The WPT Asia Series is an online tournament festival that runs only on WPT Global, priced in Chinese yuan and timed for Asian evenings, where cheap buy-ins can win you an official WPT Ring. Two editions ran in 2026: the original series from February 15 to March 15 (¥100M guaranteed, 9 rings), and the bigger Overdrive edition from July 19 to August 30 (¥200M+ guaranteed, 13 rings). Ring events started at just ¥55, roughly US$8.
Most online series chase high rollers. This one goes the other way. The headline events cost less than a casino buffet in Macau, and that is the reason it matters to players in Asia.
Two editions, one formula
WPT Global ran the series twice in 2026. Each time the second edition was bigger than the first, so expect future runs to be at least that size.
- WPT Asia Series (Feb 15 – Mar 15): 100+ events, ¥100,000,000 guaranteed (about US$15M), five Sunday Ring Championships plus four Myster¥ Millions rings. A “Million Boost Week” warm-up (Feb 13–17) ran seven daily events from ¥33 to ¥99 sharing ¥10M.
- WPT Asia Series: Overdrive (Jul 19 – Aug 30): 43 days, more than ¥200,000,000 guaranteed, 13 rings, plus ¥2M in weekly leaderboards and ¥2.1M in daily missions.
The full original schedule is still on the official WPT Global series page. Rings count toward the same honours as live WPT titles, which you can track on worldpokertour.com.
The ring events and what they cost
Overdrive had two kinds of ring event. The first was seven single-day Sunday championships, all starting at 12:05 UTC (8:05 pm in Manila, Singapore and Taipei):
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19 | Ignition | ¥188 | ¥1,000,000 |
| Jul 26 | Mystery Surge | ¥188 | ¥1,000,000 |
| Aug 2 | Bounty Boost | ¥588 | ¥1,500,000 |
| Aug 9 | Mystery Overheat | ¥588 | ¥1,500,000 |
| Aug 16 | Redline Championship | ¥660 | ¥2,000,000 |
| Aug 23 | Mystery Nitro Championship | ¥660 | ¥2,000,000 |
| Aug 30 | Grand Prix Main Event | ¥880 | ¥2,500,000 |
The other six rings came from multi-flight Mystery Phase Championships. Flights ran every day and Day 2s ran on Sundays at 13:30 UTC. The buy-ins went up through the series: Warm-Up ¥55, Rev Up ¥66, Throttle ¥88, then Top Gear, Boost Mode and Full Throttle at ¥188 each. Full Throttle carried the biggest guarantee at ¥3,000,000.
Mystery formats appear all over the schedule. If the envelope system is new to you, read our mystery bounty explainer before you fire. Bounty value works very differently from a normal freezeout.
How small bankrolls get in
The phase events are what make this series work for a tight budget. You play a ¥55 or ¥66 Day 1 flight as many times as the rules allow, and only your bagged stack goes through to Sunday. The early championships cost about US$27, so a grinder in Bangkok or Hanoi can chase a ring for much less than one live satellite. Satellite routes into the bigger Sunday events are listed in the WPT Global client lobby.
The side money is worth tracking too. The weekly leaderboards paid the top 500 each week. Points came from finishing position, early-bird registration and bubble eliminations, so registering early earned points. The daily missions paid out of a ¥50,000 pool every day, with the Daily Final at 10:30 pm UTC+8.
Do you need help opening a WPT Global account or funding it in yuan or USDT? Message @PAGDaddyBot on Telegram and you’ll get a step-by-step answer, not a sales pitch.
The catches
Currency. Every buy-in, guarantee and payout is in yuan. If you deposit in pesos, baht or dong, you pay a conversion spread both ways. That can matter more than the rake on a ¥55 flight.
Availability. WPT Global restricts some regions, and the series follows the same rules. Check your country page before you plan around it. Our Natural8 vs WPT Global comparison covers which markets each site serves.
Cashing out. A deep run can bring a much larger withdrawal than you normally make, and that is when security reviews start. Read our WPT Global withdrawal guide before Sunday, not after.
Overlays cut both ways. WPT Global has a record of guarantees that fields don’t cover. The site gave away a $129K overlay in one August event. Overlays are great for players but depend on the field, so don’t plan your bankroll around them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WPT Asia Series?
It is an online tournament series run only on WPT Global, priced in Chinese yuan and scheduled for Asian time zones, with official WPT Rings awarded in its championship events.
When is the next WPT Asia Series?
WPT Global ran editions in February–March and July–August 2026. Watch the WPT Global promotions page and client for the next schedule announcement.
How much does it cost to play for a WPT Ring?
In Overdrive, the cheapest ring path was the ¥55 (about US$8) Warm-Up phase event. The Grand Prix Main Event cost ¥880 (about US$125).
Is a WPT Asia Series ring the same as a live WPT title?
It is an official WPT Ring, but not a WPT Main Tour title. The live WPT Main Tour championships are the tour’s top honour, and online rings sit below them.
What time do WPT Asia Series events start?
Overdrive’s Sunday ring events started at 12:05 UTC and phase Day 2s at 13:30 UTC. In UTC+8 cities like Manila, Singapore and Taipei that is 8:05 pm and 9:30 pm.
Can I play the WPT Asia Series from my country?
Only if WPT Global accepts players from your country. Availability depends on the region, so check the site’s terms before you deposit.