LIVE Reporting: 2025 WSOPC Calgary

WSOP Calgary 2025 Live Reporting PokerPro

Check out live updates and reporting from the 2025 WSOP Circuit Calgary by Lyle Bateman. Chose an event of your choice down below:

Canadian Poker in 2025 Starts in Calgary


The 2025 poker season in Canada kicks off with WSOP Circuit Calgary starting on Jan 8. There are 13 days of Circuit action planned for Cowtown and among the new additions this time around is a HORSE game for the first time in modern Alberta.

Follow the action here on the live reporting links with updates from all games on the schedule throughout the series. See below for a look at all the structures for the ring events and the live satellites.

  • 159 Players Return for Day 2 of the Main

    Event 12:$1,700 Main Event ($1,515 + $185)
    Date:Day 1a: Jan 16, 11 AM
    Day 1b: Jan 17, 11 AM
    Day 1c: Jan 18, 11 AM
    Day 2: Jan 19, Noon
    Day 3: Jan 20, Noon
    Blinds:60 Minutes
    Entries:159/1371
    Prizes:$2,077,065

    The Day 2 field is set with 159 players returning all in the money. There are two big stacks that everyone is looking up at — Michael Lin and Sunny Lubana are the only players with more than a million, and they both have at least 1.1 million. Rauno Tahvonen came oh-so-close to the million mark with 995k while Glenn Baker has 970k for 4th and Sarath Samakasekera is just shy of 900k for fifth.

    Day 2 action gets underway at noon at the start of Level 18 since all three flights in this one went the distance. The blinds will move to 60 minutes at the start of play and remain there through the final hand on Monday. Day 2 is scheduled to play until the end of Level 27 and all remaining players will bag for Day 3 on Monday.

    Day 2 Stacks by Name

    Table-SeatPlayerChips
    65 – 9Aaron Quon538,000
    52 – 7Aidan Klingbeil86,000
    48 – 9Aleksei Ponomarev566,000
    50 – 5Alemu Makonen297000
    59 – 8Alen Bakovic454,000
    45 – 6Alex Liu425,000
    55 – 8Alexander Wong72,000
    61 – 5Andrew Fahey404,000
    57 – 2Andy Truong177,000
    65 – 4Angelo Jopek865,000
    49 – 2Ashkan Razavi765,000
    57 – 8Ben Cooper445,000
    64 – 4Brayden Brown109,000
    62 – 3Brian Robitaille Fequet186,000
    62 – 7Bryan Lin341,000
    48 – 8Chad Lummerding273,000
    47 – 7Chris Bowers368,000
    62 – 5Chris Charlton233,000
    56 – 2Christopher Bush211,000
    48 – 5Chun Kit Kwan579,000
    56 – 5Clint Cockburn66000
    60 – 2Cody McKay285,000
    54 – 7Cole Neufelf528,000
    65 – 8Colin Burton246,000
    54 – 9Colten Yamagishi623,000
    54 – 1Connor Daynard210,000
    59 – 9Corey Chan571,000
    60 – 8Cuong Nguyen360,000
    57 – 5Daniel Lefebvre126,000
    62 – 2David Ko315,000
    55 – 7David Quang308,000
    57 – 9David Swaim413,000
    47 – 4David Swirski399,000
    45 – 4Dennis Ashmore284,000
    60 – 5Don Donghoon Lee570,005
    65 – 5Donald Arsenault265,000
    46 – 9Dustin Centanni238,000
    57 – 7Dylan Boyer133,000
    47 – 1Dylan Payne306,000
    51 – 7Failsal Al Qutub380,000
    61 – 4Francis Fortin333,000
    50 – 1Frank Almond115,000
    56 – 7G Klimenko405,000
    47 – 3Gaetano Buda462,000
    64 – 9Garrett Gilmurray188,000
    55 – 1Giulio Rosati561,000
    59 – 7Giuseppe Galluzzo215,000
    65 – 1Glenn Baker970,000
    46 – 2Gordon Johnson514,000
    62 – 1Gordon Wong875,000
    56 – 6Greg Liow87,000
    51 – 5Greg Taylor433,000
    49 – 6Haochen Zhou374,000
    47 – 2Harman Jassal380,000
    46 – 3Harpreet Padda160,000
    59 – 4Hassan Issa480,000
    45 – 1Hee Sun Lee805,000
    45 – 7Hoang Quach81,000
    52 – 4Jackson Oniske179,000
    45 – 9Jacob Hobday105,000
    56 – 4Jacob Watrich368,000
    61 – 8Jae Whan Lee214,000
    46 – 4Jashua Frazer-James374,000
    61 – 6Jay Glass364,000
    61 – 2Jayvee Lumahan111,000
    54 – 5Jeet Shergill279,000
    47 – 5Jeff “Ironman” Charlebois274,000
    48 – 2Jeremie Bilodeau169,000
    47 – 9Jeremy Lyons169,000
    52 – 3Jimmy Lee406,000
    51 – 8Joey Basaraba249,000
    50 – 2John Dalphond435,000
    55 – 6John Lawford124,000
    51 – 2Jorge Artiga Ocheco347,000
    46 – 7Joshua Hopkins465,000
    52 – 5Julius Roque79,000
    52 – 1Kayvan Payman124,000
    65 – 7Ke’Andre Willis154,000
    57 – 1Keith McIntosh96,000
    54 – 4Kevin Javier243,000
    54 – 2Kevin Jeffrey Huang480,000
    55 – 3Kevin Keiso418,000
    61 – 3Kip Howard205,000
    55 – 5Kris Steinbach501,000
    51 – 6Kyle CHang130,000
    60 – 1Louis Collette61,000
    50 – 9Luteng Li123,000
    51 – 3Ma Ning319000
    52 – 8Mal Hagan137,000
    46 – 6Manish Rach220,000
    45 – 8Marc-Andre Yelle185,000
    54 – 6Marco Carreira142,000
    61 – 1Matthew Busch256,000
    64 – 3Mehmet Ali Siginc373,000
    52 – 2Michael Bernstein600,000
    49 – 9Michael Hooper180,000
    62 – 4Michael Letal812,000
    64 – 1Michael Retuya88,000
    49 – 5Michael Won Taek Lim1,187,000
    50 – 3Mike Leah544,000
    61 – 7Nader Aram-Pamaki578,000
    46 – 8Nicholas Lee692,000
    60 – 6Nikhil Madadi231,000
    59 – 1Pascal Gregoire886,000
    64 – 7Pat DiCosneo587,000
    48 – 1Pavlo Vertiiko593,000
    45 – 5Rafael Stern404,000
    60 – 3Rami Hammoud187,000
    48 – 3Rauno Tahvonen995,000
    50 – 6Raymond Cawaling92,000
    64 – 2Renmei Liu710,000
    59 – 3Richard Mullen279,000
    50 – 7Richard Rex97,000
    46 – 1Rob Lothian282,000
    49 – 1Robert Kliss136,000
    47 – 8Robin Bergren677,000
    50 – 8Rocco Smeriglio290,000
    52 – 6Roger Grosset282,000
    55 – 2Roman Gallivan176,000
    56 – 9Romualdo Cusano606,000
    56 – 1Ron Campbell243,000
    51 – 9Ruoxiao SHi316,000
    57 – 6Rus King396,000
    51 – 4Ryan Cairns48,000
    59 – 2Ryan Parungao120,000
    55 – 4Saeed Ganji185000
    52 – 9Sam Raz258,000
    57 – 4Sarath Samakasekera893,000
    48 – 7Scott Dyck326,000
    48 – 6Scott Johnson550,000
    62 – 9Scott Stuve83,000
    56 – 8Sean O’Reilly161,000
    51 – 1Shane Brotherwood634,000
    59 – 5Shawn Leis115,000
    45 – 2Stephen Dauphinais345,000
    46 – 5Steve Dejarlais176,000
    64 – 8Steve Labelle240,000
    62 – 6Steve Mager119,000
    65 – 2Steve Zhang326,000
    60 – 4Steven Filipovic872,000
    56 – 3Sunny Lubana1,100,000
    49 – 8Talal ShoushDNR
    57 – 3Teo Sanchez359,000
    47 – 6Terry Goode409,000
    54 – 3Thomas Taylor477,000
    49 – 3Tianshu Liu379,000
    65 – 6Tier Cong Phung429,000
    54 – 8Trent Hopper240,000
    64 – 5Trevor Morrisette333,000
    62 – 8Wayne Hoffert135,000
    59 – 6Weston Pring358,000
    55 – 9Yiming Nie132,000
    65 – 3Yiquan Zhong258,000
    48 – 4Yong Lu499,000
    60 – 7Zeyu Du257,000
    49 – 7Zhi Xiang Li70,000
    50 – 4Zhigang George Yang363000
    49 – 4Zilong Zhao347,000
    45 – 3Zofimo Xavier259,000

