2026 WSOPC Calgary Oct – Event #12: $2,300 NLH Main Event

Day 1a played nearly the full 17 levels before they barely made it into the money. After a bubble of more than an hour, they lost three players at the end to leave 28 players moving through to Day 2 from the opening flight.

Michael Farrow was the leader from the opening day with nearly 700k, and three other players joined him in the high 600s at the end of the day. See below for all the 1a stacks, plus the 1a cashouts.

Day 1a Stacks

Day 1a Cashouts

Place	Player	Prize
29	Nicholas Peterson	$4,652
30	Bobby Winger	$4,652
31	Alex Liu	$4,652

Day 1a of the Main Event is now complete, with 28 bags near the end of Level 17. I’m still watching the final table of the Ladies Event, and I’ll update the chips and payouts later tonight.

The Main Event is on the bubble with 32 remaining. Level 17 has just begun. If they burst the bubble in this level, the bags will come out at the end of the level, but they’ll keep playing until the bubble bursts.

The Main Event is nearing the Dau 1a money, with 35 players left, and 31 players remaining. They’ll keep playing past 31, ending the night at 21 players, or the end of Level 17, though players must be in the money before the bags come out.

I’ll update the stacks and payouts from Day 1a of the Main Event later tonight.

Action was caught after the flop of 9♥A♦4♦, and Kelly Becker fired for 6,000 from the small blind. Carter McCauley made the call.

The turn came the 3♣, and action checked through.

After the 9♣ completed the board, Becker blasted for 15,000. McCauley made the call, and revealed Q♥8♣ to best Becker’s 7♦5♦.

Carter McCauley: 337,000
Kelly Becker: 139,000

Vikas Gandhi opened to 7,000 from late position, and Michael Farrow three-bet to 20,000 from the buttton. Gandhi moved all in for 132,500, and Farrow called. Both players revealed their holdings.

Vikas Gandhi: A♥K♥
Michael Farrow: A♠K♣

The flop came 9♥5♥K♠, for Gandhi to pick up the freeroll. However, the 3♠4♦ completed the board for both players to chop the pot.

Michael Farrow: 153,000
Vikas Gandhi: 132,500

Umang Dattani opened to 5,500 from middle position and the cutoff made the call. Talal Shoush called from the small blind.

Action checked through after the flop and turn came the Q♣3♦K♥A♥.

The river came the 6♠, and Shoush was quick to check. Dattani fired for 6,000, and middle position made the fold. Shoush made the call, and revealed K♠J♣ to take the pot.

Umang Dattani: 187,000
Talal Shoush: 95,000

Thomas Taylor limped from early position, along with the middle position player. Brian Tock checked his option.

The flop came 5♣Q♦7♥, and Tock led out for 3,000. Taylor raised to 13,000, and middle position folded. Tock moved all in for 107,500, and received a quick fold from Thomas. He revealed 7♠5♦ for a flopped two pair.

Brian Tock: 124,500
Thomas Taylor: 63,500

Middle position opened to 4,500, and the small blind made the call. Glenn Slater defended his big blind.

The flop came 7♦A♣5♦, and action checked through.

After the turn peeled the 7♠, the small blind led out for 10,000. Slater moved all in for 21,000, and received a fold from both players.

Glenn Slater: 46,500

Jun Huang opened to 4,000 from middle position, and James Pillon called from the cutoff. The big blind called as well.

The flop came the K♠3♥10♦, and Huang continued for 4,000. Only Pillon made the call.

After the turn peeled the A♠, Huang continued for 7,000. Pillon moved all in for 26,500, and Huang made a quick fold.

James Pillon: 56,500
Jun Huang: 38,000

The remaining 97 players are headed on a 45 minute dinner break. They will return to blinds of 1,000, and 2,000 with a 2,000 big blind ante.

Action was caught after the turn of 8♥10♥J♦3♠. With 24,000 in the pot, action checked through.

