PokerStars NAPT: North American Poker Tour Guide
Last updated: October 6, 2026
The PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) returned to the live poker calendar in 2023 after a 12-year absence and enjoyed a successful three-year run at Resorts World Las Vegas through 2025.
But that run has now come to an end — at least temporarily. There will be no PokerStars NAPT in 2026, meaning players should not expect another NAPT Las Vegas festival or the accompanying Path to NAPT online qualifiers this year.
The decision brings a pause to a revival that produced three major Las Vegas festivals from 2023 through 2025. The most recent edition, NAPT Las Vegas 2025, featured 48 events over ten days, with Gal Yifrach winning the $5,300 Main Event for $543,025.
PokerStars remains active in US live poker through other events, including its PokerStars Open series, but no NAPT event is scheduled for 2026.
This guide looks back at the modern NAPT, the 2025 festival, its history, online qualification system, and what the absence of a 2026 NAPT means for players.
| PokerStars North American Poker Tour 2026 Las Vegas | |
|---|---|
| 📅 Dates NAPT Las Vegas 2026 | TBA |
| 🎰 Venue for NAPT Las Vegas | Resorts World Casino |
| 🎪 Expected NAPT Las Vegas Events | Main Event, PokerStars Open, High Roller, Super High Roller, Women’s Event, Women’s High Roller & Mystery Bounty |
| 💻 NAPT Las Vegas Online Qualifiers | PokerStars US & PokerStars Ontario |
| 💰 NAPT Las Vegas Buy-ins | $330 all the way up to $25,000 |
Will There Be a PokerStars NAPT in 2026?
No. PokerStars will not hold a North American Poker Tour event in 2026.
That means there will be no NAPT Las Vegas festival at Resorts World in 2026 and no $5,300 NAPT Main Event this year.
The news marks a change from the previous three years. PokerStars revived the NAPT in November 2023 following a 12-year hiatus and returned to Resorts World Las Vegas in both 2024 and 2025.
The modern NAPT therefore currently looks like this:
| Year | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Resorts World Las Vegas | Held |
| 2024 | Resorts World Las Vegas | Held |
| 2025 | Resorts World Las Vegas | Held |
| 2026 | — | No NAPT scheduled |
PokerStars has not announced a 2026 replacement NAPT stop.
The absence of the tour does not mean PokerStars has withdrawn from live poker in the United States. The operator has continued to develop other US live events, including PokerStars Open festivals.
Can I Qualify for the NAPT Online?
There are no NAPT 2026 online qualifiers because there is no NAPT festival scheduled for 2026.
During the tour’s 2023—2025 revival, online qualification was an important part of the NAPT.
PokerStars US provided satellite routes for eligible US players, while PokerStars Ontario also offered opportunities for Ontario players to qualify for the Las Vegas festival.
The qualification system evolved into the Path to NAPT, giving players the opportunity to start at very small stakes and work their way toward packages for the $5,300 Main Event.
If the NAPT returns in a future year, PokerStars could revive a similar qualification system, but no future NAPT satellite program has been announced.
NAPT Las Vegas 2025
The most recent North American Poker Tour took place November 3—12, 2025 at Resorts World Las Vegas.
The ten-day festival featured 48 events and more than $3 million in advertised guarantees.
Its centerpiece was the $5,300 NAPT Main Event, which attracted 738 entries from 29 countries.
That created a $3,579,300 prize pool, with 111 players finishing in the money.
Gal Yifrach Wins the 2025 NAPT Main Event
Gal Yifrach won the 2025 NAPT Main Event and collected $543,025.
PokerStars Ambassador Jennifer Shahade also made a deep run, finishing third for $291,800.
The Main Event continued the growth of the modern NAPT following its return in 2023 and provided a fitting conclusion to the tour’s three-year Las Vegas run.
Other NAPT 2025 Highlights
The Main Event was only part of the 2025 festival.
The schedule included events at numerous buy-in levels, including:
- $5,300 NAPT Main Event
- $10,300 Super High Roller
- $2,200 PokerStars Open High Roller
- $1,100 NAPT Mystery Bounty
- $330 Women’s Event
- $1,100 Women’s High Roller
The festival also included higher-stakes events outside the core NAPT schedule.
A $50,000 Super High Roller attracted 23 entries and generated a $1,115,730 prize pool.
Stephen Chidwick won the tournament for $557,930, with Thomas Boivin finishing second for $334,700 and Cary Katz taking third for $223,100.
PokerStars Ambassador Maria Konnikova also won the High Roller Second Chance for $66,350, earning her third PokerStars live tournament trophy.
How Path to NAPT Worked
One of the most important developments during the modern NAPT was PokerStars’ online qualification system.
The Path to NAPT allowed eligible players to begin with inexpensive online tournaments and advance through progressively larger satellites toward a NAPT package.
For the 2025 festival, the system worked through five main steps:
| Step | Qualifier Format | Typical Buy-In | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spin & Go | $0.50 | Entries to later stages or chance at a Gold Pass |
| 2 | On-Demand Sit & Go | $1.50 | Entry to $10 qualifier |
| 3 | Multi-Table Tournament | $10 | $100 Bronze Pass |
| 4 | Bronze Pass Qualifier | $100 | Entry to $1,000 NAPT satellite |
| 5 | Main Satellite | $1,000 | NAPT Las Vegas Gold Pass |
Players could enter at different points rather than being required to start at the first level.
Gold Passes provided substantially more than a tournament ticket, combining Main Event entry with additional benefits designed to help qualifiers attend the Las Vegas festival.
There is no Path to NAPT program in 2026 because no NAPT festival is being held.
