International news
The 2026 Super High Roller Bowl XI will kick off on October 8th at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. Both the NLH and PLO flagship events have a standard buy-in of $103,000, with an early entry discount of $3,000. Defending champion Joao Simao has won major titles at the SHRB, Triton, and WSOP over the past year, most recently racking up a career-defining $7.2 million in Jeju Island. Whether he can maintain his hot streak is a key focus of this year's tournament.
The Super High Roller Bowl is set to return to Las Vegas in 2026. PokerGO's Super High Roller Series will kick off on October 3 at the PokerGO Studio within the ARIA Resort & Casino. The most anticipated event, Super High Roller Bowl XI, will take place on October 8, while the PLO version, Super High Roller Bowl PLO IV, will start on October 5.
Both flagship events have a standard buy-in of $103,000, with early registrants receiving a $3,000 discount, effectively entering the tournament with a $100,000 entry fee. Both events will be three-day tournaments and are expected to once again attract the world's top high-stakes poker players.
SHRB XI starts on October 8th, with the PLO version launching three days earlier.
Super High Roller Bowl XI is a No-Limit Hold'em event, and will be held on:
1 p.m. on October 8
The fight has officially begun.
Super High Roller Bowl PLO IV is scheduled for:
1 p.m. on October 5
Both six-figure buy-in events are three-day tournaments. Day 1 consists of 60-minute blind levels, with subsequent levels extending to 75-minute levels.
Key information about the 2026 Super High Roller Bowl
| project | SHRB PLO IV | SHRB XI |
|---|---|---|
| Competition Format | Pot-Limit Omaha | No-Limit Hold'em |
| Start date | October 5 | October 8 |
| Start time | 13:00 | 13:00 |
| Standard Buy | $103,000 | $103,000 |
| Early bird discount | Discount of $3,000 | Discount of $3,000 |
| Schedule | 3rd | 3rd |
| Day 1 Blind Level | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Subsequent blind levels | 75 minutes | 75 minutes |
| Place | PokerGO Studio | PokerGO Studio |
Joao Simao returns as the defending champion
One of the biggest focuses this year is whether Brazilian high-stakes poker player Joao Simao can continue his strong performance from the past year.
In the 2025 Super High Roller Bowl, Simao defeated Jason Koon in the Champions Heads-Up to win:
$1,100,000
And became the SHRB champion.
That victory became the starting point for Simao's subsequent series of major championships.
From SHRB to Triton and WSOP, Simao reached the peak of his career.
Since winning the Super High Roller Bowl in 2025, Simao's performance has continued to climb.
He then won his first Triton title at the 2025 WSOP Paradise and earned his third WSOP gold bracelet.
At the 2026 WSOP, he was again:
$50,000 High Roller PLO
Successfully reached the summit; gains:
Approximately US$1,400,000
And his fourth WSOP gold bracelet.
However, the biggest victory of the year came in September with the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II.
Simao won the buy:
$200,000 Triton Invitational
The champion's prize money is as high as:
Approximately US$7,200,000
This also marks a historic single-game achievement for a Brazilian player in a live tournament.
Jeju Island receives another $2.5 million, extending its hot streak into SHRB.
After winning the $200,000 Triton Invitational, Simao didn't stop running deep.
At the same Jeju Series event, he was again:
$150,000 Anniversary Special
They fought their way into the final stage and ultimately won through an agreement:
Approximately US$2,500,000
Winning two seven-figure dollar prizes in a short period of time has put him in the best form he's been in in recent years, and he's ready to return to Las Vegas.
Therefore, rather than simply defending his title, what is more noteworthy about the 2026 SHRB XI is whether Simao can convert his accumulated achievements from Triton, WSOP, and last year's SHRB into another six-figure buy-in championship.
Negreanu, Haxton, and Davies have all topped the SHRB rankings.
The Super High Roller Bowl has previously featured extremely high buy-ins, such as $300,000 or even $500,000, and its past champions include many high-stakes poker figures.
In 2022, Daniel Negreanu defeated Nick Petrangelo in Heads-Up to win:
$3,300,000
And the SHRB champion.
In 2023, Isaac Haxton won his second Super High Roller Bowl championship.
$2,800,000
In 2024, Seth Davies defeated Spanish high-stakes player Juan Pardo in heads-up play, winning:
$3,200,000
In 2025, Joao Simao will once again take the championship from Jason Koon.
