MicroMillions 2026: The best series for new and aspiring players returns this month

August 10, 2026

News

by PokerStars Staff

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4 Minute Read

Like you, we’ve spent the summer watching players battle for millions of dollars in big Las Vegas tournaments.

But all of those players had to start somewhere. And now it’s time for those of us with modest–some might say, micro bankrolls–to have our time in the spotlight.

MICROMILLIONS 2026 – August 16-31, 2026

MicroMillions is the most extensive, most prestigious online poker tournament series for new and aspiring poker players hoping to build their bankrolls and capture a title. Plus, winners get a MicroMillions badge that you can display proudly when playing on PokerStars.

It’s a series designed for those who have big poker dreams, but don’t necessarily have big poker bankrolls. But with buy-ins as low as $1.10 plus tons of added-value satellites for every event, you don’t need one to enjoy MicroMillions.

The series falls right in that sweet spot between WCOOP Boot Camp and WCOOP itself, and with such small buy-ins, it’s the perfect place to experiment in tournament formats you’re not experienced in, or to dabble in variants of poker you’ve never played before.

Plus, there’s more than $2 million guaranteed in prizes throughout the series. The stakes might be low, but the prizes will get big.

So, whether you’re brand new to poker or you want to get back in the game after some time away, there’s no better series to play than this one.

KEY SERIES INFO

Series Dates: Aug 16 to 31, 2026
Guarantee: Over $2M
Buy-in range: $1.10 to $22

Key Events:

August 16:

• $11 Sunday Storm (PKO) – $75K GTD
• $22 Sunday High Roller – $75K GTD

August 23:

• $11 Sunday Storm (PKO) – $75K GTD
• $22 Sunday High Roller – $75K GTD

Main Event: on August 30

$22 Main Event (PKO) – $250K GTD

Qualify to the Main Event via sats from: $2.20

MICROMILLIONS 2026 SCHEDULE

HOW TO PREPARE

How do you like to prepare for a big tournament?

Do you focus on strategy and game planning? Or do you relax, get some rest, and prepare internally? 

Whatever your focus points, the fact is that everyone has their own ways of getting in the zone. 

However, there are some common pieces of advice for preparing for a massive tournament that will apply to you no matter what your preparation looks like.

Check out: How to prepare for a big tournament

(Even if you play low-stakes poker tournaments, they can still be big for you and your bankroll!)

TOURNAMENT STRATEGY GUIDES

Huge tournaments like the Sunday Storm with great structures and big fields allow for plenty of play. But this also means you’ll need to navigate your way through every stage of the tournament, from the early stages through to the mid-game; the bubble through to the final table.

PokerStars Learn has put together these guides to help you every step of the way.

Check out: Tournament strategy guides

BOUNTY BUILDER TOURNAMENTS

Progressive Knockout poker tournaments — also known as Bounty Builders — are a very popular format of the game. 

They are also a lot of fun, adding bounties to each player to give extra incentive to knocking people out of the tournament. 

Here we will look at some tips to maximise your chances of getting those lucrative bounties.

Check out: Progressive Knockout tournament tips

THE MATHEMATICS OF BOUNTIES

One quick glance at a Bounty Builder / Progressive Knock-Out (PKO) lobby never gives you the whole story. 

The payouts may seem smaller than you’d expect considering the tournament’s guarantee, particularly the min-cash (which is often less than the buy-in itself). 

But that’s because, unlike regular tournament structures, you don’t have to wait until the bubble bursts to make money. Half of your buy-in goes to a regular prize pool, while the other half goes into the bounty prize pool. 

In a Bounty Builder/PKO tournament, the second you knock a player out, half of their bounty is added directly to your PokerStars account in cash, while the other half is added to your own bounty. 

This drastically changes the way you have to play. We have to aggressively try and knock out as many people as possible, and that means we have to crunch the equity numbers.

In this article, you’ll learn how much a bounty is really worth in chips, how much equity you need to call to win a bounty, and more.

Check out: Getting to grips with the mathematics of bounties

MYSTERY BOUNTY TOURNAMENTS

Mystery Bounty tournaments combine the thrill and skill of poker tournaments with the excitement and anticipation of a raffle or lottery.

Huge prizes can be won and you don’t even need to be near the end of the tournament to win them.

But if you’ve never played one before, you might be unclear on the rules. Don’t sweat, we’ve got you covered.

Find out how Mystery Bounty tournaments work in this guide.