The Biggest and Best Poker Tournaments to Play

What used to be a backroom game played in smokey rooms with dodgy characters is now one of the most popular and competitive casino games in the world. These days, there are tournaments played all over the world that attract the best players from all over the world, with huge prize pools!

Want to play against the best? Then here are the biggest and best poker tournaments in the world. 

The World Series of Poker Main Event

The World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas is the ultimate poker competition. Having been established in 1970, it has evolved into a series of events that culminate in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event. This is a tournament that attracts thousands of players every year – all trying for that massive payday.

One of the most iconic moments in WSOP history happened in 2003 when an amateur player (the aptly-named Chris Moneymaker) turned his $39 online entry into $2.5 million when he won the Main Event. But that’s nothing! These days, Main Event prize pools are over $60 million!

The Big One for One Drop

If you want to do your bit for others as you play, then this one is a charitable tournament. It’s another part of the WSOP and comes with a hefty $1 million buy-in. It was originally launched in 2012 and benefits the One Drop Foundation – which is all about providing access to safe water worldwide. As such, it attracts the biggest-names and highest rollers in poker… even a few deep-pocketed amateurs and can result in seriously huge prize pools.

Indeed, the winner of the first event walked away with $18.3 million, the biggest payout in the history of WSOP. However, it’s also made the charity a lot of money… So even if you don’t win, the money is going to a good cause!

PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship

The PSPC, hosted by PokerStars, is not only one of the most lucrative tournaments in the world, but it’s also one of the most accessible. What sets it apart from the others is the Platinum Pass promotion, so thousands of players can even access this £25,000 buy-in event for free! They’ll even get their travel and accommodation costs covered as well.

In its very first event, there was a prize pool of more than $26 million – and the winner walked away with $5.1 million with his freeroll entry!

Triton Million: A Charity Event

Let’s also take a look at a one-off… The Triton Million tournament, which was held in London in 2019 and had the highest buy-in in poker history—a massive £1,050,000. This one, organized by the Triton Poker Series, was designed to be a combination of high-stakes poker and philanthropy – with a portion of the buy-ins donated to charity.

The tournament attracted some of the world’s best professionals along with the super-rich recreational players, creating some serious competition at the tables. It was Aaron Zang, a Chinese businessman, who walked away with the $16.7 million win.

Although this might have been a one-time event, it not only offered massive win potential but made the charity some decent money as well.

The Sunday Million 

For anyone who prefers to play from the comfort of their own home, then why not head over to the best online casinos that payout quickly for the Sunday Million?  The Sunday Million is one of the most renowned online poker tournaments ever. 

It was launched back in 2006 and is a weekly event that has a $215 buy-in… and regularly comes with a guaranteed prize pool of £1 million.

There are even special anniversary editions of the Sunday Million that come with even bigger guaranteed payouts. So, for example, in 2021, the event celebrated its 15th anniversary with a massive $12.5 million guaranteed prize pool.

With free roll tournaments and £1 million buy-in tournaments, there really are events for everyone! Make sure you learn the rules, practice your poker face and see if you can take on the pros!