The Big Game on Tour
The Big Game on Tour became closely associated with the modern NAPT after PokerStars used its Las Vegas festival as a setting for the revived television cash game.
The format places an amateur qualifier known as the Loose Cannon into a cash game against professional poker players and other notable personalities.
The basic concept is:
- One Loose Cannon competes against five other players.
- The Loose Cannon receives a bankroll with which to play.
- After completing the required number of hands, the qualifier keeps eligible profits above the starting bankroll.
PokerStars filmed additional Big Game on Tour content during NAPT Las Vegas 2025.
The show is a separate PokerStars property from the NAPT itself, so the absence of a NAPT festival in 2026 does not necessarily determine the future of The Big Game on Tour.
Resorts World and the Modern NAPT
Resorts World Las Vegas served as the home of the revived North American Poker Tour from 2023 through 2025.
The resort opened on June 24, 2021 on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, on the former site of the Stardust.
The property includes a large casino and three Hilton-affiliated hotel brands:
- Las Vegas Hilton
- Conrad Las Vegas
- Crockfords Las Vegas
Its combination of hotel rooms, casino facilities, convention space, and poker facilities made it the base for all three editions of the revived NAPT.
With no NAPT taking place in 2026, Resorts World is not hosting a NAPT festival this year.
History of the North American Poker Tour
The NAPT has had two distinct eras.
PokerStars originally launched the North American Poker Tour in 2010. The original series featured events in the United States and elsewhere in North America but lasted only two seasons before disappearing from the live poker calendar.
More than a decade later, PokerStars revived the brand.
NAPT Returns to Las Vegas in 2023
The NAPT made its long-awaited return in November 2023 after a 12-year hiatus.
PokerStars selected Resorts World Las Vegas as the home of the revived tour.
The festival included the Main Event, High Roller and Super High Roller, Mystery Bounty, PokerStars Cup, and numerous side events.
The Main Event ran November 6—11 and exceeded its $1.5 million guarantee.
The return also included extensive streaming coverage and represented a renewed investment by PokerStars in live poker in the US.
Ahead of the festival, PokerStars expanded its US ambassador lineup.
The operator partnered with NextGen Poker, while bestselling author and poker player Maria Konnikova returned as a PokerStars ambassador.
NAPT 2024
PokerStars returned to Resorts World for another NAPT festival in 2024.
The second edition of the revived tour built on the success of 2023 and helped establish Las Vegas as the home of the modern NAPT.
The 2024 festival also expanded PokerStars’ qualification efforts and continued the development of the Path to NAPT system.
NAPT 2025
The third consecutive NAPT Las Vegas festival took place in November 2025.
The $5,300 Main Event drew 738 entries and generated a prize pool of more than $3.5 million, with Gal Yifrach taking the title.
It ultimately became the final NAPT festival before PokerStars elected not to run the tour in 2026.
PokerStars US Live Events in 2026
The absence of the NAPT does not mean PokerStars has stopped running live poker events in the United States.
PokerStars has expanded its PokerStars Open brand, providing another avenue for players looking to compete in PokerStars-branded live tournaments.
US events have included:
- PokerStars Open Philadelphia
- PokerStars Open Maryland
These festivals generally provide more accessible buy-ins than the NAPT Main Event while retaining the PokerStars live-event structure.
For players who previously looked to the NAPT for PokerStars live poker in the US, the PokerStars Open series is particularly relevant in 2026.
PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) FAQ
What is the PokerStars NAPT?
The North American Poker Tour (NAPT) is a PokerStars live poker tournament brand.
The original NAPT launched in 2010. PokerStars revived the tour in 2023 and held three consecutive festivals at Resorts World Las Vegas from 2023 through 2025.
Is there a PokerStars NAPT in 2026?
No.
There will be no PokerStars NAPT in 2026. The tour ran at Resorts World Las Vegas in 2023, 2024, and 2025 but is not returning in 2026.
Why is there no NAPT in 2026?
PokerStars is not holding the North American Poker Tour in 2026.
Unless PokerStars provides a specific public explanation for the decision, it is better not to speculate about why the tour was omitted from the 2026 live poker calendar.
Will the NAPT return in 2027?
PokerStars has not confirmed a NAPT return for 2027.
The absence of a 2026 festival therefore should not automatically be interpreted as the permanent end of the North American Poker Tour.
When was the last PokerStars NAPT?
The most recent NAPT took place November 3—12, 2025 at Resorts World Las Vegas.
The festival featured 48 events across ten days.
Who won the 2025 NAPT Main Event?
Gal Yifrach won the 2025 NAPT Main Event for $543,025.
The $5,300 tournament attracted 738 entries and generated a $3,579,300 prize pool.
Where was the PokerStars NAPT held?
All three festivals during the modern NAPT revival were held at Resorts World Las Vegas.
The venue hosted the NAPT in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Are there NAPT online qualifiers in 2026?
No NAPT qualifiers are running for 2026 because there is no NAPT festival scheduled this year.
During previous editions, PokerStars US and PokerStars Ontario offered online qualification opportunities for NAPT Las Vegas.
What was Path to NAPT?
Path to NAPT was PokerStars’ multi-step online satellite system for the North American Poker Tour.
Players could begin with low-cost online qualifiers and advance through multiple stages toward NAPT Gold Pass packages.
What was the NAPT Main Event buy-in?
The Main Event during the most recent NAPT Las Vegas festival had a $5,300 buy-in.
Players could either buy in directly or qualify through PokerStars satellites.
What other live poker events does PokerStars offer in the US?
PokerStars continues to run other live poker events in the United States, including the PokerStars Open Philadelphia and PokerStars Open Maryland.
These events provide PokerStars-branded live tournament opportunities despite the absence of the NAPT in 2026.
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