MGM Poker Championship Set for Biggest Series Yet at MGM Cotai

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Derick Elomina
Derick ElominaLead Content Writer & Interview Specialist

Poker is making another big return to Macau as the MGM Poker Championship 2026 prepares for its sixth edition at MGM Cotai from October 23 to November 2.

The 11-day festival is set to be the biggest edition yet, with HKD 14 million (~USD 1.78 million) in total guaranteed prize pools, highlighted by a HKD 9 million (~USD 1.15 million) guaranteed Main Event.

HKD 9 Million Main Event Leads the Schedule

MGM Poker Championship
MGM Poker Championship

The centerpiece of the festival is the MPT Championship Main Event, featuring a HKD 12,000 (~USD 1,530) buy-in and a massive HKD 9,000,000 (~USD 1.15 million) guarantee.

The Main Event runs from October 30 to November 1, with five starting flights giving players multiple chances to qualify for Day 2. All players who make it through to Day 2 will already be in the money, setting up a three-day race for the title and the biggest share of the prize pool.

With the guarantee alone accounting for more than half of the festival’s total guaranteed prize money, the Main Event is expected to draw players from across the region and beyond.

Full MGM Poker Championship 2026 Schedule

EventBuy-InGTD
Pot Limit Omaha
2026.10.23
5K HKD
No Limit Hold'em Tournament
2026.10.23
8.8K HKD
800,000
No Limit Hold'em Tournament
2026.10.23
5K HKD
Big O (PL 5-Card Omaha Hi-Lo)
2026.10.24
3.8K HKD
No Limit Hold'em Turbo
2026.10.24
5K HKD
Mystery Bounty
2026.10.24
8.8K HKD
1,000,000
Progressive Bounty (PKO)
2026.10.25
8.8K HKD
800,000
No Limit Hold'em Tournament
2026.10.25
5K HKD
HORSE
2026.10.25
3.8K HKD
PLO Double Board Bomb Pot
2026.10.26
3.8K HKD
NLH Deepstack
2026.10.26
8.8K HKD
800,000
Short Deck Tournament
2026.10.26
5K HKD
NLH Double Board Bomb Pot
2026.10.27
3.1K HKD
No Limit Hold'em Tournament
2026.10.27
5K HKD
NLH Freezeout
2026.10.27
8.8K HKD
600,000
No Limit Hold'em Tournament
2026.10.28
5K HKD
Mix Event - 10 Games
2026.10.28
3.8K HKD
Pot Limit Omaha Players Championship
2026.10.28
10K HKD
500,000
No Limit Hold'em Tournament
2026.10.29
5K HKD
Short Deck Masters
2026.10.29
8.8K HKD
500,000
#H
MPT High Roller
2026.10.29
55K HKD
#M
MPT Championship Main Event
2026.10.30 - 2026.11.02
12K HKD
9,000,000
No Limit Hold'em Turbo
2026.11.01
5K HKD
Last Chance NLH Turbo
2026.11.02
5K HKD
#S
MPT Super High Roller
2026.11.02
100K HKD

Poker’s Return to Macau

MGM Poker Championship

Macau has long been associated with the growth of poker in Asia, making the return of major tournament action to the city an important development for the regional scene.

Total Prize Pool
$2,271,845
GTD: 13M HKD
Number of Events
25
Flights: 5
Number of Entries
2,213
From 24 countries
Top Payout
$136,670

The MGM Poker Classic in June offered a strong indication of the appetite for poker in Macau. That series featured HKD 13 million in guarantees across 25 events, attracting 2,213 entries in total. Players from 24 different countries made the money, with the festival paying out more than USD 2.27 million.

Shehzad Hassam
Shehzad Hassam – MGM Poker Classic Main Event Champion

The Main Event produced one of the memorable stories of the series when recreational player Shehzad Hassam took down the title for USD 136,670.