    Day 2 Chips by Seat

    Table-SeatPlayerChips
    45 – 1Hee Sun Lee805,000
    45 – 2Stephen Dauphinais345,000
    45 – 3Zofimo Xavier259,000
    45 – 4Dennis Ashmore284,000
    45 – 5Rafael Stern404,000
    45 – 6Alex Liu425,000
    45 – 7Hoang Quach81,000
    45 – 8Marc-Andre Yelle185,000
    45 – 9Jacob Hobday105,000
    46 – 1Rob Lothian282,000
    46 – 2Gordon Johnson514,000
    46 – 3Harpreet Padda160,000
    46 – 4Joshua Frazer-James374,000
    46 – 5Steve Dejarlais176,000
    46 – 6Manish Rach220,000
    46 – 7Joshua Hopkins465,000
    46 – 8Nicholas Lee692,000
    46 – 9Dustin Centanni238,000
    47 – 1Dylan Payne306,000
    47 – 2Harman Jassal380,000
    47 – 3Gaetano Buda462,000
    47 – 4David Swirski399,000
    47 – 5Jeff “Ironman” Charlebois274,000
    47 – 6Terry Goode409,000
    47 – 7Chris Bowers368,000
    47 – 8Robin Bergren677,000
    47 – 9Jeremy Lyons169,000
    48 – 1Pavlo Vertiiko593,000
    48 – 2Jeremie Bilodeau169,000
    48 – 3Rauno Tahvonen995,000
    48 – 4Yong Lu499,000
    48 – 5Chun Kit Kwan579,000
    48 – 6Scott Johnson550,000
    48 – 7Scott Dyck326,000
    48 – 8Chad Lummerding273,000
    48 – 9Aleksei Ponomarev566,000
    49 – 1Robert Kliss136,000
    49 – 2Ashkan Razavi765,000
    49 – 3Tianshu Liu379,000
    49 – 4Zilong Zhao347,000
    49 – 5Michael Won Taek Lim1,187,000
    49 – 6Haochen Zhou374,000
    49 – 7Zhi Xiang Li70,000
    49 – 8Talal ShoushDNR
    49 – 9Michael Hooper180,000
    50 – 1Frank Almond115,000
    50 – 2John Dalphond435,000
    50 – 3Mike Leah544,000
    50 – 4Zhigang George Yang363000
    50 – 5Alemu Makonen297000
    50 – 6Raymond Cawaling92,000
    50 – 7Richard Rex97,000
    50 – 8Rocco Smeriglio290,000
    50 – 9Luteng Li123,000
    51 – 1Shane Brotherwood634,000
    51 – 2Jorge Artiga Ocheco347,000
    51 – 3Ma Ning319000
    51 – 4Ryan Cairns48,000
    51 – 5Greg Taylor433,000
    51 – 6Kyle CHang130,000
    51 – 7Failsal Al Qutub380,000
    51 – 8Joey Basaraba249,000
    51 – 9Ruoxiao SHi316,000
    52 – 1Kayvan Payman124,000
    52 – 2Michael Bernstein600,000
    52 – 3Jimmy Lee406,000
    52 – 4Jackson Oniske179,000
    52 – 5Julius Roque79,000
    52 – 6Roger Grosset282,000
    52 – 7Aidan Klingbeil86,000
    52 – 8Mal Hagan137,000
    52 – 9Sam Raz258,000
    54 – 1Connor Daynard210,000
    54 – 2Kevin Jeffrey Huang480,000
    54 – 3Thomas Taylor477,000
    54 – 4Kevin Javier243,000
    54 – 5Jeet Shergill279,000
    54 – 6Marco Carreira142,000
    54 – 7Cole Neufelf528,000
    54 – 8Trent Hopper240,000
    54 – 9Colten Yamagishi623,000
    55 – 1Giulio Rosati561,000
    55 – 2Roman Gallivan176,000
    55 – 3Kevin Keiso418,000
    55 – 4Saeed Ganji185000
    55 – 5Kris Steinbach501,000
    55 – 6John Lawford124,000
    55 – 7David Quang308,000
    55 – 8Alexander Wong72,000
    55 – 9Yiming Nie132,000
    56 – 1Ron Campbell243,000
    56 – 2Christopher Bush211,000
    56 – 3Sunny Lubana1,100,000
    56 – 4Jacob Watrich368,000
    56 – 5Clint Cockburn66000
    56 – 6Greg Liow87,000
    56 – 7G Klimenko405,000
    56 – 8Sean O’Reilly161,000
    56 – 9Romualdo Cusano606,000
    57 – 1Keith McIntosh96,000
    57 – 2Andy Truong177,000
    57 – 3Teo Sanchez359,000
    57 – 4Sarath Samakasekera893,000
    57 – 5Daniel Lefebvre126,000
    57 – 6Rus King396,000
    57 – 7Dylan Boyer133,000
    57 – 8Ben Cooper445,000
    57 – 9David Swaim413,000
    59 – 1Pascal Gregoire886,000
    59 – 2Ryan Parungao120,000
    59 – 3Richard Mullen279,000
    59 – 4Hassan Issa480,000
    59 – 5Shawn Leis115,000
    59 – 6Weston Pring358,000
    59 – 7Giuseppe Galluzzo215,000
    59 – 8Alen Bakovic454,000
    59 – 9Corey Chan571,000
    60 – 1Louis Collette61,000
    60 – 2Cody McKay285,000
    60 – 3Rami Hammoud187,000
    60 – 4Steven Filipovic872,000
    60 – 5Don Donghoon Lee570,005
    60 – 6Nikhil Madadi231,000
    60 – 7Zeyu Du257,000
    60 – 8Cuong Nguyen360,000
    61 – 1Matthew Busch256,000
    61 – 2Jayvee Lumahan111,000
    61 – 3Kip Howard205,000
    61 – 4Francis Fortin333,000
    61 – 5Andrew Fahey404,000
    61 – 6Jay Glass364,000
    61 – 7Nader Aram-Pamaki578,000
    61 – 8Jae Whan Lee214,000
    62 – 1Gordon Wong875,000
    62 – 2David Ko315,000
    62 – 3Brian Robitaille Fequet186,000
    62 – 4Michael Letal812,000
    62 – 5Chris Charlton233,000
    62 – 6Steve Mager119,000
    62 – 7Bryan Lin341,000
    62 – 8Wayne Hoffert135,000
    62 – 9Scott Stuve83,000
    64 – 1Michael Retuya88,000
    64 – 2Renmei Liu710,000
    64 – 3Mehmet Ali Siginc373,000
    64 – 4Brayden Brown109,000
    64 – 5Trevor Morrisette333,000
    64 – 7Pat DiCosneo587,000
    64 – 8Steve Labelle240,000
    64 – 9Garrett Gilmurray188,000
    65 – 1Glenn Baker970,000
    65 – 2Steve Zhang326,000
    65 – 3Yiquan Zhong258,000
    65 – 4Angelo Jopek865,000
    65 – 5Donald Arsenault265,000
    65 – 6Tier Cong Phung429,000
    65 – 7Ke’Andre Willis154,000
    65 – 8Colin Burton246,000
    65 – 9Aaron Quon538,000
    Event 12
    WSOPC Calgary 2025 Schedule
  • Zeki Balic Eliminated in 4th Place ($3,594)

    Level:19 (20,000/40,000/40,000)
    Entries:3/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Zeki Balic moved all in from under the gun and was called by Jenelle Exner in the big blind. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Zeki Balic: 44

    Jenelle Exner: 76

    The board ran out AQ73K for Exner to take the pot. She sits with a stack of 700,000.

  • Geraldene Spears Eliminated in 5th Place ($2,576)

    Level:19 (20,000/40,000/40,000)
    Entries:4/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Geraldene Spears moved all in from the cutoff for 285,000. Ivanna Soya made the call from the button and both players revealed their hands.

