LAPC to Return to WPT in 2027: Classic Tournament Relaunches After Low Participation Point
The LA Poker Classic Championship Event is scheduled for February 26 to March 3, 2027, at Commerce Casino featuring a $10,000 buy-in. The return bridges a delayed 2021 final table finish and a recent 2026 low of just 50 entries.
Author: PokerSlate · Gemini-assisted translation · Editor: PokerSlate primary AI reviewer
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The Los Angeles Poker Classic (LAPC) will rejoin the World Poker Tour (WPT) main schedule in 2027. Separate reports from PokerNews and CardPlayer confirm Commerce Casino will once again host the WPT LAPC Championship Event, scheduled for February 26 through March 3, 2027, with a $10,000 buy-in.
This return follows a period of reduced participation for the standalone LAPC. The 2026 Championship Event recorded just 50 entries, a sharp drop from the 490 entries logged in its last WPT-branded edition. Rejoining the WPT tour brings the long-standing Los Angeles tournament back into the main WPT circuit.
Championship Dates Set, Full Schedule Pending
Announced dates span two levels: the broader LAPC festival is slated to run from January 15 through March 7, 2027, while the $10,000 Championship Event takes place from February 26 to March 3. Full schedules for secondary events had not been released at the time of reporting.
CardPlayer noted that the LAPC festival continued running during its hiatus from the WPT calendar. Thus, this update marks the Championship Event rejoining WPT, rather than a brand relaunch from scratch. Published dates carry no explicit guarantees regarding future field sizes or prize pools.
A Final Table Delayed over a Year
The LAPC was a staple of the WPT across its first 18 seasons. Gus Hansen won the inaugural WPT LAPC title in 2003, followed by champions including Phil Ivey and Michael Mizrachi.
The conclusion of the most recent WPT LAPC spanned two calendar years. The 2020 edition drew 490 entries and reached its six-player final table in March 2020 before pandemic disruptions halted play. The final table was completed in May 2021, where Balakrishna Patur defeated Matas Cimbolas heads-up to claim $1,015,000. That delayed final table was the final WPT LAPC prior to this return.
From 490 Entries to 50 Entries
Outside the WPT umbrella, the LAPC continued operations, though field sizes contracted. By 2026, Alex Massman won the event amidst a field of 50 entries, taking home $158,030.
This trend explains the interest surrounding the return: the LAPC possesses a long history and famous champions, yet recent field counts diverged significantly from past levels. Actual participation in 2027 will provide new data for evaluating the partnership; currently confirmed details remain limited to event dates, venue, and buy-in.
Local reading context
The LAPC Championship Event and the wider festival use different date ranges. Readers planning to travel to Los Angeles should focus on the confirmed Championship dates while awaiting full schedule announcements for secondary events.
Source report dates: 2026-09-28 / 2026-09-29
Original sources and verification
- PokerNews
Reports tournament return, planned championship dates, and buy-in.
Verified:
- CardPlayer
Independently reports LA Poker Classic returning to the WPT schedule.
Verified: