In a world where live poker festivals are running every week all over the globe, the legendary World Series of Poker (WSOP) has managed to stay relevant, to say the least. The $10,000 Main Event is still the one tournament that everyone dreams of someday winning, a dream that will come true for one lucky player this summer.
Time flies, and the 2026 WSOP is approaching at rapid speed. The organization behind the legendary brand is constantly developing the WSOP concept, and that has also been the case this year. A handful of new rules that have become a topic of discussion within the community and the poker.pro editorial office has decided to break them down.
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Two Sides of the Coin
When Chris Moneymaker won the $10,000 Main Event during the 2003 WSOP, he started what has been referred to as “The Moneymaker Effect.” All players around the world now realize that it is possible to win the biggest title in poker, and since then, the WSOP has attracted massive numbers continuously. It’s maintained its status as a recognized world championship, and the excitement is real for this year’s edition.
The 2026 WSOP will be played May 26-July 15 at Horseshoe/Paris, Las Vegas. The tournament features 100 unique events, covering all sorts of disciplines. That being said, the $10,000 Main Event still is (and will most likely always be) the most prestigious tournament.
With so much money on the line, one can understand that the WSOP must put a proper framework of rules in place. The rulebook is a very dynamic document that tends to undergo a few tweaks and/or additions every year. The upcoming festival will be no exception, and there are some new rules that players need to be aware of.
Let’s start with the rule that has received the most attention in poker media. Rule 40 subsection “e” now reads:
“Host Properties will penalize any act that, in the sole and absolute discretion of Host Properties, is inconsistent with these WSOP Official Tournament Rules or the best interests of the WSOP Tournament. Such act includes, but is not limited to, 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 Participant, then the Host Properties shall have the right to the return of all the prize money plus interest. “
Many in the poker community have made the educated guess that this rule has been put into place after last year’s controversial situation in the $1,500 Millionaire Maker. The WSOP expected the top two players to collude; one player would receive an additional prize from a third party if he won. Hence, it would mean more money to both players if he won the event. From now on, the WSOP will be able to lean on the rulebook to prevent this kind of situation from happening again.
While it’s good that the WSOP is going to great lengths in order to keep the game fair and secure, some players have been wondering to what extent this rule will be implemented. By the word, this rule could make traditional “side bets” between players, such as last longer’s, action swaps, fantasy leagues, and prop bets, more difficult to execute. Only time will tell how the WSOP decides to act on this subject; perhaps, there’ll be some precedent after this year.
Another one that has created some buzz is the regulation of what promo material players can have when playing at the TV tables. Back in 2025, Rule 52 was a short one that more or less only said that players had to “Execute a Participant release form” prior to entering a tournament. This rule has now grown into two massive paragraphs, explaining very clearly what needs to be done prior to bringing promo material to the livestreamed tables:
“Prior to entering and playing in the Tournament, each Participant must (a) execute a Participant release form; and (b) if the Participant intends to wear logos, patches or promotional language of any kind, at any time, while seated at a “feature” table, producing event content intended for distribution via digital or linear channels, then Participant must submit written correspondence to Host Properties or their designee at [email protected] at least 24 hours prior to logos, patches or promotional language being displayed. The written submission must be approved by the Host Properties and identify sponsor and include the specific logos or promotional language, including their placement.
Any Participant not receiving express written consent of Host Properties or their designee shall not be allowed to display such logos and no logos will be approved after the start of a tournament day. Any such consent for logos, patches or promotional language shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of Host Properties or their designee, and failure to obtain such consent may, at the option of Host Properties acting in their sole and absolute discretion, subject the Participant to immediate disqualification at any point in the Tournament. If the Participant is disqualified, he or she shall forfeit all entry fees paid and not be entitled to receive any Tournament prize monies or any other prize. Under no circumstances shall logos be allowed which may be injurious or prejudicial to the interests of Host Properties, the World Series of Poker, ABC (and their subsidiaries and affiliates) or honest advertising and reputable business in general.”
The good thing about this rule is that the WSOP will now have control over what brands are being exposed to the biggest poker audience. The big problem, though, is that players often won’t know if they’ll be on the featured table or not. Professional poker player/author Maria Konnikova questioned the change of Rule 52 on X:
“Wait so per rule 52, if our table is randomly selected to stream on day 1 of the main, for instance, we should have somehow guessed that in advance and magically submitted an approval request 24 hrs in advance to be allowed to wear our patches??”
All in all, it’s a good thing (actually, absolutely vital) that the WSOP keeps updating its book of law; poker is constantly evolving, and the rules need to be as dynamic to keep the game safe and fair for players. That being said, there’ll probably be some trial and error for the organization in Vegas this summer, depending on how the operative staff on the floor interpret the rules – and how they choose to rule, players could get in trouble without having any bad intentions.
Nevertheless, the 2026 WSOP will be an exciting event to follow – not only because it’s the biggest stage of live poker with the biggest prize pools, but also to see how the new rules affect the game.
