WSOP Historic Texas Hold’em Circuit Event Shatters Its Million-dollar Main Event Guarantee

^{Players filled the tables at the Texas Card House as the WSOP Circuit made its historic Texas debut in Austin. (Photo: courtesy of Jimmy Stewart)}

The World Series of Poker made its Texas debut with a historic series held in Austin, starting on April 23 and capping off on May 4. The Circuit Series at the Texas Card House included a $1 million guaranteed prize for their $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em WSOP Circuit Main Event, which was smashed with a total prize pool of over $2.5 million.

In addition to the Main Event, 18 rings were up for grabs with a range of buy-ins from $400 to $3,250. 

Terrance Reid, WSOP U.S. Circuit Manager, shared the excitement of bringing the Circuit to Texas and why the Texas Card House was a great partner for the series. 

“Texas Card House has demonstrated a commitment to growing the game in the great state of Texas," Reid said. "They've had a goal of hosting the first-ever WSOP Circuit series for years.”

Circuit Results Highlighted by Main Event Record

Thomas Brabham took down the Main Event for $368,545, topping what became the largest prize pool in Texas poker history. The Texas Card House certainly delivered after pent-up demand for a major poker series in the Lone Star State.

Winners of the 18 rings received a $5,000 package, including an entry to the WSOP Circuit Championship at the WSOP Paradise and free hotel accommodations at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas during the event in December 2026. The schedule of this event is yet to be released.

Last year’s winner of the WSOP Circuit Championship, Mark Darner, beat almost 2,400 players and won $350,000 along with a second WSOP gold bracelet, joining his two WSOP Circuit rings. 

Texas Hold'em Successfully Returns to Lone Star State

Texas hold ‘em has finally come home. Until around 2015, no card rooms were open in Texas. The timeliness of this series is huge for Austin, as one of the Texas Card House’s competitors, The Lodge Card Club, has been closed since March 10. 

This was after being raided by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on allegations of money laundering, organized crime, and illegal gambling. Charges have recently been dropped, with Doug Polk, one of the co-owners of the Lodge, commenting on X.

Texas poker is played in membership-based clubs, where players pay a fee to join and play the series. Reid touted the Texas Card House for “their commitment to delivering a great experience for players, and doing things the right way made the collaboration a clear choice. The WSOP is proud to call them a partner.”

Reid concluded that the Texas Card House’s “preparation, investment, and commitment to players was on full display.” And due to “an incredibly successful inaugural series and the biggest prize pool ever in Texas," it's already confirmed that the next series will return to TCH Austin later this year from Sep 10-21, 2026. 

“Players wanted it back, so we made it happen."