Live Poker Tournaments - PokerListings (2024)

Introduction to Live Poker Tournaments

While online poker is perfect for getting thousands of hands in and playing from the comfort of your own home, there’s nothing quite like a live poker tournament. From the dizzying hum of shuffling chips to the sudden outbursts of joy (or anguish) when a river card hits, live poker tournaments can be straight shots of pure poker adrenalin.

WSOP, Battle of Malta, WPT, and The Festival Series are the go to Live tournaments every year, where best players around the world meet face to face and see who wins the biggest prizes from epic prizepools.

If you are looking to earn your spot and play or just want to enjoy the games through live stream. On this page you find information on top live poker tournaments, how to qualify, and where to watch the most thrilling live events online.

• How Poker Tournaments Work
• Rules for Poker Tournaments
• No-Limit Hold'em - Poker Tournament Strategy

Top Live Poker Tournaments

WSOP - World Series of Poker

• Where: Multiple live tournaments across US and wordwide.
• When: Las Vegas main event from May 31 - July 20
• Prize pool: $5 000 000 guaranteed
• Entries: Over 6500 players
• Games: Texas Hold'em

World Series of Poker, also known as WSOP, is the greatest and most iconic Texas Hold'em live poker tournament series in the world. Originally WSOP started hosting live poker events in the 1970’s Las Vegas with just a few poker tables. Today, millions of players every year bet their chances and try to qualify into the main event with millions in prize pools.

2024 WSOP qualifying online events are now available on popular poker sites and you can also watch the action via their official streaming partners - PokerCentral and PokerGO.

HD live streams are available for most of the events throught the summer and are equipped with professional commentary and best action-cam camera angles. Every aspect of this game gets broadcasted which makes WSOP the main spectacle of poker for online audiences.

If you want to watch the best WSOP live events online. Montly fees are around $10 with small discounts on yearly subscriptions.

You can also watch the WSOP Main Event play out live (and on delay) every summer on ESPN.

If you'd like to learn more about this live tournament, check the link below, where you find WSOP hands reviewed and analyzed, links to results and recaps from each year, plus interviews and videos with legendary WSOP champions.

Read more about WSOP here: World Series of Poker (WSOP)

Battle of Malta

• Where: Malta
• When: Main event April 20th - April 26th 2022
• Prize pool: min. €500 000 guaranteed
• Entries: Over 4000 players
• Games: Texas Hold'em

The Battle of Malta was the flagship live poker tournament series run by PokerListings before the brand was sold to the Eden Group and Casino Malta in 2018.

Founded in 2012 the first-ever Battle of Malta live poker tournament drew 349 players for a single-elimination freezeout at the Portomaso Casino in Malta. Retired Italian doctor Nicodemo Piccolo claimed the first-ever BoM champions trophy and €35,000.

Since the beginning, the Battle of Malta has reached unforeseen heights and broken its record for biggest-ever poker tournament held in Malta every year of its existence.

It's also blossomed into a full-on poker festival that draws players from virtually every country in Europe and beyond.

Qualification: Through online and live satellites

What to expect:

• Thousands of entrants for the BoM Main Event
• Over $1 million guaranteed prizepool
• Big payouts - over $100k for 5 players in the Final Table
• Over 10 tournament entries overall
• Pro players and celebrity guests
• Outstanding poker entertainment and more

Read more about Battle of Malta here: Battle of Malta (BoM) Live Poker Tournament

The Festival Series

• Where: Tallinn, Bratislava
• When: Tallinn - June 27th - July 3rd, Bratislava - October 10th - October 16th
• Prize pool: Tallinn - €300 000 guaranteed, Bratislava €500 000 guaranteed
• Entries: expected over 600 players
• Games: Texas Hold'em, PL Omaha, 8-Game, Progressive Knockout, OFC Poker, Drawmaha

The Festival Series is a new live event tour run by PokerListings in conjunction with many casino and live casino brands. This weeklong celebration brings you the best live poker tournaments and cash games, roulette and blackjack tournaments and competitive sports betting. All in one scene.

