American web-based predictions platform Kalshi has introduced the first World Series of Poker (WSOP) predictions market on its platform, allowing users to trade on the overall number of players in the 2026 WSOP Main Event.

Users can trade on whether the WSOP Main Event will have more than 10,000 runners, which seems to be about the right prediction line given attendance over the last three years.

With just over $2,000 traded on the market for the time being, the market seems to be swaying slightly in favor of the Main Event getting over 10,000 players, but actual public sentiment will become clearer in the coming months, as further trades are made.

The 2026 WSOP has been scheduled to run from May 26 to July 15, with the exact schedule of events expected to be announced in the coming days, and most potential traders are likely waiting to see it before making any predictions.

Will the 2026 WSOP Get 10,000 Runners?

The Main Event attendance number has long been considered one of the key parameters in measuring the overall success of the WSOP.

The Series first came close to hitting the 10,000 mark back in 2006, when Jamie Gold triumphed over 8,773 runners in the midst of the poker boom. Just as it seemed poker was only going to get bigger, interest in live poker fell off, and the Main Event saw more modest numbers of entries in the coming years.

The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 was another turning point for live poker, as the game saw a massive surge of players in the following years. In 2023, the Main Event finally saw more than 10,000 entries, as a total of 10,043 players took their shot at the world’s biggest poker trophy.

The record was smashed again the very next year, as 10,112 players entered the Main Event, and Jonathan Tamayo triumphed amid the “laptopgate” scandal.

The 2025 edition of the WSOP Main Event, which saw Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi come out on top, once again failed to get 10,000 runners, but the number came close with a total of 9,735 entries.

Judging by the most recent numbers, and the overall interest in live poker still being quite significant across other venues, it’s likely this year’s Main Event will once again come close to 10,000 runners, which leaves the prediction market in a real coin-toss situation.

Once the full WSOP 2026 schedule is released and the Main Event dates become clearer, we may see further data to support either side, including GGPoker’s predictions for the overall number of online qualifiers for the prestigious World Championship event.

Daniel Negreanu Will Give Away a WSOP Main Event Seat via Kalshi

GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu, likely the world’s most famous poker player, entered a personal partnership with Kalshi in September last year and recently announced a WSOP Main Event seat giveaway via the platform.

Since launching the partnership, Kid Poker has made similar giveaways on Kalshi. In the winter of 2025, he gave away a $30,000 WSOP Paradise package, which included an entry to the $25,000 WSOP Super Main Event.

Now, one lucky player will get to play in the 2026 WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, and all you need to do is join Kalshi using promo code “DNEGS” and make a $10 deposit.

All players who qualify will get a single entry into the final draw, where one $10,000 Main Event seat will be given away, adding another entry to the potentially 10,000+ field of this year’s Championship.

Daniel Negreanu also hinted at more poker-related prediction markets coming to Kalshi in the near future, as one user asked the question and DNegs simply answered: “Working on it!”

Kalshi recently announced a partnership deal with The Lodge Card Club in Texas, and is expected to launch prediction markets for the popular Poker at the Lodge YouTube live stream, similar to the ones offered by Polymarket for the big games on Hustler Casino Live.

Deals with the likes of Daniel Negreanu and The Lodge Card Club indicate Kalshi’s clear interest in the poker market and likely further involvement with the game, so we expect to see plenty of poker prediction options on the platform over the course of 2026 and beyond.