WPT Returns to Commerce Casino for $10,000 LAPC Championship in 2027

Poker chips and championship trophy representing the WPT LAPC return to Commerce Casino in 2027.

By Sandra Gaweda | October 1, 2026 | 5 min read

The WPT returns to The Commerce Casino & Hotel for the $10,000 WPT LAPC Championship, February 26 – March 3, 2027.
The LAPC festival runs January 15 – March 7, 2027, as part of WPT Season 25.
The 2026 non-WPT LAPC Main Event drew just 50 entries, down from 490 at the last WPT edition.
The Championship is a freezeout, and Commerce plans satellites awarding hundreds of seats.

The Los Angeles Poker Classic is back on the World Poker Tour schedule. The WPT announced on Monday, September 28, 2026, that it will return to The Commerce Casino & Hotel for the $10,000 WPT LAPC Championship. The Championship runs February 26 – March 3, 2027, inside an LAPC festival that runs January 15 – March 7, 2027, during WPT Season 25.

This is the first WPT LAPC since the partnership ended after the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing matters because LAPC Main Event fields have fallen sharply since the WPT left. The 2026 LAPC Main Event drew only 50 entries, making the 2027 return an early test of whether the WPT can bring larger fields back to Commerce.

What the WPT Announced for the WPT LAPC Championship

The WPT press release sets two date ranges. The full LAPC festival runs January 15 – March 7, 2027. The $10,000 Championship itself runs February 26 – March 3, 2027.

The Championship is a freezeout, PokerNews reports. That means each player gets one entry, with no option to re-enter after busting. For players, the freezeout format means the $10,000 buy-in allows for just one entry.

Commerce plans promotions, giveaways and satellites awarding “hundreds of seats” to the Championship, according to the WPT. A satellite is a cheaper qualifier that pays out a seat instead of cash. The full festival schedule has not been released, so satellite buy-ins and dates are still unknown.

WPT CEO Adam Pliska framed the return around history: “The LAPC holds an incredibly important place in the history of the World Poker Tour… we are proud to return in Season 25 and build upon that remarkable legacy together.”

Why the LAPC Needed the WPT Back

The recent entry numbers show why the WPT’s return matters. PokerNews compiled LAPC Main Event fields by year, and the drop after the WPT left is steep.

Year	Entries	WPT Event
2017	521	Yes
2018	493	Yes
2019	546	Yes
2020	490	Yes
2021	69	No
2022	119	No
2023	181	No
2024	139	No
2025	145	No
2026	50	No

In the four WPT years listed, the field never fell below 490. In the six years since, it never topped 181. The 2026 Main Event bottomed out at 50 entrants, and Alex Massman won $158,030.

Prize money followed the same path. First place routinely paid more than $1 million in the WPT era. Since then, no LAPC winner has collected more than $402,000, per PokerNews.

The WPT’s Long History at Commerce

The LAPC appeared on the WPT schedule in each of the tour’s first 18 years. Gus Hansen won the first one in 2003, the tour’s inaugural season. Later champions include Phil Ivey, Antonio Esfandiari, Michael Mizrachi and Chris Moorman.

The last WPT edition had an unusual finish. It played down to six players in March 2020, then paused until the final table wrapped in May 2021. According to PokerNews, Balakrishna Patur beat Matas Cimbolas heads-up to win $1,015,000. We covered the 490-entry field reaching its final six in our March 2020 WPT LAPC final table report.

The partnership ended after the pandemic, poker.org reports. CardPlayer describes the 2027 return as coming “after a six-year hiatus.”

What the Return Means for California Poker Players

California players have few legal ways to play online. The state does not regulate online poker, and AB 831 banned sweepstakes poker effective January 1, 2026. Our California online poker laws guide explains where that leaves players.

That puts more weight on live card rooms like Commerce. The venue kept hosting major events during the WPT gap, including the 2024 WSOP Circuit finale and Tournament of Champions.

The WPT has also been rebuilding its California footprint. CardPlayer notes that Bay 101 returned to the WPT last year and Thunder Valley returned in 2023. It calls the 2027 LAPC turnout a litmus test of the WPT brand’s appeal.

For players considering the event, the practical issue is the $10,000 buy-in. A $10,000 freezeout is a big bankroll commitment, so satellites may be the more realistic route in. The full schedule will provide more detail on satellite options, dates and additional events.

What This Means

The WPT LAPC is back, giving California a $10,000 WPT stop at Commerce for the first time since the 2020 edition. The 50-entry field in 2026 shows how far the event fell, so the WPT brand is the big variable for 2027. If you plan to play, watch for satellite details, since the WPT promises hundreds of seats but hasn’t published the schedule. The freezeout format means players get one $10,000 entry, making the promised satellites an important part of the 2027 schedule.

The LAPC has its WPT stop back. The size of the 2027 field will show how much that return changes the event’s recent trajectory. Check out our latest poker freerolls, bonuses and promotions.

Sandra is a content writer and editor specializing in online poker and iGaming. She covers poker sites, game formats, industry news, and US online poker laws for Legal US Poker Sites.