The premier event will take place in Tallinn, Estonia 27th of June till 3rd of July. From there, The Festival Series will make several stops in various cities around the world including €500k GTD Bratislava event starting in 10th of October.

The venue for the Tallin live poker tournament is Olympic Park Casino where all kinds of poker will be played 24/7 around the clock.

What makes this live event unique is that there is also live roulette and blackjack main event tournaments running in parallel across multiple days. You’ll compete against other players instead of just the house to run up the biggest stacks at the end of each day.

Full live streams with commentary and live reporting will be available for most events via The Festival Series social channels, including Twitch.

If you’d like to learn more about the event itself, you can follow on Facebook and check out the article below.

Read more about The Festival Series: The Festival Series

World Poker Tour Live Tournament

• Where: Multiple live tournaments across US and worldwide
• When: Las Vegas main event - June 12th - June 17th
• Prize pool: Guaranteed $4 000 000
• Entries: Over 3000 players
• Games: Texas Hold'em

World Poker Tour hosts authentic live poker tournament experience. Here Hold’em skills get tested by the true masters and of course winners get to enjoy outstanding cash prizes. WPT live events are held all over the world. From Vietnam to the Gold Coast Australia, around the world and back to the roots of Las Vegas, WPT delivers live poker experiences for the players on the spot and for all the fans via online live streams and televised live events.

In the 1990’s WPT was introduced to the wider audiences through their televised live poker tournaments and cash games. These spectacles draw millions of spectators all over the world till this day. Total prizepools in the main events goes from $2 000 000 to as high as $6 000 000 guaranteed.

If you feel like you got what it takes, WPT hosts multiple live events throughout the year. In order to join you need to pay the initial buy-in or qualify through satellite tournaments hosted on popular poker sites ex. PartyPoker.

Read more about WPT Live Tournament here: WPT Live Tournament

Poker Masters

• Where: Las Vegas
• When: TBD
• Prize pool: $2 100 000 guaranteed
• Entries: 42 entries (Main Event 2023)
• Games: Texas Hold'em

Poker Masters, a groundbreaking series dedicated to high-stakes players, was introduced in 2017 by Poker Central in collaboration with ARIA Casino, Las Vegas. This innovative event, distinct for its high buy-in tournaments, offers an exclusive poker experience.

The series spans one week and includes five high roller tournaments. Each of the first four tournaments requires a $50,000 buy-in with one reentry allowed per player, spread over two days. The series culminates in a grand finale, a $100,000 buy-in freezeout event lasting three days.

Streaming of the Poker Masters is accessible through PokerGO subscriptions, featuring a live poker stream equipped with a 30-second shot clock to ensure dynamic and continuous play.The series is also best known for its championship reward, the Poker Masters Purple Jacket™, designed by fashion designer Waraire Boswel.

Read more about Poker Masters: Poker Master

US Poker Open

• Where: Las Vegas
• When: TBD
• Prize pool:$1 900 000 guaranteed
• Entries:73 (Main Event)
• Games: Texas Hold'em

The US Poker Open, known as USPO, is a prestigious series of high-stakes live poker events, forming an integral part of the PokerGO Tour (PGT). Hosted annually on the Las Vegas Strip at the specially designed PokerGO Studio in ARIA Casino, the series features a diverse range of poker games with buy-ins varying from $10,000 to $50,000.

Introduced in 2017 by PokerGO, following the success of the Poker Masters, USPO stands out with its concise yet intense format. The series, spanning less than two weeks in the spring, consists of ten events including a Main Event of No Limit Texas Hold'em, a Pot Limit Omaha tournament, and a Mixed Game Championship. Unique to USPO are its six-handed poker tables, providing a dynamic and competitive atmosphere.

Participants not only compete for substantial prize pools in each event but also vie for the esteemed USPO Golden Eagle trophy and a $50,000 cash prize for the overall series winner. Additionally, players earn points on the PGT, contributing to their standing as top-level poker players globally.

