Poker Circle Swiss Masters

The PCSM is Switzerland’s first poker tournament series. It will take place across several stops from March 2026. Players can qualify for Championship Week in December at the Grand Casino Luzern via various qualification routes.

The series comprises seven stops, starting on 25 March 2026. Each stop features a Main Event as well as side events spread over several days.

• 37th PCSO
• Spring Special
• 38th PCSO
• Summer Special
• 39th PCSO
• 40. PCSO
• Autumn Special 

Championship Week is the highlight of the season in December, featuring a Main Event (CHF 800 + 80 buy-in) as well as a number of side events. Full details of the tournament structure, start times and buy-ins will be published in good time.

Wildcards are awarded via one of the following qualification routes: Main Event wins, the Season Ranking, freerolls, lucky draws, cash game promotions and the Endurance Reward. The tournament organisers reserve the right to further develop or amend individual qualification routes.

A total of 28 exclusive wildcards will be awarded for the Main Event of PCSM Championship Week. All wildcards are funded entirely by Grand Casino Luzern

Yes. Every Main Event winner qualifies directly for Championship Week. If the winner has already qualified, the next player in line takes their place.

Ranking points are awarded exclusively in the PCSM Main Events and only to players who finish in the money (ITM). The calculation takes into account finishing position, buy-in and the field of entrants, and is modelled on the Global Poker Index (GPI), although it is based on a formula developed independently by Grand Casino Luzern. To ensure transparency, a ranking calculator is provided, which players can use to calculate their points themselves. The calculator is available under ‘Ranking Calculator’.

The 54 highest-ranked players who do not yet have a wildcard will compete in a freeroll for seven wildcards.

After the seventh stop (Autumn Special), 21 Lucky Draw winners will be drawn at random from among all Main Event participants to compete for seven wildcards in the Season Freeroll.

Participants cannot be drawn more than once.

During the season (25 March 2026 – 29 November 2026), players earn points through the High Hand promotion. The top three players each day receive 1 point. The player with the best High Hand of the day also receives an instant cash prize of CHF 100. The 16 players with the most points at the end of the season qualify for the Season Freeroll.

If, for example, several players have the same number of points, the winners will be drawn at random. Example: Players in positions 15–18 all have the same number of points; from these four players, two winners will be drawn to take part in the PCSM Season Freeroll.

If a player has already qualified for the Ranking Freeroll Qualifier, the next-placed player will move up and be considered accordingly. A player may only take part in one of the freerolls.

The PCSM Endurance Reward recognises commitment and loyalty to the series. Players who take part in at least four out of seven live stops qualify for the PCSM Season Freeroll. The deciding factor is initially the number of Main Events played (excluding re-entries); in the event of a tie, the player’s position in the Season Ranking will be used to break the tie. If the tie persists, the winner will be decided by drawing lots. A maximum of 17 players can qualify via this route.

The total prize money for all the 2026 Main Events is expected to exceed CHF 1.5 million.