 Main Event |
| 13:00 | Event #13: €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1c | |
| 20:00 | Event #13: €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 1d (Hyper Turbo) | |
| January 30 | 13:00 | Event #13: €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 2 |
| 16:00 | Event #18: €550 PokerStars Open Second Chance Day 1 | |
| 21:00 | Event #19: €570 Target Stack Satellite to €4,975 Super High Roller | |
| January 31 | 12:30 | Event #20: €4,975 PokerStars Open Super High Roller |
| 12:30 | Event #13: €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 3 | |
| 13:00 | Event #21: €400 PokerStars Open Mystery Bounty Cup Day 1a | |
| 13:00 | Event #18: €550 PokerStars Open Second Chance Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 18:30 | Event #21: €400 PokerStars Open Mystery Bounty Cup Day 1b (Turbo) | |
| February 1 | 12:30 | Event #13: €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event Day 4 (Final Day) |
| 13:00 | Event #22: €220 NLH | |
| 13:00 | Event #21: €400 PokerStars Open Mystery Bounty Cup Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 15:00 | Event #23: €550 Last Chance Deepstack |
The 2026 PokerStars Campione is the first stop out of the two the tour has announced so far. May 27-June 7, it’ll be time for the 2026 PokerStars Open Namur. Before that, though, new winners will be crowned at the legendary Casinò di Campione, and the excitement is unbearable.