    Geraldene Spears: 44

    Ivanna Soya: JJ

    The board ran out 43Q3J for Soya to take the pot. She stands as the chip lead with 1,250,000.

  • Kali Shuali Eliminated in 6th Place ($1,923)

    Level:18 (15,000/30,000/30,000)
    Entries:5/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Kali Shuali moved all in from the cutoff for 240,000. Anne M made the call from the small blind. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Kali Shuali: 47

    Anne M: AK

    The board ran out K8A28 for Anne to take the pot.

  • Debi Loomer Eliminated in 7th Place ($1,497)

    Level:18 (15,000/30,000/30,000)
    Entries:6/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Debi Loomer moved all in for 50,000 and was called by Zeki. Both players revealed their hands.

    Debi Loomer: A2

    Zeki: 74

    The board ran out 74838 for Loomer to hit the rail.

  • Zeki Doubles Up

    Level:18 (15,000/30,000/30,000)
    Entries:7/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Zeki moved all in from middle position for 110,000. Ivanna Soya called from the button and Kali Shuali moved all in for 365,000. Soya made the fold and both players revealed their hands.

    Zeki: A3

    Kali Shuali: JJ

    The board ran out 52K102 for Zeki to triple up to 370,000. Shuali sits at 255,000.

  • Kathy Froment Eliminated in 8th Place ($1,212)

    Level:18 (15,000/30,000/30,000)
    Entries:8/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Kathy Fromend called all in from the small blind and Anne M checked from the big blind. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Kathy Fromend: Q8

    Anne M: K10

    The board ran out A33K7 for Anne to take the pot. She now has a stack of 590,000.

  • Haven Taylor Eliminated in 9th Place ($1,036)

    Level:17 (10,000/20,000/20,000)
    Entries:8/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Haven Taylor moved all in from middle position for 165,000. Kali Shuali called from late position and Zeki button called for only 65,000. The three players revealed their hands.

    Zeki: JJ

    Haven Taylor: K8

    Kali Shuali: AK

    The board ran out Q92104 for Taylor to hit the rail. Zeki now has a stack of 240,000 and Shuali one of 440,000.

  • Wendy Sather Eliminated in 10th Place ($926)

    Level:17 (10,000/20,000/20,000)
    Entries:9/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Kali Shuali limped from early position and Wendy Sather moved all in from late position. Shuali made the call and both players revealed their holdings.

    Wendy Sather: AK

    Kali Shuali: KK

    The board ran out 2231010 for Sather to hit the rail. Shuali sits with a stack of 440,000.

  • Exner Finds the Double

    An all in and call occurred between Jenelle Exner and Zeki Zeki. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Jenelle Exner: A9

    Zeki Zeki: JJ

    The board ran out 487AK for Exner to find the double. Exner is no amateur in this tournament as she has previously won back to back titles in the same event. She now sits at 340,000 around tournament average.

  • Players on Break

    The remaining 12 players are headed on a break. They return to blinds of 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante.

  • Soya Finds the Double

    Level:16 (10,000/15,000/15,000)
    Entries:12/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Haven Taylor raised to 45,000 from the cutoff and Ivanna Soya moved all in for 81,000 from the button. Taylor made the call and both players revealed their holdings.

    Ivanna Soya: AK

    Haven Taylor: KJ

    The board ran out 768QA for Soya to find the double. She currently sits with a stack of 180,000.

  • The River is Nice to Taylor

    Level:15 (6,000/12,000/12,000)
    Entries:14/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    The button raised to 30,000 and the small blind moved all in for 87,000. Haven Taylor jammed over the top for 155,000 and the button took little time to fold. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Small Blind: K10

    Haven Taylor: 55

    The board ran out 108325 for Taylor to send her opponent to the rail. She now sits above the tournament average with a stack of 280,000.

  • Hood Finds a Miracle River

    Level:15 (6,000/12,000/12,000)
    Entries:15/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Lisa Hood moved all in from the button for 96,000 and Haven Taylor found the call from the big blind. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Lisa Hood: AJ

    Haven Taylor: KQ

    The board looked rough for Hood as it came the 104Q6. Unfortunately for her, she found the three outer as the K completed the board. She now has grown her stack to 186,000 just short of the average.

  • Teliani Sends Luebkert to the Rail

    Level:14 (4,000/8,000/8,000)
    Entries:17/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Action was caught after the turn of AQKK with an all in and two players in a side pot. Nu Teliani moved all in and her opponent was quick to fold. Both remaining players revealed their hands.

    Jenn Luebkert: 108

    Nu Teliani: A4

    The board completed with the 8 for Teliani to take the pot and grow her stack to 416,000.

  • Gelinas Doubles Through Taylor

    Level:13 (3,000/6,000/6,000)
    Entries:18/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Haven Taylor raised to 18,000 from early position. Late position and the cutoff made the call and Angie Gélinas moved all in for 44,000 from the small blind. Taylor raised to 100,000 and the remaining players made the fold. Both players revealed their hands.

    Angie Gélinas: AJ

    Haven Taylor: A9

    The board ran out 4J9Q10 for Gélinas to find the double. She sits at 130,000 while Taylor is currently at 185,000. Gélinas is revered as a pioneer of women’s poker in the Calgary scene.

  • Another Elimination for Anne

    Level:13 (3,000/6,000/6,000)
    Entries:20/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    An all in and call occured after the turn came the 102QK. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Early Position: KJ

    Anne N: Q7

    The river was the A for Anne to send her opponent to the rail. She sits nearly double the tournament average of 162,222 with 300,000.

  • Bubble Bursts

    Level:13 (3,000/6,000/6,000)
    Entries:22/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Anne N raised to 30,000 from the small blind. The big blind called for 12,000 as both players revealed their hands.

    Big Blind: 82

    Anne N: AJ

    The board ran out 341010Q for the remaining players to enter the money.

  • Teliani Makes a Move

    Level:13 (3,000/6,000/6,000)
    Entries:23/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Action was caught after the flop of 3A5 and Nohad Teliani checked from the big blind. Early position fired for 25,000 and Teliani moved all in having her opponent covered.

    Her opponent went into the tank. Eventually, they found the fold and revealed AJ. Teliani showed A2 as her stack is at 303,000.

  • Luebkert Finds a Moment of Relief

    Level:12 (2,000/4,000/4,000)
    Entries:24/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    An all in and call occurred between Jenn Luebkert and middle position. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Jenn Luebkert: AA

    Middle Position: KK

    The board ran clean for Luebkert as it came 75673 for her to take the pot. She is still below average with 66,000 in her stack.

  • Exner Finds the Double

    Level:12 (2,000/4,000/4,000)
    Entries:24/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Early Position made the call and late position raised to 12,000. Jenelle Exner defended her big blind and the other player folded.

    The flop came 2910 and both players checked their option.

    After the turn came the 3, Exner led out for 12,000 and was called.

    The river was the 8 and Exner checked. Her opponent moved all in and she made the call and revealed 99 to best her opponents AQ. She currently sits at 65,000 with two players until the money

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  • What a River for Taylor

    Level:11 (1,500/3,000/3,000)
    Entries:29/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    The button called and Haven Taylor raised to 13,500 from the small blind. The big blind moved all in for slightly more and the button was quick to fold. Taylor made the call and both players revealed their hands.

    Big Blind: KK

    Haven Taylor: A4

    The board ran out 7364A for Taylor to take the pot. She sits with a healthy stack of 188,000 as the bubble draws close.

  • Spears Can’t be Topped

    Level:11 (1,500/3,000/3,000)
    Entries:40/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Middle Position raised to 10,000 and Geraldene Spears raised to 40,000 from the button. Her opponent called with slightly less and both players revealed their holdings.

    Middle Position: J9

    Geraldene Spears: 1010

    The board ran out 6573K for Spears to take the pot. Spears has soared to the chip lead currently at 318,000.

  • Prize Pool Announced

    PlacePrize
    1$12,237
    2$7,843
    3$5,211
    4$3,594
    5$2,576
    6$1,923
    7$1,497
    8$1,212
    9$1,036
    10-11$926
    12-13$870
    14-22$828
  • Belote’s Impressive Resume Won’t Get a New Addition

    Level:10 (1,000/2,000/2,000)
    Entries:54/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Pamela Belote moved all in for 16,000 from early position. Middle Position made the call and the button moved all in for 58,000. Middle Position made the call. The three players revealed their holdings.

