Poker’s favorite scream queen is planning her first full World Series of Poker schedule in years.
“I’m very excited about the schedule,” says Jennifer Tilly.
“What I like is we’re jumping right into it. Sometimes in the past, I haven’t come out for the first week or so because it’s just the employee’s event and some smaller tournaments, but right there on the first day, they have a $5K eight-max.”
Snooze button approved
Mornings are a hard no for Tilly, though. Luckily the $5K eight-max kicks off at 2pm.
“I’m happy that most of the games I’m not too interested in playing are at 10 in the morning. I really don’t think I’ll play any tournaments that start at 10am this summer. It’s very hard to get out of bed that early."
The 2005 WSOP Ladies champion rarely avoids a chance to be in the mix and stir up a little trouble. And this year’s vast schedule of 100 bracelet events offers plenty of chances to do just that.
“I’m an action junkie," she says, "so I like that there are a lot of six-max tournaments. When you’re playing shorthanded, you can play a lot more hands and bluff a lot more.
“Another thing I like about the WSOP is they have a lot of different iterations of games – you can play badugi, deuce-to-seven, and Omaha 8! It really is fun to play games other than just no-limit hold'em.”
Ask Tilly one of the things she loves most about this year’s WSOP lineup, and she doesn’t skip a beat.
“One of my favorite things about the WSOP schedule is if you bust out of a game, you can hop right into another one, almost right away.”
Main Event final table mystery
Tilly didn't hold back on the decision by the WSOP to delay this year's Main Event final. Dates are yet to be confirmed but we do know that the champion will be crowned at a later date.
“I don’t think I like the WSOP Main Event playing to a final table and then halting," she says. "I think it’s unfair to the player who is riding a wave of momentum.
“I always thought with the November Nine [when the final table was delayed until November] that you would definitely get a different winner than if you just played all the way through.
“I also noticed that nobody really cared much about the November Nine by the time November rolled around. It’s much more exciting to watch the game play out in consecutive order. When the summer is over, it should be over. And not just dribble to a conclusion a few weeks later."
Hollywood can wait
For more than two decades, Academy Award nominee Jennifer Tilly has brought Hollywood flair and competitive fire to both cash games and WSOP tournaments.
In past years, Tilly would play nearly the entire WSOP summer. But as of late, the siren call of Hollywood has pulled her away — The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Chucky, School Spirits, Family Guy, and other film, television, and voice work prevailed. But not this year.
“I haven’t been able to participate much in the WSOP in prior summers because I was working," Tilly tells us. "This year, I hope I can play all the way through to the end.
"It’s the most exciting time to be in Vegas – you see all your friends from all over the world, and you can get your gamble on to your heart’s content.”
The 2026 WSOP plays out May 26 to July 15, with the Main Event final table dates to be confirmed. Check out the full WSOP 2026 schedule. Follow Jennifer's WSOP summer on X.
Images courtesy of PokerStars and PokerGO.
