UK Poker League 2026 season
17 Feb – 20 Dec 2026 · Grosvenor Casinos — Luton, Blackpool, Reading South, Manchester BNR, Coventry, United Kingdom
The UKPL is Grosvenor Poker's festival series with 888poker. For 2026 the Main Event guarantee rose from £100,000 to £150,000, taking each festival to £300,000 in guarantees across seven tournaments at five venues — and the season now closes in December rather than November.
Schedule
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 2026 | Event 1 — 888poker Opening Voyage (3 flights, Tue–Thu) | £250 | £50,000 |
| 17 Feb 2026 | Event 2 — 888poker PLO 4 Card | £150 | £10,000 |
| 19 Feb 2026 | Event 3 — 888poker High Roller (2 days) | £1,100 | £50,000 |
| 19 Feb 2026 | Event 4 — 888poker Main Event (5 flights, Thu–Sat) | £560 | £150,000 |
| 21 Feb 2026 | Event 5 — 888poker The KO Rumble | £220 | £5,000 |
| 22 Feb 2026 | Event 6 — 888poker Seniors | £150 | £5,000 |
| 22 Feb 2026 | Event 7 — 888poker Big Shot | £200 | £15,000 |
| 15 Dec 2026 | Closing festival — Coventry (to 20 Dec, rescheduled from 10–15 Nov) | £560 | £150,000 |
What changed for 2026
The Main Event guarantee went up by half, from £100,000 to £150,000, at an unchanged £500 plus £60 buy-in. Grosvenor puts the total guaranteed across each festival at £300,000.
The season got longer
Grosvenor's UKPL page, read on 2 November 2026, states that the Coventry dates have changed and that the closing festival now runs 15 to 20 December. It had been published as 10 to 15 November. The 888poker UKPL terms further down the page still describe the season as running 17 February to 15 November and have not caught up, although they do reserve Grosvenor's right to move the finish date.
The seven events
Grosvenor publishes one festival template and repeats it at every stop rather than a separate schedule per venue. The week opens with a Monday cashout satellite, then:
- **Event 1, 888poker Opening Voyage** — £220+£30, £50,000 guaranteed, three flights from Tuesday noon with the last a Wednesday-night turbo, two days, 30,000 chips. - **Event 2, 888poker PLO 4 Card** — £130+£20, £10,000 guaranteed, one day, 20,000 chips. - **Event 3, 888poker High Roller** — £1,000+£100, £50,000 guaranteed, Day 1 from Thursday afternoon on a 40-minute clock and 100,000 chips. - **Event 4, 888poker Main Event** — £500+£60, £150,000 guaranteed, five flights from Thursday to Saturday including a Saturday-night turbo, Day 2 on Sunday, 50,000 chips. - **Event 5, 888poker The KO Rumble** — £100+£100+£20, £5,000 guaranteed, Saturday evening. - **Event 6, 888poker Seniors** — £130+£20, £5,000 guaranteed, Sunday. - **Event 7, 888poker Big Shot** — £175+£25, £15,000 guaranteed, Sunday.
Targeted cashout satellites run alongside most days, from £81+£9 upwards.
Where
Five venues: Luton, Blackpool, Reading South, Manchester BNR and Coventry.
Points and deductions
Most UKPL events carry National Poker League points; restricted-entry events such as Seniors and Ladies do not. UKPL-branded events carry a 5 per cent deduction, split 1 per cent to the NPL, 1 per cent to Grosvenor and 3 per cent to 888poker. Online events carry no deduction. Grosvenor states the 1 per cent is taken only after any overlay has been calculated.
Satellite rules worth knowing
Satellites run during a festival are targeted: the seat is only good for the event it was won into. A seat can be passed to another player but has to be played — it cannot be cashed out.
Qualify online from United Kingdom
Partner rooms run satellites to live festivals like this one. Available from United Kingdom:
GGPoker
888poker
Frequently asked questions
How much is the UKPL Main Event?
£500 plus a £60 entry fee, £560 in total, with £150,000 guaranteed in 2026 — up from £100,000 the previous season.
Which venues host the UKPL?
Five: Luton, Blackpool, Reading South, Manchester BNR and Coventry.
When does the 2026 UKPL season end?
With the Coventry festival from 15 to 20 December 2026. Grosvenor moved it from 10–15 November; the series terms on the same page still name 15 November and have not been updated.