    Pamela Belote: QJ

    Middle Position: 99

    Late Position: AQ

    The board ran out 7J7910 for Belote to hit the rail. Belote holds the record for most WSOP circuit rings won by a female with 8 current rings in her possession. Although todays event ends less than ideal, the future looks bright for this representative of women’s poker.

  • Updated Stacks and Emerging Big Stacks

    Level:9 (1,000/1,500/1,500)
    Entries:63/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Currently the average stack sits at 46,349. Below is a list of new, updated, and big stacks around the room.

    Haven Taylor: 134,000

    Geraldene Spears: 215,000

    Kali Shuali: 92,000

    Cardelle Szego: 18,500

    Yafei Jian: 56,000

    Nohad Teliani: 71,000

    Ivanna Soya: 39,000

    Sunni Pil: 65,000

    Fatima Nanji: 41,000

  • Rockets for Froment

    Level:9 (1,000/1,500/1,500)
    Entries:81/146
    Prizes:$48,180

    Late position moved all in for 7,500 and Kathy Fremont moved all in for around 70,000. The remaining players folded and both players revealed their hands.

    Late Position: K8

    Kathy Fremont: AA

    The board ran out 10J2AK for Fremont to send her opponent to the rail. She sits nearly double the average with 78,000.

  • Players on Break as Rebuys Close

    The remaining players are headed on a 15 minute break. As the break ends registration will close. A prize pool update will shortly follow.

  • Pil Risks it All

    Level:8 (500/1,000/1,000)
    Entries:81/138
    Prizes:$45,540

    Action was caught after the flop of A4Q and under the gun was quick to check. Sunni Pil fired for 7,000 from early position and received a call.

    The turn was the 10 and under the gun checked to Pil. She moved all in and received a quick fold from her opponent who revealed the A. She now sits at a comfortable 50,000.

  • Jian Cracks Aces

    Level:8 (500/1,000/1,000)
    Entries:81/136
    Prizes:$44,880

    Action was caught after the turn came the 1069J. The big blind led out for 5,000 and Yafei Jian moved all in for 20,500 from under the gun. Her opponent went into the tank but eventually made the call. Both players revealed their hands.

    Yafei Jian: KQ

    Big Blind: AA

    The river was the 9, although no card in the deck could make Jian lose. With the double up, Jian sits nearly double the average stack with 62,000.

  • Taylor Seems Unstoppable

    Level:7 (400/800/800)
    Entries:81/132
    Prizes:$43,560

    Action was caught after the flop of KJ2, and middle position checked. Haven Taylor raised to 5,000 from late position. The small blind was quick to fold but the middle position player made the call.

    The turn peeled the 9 and the middle position checked to Taylor. She fired for 5,000 and was rewarded with the pot. She currently sits as the chip leader at approximately 98,000. Taylor recently won the Alberta Poker Index’s “Female Player of the Year” for the second year running.

  • Hope for Grad

    Level:7 (400/800/800)
    Entries:81/128
    Prizes:$42,240

    Caroline Grad moved all in from under the gun for 14,500. The middle position player made the call and both players revealed their holdings.

    Caroline Grad: 44

    Middle Position: K10

    The board ran out 641036 for Grad to find the double. She now sits near the tournament average with 31,000.

  • Throwback: Jenelle Exner Goes Back-to-Back Ladies Rings

    Jenelle Exner 2024 WSOP Circuit Calgary Ring Win
    Jenelle Exner wins back-to-back WSOP Circuit rings

    Last year, Jenelle Exner etched her name into poker history with an incredible back-to-back victory in the Ladies events at WSOP Circuit Calgary. After claiming her first ring in May, she returned in August, outlasting a tough field, including runner-up Barb Walser, to secure her second title in style.

  • Freed up as She Finds the Double

    Level:7 (400/800/800)
    Entries:83/125
    Prizes:$41,250

    An all in and a call occurred between the middle position player and Yolande Freed. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Yoland Freed: QQ

    Middle Position: AK

    The board ran out 44263 for Freed to find the double. She sits just over starting at 20,800.

  • Nuts Only for Taylor

    Level:6 (300/600/600)
    Entries:81/123
    Prizes:$40,590

    Haven Taylor opened from early position and was three bet by late position. The small blind made the call along with Taylor.

    The flop came 7810 and the small blind moved all in. Taylor called and both players revealed their holdings.

    Small Blind: QQ

    Haven taylor: J9

    The board improved Taylor to a straight flush as it completed with the 83. She now sits with a stack of 48,500.

  • Big Stacks and Notables

    Level:6 (300/600/600)
    Entries:82/120
    Prizes:$40,260

    While the Average Stack is currently 29,268, below are a list of big stacks and notables among the field.

    Wendy Sather: 92,000

    Zeki Zeki: 54,000

    Sunni Pil: 17,700

    Cardelle Szego: 53,600

    Geraldene Spears: 62,000

    Haven Taylor: 34,500

  • Szego Gets Paid Off

    Level:5 (300/500/500)
    Entries:83/118
    Prizes:

    Late Position raised to 1,500 and four players made the call.

    The flop came 98Q and both blinds checked their option. The initial raiser checked to Cardelle Szego who fired for 4,500. Only the big blind made the call.

    After the turn peeled the 2, the big blind was quick to check. Szego continued for 11,000 and was called.

    The river was the 3 and both players checked their option. Szego revealed Q8 to best her opponent busted flush draw.

  • Set over Set for Soya

    Level:5 (300/500/500)
    Entries:83/111
    Prizes:

    Action was caught after an all in and call occurred following the flop of K10Q. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Ivanna Soya: KK

    Middle Position: 1010

    The board ran out 53 for Soya to take the pot. She now sits with 36,500 in chips.

  • Kindopp on the Up and Up

    Level:5 (300/500/500)
    Entries:81/109
    Prizes:

    Patricia Kindopp called from late position. The button raised to 1,300 and Kindopp made the call.

    The flop came 63K and Kindopp led out for 2,000. She received a quick fold from her opponent.

    Kindopp sits over the tournament average with approximately 40,000 in play.

  • Players on Break

    The remaining players are headed on a 15 minute break. They will return to blinds of 300 and 500 with a 500 big blind ante.

  • Rockets for Mead

    Level:4 (200/400/400)
    Entries:97/98
    Prizes:

    Action was caught after an all in and call occurred after the flop of 334 for 17,100. Both players revealed their hands.

    Pam Mead: AA

    Late Position: QQ

    The board completed with the 102 for Mead to find the double up. She now sits comfortably at 37,000.

  • A Rollercoaster for Baker

    Level:4 (200/400/400)
    Entries:95/96
    Prizes:

    Action was caught after the flop of 1086 and under the gun led out for 2,400. Middle position made the call and Pamela Baker moved all in for 18,000. Under the gun called for less and the remaining player folded. Both players revealed their holdings.

    Under the Gun: K8

    Pamela Baker: JJ

    The turn spelled disaster for Baker as it came the K. However, the river flipped the odds as it peeled the J. Baker now sits with an effective stack of 32,000.

  • The Perfect River for Gillespie

    Level:3 (200/300/300)
    Entries:93/93
    Prizes:

    Four players limped and the Denise Gillespie checked her option in the big blind.

    The flop came 3QA and action checked through.

    The button fired for 500 after the turn peeled the 4. Only Gillespie made the call.

    The 2 completed the board and Gillespie led out for 1,000. Her opponent made the call and revealed 57. Gillespie held the higher straight with 56 to take the pot. She sits just under starting with 19,000 in play.

  • Chief Finds Maximum Value

    Level:3 (200/300/300)
    Entries:88/88
    Prizes:

    Under the gun called as well as Corrine Chief from the small blind. The big blind checked their option.

    The flop came 523 and action checked through.

    After the turn came the 9, Chief checked her option. The big blind fired for 500 and both players found a call.

    The 10 completed the board and both blinds were quick to check. Under the gun fired for 500 and Chief min clicked to 1,000. The under the gun player made the call and Chief showed J8 to take the pot. She now sits comfortably with 36,500 in her stack.

  • Quick Chats from Event #11: $1k NLH Turbo

    We enjoyed chatting with the WSOPC Calgary Event #11 $1k NLH Turbo finishers. It’s always fun to hear their stories, share some laughs, and capture the unique atmosphere at the table.

