The 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event in Prague drew 2,617 entries, the largest field that series has produced. A player based almost anywhere can build a full tournament year without a flight to Nevada. Four destinations combine strong event calendars with genuine travel value: Czechia, the Bahamas, Melbourne, and London.
Czechia and the WSOP Europe Circuit
King’s Resort in Rozvadov, a small town near the German border, hosted WSOP Europe every year from 2017 through 2025. The 2023 Main Event set the series record at the time with 817 entries and paid Max Neugebauer €1,500,000. The 2025 edition closed the Rozvadov era with 15 bracelet events and €20,000,000 in guarantees, drawing 12,492 total entries across the festival. The room also produces large fields outside the WSOP calendar. A €380 buy-in event in February 2026 drew 5,258 entries and built a prize pool near €1,700,000.
The series then moved to Hilton Prague for spring 2026, and that first Prague Main Event produced a record 2,617-entry field. Prague gives traveling players direct rail and air links to much of Europe, along with the range of accommodation and restaurants expected from a major capital. The Old Town, castle district, river embankments, and Petřín Hill paths also provide plenty to do on a rest day without planning an excursion outside the city.
The spring timing adds another advantage. March and April arrive before the busiest summer travel period, making the city easier to explore between tournament days. Players who prefer the older setup can still reach King’s Resort by road from Prague or Munich, while Rozvadov continues to run its own busy poker calendar between major stops.
One Familiar Format Across the Major Events
The headline tournaments in these destinations are largely built around texas hold’em poker, including the WSOP Europe Main Event and other major championship events. That gives players a familiar core format even when tournament structures, blind levels, registration rules, and field sizes differ from one festival to another.
Side schedules broaden the choice with Omaha, bounty, mixed-game, and lower-buy-in events. For most travelers, the bigger decisions are therefore not simply about game selection, but about dates, overall budget, accommodation, and how much time to leave for the destination itself.
The Bahamas and WSOP Paradise
WSOP Paradise returns to the Bahamas each December, but travelers familiar with previous editions should note an important change for 2026. The festival is moving from its former Atlantis Paradise Island setting to Baha Mar in Nassau. The 2026 schedule runs from December 2 to 17 with 20 bracelet events and $120,000,000 in total guarantees, including a $50,000,000 guarantee for the $26,000 Super Main Event.
The festival has already established a significant tournament history. The 2023 debut Main Event drew 3,010 players and paid Stanislav Zegal $2,000,000. Later editions expanded the high-stakes side of the schedule, including seven-figure buy-in events and some of the largest guaranteed prize pools outside Las Vegas.
Poker is only part of the reason to make the journey. Baha Mar sits on Cable Beach and combines the tournament venue with hotels, restaurants, pools, beach access, shopping, golf, and entertainment. That makes the Bahamas particularly suitable for players traveling with a partner or family member who has no intention of spending every day around the tables.
Warm December weather also makes the stop very different from the European winter circuit. December is peak season, however, so flights and accommodation deserve early attention. The resort setting can make the trip straightforward once there, but it also means the total cost of accommodation, meals, and tournament entries should be considered before booking.
Melbourne and the Autumn Slot
The Aussie Millions returned to Crown Melbourne in 2026 after a six-year absence. The revived series ran from April 24 to May 10 with 18 events, 5,668 total entries, and a combined prize pool near A$13,800,000. The Opening Event set a festival record with 2,144 entries, while the A$10,600 Main Event drew 770 players and was won by local player Malcolm Trayner.
The series has a much longer history behind those numbers. It began in 1998 with 74 players and a A$74,000 prize pool, while the Main Event peaked at 822 entries in 2019. Aussie Millions also became known for its A$100,000 and A$250,000 high-roller tournaments, with players including Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, and Tom Dwan appearing in the high-stakes events during the series’ earlier years.
The calendar move from January to late April places the modern series in Melbourne’s autumn. Mild days suit the city’s laneways, coffee bars, markets, restaurants, and riverfront paths, giving visitors plenty to do when they want time away from the tournament floor.
Crown Melbourne itself went through a difficult regulatory period and paid an A$450,000,000 penalty in 2023 over anti-money laundering breaches. The return of the Aussie Millions nevertheless puts the venue back on the international tournament calendar.
For long-haul visitors, Melbourne rewards a little extra time. The journey and time-zone change make arriving a couple of days before an important starting flight sensible, while spare days can be used for the Yarra Valley or, with a longer itinerary, the Great Ocean Road.
London’s Year-Round Poker Rooms
London hosted the first four editions of WSOP Europe, from 2007 through 2010. Annette Obrestad won the inaugural 2007 Main Event, defeating a 362-player field for a £1,000,000 first prize the day before her 19th birthday. She remains the youngest bracelet winner in WSOP history.
The modern appeal of London is less dependent on one festival. Established poker rooms around the city run regular cash games and tournaments throughout the year, giving visitors more freedom to choose travel dates instead of planning the entire trip around a single series.
That flexibility also makes it easier to treat poker as one part of a broader London stay. Many of the national museums are free, while markets, theaters, parks, restaurants, historic neighborhoods, and major sporting venues provide enough options to fill several days away from the tables.
London also works well without a car. The Underground, rail, bus, and night-bus networks cover much of the city, although players expecting a session to finish in the early morning should check the exact late-night route back to their accommodation in advance.
Hotel prices are the main drawback. Staying outside the most expensive parts of the West End can reduce accommodation costs, but the cheapest room is not automatically the best option. A direct Underground, rail, or bus connection to the chosen poker room can be worth paying slightly more for when making the journey repeatedly during a week-long stay.
Trip Planning by Season and Budget
The four stops divide the year naturally. Prague’s major WSOP Europe festival falls in early spring, Melbourne follows in late April and early May, London works throughout the year, and the Bahamas provides a major December stop. That spread makes it possible to choose a destination according to both tournament dates and the kind of trip a player wants.
Rozvadov generally offers a more poker-centered experience, with fewer attractions immediately outside the cardroom, while Prague provides far more options for sightseeing and dining. The Bahamas carries the premium associated with a winter resort destination. Melbourne demands the longest journey for many international travelers, and the time-zone change makes recovery time worth building into the itinerary. London offers the greatest scheduling flexibility, but accommodation can take a substantial share of the budget.
Tournament buy-ins are therefore only one part of the calculation. Flights, hotels, meals, ground transportation, and extra recovery or sightseeing days all affect what the trip actually costs. Booking accommodation early around headline events can also provide more choice close to the venue.
Conclusion
Las Vegas may remain poker’s most recognizable destination, but Prague, the Bahamas, Melbourne, and London show how much the international tournament calendar has to offer beyond Nevada. Each combines serious poker with a distinct travel experience, whether that means exploring a historic European capital, enjoying Caribbean sunshine, discovering Melbourne between tournament days, or fitting year-round poker into a London city break. Choosing the right destination ultimately comes down to timing, budget, travel distance, and what you want from the hours away from the tables, making the best poker trips as much about experiencing the destination as playing the game.