MGM Poker Classic 2026: Macau’s Biggest Poker Festival Returns

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Callum Jury
Originally from the Lake District, UK, I’ve spent the last few years living and breathing the Southeast Asian poker circuit. Since 2025, I’ve been a fixture on the floor at the APT, PokerStars, and WSOP events, serving as a lead reporter and media specialist for Somuchpoker. My work is about more than just recording action; I manage the social media and digital content that brings action rail to the fans. By combining a business education and creative background, I aim to look past the technical hand histories to capture the actual human grit and drama that happens during a deep run.

MGM Poker Classic

The MGM Poker Classic 2026 is bringing a HKD 13,000,000 guaranteed total prize pool to MGM Cotai from June 26 to July 6, 2026, making it one of the most significant Macau poker festivals of the year and a must-attend event for players across Asia.

Also promoted as the MPT Poker Classic 2026 and the MGM Poker Open June 2026, the series is Somuchpoker‘s first major Macau poker tournament listing of the year. The flagship MGM Poker Classic Main Event carries an HKD 8,000,000 guarantee off a HKD 12,000 buy-in, with five Day 1 flights running from July 3 to 5 before Day 2 on July 6. The schedule also includes an MPT High Roller — King of Glory at HKD 55,000 on the final day, alongside 11 days of supporting events covering NLHE, PLO, mixed games, and bounty formats.

DATES
June 26 – July 6, 2026
TOTAL GUARANTEE
HKD 13,000,000
VENUE
MGM Cotai, Macau

MGM Poker Classic 2026: Tournament Highlights

The MGM Poker Classic 2026 is structured around a flagship Main Event and a packed supporting schedule that covers the full range of modern tournament formats — from Mystery Bounty and Progressive Knockout events at the start of the series to a high-stakes King of Glory High Roller on the final day. Guaranteed prize pools are attached to nine events across the 11-day run, headlined by the Main Event’s HKD 8,000,000 and two Mystery Bounty events each guaranteeing HKD 800,000.

EventDateBuy-In (HKD)GTD
NLH Mystery Bounty (×2)Jun 27 & Jul 18,800800,000 each
MGM Poker Classic Main EventJul 3–612,0008,000,000
MPT High Roller – King of GloryJul 655,000Fast Pass
Last Chance Freezeout / Deepstack TurboJul 65,000500,000
♠️ Click to View Full 2026 Tournament Schedule
DateTimeEventBuy-In (HKD)Starting ChipsGTD
Jun 2612 PMNo Limit Hold’em8,80025K600,000
Jun 266 PMPot-Limit Omaha (PLO)5,00020K
Jun 2712 PMNLH Mystery Bounty8,80025K800,000
Jun 276 PMPot-Limit Five-Card High-Low Omaha (Big O)5,00020K
Jun 2812 PMNLH Progressive Bounty (PKO)8,80025K + 4 bounty tokens600,000
Jun 285 PMHORSE3,80020K
Jun 286 PMNo Limit Hold’em5,00020K
Jun 2912 PMNLH Deepstack (Multi-Stack)8,80035K600,000
Jun 296 PMPLO Double Board Bomb Pot5,00020K
Jun 3012 PMNLH Freezeout (Single Buy-in)8,80025K600,000
Jun 306 PMNLH Double Board Bomb Pot5,00020K
Jul 112 PMNLH Mystery Bounty8,80025K800,000
Jul 15 PMHORSE5,00020K
Jul 16 PMNo Limit Hold’em5,00020K
Jul 212 PMPot-Limit Omaha (PLO)8,80030K500,000
Jul 26 PMShort Deck (NLH)5,00020K
Jul 312 PMMain Event Day 1A (Preliminary Event A)12,00030K
Jul 36 PMMain Event Day 1B12,00030K
Jul 412 PMMain Event Day 1C12,00030K
Jul 46 PMMain Event Day 1D12,00030K
Jul 512 PMMain Event Day 1E (Preliminary Round)12,00030K
Jul 57 PMNLH Turbo5,00020K
Jul 612 PMMGM Poker Classic Main Event Day 28,000,000
Jul 61 PMMPT High Roller – King of Glory55,000100KFast Pass
Jul 65 PMLast Chance Freezeout / Deepstack Turbo5,00035K500,000

 

Format & Structure

All events in the MGM Poker Classic 2026 are run by professional tournament staff under standard MGM poker rules and current TDA guidelines, with Big Blind Ante adopted as the standard structure across the series. The pace of play is taken seriously: an Action Clock activates immediately after each deal, giving players 15 seconds for preflop decisions and 30 seconds for each subsequent action after voluntarily entering the pot. Each time-extension chip adds 30 seconds when needed. All players must keep their stack in visible columns of 20 chips wherever possible to assist dealers with accurate chip counts.

Membership of the Alpha, Golden Lion Club, or Masters Club is required to participate. Players must remain clearly identifiable to staff at all times. Smart casual dress is required throughout the event — wearing sunglasses and a face covering simultaneously is prohibited, and physical gaming charts or poker training aids are banned from the tournament area during active play.

The Venue: MGM Cotai

MGM Cotai
MGM Cotai

The MGM Cotai is one of the Cotai Strip’s most architecturally striking properties, recognized for its award-winning design, world-class art collection, and premium dining options. Its dedicated poker room is purpose-built for major international festival play and provides an optimal environment for the scale of competition the MGM Poker Classic demands.

Traveling to Macau: What Players Need to Know

Getting to MGM Cotai is straightforward. The resort sits minutes from both the Macau International Airport and the Taipa Ferry Terminal. High-speed ferry services connect Hong Kong to Macau directly, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge provides an additional land route for those coming from the mainland or Hong Kong side.

One critical point for players: while the official local currency is the Macanese Pataca (MOP), all buy-ins, cash games, and payouts at MGM Cotai operate in Hong Kong Dollars (HKD). Tournament entry fees must be paid strictly in cash or MGM Cotai live casino chips — no other payment forms are accepted. All participants are subject to Macau gaming law (Law 16/2001 and Law 16/2022), which strictly prohibits filming or streaming live action and the display of hole cards without prior authorization from MGM management.

For a deeper look at the local poker landscape, including cash game options and player services, our Macau poker guide covers everything you need to plan your trip effectively.

About the MGM Poker Series

The MGM Poker Classic sits under the broader MGM poker tournament umbrella, which has established MGM Cotai as a recurring destination for serious competition on the Asian circuit. With a total guarantee of HKD 13,000,000 across the series — approximately USD 1,650,000 — the 2026 edition is one of the stronger guaranteed Macau poker festivals in recent memory, with a varied schedule that caters to players across a wide range of buy-in levels and game preferences.

Ready to Register?

View the full schedule, event details, and registration information on the Somuchpoker event page.

VIEW MGM POKER CLASSIC 2026 →

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