  • Leung is Back in Business

    Level:2 (100/200/200)
    Entries:81/81
    Prizes:

    Action was caught after the flop of 75K and four players checked their option. The cutoff fired for 1,500 and only Tanya Leung made the call from the small blind.

    Both players checked as the turn came the Q.

    The 7 completed the board and Leung led out for 3,000. Her opponent made the fold for her to take the pot. She currently sits with 11,400 chips.

  • Nanji Soars to the Chip Lead

    Level:2 (100/200/200)
    Entries:78/78
    Prizes:

    Action was caught after the turn of Q497 and the big blind was quick to check. Fatima Nanji fired for 2,500 from middle position and received a call.

    The river came the K and both players were quick to check. Nanji revealed AQ to best her opponents 56. After this pot, Nanji leads the field with a stack of approximately 64,000.

  • Markoff Battles Back

    Level:2 (100/200/200)
    Entries:76/76
    Prizes:

    Under the gun raised to 600 and Suzie Markoff defended her big blind.

    The flop came J52 and both players were quick to check.

    After the 4 peeled off on the turn, Markoff checked her option. Her opponent fired for 600 and received a call from Markoff.

    The river was the 9 and Markoff fired for 2,000. She was rewarded with the pot bringing her up to 8,000 chips.

  • Hansen Risks it All

    Level:1 (100/200/200)
    Entries:72/72
    Prizes:

    Action was caught after the flop of 78J and Betty Hansen led out for 1,000 from the big blind. Under the gun raised to 3,000 and the button was quick to muck their cards. Hansen found the call.

    The K peeled off on the turn and Hansen moved all in for 11,200. Her opponent took little time find the fold. Hansen now sits just over starting stack with 20,400.

  • Sather on the Rise

    Level:1 (100/200/200)
    Entries:69/69
    Prizes:

    Action was caught after the flop of 3K8, and action checked to Wendy Sather on the button. She fired for 1,100 and was called by three players.

    The turn brought the Q and the three callers were quick to check. Sather continued for 4,500 and received a quick fold from her opponents.

  • Success Early for Kindopp

    Level:1 (100/200/200)
    Entries:61/61
    Prizes:

    The middle position made the call and Patricia Kindopp elected to call from the cutoff. The small blind flicked in the call and the big blind was quick to check.

    After the flop of KA3, the three players were quick to check their option. Kindopp fired for 500 and was only called by the middle position player.

    The turn peeled the 5 and the middle position player again checked. Kindopp continued for 500 and was rewarded with the pot.

  • Shuffle Up and Deal!

    Level:1 (100/200)
    Entries:47/47
    Prizes:

    Cards are in the air as play enters the first level. Stay tuned for further coverage of this event as this one-day event plays down to a winner.

  • Jerry Li Wins PLO Bounty for Second 4-Card Ring

    Pei “Jerry” Li, winner of PLO Bounty for his second PLO ring

    Jerry Li might just know a thing or two about 4-card poker. Coming into today’s bounty event, he already had a ring from the very first WSOP-C Calgary in Jan 2022 from the $600 PLO as well as a bracelet in the PLO Bounty in Vegas later that same year.

    He’s now added a PLO Bounty ring to his jewelry collection with the win here in Event #14. He played the big stack very well for most of the final table, maintaining his lead throughout. He almost had the ring about a half hour earlier when he had runner-up Brandon Sampson all in at risk with kings over queens, but Sampson spiked a queen to stay alive.

    That didn’t tilt him though, and he stayed on task, chipping Sampson back down pretty quickly. In the final hand, Sampson was double-paired but Li ran out to a straight for the win. The win tonight will likely push him very close to $700k in lifetime winnings.

  • Brandon Sampson Out in 2nd Place for $12,861

    Level:30 (100000/200000/200000)
    Entries:1/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)
    Brandon Sampson

    Brandon Sampson always had an uphill climb tonight heads up. Not only did he come into heads up with the chip deficit, but the player across the table was Jerry Li, who has a ring and a bracelet in four-card poker already.

    While Sampson was able to claw some chips back a few times, he never did manage to get the upper hand. The closest he came was when he had one foot out the door with queen-queen-x-x against king-king-x-x but spiked his queen for a double. That put him around 3 million but that was as close as he got.

    In the final hand Sampson got it in double paired with tens and fours against jack-seven-five-three for Li. Li flopped a pair of threes and an open-ended straight draw, then rivered the straight for the win. After the game, Sampson said he wasn’t even planning to play this one but max-late reg’d after he busted 1b of the Main. He may not have gone quite as far as he wanted, but $12k is a decent consolation prize for busting the Main.

  • Sampson Doubles

    Level:29 (100000/150000/150000)
    Entries:2/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    It looked like it might be all over when Brandon Sampson raised, then shoved over a pot from Jerry Li. Li snapped it off with king-king-jack-ten against queen-queen-ten-six and looked set to take his second PLO ring here in Calgary but Sampson spike a queen on the flop and held for a big double to stay alive. Li still has the chip lead, but it’s closer after that hand.

  • Nick Storie Out in 3rd Place for $8,958 + 7 Bounties

    Level:29 (100000/150000/150000)
    Entries:2/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)
    Nick Storie

    They are heads up now after Nick Storie hit the rail in 3rd place tonight. He’d been chipped down over the last level and put the remainder in from the small blind after Jerry Li raised to 350k. Li called it off and he had AK86 against QJ96 for Storie. When the 27569 board was out, Li had a straight and the win.

    Li goes into heads up as the big leader with nearly 6 million of the 8.6 million in play.

  • Li Leads at Break

    Level:28 (60000/120000/120000)
    Entries:3/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    Jerry Li has 4.67 million at the break, with Brandon Sampson on 2.06 million and Nick Storie on 2.02 million. They’ll be back in action at 60k/120k/120k in about 10 minutes.

  • Sampson Forces the Fold

    Level:27 (50000/100000/100000)
    Entries:3/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    Brandon Sampson raised to 300k from the small blind and Jerry Li potted to 900k from the big blind. Sampson repotted all in for 2.26 million and after getting a count and then counting out the call from his stack, Li elected to fold. The hand put Sampson over 3 million with Li still on about 4 million.

  • Ed Zurawell Out in 4th Place for $6,361

    Level:27 (50000/100000/100000)
    Entries:3/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)
    Ed Zurawell

    Ed Zurawell was 4th place tonight but I missed the action as he busted while I was writing the previous hand.

  • Colin Miller Out in 5th Place for $4,607

    Level:27 (50000/100000/100000)
    Entries:4/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)
    Colin Miller

    They are down to 4 after Colin Miller shoved over button raise from Jerry Li to 150k. Li called it off with AQ93 against AAK4 and then hit trip threes on the 37378 to crack the aces.

  • Down to 5

    Level:27 (50000/100000/100000)
    Entries:5/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    They are down to 5 left now with Level 27 just underway. Scott Bodnarek, who was leading earlier in the night, ended his day in 7th place while Nick Lloyd finished 6th.

  • 7 Left

    Level:26 (40000/80000/80000)
    Entries:7/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    They are down to 7 left on the PLO Bounty FT after Wes Peters (9th) and Gerry Edwards (8th) hit the rail while I was getting the FT pictures uploaded. Jerry Li is still the leader with close to 4 million but Brandon Sampson looks to be in second with around 2 million.

  • Final Table Faces

  • Final Table Time

    Level:25 (30000/60000/60000)
    Entries:9/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    They are down to 9 players left now in the PLO Bounty on the final table after bustouts on both tables in the same hand. I’ll grab pics and full names from the final table shortly but in the meantime, below is a look at the recent payouts.

    PlacePlayerPrize
    10 Brad Ellis$1,250
    11 Leanne Brown$1,250
    12 Viet Do$1,027
    13 Nikhil Madadi$1,027
    14 Marc Kalvari$864
    15 Ryan Cairns$864
  • Quick Chats from Event #11: $1k NLH Turbo

    We enjoyed chatting with the WSOPC Calgary Event #11 $1k NLH Turbo finishers. It’s always fun to hear their stories, share some laughs, and capture the unique atmosphere at the table.

  • Prizes are Updated Under Payouts

    Level:23 (20000/40000/40000)
    Entries:15/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    The PLO Bounty field is down to 15 players left now with about 15 minutes to play in Level 23. I’ve finally managed to get the prizes updated in the backend — see the Payouts tab for a full look at the prizes to 16th place.

