After a year that has already delivered GTD-breaking prize pools, standout performances and memorable stops across South Africa, ShuffleUp Poker is preparing to close out its 2026 calendar with its flagship Series, the SA Poker Open at Montecasino.
More than R10 million is guaranteed across the upcoming Series, but after the numbers recorded throughout 2026, organisers are anticipating that benchmark will be comfortably surpassed as players from across the country and the world prepare to descend on Johannesburg.
Adding to the occasion, the SA Poker Open will kick off with an exciting partnership with the Hendon Mob Championship. The much anticipated R1.5 million guaranteed SA Millions will launch on 28 October.
Where The Year Began
ShuffleUp’s 2026 tournament calendar got underway in March, setting the tone for what would become a huge year of poker.
David Ng emerged as the Main Event champion, while Aidan Jacobs was another notable winner after taking down the One Life for R157,000. His victory would prove to be an early indication of an exceptional year, with Jacobs going on to win a WSOP bracelet in Las Vegas later in 2026.
By the end of the Series, R12.7 million in prizes had been generated across the schedule.
A Huge Return To Montecasino
ShuffleUp returned to Montecasino across July and August, this time opening proceedings with the Super High Roller Invitational hosted by South African poker veteran Giovanni Zanette.
The exclusive R100,000 buy-in freezeout was capped at just 27 players and brought together a stacked field of some of the country’s most accomplished players. Shaun Govender eventually navigated his way through the field to claim the Invitational title.
The numbers continued to climb throughout the Series, culminating in a Main Event that attracted 404 total entries. Demand saw organisers increase the guarantee multiple times, eventually reaching R4.5 million, before the final prize pool pushed through the R5 million mark. Imran Bhojani ultimately emerged with the Main Event trophy.
The series as a whole generated R15.4 million in prizes.
The Legend Returned To Emerald
September saw ShuffleUp make its long-awaited return to Emerald Casino, a venue steeped in South African poker history.
Over the years, Emerald had welcomed some of the biggest names in international poker, including Michael Mizrachi, Maria Ho, Vanessa Rousso and Scotty Nguyen, making its return to the ShuffleUp calendar a highly anticipated one.
Four events took centre stage across five days, headlined by the Main Event hosted by South African poker legend Rudolf Fourie.
Fourie enjoyed an impressive Series of his own. He claimed the High Roller title before going on to finish third in the Main Event he hosted, while Savva Savvas ultimately completed a remarkable comeback to take home the Main Event title.
It proved to be an especially memorable day for the Savvas family. Across the room, Savva’s son Marko was playing his way to the top of the Emerald Blast, ultimately claiming the trophy to complete a remarkable father-and-son double win on the same day.
Across the five days at Emerald, R2.8 million in prizes were generated.
All Roads Lead To The SA Poker Open
After three major stops and more than R30 million in prizes already generated during 2026, attention now returns to Montecasino for the biggest date on ShuffleUp’s calendar.
The SA Poker Open will bring more than R10 million in guaranteed prize pools to the tables, beginning with the R1.5 million guaranteed Hendon Mob Championship SA Millions.
But if the year so far is anything to go by, the guarantees may only tell part of the story.
Fields have continued to grow, guarantees have been surpassed and prize pools have climbed throughout the year. With players already securing their seats through satellites and many more preparing to jump into the action, expectations are high that the SA Poker Open will push well beyond its advertised guarantees.
African Ace will be live on the floor to cover all the action at the SA Poker Open so stay tuned.