Recent Super High Roller Bowl champions
| years | champion | Champion Prize Money | Final opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Daniel Negreanu | $3,300,000 | Nick Petrangelo |
| 2023 | Isaac Haxton | $2,800,000 | — |
| 2024 | Seth Davies | $3,200,000 | Juan Pardo |
| 2025 | Joao Simao | $1,100,000 | Jason Koon |
Super High Roller Series will be played consecutively from October 3rd to 10th.
This year's Super High Roller Bowl is not a standalone event, but rather a core part of the Super High Roller Series.
The series will begin on October 3 with the SHRB PLO Milestone Satellite, where players will compete for a six-figure spot in the PLO Main Event.
Following the Super High Roller Bowl PLO IV on October 5th, a $25,000 NLH/PLO mixed tournament will be held the following day.
On October 7th, the NLH version of the SHRB Milestone Satellite will provide a final entry route for the Super High Roller Bowl XI on October 8th.
After SHRB XI begins, there will be a $25,000 NLH match on each of the last two days of the series.
2026 Super High Roller Series Schedule
| date | time | Tournament | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | 14:00 | SHRB PLO Milestone Satellite | $10,000 |
| October 5 | 13:00 | Super High Roller Bowl PLO IV | $100,000* |
| October 6 | 15:00 | $25K NLH/PLO | $25,000 |
| October 7 | 14:00 | SHRB Milestone Satellite | $10,000 |
| October 8 | 13:00 | Super High Roller Bowl XI NLH | $100,000* |
| October 9 | 15:00 | $25K NLH | $25,000 |
| October 10 | 12:00 | Single-Day $25K NLH | $25,000 |
The six-figure high roller tournament resumes, with Simao becoming the focus of the title defense.
The 2026 Super High Roller Series will connect the PLO, NLH/PLO mixed series and the NLH high-stakes series over eight days, with the two six-figure buy-in Super High Roller Bowls remaining the core of the entire series.
On October 5th, top PLO players will compete in the Super High Roller Bowl PLO IV; three days later, the Super High Roller Bowl XI will take the lead.
Last year's champion, Joao Simao, is undoubtedly one of the most watched names this year. Since defeating Jason Koon to win the SHRB in 2025, he has added a Triton title, two important WSOP-related achievements, and two huge wins of approximately $7.2 million and $2.5 million at the Jeju High Stakes Series in September 2026.
With the Super High Roller Bowl returning to PokerGO Studio in October, whether Simao can maintain his peak performance and defend his title will be the main storyline of this year's six-figure high roller tournament.
Want to change Texas Holdem from "can understand" to "can win"?
If you want to learn more about Texas Hold'em, you can continue reading：
The Origins of Texas Hold'em: Why is it the World's Most Popular Poker Variant?
Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings and Showdown Rules (Beginner’s Essentials)
Texas Hold'em Betting teaching: Check / Bet / Call /Raise and Betting Strategy Analysis
The importance of Texas Hold'em position? Why is the back position more advantageous?
How to play Texas Hold'em? Novices learn Texas Hold'em rules, processes and betting teaching in 10 minutes
Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Strategy Guide: Which Hands to Play?
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Chart Tutorial: Complete Starting Hand Chart and Position Strategy
How to play Texas Hold'em? Complete rules and a hand's flow (Preflop / Flop / Turn / River)
Hunter Poker offers comprehensive tutorials, hand analysis, and strategy sharing to help players upgrade from simply "reading the cards" to understanding the range . This allows you to make better decisions in every hand.
▶️ In Facebook Follow Hunter Poker.
📘 In Youtube Follow Hunter Poker.
Want to learn more about Texas Hold'em gameplay and strategies?
Online Texas Hold'em free tournaments typically have no entry fee, making them ideal for beginners to familiarize themselves with the rules and for advanced players to test strategies and gain experience. View full brand profiles to learn about each platform's free tournament schedule, features, and target audience.
Further News Reading
International news
RGPS champion Tiffany Keathley passes away at the age of 40, with career prize money exceeding $115,000.
International news
Online poker security saga: An anonymous cybersecurity expert claims approximately 30 high-stakes players were remotely controlled, with third-party tools becoming the focus.
International news
The HCL "J4 Controversy" Fourth Anniversary | The Truth Behind the $269,000 Hero Call Remains Unresolved; Garrett Adelstein's New Book Revisits the Incident
International news