  • Bodnarek and Li Over 1 Million

    Level:22 (15000/30000/30000)
    Entries:17/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    The players are on a break following Level 21 and it looks like Scott Bodnarek is still leading with a bit more than 1.3 million, but Jerry Li, who has both a ring and a bracelet in four-card poker, is playing about 1.1 and they appear to be the only players with a million or more.

  • Final Two Tables; Bodnarek Leads

    Level:21 (15000/25000/25000)
    Entries:17/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    Scott Bodnarek is the chip leader at the moment with 17 players left. He’s playing more than 1.4 million and looks to be the only one in the million range. I don’t have complete names for the remaining players yet, but among the players still alive tonight are Gerry Edwards, Ryan Cairns, Juss Viet, Ed Zurawell, and PLO ring and bracelet winner Jerry Li.

  • 49 Players Bag from 1b; Pascal Gregoire Bags Biggest

    Day 1b went the distance with 17 full levels of play. They made it into the money but fell 8 players short of hitting the 10% early cutoff point.

    Pascal Gregoire bagged the big stack on 1b, but he’s still looking up at the 1a bag of Sunny Lubana. Gregoire bagged 886k for what will be the second best stack so far on Day 2 after Lubana’s 1.1 million. Ashkan Razavi, who was at the final table of the Main in August and finished 4th after a short-stack comeback, Nicholas Lee (2 rings), Romualdo Cusano, and Chun Kit Kwan (2 rings and a WPT title) round out the 1b top five.

    Full payouts for 1b as well as the 49 stacks are below — seat assignments won’t be posted until the end of day 1c.

    Day 1b Payouts

    PlacePlayerPrize
    50 Holly Lingel$3,421
    51 Dj Sharma$3,421
    52 Jeffrey Eldred$3,421
    53 Daniel Martel$3,421
    54 Anthony Mar$3,421
    55 Anthony Williams$3,421
    56 Ian Monahoyios$3,421
    57 D. Nguyen$3,421
    58 Conner Daynard$3,421
    59 Mahar Al-Mouselly$3,421
    60 Ryan Johal$3,421
    61 Serge Noel$3,421

    Day 1b Bags

    PlayerChips
    Pascal Gregoire886,000
    Ashkan Razavi765,000
    Nicholas Lee692,000
    Romualdo Cusano606,000
    Chun Kit Kwan579,000
    Corey Chan571,000
    Aleksei Ponomarev566,000
    Giulio Rosati561,000
    Yong Lu499,000
    Kevin Jeffrey Huang480,000
    Hassan Issa480,000
    John Dalphond435,000
    Greg Taylor433,000
    Alex Liu425,000
    David Swaim413,000
    Terry Goode409,000
    Rafael Stern404,000
    Failsal Al Qutub380,000
    Tianshu Liu379,000
    Teo Sanchez359,000
    Weston Pring358,000
    Ma Ning319000
    David Quang308,000
    Dylan Payne306,000
    Alemu Makonen297000
    Roger Grosset282,000
    Rob Lothian282,000
    Jeet Shergill279,000
    Richard Mullen279,000
    Jeff “Ironman” Charlebois274,000
    Zofimo Xavier259,000
    Trent Hopper240,000
    Manish Rach220,000
    Giuseppe Galluzzo215,000
    Marc-Andre Yelle185,000
    Saeed Ganji185000
    Andy Truong177,000
    Sean O’Reilly161,000
    Marco Carreira142,000
    Mal Hagan137,000
    Dylan Boyer133,000
    Yiming Nie132,000
    Luteng Li123,000
    Ryan Parungao120,000
    Greg Liow87,000
    Aidan Klingbeil86,000
    Julius Roque79,000
    Zhi Xiang Li70,000
    Clint Cockburn66,000
  • 432 Entries for PLO Bounty

    Level:13 (2000/4000/4000)
    Entries:65/432
    Prizes:$142,560 ($99,360 prizes, $43,200 bounties)

    The PLO Bounty Event is in the money with 65 places paid tonight. They got 432 entries and the field just hit 65 remaining with no hand-for-hand play tonight. The prizes won’t be in the backend for a little while yet, but the summary of payouts is below.

    1$19,291
    2$12,861
    3$8,958
    4$6,361
    5$4,607
    6$3,404
    7$2,562
    8$1,976
    9$1,555
    10-11$1,250
    12-13$1,027
    14-17$864
    18-26$744
    27-35$656
    36-44$592
    45-65$564
  • Quick Chats from Event #11: $1k NLH Turbo

    We enjoyed chatting with the WSOPC Calgary Event #11 $1k NLH Turbo finishers. It’s always fun to hear their stories, share some laughs, and capture the unique atmosphere at the table.

  • 403 Entries for 1b; 117 Remain

    Level:14 (3000/5000/5000)
    Entries:117/403 (152/722)
    Prizes:$610,545 ($1,093,830)

    Day 1b entries ended with the combined prizes just shy of $1.1 million. There were 403 entries on 1b for $610k in 1b prizes. That means there are 61 paid spots from today with at least 40 moving on to Day 2. I’ll have the names of Day 1 payouts and bagging players later in the evening.

  • Just Shy of 400

    Level:12 (1500/3000/3000)
    Entries:162/397 (197/716)
    Prizes:$601,455 ($1,084,740)

    There are just under 30 minutes left in Level 12 with entries set to close on Day 1b at the start of Level 13. They’ll take a 15-minute break following this level with entries open until the end of the break. Right now, it looks like there will be ~60 paid spots with at least 40 players advancing, but that may change if numbers ramp up in the final 45 minutes of entry.

  • 385 Entries in Level 11

    Level:11 (1500/2500/2500)
    Entries:180/385 (215/704)
    Prizes:$583,275 ($1,066,560)

    There are about 20 minutes to play in Level 11 in 1b of the Main Event. The 1b field is at 385 entries now for 704 across both flights and $1.066 million in prizes.

  • How Much Money You Can Make Playing Cash Games Online?

    How much money can you make playing poker

    Ever wondered how much money online poker players earn at the lower stakes? This article breaks down the 2024 results of PokerStars grinders at NL25, NL50, and NL100, showcasing real earnings, win rates, and the impact of rakeback. Players like “kozirek,” “ArticBearDK,” and “Nazareno1999” share the spotlight, giving insights into their strategies and volume.

    Discover how players at different stakes compare, from consistent grinders to those chasing higher limits, and what it takes to achieve significant profits. Whether you’re a casual player or an aspiring pro, this analysis offers a glimpse into the financial realities of online poker.

  • Final Three Levels of Entry for 1b

    Level:10 (1000/2000/2000)
    Entries:209/376 (244/695)
    Prizes:$569,640 ($1,052,925)

    The Main Event 1b players are back from their dinner break now so there are three levels of entry remaining. The reg-desk will stay open through the 15-minute break following Level 12 but will close at the start of Level 13 around 8:30 PM.

  • Main Event 1b at 369 Entries

    Level:9 (1000/1500/1500)
    Entries:228/369 (263/688)
    Prizes:$559,035 ($1,042,320)

    The 1b field is up to 369 entries with the action in Level 9. They’ll go for the dinner break following this level, then return for three more levels of entry before the second flight closes at the start of Level 13. The current combined prizes are just shy of $1.05 million.

  • Four-Card Bounty Action on Deck for Friday

    Event 14:$400 PLO Bounty ($230 + $100 + $70)
    Date:Jan 17, 6 PM
    Blinds:20 Minutes
    Starting Stack:20k
    Late Entry:9 Levels (~9:30 PM)

    The side action on Friday night is four-card bounty fun with the $400 PLO Bounty. The action kicks off at 6 PM and entries are open for about 3.5 hours until the start of Level 10. Players start with 20k in chips for 20 minute levels throughout so it’s a bit of a turbo.

    That said, I still expect a fairly long day with action going until at least 3 AM. I won’t be watching the early action very closely in this one, but I’ll be around at the end for endgame coverage.

    Event 14
    WSOPC Calgary 2025 Schedule
  • More than $1 Million in Prizes

    Level:7 (500/1000/1000)
    Entries:249/349 (284/668)
    Prizes:$528,735 ($1,012,020)

    The combined prizes are now over $1 million for the Main Event with Day 1b at just shy of 350 entries. There are about 5 minutes to play in Level 7 and entries are still open for more than 4 hours so I expect to see another 50+ entries at least before the desk shuts down at about 8:30 PM.