Poker fans can enjoy the excitement through live streams of all events on the PokerGO website. This accessibility has significantly contributed to the popularity of USPO.

Players are encouraged to register on time to avoid tournament fees, further incentivizing early participation. Now in its seventh iteration, the US Poker Open continues to attract more players than ever. The introduction of satellite events in the studio and the prestige associated with the Golden Eagle trophy have elevated the USPO to a must-attend event in the world of high-stakes poker.

Read more about the US Poker Open: US Poker Open

Irish Poker Open

• Where: Dublin, Ireland
• When: March 25th to April 1st, 2024
• Prize pool: €2 428 725 guaranteed
• Entries: 2 491
• Games: Texas Hold'em

The Irish Poker Open is one of the oldest poker tournaments around, starting way back in 1980. It was set up by Terry Rogers, a well-known Irish bookmaker, and has grown a lot since then. In the early days, it was a small event, but now it's one of the biggest poker tournaments in the world.

In 2023, the tournament was held at the Royal Dublin Society for the first time, and it was a big deal. The event saw a huge number of players coming together to play, and the prize pool was massive, making it a very exciting year for the Irish Poker Open. Looking ahead to 2024, the tournament is going to be at the Royal Dublin Society again from March 25th to April 1st. There are lots of different games to play, not just the main event.

If you want to try and get into the 2024 Irish Poker Open, you can qualify online through sites like ChampionPoker, PokerStars, and iPoker. This means you can win your way into the tournament from the comfort of your home.

The Irish Poker Open also partners with LuxonPay, making it easy to buy into the tournament directly on their website. And if you can't make it to Dublin, don't worry – you can watch the action streamed online, so you won't miss out on the excitement.

Read more about the Irish Poker Open: Irish Poker Open

Kings of Tallinn

• Where: Tallinn, Estonia
• When: February 23 - March 3
• Prize pool: €673 040 guaranteed
• Entries: 716
• Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed Games

The Kings of Tallinn poker festival began in 2015 in Estonia, quickly becoming a favorite spot for poker players in Northern Europe. By 2023, the festival had grown a lot, with 716 players joining the main event, showing how popular this event has become.

For the 10th anniversary in 2024, from February 23rd to March 3rd, the festival is back with even more tournaments than before, over 50 in total. The buy-ins for these tournaments range from €150 to €5,000 for the high roller games, so there's something for everyone, no matter how much you're looking to spend.

If you're interested in joining the 2024 Kings of Tallinn, you can qualify through OlyBet Poker, which is part of GGPoker. This gives a lot of players a chance to win their way into the festival. Plus, the festival includes team competitions and mixed games like Sviten and PLO, making it a unique poker experience.

Read more about Kings of Tallinn: Kings of Tallinn

European Poker Tour

• Where: Paris, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Cyprus, Prague
• When: February 14-25, April 29 to May 4, August 26 to September 8, October 9-20, December 4-15
• Prize pool: €6 101 300 (EPT Prague 2023)
• Entries: 1 285 (EPT Prague 2023)
• Games: Texas Hold'em, Omaha

The European Poker Tour, or EPT, started back in 2004, with its first winner, Alexander Stevic, taking home €80,000 in Barcelona. Fast forward to now, and winning an EPT event can mean nearly €1M in prize money. This shows just how big the EPT has become over the years, growing from a small event to a week-long festival with lots of different poker games to play.

In 2023, the EPT added Paris to its list of stops for the first time, making the tour even more worthwhile.. The Paris EPT included a variety of tournaments, like the EPT Mystery Bounty and three FPS tournaments, showcasing how the EPT keeps adding new ways to play and win. The last EPT event of 2023 was in Prague, where Irishman Padraig O’Neill won €1 030 000

For 2024, the EPT has stops planned in places like Paris and Monte Carlo, with Paris kicking off the year's tour from February 14th-25th. If you want to try and get into these tournaments, you can qualify online through PokerStars, which has smaller buy-in events too, making it easier for more people to try and get in. The EPT events are also streamed, so you can watch the action unfold from just about anywhere.

