World Poker Tout Revives LA Poker Classic for 2027

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Tue Sep 29, 2026, 7:00 am ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

World Poker Tout Revives LA Poker Classic for 2027

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The World Poker Tour (WPT) is bringing the LA Poker Classic back to its historic home in 2027. The tournament series will return to Commerce Casino in Los Angeles under the WPT banner.

The broader WPT LAPC series will run from January 15 through March 7, 2027. Meanwhile, the $10,000 buy-in WPT LAPC Championship will take place from February 26 through March 3. The full festival schedule has not yet been released.

The LAPC appeared on the WPT schedule throughout the tour's first 18 years. The tournament also produced several memorable champions during that period.

WPT Returns to a Historic LAPC Venue

Gus Hansen won the first WPT LAPC Championship in 2003. Since then, players such as Phil Ivey and Michael Mizrachi have also captured the title.

The tournament also has a distinctive format. The $10,000 championship remains a freezeout, which prevents eliminated players from re-entering the event. That format has become less common across major tournament series.

WPT CEO Adam Pliska highlighted the importance of restoring the event during Season 25.

"The LAPC holds an incredibly important place in the history of the World Poker Tour," said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. "Our partnership with The Commerce Hotel & Casino helped create countless memorable moments over the years, and we are proud to return in Season 25 and build upon that remarkable legacy together."

The WPT last held the LAPC Championship during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 event. Balakrishna Patur eventually completed the tournament in May 2021 and collected $1.015 million.

Patur defeated Matas Cimbolas heads-up after the tournament's final table faced a lengthy delay. The event had reached its final six players in Los Angeles before the pandemic interrupted the schedule.

LAPC Participation Fell After WPT's Departure

The WPT's return comes after several years of smaller LAPC fields. The difference becomes particularly clear when comparing recent results with the tournament's WPT era.

Year Entries Winner First Prize
2017 521 Daniel Strelitz $1,001,110
2018 493 Dennis Blieden $1,000,000
2019 546 David Baker $1,015,000
2020 490 Balakrishna Patur $1,015,000
2021 69 Michael Liang $175,300
2022 119 Huy Lam $300,280
2023 181 Alex Petrosian $401,650
2024 139 Wesley Haymond $279,450
2025 145 Michael Nia $308,270
2026 50 Alex Massman $158,030

The four WPT editions from 2017 through 2020 attracted between 490 and 546 entries. Each champion also received at least $1 million.

By contrast, the 2026 LAPC Main Event drew only 50 entries. Alex Massman won that tournament for $158,030.

The participation figures highlight the scale of the LAPC's recent decline. They also provide important context for the WPT's decision to restore the championship.

Commerce Plans Qualifiers for the 2027 Championship

Commerce Casino plans to offer hundreds of seats into the 2027 WPT LAPC Championship. The casino expects to award those seats through giveaways, promotions and satellite tournaments.

Additional qualifying information should emerge when the complete Season 25 schedule becomes available. Consequently, players following major live events can expect more details about the tournament pathway.

The return also gives players who primarily follow US online poker sites another major live tournament to track. The LAPC's WPT branding connects the event with one of the longest-running tours in American poker.

A New Chapter for a Historic Tournament

The 2027 revival gives the LA Poker Classic another chapter under the WPT banner. It also brings the championship back to Commerce Casino after several years away.

For the WPT, the event carries a substantial historical connection. For Commerce, the partnership restores a major tournament to a venue closely associated with the LAPC.

The 2027 championship will therefore combine a familiar $10,000 buy-in with its traditional freezeout structure. The upcoming festival will also give players several opportunities to qualify through satellites and other promotions.

With the full schedule still pending, further details should clarify the broader tournament lineup. However, the confirmed return already restores the WPT LAPC Championship to the 2027 live poker calendar.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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