  • Poker Streamer Jordan Banfield Earns First WSOP Gold Ring in Calgary

    Jordan Banfield 2025 WSOP Circuit Calgary Ring Winner
    Jordan Banfield wins 2025 WSOP Circuit Calgary Event #3

    Jordan Banfield, a poker streamer for WPT Global, earned his first WSOP Circuit gold ring at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino by taking down Event #3: C$400 NLH Black Chip Bounty for C$16,983 plus bounties. Banfield battled through a 363-entry field, coming back from a deficit in heads-up play against Daniel Bourdages to secure the title.

  • Ladies Take the Stage on Saturday – With Reporting from Alek Gillies

    Event 15:$400 Ladies ($330 + $70)
    Date:Jan 18, 4 PM
    Blinds:30 Minutes
    Starting Stack:20k
    Late Entry:8 Levels (~8:30 PM)
    Day 1 Ends:One-Day Event

    The Ladies are set to take the stage on Saturday and this year there will be exclusive coverage of the game with a dedicated reporter, Alek Gillies. Gillies has gone through the “boot camp” of the summer Vegas series two years running, so he’s well-equipped to handle the duties.

    The Ladies action kicks off at 4 PM on Saturday with 20k in chips and 30-minute blinds. They can get into the game or rebuy until about 8:30 PM, when Level 9 starts. After that it will be a race to the ring and the big question on everyone’s mind will be if Jenelle Exner can make it three for three — she’s won the last two of these rings on the trot, so she’ll be one to watch on Saturday.

    Event 15
    WSOPC Calgary 2025 Schedule
  • $1 Million in Sight

    Level:6 (400/800/800)
    Entries:252/328 (287/647)
    Prizes:$496,920 ($980,205)

    There is more than $980k in prizes now with the 1b field at 328. That puts the combined field at almost 650 with players heading out for the break following Level 6.

    In 2024, 1b got 435 entries so this year is still about 100 entries away from last year’s numbers, but entries are still open for more than 5 hours today.

  • More than $900k in Prizes

    Level:5 (300/600/600)
    Entries:252/296 (287/615)
    Prizes:$448,440 ($931,725)

    The 1b field is closing in on 300 entries with action in Level 5. That puts the 1b prizes just shy of $450k with the field 23 off the 1a numbers. Combined, the two flights are over 600 entries for prizes of more than $930k already.

    I expect today’s flight to push that well above $1 million in total prizes with at least 100 more entries today, but time will tell what the final numbers will be.

  • Second Flight to the Main Event Now Boarding

    Event 12:$1,700 Main Event ($1,515 + $185)
    Date:Day 1a: Jan 16, 11 AM
    Day 1b: Jan 17, 11 AM
    Day 1c: Jan 18, 11 AM
    Day 2: Jan 19, 11 AM
    Day 3: Jan 20, 11 AM
    Blinds:40/60 Minutes
    Starting Stack:40k
    Late Entry:12 Levels (~8:30 PM)
    Day 1 Ends:17 Levels (~12:10 AM)
    Entries:35/319
    Prizes:$483,285

    The opening flight to the Main Event is in the books and 35 players advanced to Day 2 from a starting field of 319 entries. The stack to beat at the moment belongs to Sunny Lubana (who donates 10% of all his winnings to an educational charity that puts underprivileged kids through school in his homeland of India) with 1.1 million

    Players sit down with 40k in chips to play 40-minute levels on Day 1. Players can enter for 12 levels during Day 1, meaning the entry desk should close around 8:30 PM. After that, they’ll play 5 more levels on Day 1 (at most) but they’ll bag early if they hit 10% of the field before then. Note that’s a change from most events in the series where bags come out at 5%.

    I likely won’t be watching Day 1a or 1b very closely as there are Day 2s running on both of those days, but I should be there for the duration of 1c (with a likely late start).

    Event 12
    WSOPC Calgary 2025 Schedule
  • Sunny Lubana Bags Biggest on 1a

    Level:17 (5000/10000/10000)
    Entries:35/319
    Prizes:$483,285

    It looks like Sunny Lubana bagged the biggest stack from Day 1a with 35 players advancing to Day 2 from the opening flight. He had 1.1 million in his bag at the end of the night, the only player in seven digits.

    Shane Brotherwood, Colten Yamagishi, and Michael “Berny” Bernstein bagged in the 600k range with Pavlo Vertiiko rounding out the top five with 593k. Full qualifying stacks for Day 1a are below with the caveat that there was no chip count on one bag so Talal Shoush is listed as DNR, but he for sure has a bag in play for Day 2.

    Day 1a Qualifying Stacks

    PlayerChips
    Talal ShoushDNR
    Sunny Lubana1,100,000
    Shane Brotherwood634,000
    Colten Yamagishi623,000
    Michael Bernstein600,000
    Pavlo Vertiiko593,000
    Mike Leah544,000
    Kris Steinbach501,000
    Thomas Taylor477,000
    Joshua Hopkins465,000
    Gaetano Buda462,000
    Ben Cooper445,000
    Jimmy Lee406,000
    G Klimenko405,000
    David Swirski399,000
    Rus King396,000
    Haochen Zhou374,000
    Joshua Frazer-James374,000
    Jacob Watrich368,000
    Zhigang George Yang363000
    Zilong Zhao347,000
    Scott Dyck326,000
    Ruoxiao Shi316,000
    Rocco Smeriglio290,000
    Dennis Ashmore284,000
    Kevin Javier243,000
    Roman Gallivan176,000
    Jeremie Bilodeau169,000
    Jeremy Lyons169,000
    Harpreet Padda160,000
    Kyle Chang130,000
    Kayvan Payman124,000
    Jacob Hobday105,000
    Keith McIntosh96,000
    Alexander Wong72,000

    Day 1a Payouts (Complete)

    PlacePlayerPrize
    36 Glen Slater$3,459
    37 Trevor Morrisette$3,459
    38 Eun Park$3,459
    39 Jason Chan$3,459
    40 Kelly Becker$3,459
    41 Fat Wong$3,459
    42 Robert Kliss$3,459
    43 Dave Mcleod$3,459
    44 Anthony Mar$3,459
    45 Nicholas Peterson$3,459
    46 Michael Farrow$3,459
    47 Yan Lin$3,459
    48 Maurizio Candeloro$3,459
  • 15 Minutes Left in the Night

    Level:(17 (5000/10000/10000)
    Entries:37/319
    Prizes:$483,285

    The Day 1a field is confirmed at 319 entries for prizes of $483,285 and they are now less than 15 minutes from the end of the scheduled day. There are 5 more players left until they hit 10% of the field, so it looks like 1a will go the distance and bag more than 10%.

    Day 1a Payouts So Far

    PlacePlayerPrize
    38 Eun Park$3,459
    39 Jason Chan$3,459
    40 Kelly Becker$3,459
    41 Fat Wong$3,459
    42 Robert Kliss$3,459
    43 Dave Mcleod$3,459
    44 Anthony Mar$3,459
    45 Nicholas Peterson$3,459
    46 Michael Farrow$3,459
    47 Yan Lin$3,459
    48 Maurizio Candeloro$3,459
  • Curtis Singleton Wins Monster Stack for $68,505

    Curtis SIngleton picked up his first Circuit ring in his very first live win. He previously had a few final table finishes around Alberta events, but his best score prior to tonight was 3rd place in a PPT game in Nov of 2023 and his total lifetime cashes before today were less than $20k USD.

    Now, with this win in the Monster, he’ll more than double his lifetime earnings and record his first win with the ring. He had to overcome a chip deficit heads up, and he was short-stacking for much of the final table.

    A close look at the winners photo will reveal his rubber duck card capper, and the ducks were working for him tonight. He won several pots with a deuce in his hand including a four-card club flush with the deuce of clubs. The biggest one came when both players had a duck in the hand and two more came on the board. All the money went in with Singleton at risk, but he was boated up against the bare trips for runner-up Kalyan Cheekuri.

    That gave Singleton a big lead and the game ended shortly after when the money went in preflop with Singleton on king-ten against queen-ten for Cheekuri. The king-ten held despite Cheekuri turning open-ended and the ring went to Singleton.

