What are the main NLH Championship events at PSOP 2026?

The headline NLH events include Event #9 NLH Championship (500 CHIP, 15,000 CHIP GTD, Oct 25), Event #11 PLO Championship (500 CHIP, 15,000 GTD, Oct 26), Event #12 NLH PKO Masters (1,000 CHIP, 25,000 GTD, Oct 26), Event #37 NLH 6max PKO Championship (500 CHIP, 15,000 GTD, Nov 1), and Event #90 NLH PKO Championship (500 CHIP, 20,000 GTD, Nov 15).

What is a PKO format and why does it matter for the PSOP?

PKO stands for Progressive Knockout. Every player has a bounty on their head. When you eliminate someone, you collect half their bounty immediately and add the other half to your own head. This creates side action throughout the tournament — you get paid for eliminations, not just for finishing in the money.

How do I qualify for the NLH Championship at PSOP?

Via the satellite path: $2.50 feeders → $5 feeders → $50 qualifying satellites → 500 CHIP Championship seat. You can also register directly for 500 CHIP and receive 10% extra chips for early registration.

What's the PSOP Performance Leaderboard and how do Championship results affect it?

The Performance Leaderboard awards points for cashes, final table appearances, and wins across all 92 events. Championship events (500 CHIP buy-in) earn more leaderboard points per cash than lower buy-in events due to the larger field weighting. A deep run in a Championship event is one of the fastest ways to climb the Performance Leaderboard.

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PSOP 2026 Main Event Preview: NLH Championships, PKO Fields & What to Expect

October 2026 · By Team · 9 min read

Championship Events

500

CHIP Buy-in

20K

Peak Guarantee

Oct 25

First Championship

The PSOP runs 92 events from October 23 to November 15, but the Championship events are where the series earns its name. Buy-in: 500 CHIP. These are the marquee NLH events — the ones with the biggest fields, the deepest guarantees in the NLH format, and the most Performance Leaderboard points on the line.

This preview covers every Championship and Masters-level NLH event in the PSOP, what the PKO format means for your tournament strategy, and why this series is structurally different from anything running on GGPoker or PokerStars.

The Championship Schedule

There are nine NLH and PLO Championship events spread across the 24-day series. Here's the full list:

Event #9NLH ChampionshipOct 25 (Sat)500 CHIP15,000 GTD

Week one. The first 500 CHIP NLH event of the series.

Event #11PLO ChampionshipOct 26 (Sun)500 CHIP15,000 GTD

Running same weekend as the NLH Champ. Big O and PLO players will overlap here.

Event #12NLH PKO MastersOct 26 (Sun)1000 CHIP25,000 GTD

The first Masters-level NLH event. 1,000 CHIP buy-in, 25,000 CHIP guarantee. PKO format.

Event #22Big O ChampionshipOct 29 (Wed)500 CHIP12,500 GTD

First specialty Championship. Big O fields run smaller but offer better overlay.

Event #24HORSE ChampionshipOct 30 (Thu)500 CHIP12,500 GTD

Classic mixed game with a dedicated Championship slot.

Event #31PLO5 ChampionshipOct 31 (Sat)500 CHIP15,000 GTD

Halloween weekend. PLO5 has grown fast as a high-action variant.

Event #37NLH 6max PKO ChampionshipNov 1 (Sun)500 CHIP15,000 GTD

6-max PKO structure. Faster, more aggressive, bigger pots.

Event #388-Game Mix ChampionshipNov 1 (Sun)500 CHIP15,000 GTD

Mixed game Championship, same weekend as NLH 6max.

Event #90NLH PKO ChampionshipNov 15 (Sun)500 CHIP20,000 GTD

Series finale Championship. 20,000 CHIP guarantee — the biggest NLH PKO of the series.

The finale: Event #90 NLH PKO Championship fires November 15 — the final day of the series — with the largest NLH PKO guarantee of the entire PSOP at 20,000 CHIP. If you're going to play one Championship, make it this one.