Read more about the EPT: EPT

Qualify for Live Poker Tournaments Online

If you're more interested in playing live poker tournaments than watching them online or finding out their results, there are dozens of ways - and dozens of live poker events - you can qualify for for online.

Virtually every major live poker tour runs qualifying online events at either their own branded online poker site or an online partner. Eg.PokerStarsand theEuropean Poker Tour,partypokerand thepartypoker Live Tour,888pokerand the888Live series... the list goes on an on. Qualify for partypoker Live!

The most iconic live poker tournament series of them all, theWorld Series of Poker, also has online qualifiers for both the main series in Las Vegas every summer and theWSOP Europe, which is now held at the King's Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.

If you live in the United States the only places you can currently qualify online to play the WSOP are at the official WSOP.com poker site and only if you live/visit the states of Nevada, New Jersey or Delaware. If you live/play in New Jersey you can also qualify for live PokerStars events on PokerStars.nj. Check our review pages below for more info:

• WSOP Poker
• 888poker NJ
• PokerStars NJ

If you live in most other countries of the world you can qualify for live poker tournaments, big or small, at most online poker sites all year round. Check the "tournaments" or "satellites" tab in your online poker lobby to see where seats and packages are being offered right now. See our list of the Best Poker Tournament sites here:

• Best Poker Tournaments

Most packages you can win to play live poker tournaments are worth $1,000+ and include:

• Full buy-in to the main event or side events
• Money for travel to the poker tournament
• Accommodation for several nights
• "Swag bag" of poker merchandise to wear/use at the table

Winning a package online for a live poker tournament is the best way for an amateur or recreational poker player to experience the thrill of a major live poker event or series!

Watch Live Poker Tournaments Online

If you can't be at the table (or on the rail) of a major live poker tournament the next best thing to being there is watching all of the action live online via a live stream. In fact it may even be a bit better as it's hard to catch most of the action from the rail of the tournament but online you can see it all (or at least the feature table) in extensive detail.

Live streams from live poker tournaments are better than they've ever been these days with:

• Amazing table graphics and HD quality streams with few glitches
• Exposed hole cards and winning percentage as the hand progresses
• in-depth analysis and (often hilarious) commentary from expert poker players
• Poker freerollsand promotions given out to viewers
• Pro interviews and replays of major hands or past events

In short: it's a poker fan's dream and truly one of the greatest innovations the poker tournament industry has ever seen. And it's not only the high-stakes, High Rollers events you can watch online as mid and low-stakes poker series have jumped into the streaming games as well.

Where to Watch Streamed Live Poker Events in 2024

• Live Poker Tournament Streams

If you want a full picture of where to watch the best live poker tournaments, check our poker live stream page here:

Among the rotating streams you'll find featured there with daily live tournament coverage:

• WSOP
• WSOP Europe
• European Poker Tour
• 888Live Tour
• partypoker Live
• Triton High Roller Series
• Aria Super High Roller Bowl
• Unibet Live Tour
• WSOP Circuit
• WPT Deepstacks
• US Poker Open
• Battle of Malta

If you have a poker live stream you'd like featured on the live streams page, let us know viaour Contact Us Page.

How Live Poker Tournaments Differ From Other Types of Poker?

Live poker tournaments are the pinnacle of poker where every element of this game plays its part. Wits, odds, strategy, luck, and body-language are all part of live poker tournaments. The live atmosphere brings new angles into poker gameplay which makes it differ greatly from other types of poker. That is why some players only play live poker tournaments, where the rush of adrenaline can be felt straight at the poker table with other players. Through the screen and internet you don’t get to feel everything poker has to offer.

Live poker tournaments are more entertaining even though rules are almost the same. Being there in person makes a huge difference, also for entertainment purposes, which is why televised and now streamed events have always been a big part of poker.