Following the successful debut of the Costa Rica Poker Festival earlier this year, the second edition has now been scheduled for the end of January 2026, with the Main Event set to boast a guaranteed prize pool of over $200,000. The Costa Rica Poker Festival will take place from January 26 to February 2 at the Kickers Poker Club in the Sheraton San José Hotel.
To learn more about what’s planned, we reached out to the event’s creator, Ivonne Montealegre, who told us the following:
“Costa Rica is my country, and it took me 15 years to make this project a reality with the tournament I want to host. I found the Sheraton Hotel and the Kickers Poker Club to be the ideal place to hold it. When I played a few cash games there, I fell in love with the place, the community, and the delicious food. The first edition exceeded my expectations, as I anticipated 300 players in the Main Event, and we had almost 600 entries. I believe the second edition will be even bigger, as word is spreading that Costa Rica has its own poker festival. I’m very excited to bring the flavor of my tournaments to Costa Rica, and I hope many players can join us. It’s wonderful to see how proud Costa Rican players are to showcase our beautiful country to those who come from all corners of the world.”
She added: “I invite you to qualify online on the iPoker Network where you can win a fabulous package that includes entry to the Main Event and a day of adventure to explore the rapids, Arenal Volcano, and Tortuga Island. This way you can combine poker with the paradise that is Costa Rica, one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, with a deep respect for the environment.”
Image credit: https://www.pacuareraftingtours.com/
Finally, she told us: “The great Humberto ‘The Shark’ Brenes came to the first edition and won one of the events. He’s invited again for the second edition, and we’ll see if he joins us. Several Latin American legends will also be present, and we have a celebrity whose confirmation we’re waiting for, but I can’t reveal their name yet. There will also be many surprises for those who come.”
The 2026 Costa Rica Poker Festival Main Event
Structure:
- Buy-In: $550
- Re-entry: unlimited during late registration
- Stack: 50K
- Blind Levels: 40 minutes
- Guaranteed Prize Pool: $200,000
- Late Registration: 8 levels
Schedule:
- Day 1A: Wednesday, January 28th at 2 PM
- Day 1B: Thursday, January 29th at 2 PM
- Day 1C: Friday, January 30th at 2 PM
- Day 1D Turbo (20 minutes levels): Friday, January 30th at 9 PM
- Day 1E: Saturday, January 31st at 2 PM
- Day 1F Turbo: Saturday, January 31st at 8 PM
- Day 2: Sunday, February 1st at 10:00 AM
The 2026 Costa Rica Poker Festival Schedule
The second edition of the festival will feature nine events with buy-ins ranging from $230 to $1,100 for the High Roller. There will also be a special Ladies Event, the LIPS Costa Rica Championship, hosted by Women in Poker Hall of Famer Lupe Soto. Additionally, satellites for the Main Event and High Roller will be available, allowing players to qualify for the main tournaments for a low investment of $65 and $130, respectively.
These will be all the events of the festival:
| Event | Dates | Buy-In | Guaranteed | Stack | Levels |
| Pura Vida Bounty | 27th January | $330 | – | 30K | 20 min. |
| CR Main Event | 28th Jan. To 1st Feb. | $550 | $200,000 | 50K | 40 min. |
| Tico Cup NLH | 28th January | $250 | – | 25K | 20 min. |
| Pura Vida PLO | 29th January | $230 | – | 20K | 20 min. |
| Tico Mystery Bounty | 30th Jan. To 31st Jan. | $330 | – | 30K | 30 min. |
| LIPS CR Championship | 31st January | $250 | – | 25K | 25 min. |
| CR Seniors | 1st February | $230 | – | 35K | 30 min. |
| CR High Roller | 1st February | $1,100 | – | 30K | 40 min. |
| CR Cup | 1st February | $250 | – | 50K | 20 min. |
You can see the day-by-day schedule at this link.
Online satellites for the Costa Rica Poker Festival Main Event
Escape the European winter… and aim your shot at pure paradise! The path to the 2026 Costa Rica Poker Festival begins online with a full schedule of satellites scheduled for the weekends across the iPoker Network. If you spot the SLOTH LOGO 🦥, you’re in the right place!
Win your way to the LIVE event taking place at the Sheraton & Kickers Poker Club in Costa Rica — beaches, volcanoes, rainforest adventures, and a MASSIVE poker festival waiting for you on the other side of the world. Qualify on any of these iPoker partners:
- bet365
- betfred
- Betsson Brands
- BoyleSports
- Champion
- Coolbet
- Fortuna CZ
- Guts
- Inbet BG
- Klondaika LV
- PaddyPower
- RedStar
- Svenska Spel
- SwissCasinos
- Team Mexico
Turn a small satellite entry into a once-in-a-lifetime poker adventure! Volcano tours, beach days, rainforest ziplines, world-class hospitality… and YOU at the tables.
The 2025 Costa Rica Poker Festival
The first Costa Rica Poker Festival was held at the end of January 2025 and featured 11 events, won by players from Costa Rica, Scotland, Argentina, and Canada. As mentioned, one of the champions was Latin American legend Humberto Brenes, who won the Seniors event, securing the 14th title of his successful career.
The Main Event exceeded expectations, attracting 599 entries at $550 each and awarding $284K in prizes, nearly tripling the $100K guaranteed prize pool. The final table featured players from four different countries, and the winner was Alfredo Reed from Costa Rica, who took home a career-high $55K.
These were the results of the first edition of the festival:
| Event | Buy-In | Entries | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
| Pura Vida Bounty NLH | $330 | 122 | $17,385 | Emerson Monge (Costa Rica) | $4,865 |
| CR Main Event | $550 | 599 | $284,525 | Alfredo Reed (Costa Rica) | $55,000 |
| Tico Cup NLH | $250 | 91 | $19,019 | Andrew Leathem (Scotland) | $5,519 |
| Pura Vida 5-Card PLO | $230 | 68 | $4,370 | Daniel Villalta (Costa Rica) | $1,480 |
| LuxonPay Mystery Bounty | $330 | 106 | $8,550 | Martín Pardo (Argentina) | $4,078 |
| NLH Texas Turbo | $110 | 90 | $8,550 | José Sancho (Costa Rica) | $2,480 |
| LIPS Ladies | $250 | 31 | $6,479 | Rhonda Shepek (Canada) | $2,490 |
| CR Seniors 50+ | $230 | 73 | $13,870 | Humberto Brenes (Costa Rica) | $4,060 |
| High Roller NLH | $1,100 | 12 | $11,400 | Roberto Escalante (USA) | $7,980 |
| CR Turbo NLH | $250 | 52 | $10,865 | Luis Jaikel (Costa Rica) | $3,800 |
| CR Last Chance | $280 | 59 | $14,013 | Luis Jaikel (Costa Rica) | $4,000 |
Who will be the champions of the second edition? One of them could be YOU!
About The Author