#M MPT Main Event (12,000 HKD)
Total Prize USD
$990,000
Total Prize
8M HKD
Guaranteed
8M HKD
Entries
788
ITM
95
#PayoutPlayer
SPI
1HK$1,071,862
$136,670
SH
3,029.00
2HK$944,566
$120,440
CH
2,141.83
3HK$894,210
$114,015
JW
1,748.79
4HK$700,000
$89,255
1,514.50
5HK$367,200
$46,820
1,354.61
6HK$290,960
$37,100
1,236.58
7HK$240,800
$30,705
XW
Xi Wang
China [CHN]China
1,144.85
8HK$191,520
$24,420
JZ
1,070.91
9HK$143,680
$18,320
LS
1,009.67
Check the 95 Payouts & Results ...

A Busy Opening Day

MGM Poker Championship
MGM Poker Championship

The action gets underway on October 23 with an HKD 8,800 NLH event, carrying an HKD 800,000 guarantee and playing out as a one-day tournament, with cards in the air at 12 PM.

The schedule then continues at 5 PM with a Pot-Limit Omaha event featuring a HKD 5,000 buy-in. Another HKD 5,000 NLH tournament follows at 6 PM, giving players plenty of options from the very first day of the festival.

At the other end of the schedule, the MPT Super High Roller takes the spotlight on the final day.

The event features a HKD 100,000 (~USD 12,750) buy-in, bringing the festival to a high-stakes finish and offering Macau’s bigger bankroll players a chance to close out the series on the biggest stage.

Cash Games Keep Macau Busy

MGM Poker Championship
Cash Game Tables

Tournament poker is only part of the picture at MGM Cotai .

Cash games have also been building momentum, with the room regularly seeing 15 to 20 tables running each day, including plenty of recreational players.

Parallax
MGM Cotai Poker Room: The Place to Play Poker in 2026

MGM Cotai is one of the main places to play poker in Macau, offering a smaller and more relaxed alternative to some of the city’s larger poker rooms. Located in the heart of Cotai, the room attracts a mix of local regulars, traveling players, and casino guests staying at the resort.

While it does not have the scale of venues like The Venetian, many players prefer MGM because the room generally feels less crowded and easier to play in during long sessions. The property itself is modern, with restaurants, shopping, hotels, and entertainment all connected within the resort.

MGM Cotai is also the host venue for the MGM Poker Classic 2026 , which runs from June 26 to July 6 with a HKD 13,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Why MGM Cotai?

  • Comfortable Environment: A quieter setup compared to some of Macau’s busier poker rooms.
  • Regular Cash Games: No-Limit Hold’em cash games run regularly, with HKD 50/100 commonly serving as the main entry stake.
  • Central Cotai Location: Located alongside many of Macau’s major hotels, casinos, and entertainment venues.
♠️
GAMES
NLHE Cash Games
💰
STAKES
HKD 50/100+
🏨
SETTING
Modern Resort

The MGM Poker Experience

The poker room at MGM Cotai mainly focuses on No-Limit Hold’em cash games. Action usually starts around HKD 50/100, though bigger games can develop depending on demand and major tournament periods in Macau.

The room itself is smaller than some other Macau poker venues, which many players see as a positive. Waitlists are generally more manageable, the atmosphere is calmer, and the overall experience feels less hectic than some of the larger casino floors nearby.

Like most poker rooms in Macau, game availability can vary depending on season, tourism flow, and major poker festival schedules across the city.

Venue Logistics

📍 Location: Avenida da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, Macau.

🏨 Accommodations: MGM Cotai features hotel rooms, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment facilities within the resort.

📝 Poker Access: The poker room is located on the main casino floor inside MGM Cotai.


♠️ Official MGM Cotai Updates

Follow MGM Cotai for resort information and property updates.


That mix of tournament competition and a busy cash-game environment gives the upcoming MGM Poker Championship 2026 an interesting backdrop. With Macau’s poker scene continuing to grow, the sixth edition arrives with the biggest guarantees yet and a HKD 9 million Main Event at the center of it all.

For everything you need to know before playing, check out the full player’s guide.

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About the Editor
Derick Elomina
Derick Elomina

Derick Elomina is SoMuchPoker's Lead Content Writer and Interview Specialist, reporting live from WSOP bracelet events and Asia Pacific poker festivals such as TMT, APT, RDPT and APL Jeju, alongside player features and interviews for the site's Stories section. He discovered poker at 14 playing home games with friends, and by 21 he had entered the industry as a field reporter, starting as a hand reporter before building his current role on the tournament floor.