BetMGM fires up summer with $4M Championship at Aria Poker Classic

The Aria Poker Classic is a regular fixture on the summer schedule.

Posted on: April 8, 2026 13:20 PDT

The Vegas summer schedule has finally taken its full shape with the announcement of the Aria Poker Classic from May 27 through July 12.

The summer series completes the heart of the lineup of WSOP counter-programming around Las Vegas, where thousands of poker players will flock for the biggest tournaments of the year. This year's edition will get bigger, too, with a jump to a $4 million guarantee for the marquee BetMGM Championship.

Aria Poker Classic will run all summer long on the Las Vegas Strip.

Jess Beck

Last year's BetMGM Championship was a highlight of the summer with over 1,800 entries and a record-setting prize pool over $5.9 million. Nguyen Le won the big prize of over $777K after a remarkable comeback from just one chip, and Aria's Poker Classic carved out its permanent slot as one of the premier tournaments of the summer.

$4M BetMGM Championship

This year's $4M Championship will start on July 1 with a $3,500 buy-in and a second flight on July 2. Surviving players will combine for Day 2 on July 3 with hopes of a spot on the July 4 Day 3 for a sprint to the final table.

The rest of the schedule includes a boosted variety of mixed games, PLO, and several big guarantees.

2026 Aria Poker Classic schedule highlights

June 13 - $1,100 BetMGM PLO ($250K GTD)
June 14 - $1,100 BetMGM Mystery Bounty ($300K GTD)
June 29 - $1,100 BetMGM Mystery Bounty ($500K GTD)
June 30 - $1,100 BetMGM Mystery Bounty ($500K GTD)
July 1&2 - $3,500 BetMGM Championship ($4M GTD)
July 5 - $2,200 PLO Championship ($1M GTD)
July 7/9 - $1,600 NLH ($500K GTD)

Plenty of satellites are also on offer, all listed on the schedule above. With this release and recent drops from Orleans and others, you now most of the information you need to make your summer schedule. We're still waiting on MGM Grand and Golden Nugget, along with anything special that South Point do this summer. See you in Las Vegas.