    Final Results from Day 2 of the Monster Stack

    PlacePlayerPrize
    1 Curtis Singleton$68,505
    2 Kalyan Cheekuri$45,670
    3 Calvin Lake$32,025
    4 Korey Dadgar$22,861
    5 Johnny Yu$16,618
    6 Hoangwei Liu$12,306
    7 Michael Malm$9,286
    8 Kuan-Yu Tsai$7,143
    9 Evan Casey$5,604
    10 Gregory Taylor$4,484
    11 Giulio Piredda$4,484
    12 Don Mccall$3,663
    13 Terrill Coughlin$3,663
    14 Jeffory Saunders$3,055
    15 Marc- Andre Kudjick- Paquin$3,055
    16 Pete Fylyma$3,055
    17 Raymond New$3,055
    18 Clair Ramsay$2,602
    19 Raymond Trieu$2,602
    20 Marco Di-Nardo$2,602
    21 Michael Noor$2,602
    22 Pawan(Pav) Braich$2,602
    23 Thomas Sloan$2,602
    24 Michael St. Pierre-Porter$2,602
    25 Sam Raz$2,602
    26 Graham Lupton$2,602
    27 Craig Caldwell$2,265
    28 Ghislaine Johnson$2,265
    29 Haochen Zhou$2,265
    30 George Jurovich$2,265
    31 Karen Dodd$2,265
    32 Ryan Permis$2,265
    33 Raymond Cawaling$2,265
    34 Joshua Frazer-James$2,265
    35 Lisa Powell$2,265
    36 Dale Foyle$2,016
    37 John Scalise$2,016
    38 Faisel Al-Qutub$2,016
    39 Ross Henderson$2,016
    40 Laurence Louie$2,016
    41 David Tran$2,016
    42 Jim Zanidean$2,016
    43 Zhi Yang$2,016
    44 Rishilal Makkar$2,016
    45 Jay Glass$1,836
    46 Rauno Tahvonen$1,836
    47 Brett Worton$1,836
    48 Seseung Oh$1,836
    49 Zhiyu Chen$1,836
    50 Lorne Voth$1,836
    51 Maciej Baumgart$1,836
    52 Christian Wallmuth$1,836
    53 Uldis Sokolovskis$1,836
    54 Aaron Quon$1,748
    55 Ronald Simon$1,748
    56 Shawn Lange$1,748
    57 Ravdeep Brar$1,748
    58 Eric Davis$1,748
    59 Alexander Byliccki$1,748
    60 Srinivas Gottiparthi$1,748
    61 Aaron Froese$1,748
    62 Hassan Issa$1,748
    63 David Van-Der-Torre$1,748
    64 Jeffrey Cormier$1,748
    65 Malcolm Bolger$1,748
    66 Jason Hayashi$1,748
    67 David Swirski$1,748
    68 Jinrong Zhang$1,748
    69 Allan Mckinnon$1,748
    70 Michael Cartwright$1,748
    71 Antoine Saddleback$1,748
    72 Duff Charette$1,748
    73 Kelly Dalke$1,748
    74 Zoran Pribilovic$1,748
    75 Jayvee Lumahan$1,748
    76 Yvan Gravel$1,748
    77 Glenn Slater$1,748
    78 Sevon Zargarian$1,748
  • Kalyan Cheekuri Out in 2nd Place for $45,670

    Level:34 (250000/500000/500000)
    Entries:1/1536
    Prizes:$506,880
    Kalyan Cheekuri

    After Curtis Singleton doubled up, they had a huge all in confrontation preflop with Kalyan Cheekuri on queen-ten against king-ten for SIngelton. Cheekuri flopped open-ended but then bricked the rest of the board to send the win to Singleton.

  • Singleton Flips the Script for the Lead

    Level:34 (250000/500000/500000)
    Entries:2/1536
    Prizes:$506,880

    Curtis Singleton uses a rubber ducky for his card protector, and at least tonight, the ducks are working for him. He’s won several hands in heads up with a deuce in his hand, but the most recent was the biggest.

    They both limped it preflop, then checked the flop of 2108. Singleton fired 500k on the 7 turn and Kalyan Cheekuri called to the 2 river. Singleton bet 1.5 million, then shoved over the raise to 6 million. Cheekuri called and the both had a deuce, but Singleton also had a ten for the boat and the big win.

  • Singleton Chips Up Before Break

    Level:33 (250000/500000/500000)
    Entries:2/1536
    Prizes:$506,880

    I was a bit premature with the break chips as there were still a couple of minutes left in the level when I reported. Curtis SIngleton managed to pull some back just before the break and he’s sitting on 22 million now with Kalyan Cheekuri still ahead with just under 40 million.

  • Cheekuri with Big Lead at Break

    Level:32 (200000/400000/400000)
    Entries:2/1536
    Prizes:$506,880

    Kalyan Cheekuri is now the big leader with Curtis Singleton down to about 14 million. There are 62.5 million in play, so Cheekuri is on about 48 million.

  • Aces Hold for Cheekuri

    Level:33 (200000/400000/400000)
    Entries:2/1536
    Prizes:$506,880

    Kalyan Cheekuri raised to 900k and Curtis Singleton called to the flop of QK6. Singleton check-called for 675k on the 10 turn and then for 9 million on the 3 river. Cheekuri turned over AA and Singleton showed K as he mucked.

  • Even Stacks

    Level:33 (200000/400000/400000)
    Entries:2/1536
    Prizes:$506,880

    They are basically even now with about 31 million each after a huge hand saw Curtis Singleton force a fold on the river. Kalyan Cheekuri opened to 1 million from the button and Singleton called to the flop of 985.

    Both players checked to the Q turn where Singelton check-raised from 1.5 million to 4 million. Cheekuri called but them mucked when Singleton shoved the 8 river.

  • Calvin Lake Out in 3rd Place for $32,025

    Level:32 (150000/300000/300000)
    Entries:2/1536
    Prizes:$506,880
    Calvin Lake

    They are heads up now after Calvin Lake hit the rail in 3rd place. After he had to fold the river to a shove by Kalyan Cheekuri he was left with 13.3 million, but then doubled up Curtis Singleton with ace-king over pocket fives. Singleton flopped a set and held for the win. That left Lake with under a million, and the rest went to Cheekuri on his way to the cage.

  • Cheekuri To Big Lead

    Level:32 (150000/300000/300000)
    Entries:3/1536
    Prizes:$506,880

    Calvin Lake opened the button to 700k and Kalyan Cheekuri called from the small blind. Lake fired 800k on the A10K flop and got the call to the 3 turn. Lake bet 2.5 million and Cheekuri called.

    The river was 2 and Lake slide out 4.7 million. Cheekuri came over the top with a shove that would have been most of Lakes stack and he elected to muck his hand. The pot left Cheekuri with 35.8 million while Lake has 13.3 million and Curtis Singleton is on 12.325 million.

  • 319 Entries for Day 1a

    Level:13 (2000/4000/4000)
    Entries:102/319
    Prizes:$483,285

    Entries for the opening flight to the Main Event are now closed with 319 entries on the board. That number is still unofficial, but if it holds it should mean 48 paid spots from today with at least 32 moving forward to Day 2.

    I’ll confirm the numbers later once the Day 1a prizes are posted. They now have a bit less than 5 levels left in the schedule, with the early exit at 32 players if they get there before the end of Level 17. Note that Level 17 is a one-hour level.

  • Korey Dadgar Out in 4th Place for $22,861

    Level:32 (150000/300000/300000)
    Entries:3/1536
    Prizes:$506,880
    Korey Dadgar

    They are down to three left after Korey Dadgar hit the rail for 4th place tonight. I missed the action while I was in Sundance checking on the opening flight to the Main Event.

  • Johnny Yu Out in 5th Place for $16,618

    Level:32 (150000/300000/300000)
    Entries:4/1536
    Prizes:$506,880
    Johnny Yu

    They are down to four left after Johnny Yu couldn’t win a flip with jack-ten of hearts over pocket fives for Kalyan Cheekuri. Yu turned open-ended but bricked the river for the pocket fives to hold.

  • Hongwei Liu Out in 6th Place for $12,306

    Level:31 (150000/250000/250000)
    Entries:5/1536
    Prizes:$506,880
    Hongwei Liu

    They are down to 5 now in the Monster after Hongwei Liu hit the rail in 6th place tonight. There are about 10 minutes to play in Level 31 and the average stack is around 50 big blinds.

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