Live This Week

$92,242Rake Distributed

2,689Recipients Paid

5,583Token Holders

Why PKO Format Matters

Several of the PSOP's headline events run in Progressive Knockout (PKO) format. If you haven't played PKO before, here's what changes:

Standard tournament

You get paid for finishing in the money. Nobody gets paid until the payout positions are reached. You can play perfectly and bust on the bubble with nothing to show.

PKO tournament

Every player has a bounty. Eliminate someone, collect half their bounty immediately. Add the other half to your own head. You can cash before the money by eliminating enough players — and late-game eliminations are worth exponentially more.

PKO changes the correct strategy significantly. Calling ranges widen pre-flop against short stacks when the bounty is large relative to the remaining prize. Big stack pressure matters more. Late registration can give you a bounty head-start in some structures.

For the PSOP specifically, PKO format means more action in the early-mid stages and larger effective field sizes — because players who might fold their way into a min-cash in a standard tournament will take more risks to collect bounties.

Championship Events and the Performance Leaderboard

The PSOP runs two parallel leaderboards with a combined $250,000 in $PHNM tokens at stake. Championship events are some of the best ways to climb the Performance Leaderboard fast:

Result	Leaderboard Impact
Min cash in a 500 CHIP Championship	Points weighted by buy-in + field size. Higher than a 100 CHIP cash.
Final table in a Championship event	Significant points jump. Top 3 finishes are among the highest single-event scores.
Win a Championship event	Maximum points. Win multiple Championships and you're a strong Leaderboard contender.
Cash in a 1,000 CHIP Masters event	Even higher weighting due to buy-in level. Masters cashes punch above their field size.

The top 150 Performance Leaderboard finishers split the 150,000 $PHNM token prize pool. First place wins a $16,000 package to WSOP Paradise Event #10 — the $10,000 8-Game Mixed Championship on December 9, travel included.

What Makes This Series Different

Every major online series runs guaranteed prize pools. That's table stakes. What's different about the PSOP is the $250,000 in $PHNM token giveaway layered on top of the tournament prizes.

$PHNM tokens aren't rewards points. They're equity. Each token entitles the holder to a share of 50% of Phenom's weekly net rake — paid weekly, in stablecoins, automatically. The tokens you earn in the PSOP keep generating income after the series ends.

At the current token price, the $250K giveaway is roughly a 35% overlay on the $706,500 in tournament guarantees. No series running on GGPoker or PokerStars is structured to pay players this way. It's not possible on a traditional operator model.

How to Satellite Into a Championship Event

The direct buy-in for Championship events is 500 CHIP. The satellite path:

$2.50 feeder→$5 satellite→$50 qualifier→500 CHIP seat

Satellites started October 2 and run through November 15. Over 230 satellites are scheduled. Register early for any event to receive a 10% starting chip bonus.

FAQ

Which NLH Championship event has the biggest guarantee?

Event #90 NLH PKO Championship (Nov 15) has the largest NLH PKO guarantee at 20,000 CHIP. Event #12 NLH PKO Masters (1,000 CHIP buy-in) has 25,000 CHIP guaranteed — the largest for any NLH Masters event.

Do I need to play PKO to compete in PSOP Championships?

Several Championships run in PKO format — you don't have to exclusively play those. There are also standard Championship events. Check the specific event format in the lobby before registering.

Can I win a WSOP package from the Main Event?

Deep runs in Championship events earn Performance Leaderboard points. First place on the Performance Leaderboard wins a $16,000 WSOP Paradise package. Championship results are among the highest-weighted on the leaderboard.

What is the best Championship event value?

Event #90 NLH PKO Championship (Nov 15, 20,000 CHIP GTD) offers the best NLH PKO guarantee. For mixed game players, Event #38 8-Game Mix Championship (Nov 1, 15,000 GTD) typically runs with smaller fields and better overlay.