WPT® Prime Lodge 2025: $1M Guaranteed & WPT® Wildcard Bring Big Action to Texas

Why This Stop Matters

WPT® Prime Lodge is best summarised by affordable buy-ins, professional play, and major-league production.

At just $1,100, you can turn a modest buy-in into a six-figure opportunity, commonly seen at WPT® Prime events worldwide.

Organisers anticipate a field of over 900 entries based on recent Prime stops. For example, this year, WPT® Prime Thailand drew over 2,000 entries, setting a high bar for The Lodge to match.

For the Texas poker community, this may also prove to be a pivotal moment. The Lodge has grown into one of the country’s largest card rooms, and hosting a WPT® Prime event is another notch in the belt of the state’s growing reputation as an established poker powerhouse.

Championship Overview

Key structural highlights include 40-minute levels on Day 1 (60 minutes from Day 2), a big-blind ante throughout, and an Action Clock from Level 16. 

Players start nine-handed, shifting to eight-handed once in the money, with roughly 12.5% of the field paid.

Players and Creators to Watch

Nothing excites poker fans more than a lineup mixing seasoned pros, big names, and rising stars, and WPT® Prime Lodge is shaping up to deliver exactly that.

In the attendees we expect to see a unique mix of old-school strategy and creator-era entertainment, helping ensure a smooth debut of WPT® Wildcard. Here are a few notable names:

• Doug Polk, one of The Lodge’s co-owners and a WPT® commentator, is confirmed to make an appearance, adding local star power to the mix.
• Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme, both key figures in poker vlogging and members of The Lodge ownership group, are likely to play and film their runs for their massive online audiences.
• On the pro side, several regulars from recent WPT® Prime stops, including Alexander Puchalski (Cambodia champion) and Haoran Sun (Thailand winner), are expected to enter.

WPT® Wildcard Takes the Stage

For the first time at a Prime event, WPT® Wildcard brings creator-led poker to the live arena. This format reflects WPT’s ongoing commitment to merging high-stakes competition with creator-driven entertainment, so you can expect:

• Tables featuring streamers and influencers playing alongside WPT® regulars
• Interactive segments built for live audience engagement and social clips
• Creator challenges and side events covered across WPT® channels

The action kicks off today with Heart Attack Poker (October 8), a livestreamed cash game where WPT® Ambassadors and top creators wear heart rate monitors, letting fans watch every adrenaline spike and heartbeat on screen as the pressure mounts.

Points to Remember 

• $1M guaranteed, professional structure, and WPT®-level production.
• Daily updates across WPT.com, YouTube, and X.
• Creator tables and real-time behind-the-scenes content.
• Signature Texas hospitality from The Lodge team.

How to Enter

Players can register directly at The Lodge with a verified WPT.com account. Re-entries are available through Level 10, and all events follow TDA and WPT® event policies.

Prime Lodge for Poker Fans

It’s been a promising rise for poker in Texas, as the southern star continues to grow as one of poker’s most dynamic regions, and WPT® Prime Lodge looks to only contribute to the growing buzz. 

We’ll see not just increased opportunity for regional players, but for how live poker connects with online audiences.

With a $1M guarantee, a lineup of top-tier creators, and the U.S. debut of WPT® Wildcard, The Lodge is poised to host one of the standout poker events of 2025.