The river came the 2♥, and Ben Veenstra led out for 14,000. Nicholas Peterson raised to 50,000, and Veenstra went into the tank. He made the call, and revealed K♠10♠ to best Peterson’s A♥K♦. Veenstra is hot off a 2nd place finish in the Playground Super Circuit $5,000 Main Event, taking home $1,000,000 for his efforts.

Ben Veenstra: 179,200
Nicholas Peterson: 34,400

• Read More: Mayukh Chakraborty Wins the WSOP Super Circuit Canada Main Event for $1.5M and Sets a New Canadian Record

Mike Leah opened to 3,000 from early position, and Malcolm Bolger three-bet to 6,500. Leah made the call.

The flop came the A♠K♠J♣, and Leah checked his option. Bolger fired for 4,000, and Leah check-raised to 12,000. Bolger took no time to fold, and Leah revealed the A♣.

Mike Leah: 316,600
Malcolm Bolger: 34,600

Action was caught after an all in from Daniel Wierzba for 32,000. Eliuth Hernandez made the call, and both players revealed their holdings.

Daniel Wierzba: 10♣10♥
Eliuth Hernandez: A♠Q♥

The board ran out 6♣8♦4♥4♠6♥ for Wierzba to find the double.

Denton Wierzba: 65,800
Eliuth Hernandez: 24,800

Action was caught after the flop of J♠A♥10♦, and the big blind was quick to check. Michael Russell fired for 3,000, and the big blind made the call.

The turn came the 10♣, and the big blind checked to Russell. He continued for 7,000, and was called.

After the 7♦ completed the board, the big blind moved all in for 12,700. Russell made the call. He revealed 9♥8♥ to best his opponent’s A♣Q♥.

Michael Russell: 114,300

With 158 entries in the field, the prize pool has bubbled to $315,210. Late registration remains open for five and a half hours. Danesh Luthra sits as the current chip leader with 236,100, and a chip leader update will follow after the next break. The field is stacked with competition with loads of bracelet and ring winners in the field.

• Read More: Previous Event Winners in the Field

The first flight of the main event is closing in on 100 entries. Currently, there is 8 hours left in late registration, with play continuing through 17 levels or 10% of the field. However, play must reach the money before bags will come out. Notables within the field include Mini Main winner Gennady Klimenko, PKO Winner Sebastien Crema, multiple bracelet and ring winner Mike Leah, and $1,000 NLH runner up Eliuth Hernandez.

Action was caught after the board ran out 7♠4♦9♥J♠A♥, and Julius Roque fired for 2,000 from under the gun.

Butch Jumalon made the call, and revealed A♠Q♥. It bested Roque’s A♦10♥ to take the pot.

Butch Jumalon: 46,100
Julius Roque: 42,700

Late position and the cutoff limped in, and Sheng Qiu raised to 1,700 from the button. The big blind called along with both late position players.

The flop came K♠8♣3♣. The big blind was quick to check, along with the late position player. After the cutoff checked, Qiu fired for 3,500. The remaining players were quick to fold.

Sheng Qiu: 56,500

Action was caught after the board ran out 5♦2♣J♣5♠9♠.

Under the gun fired for 3,000, and middle position made the call.

Randy Audette raised to 8,000 from the cutoff, and under the gun called. Audette revealed 9♥9♣ to take the pot.

Randy Audette: 54,800

Event #12: $2,300 NLH Main Event Day 1A ($2,050 + $250)

Thursday at Deerfoot Inn & Casino marks the start of the biggest game of the series, the Main Event. The $2,300 game will almost certainly get more than $2 million in prizes by the end of entries on Saturday evening.

Day 1a gets going at 11 AM on Thursday (Oct 8), and the Day 1 blinds are 40 minutes long. Players start with 40k, and can buy a 40k stack anytime during the first 12 levels of play, but players can only rebuy once per flight, for a maximum of 6 entries across all three starting days.

Day 1 play lasts until the end of Level 17, or until they hit 10% of the field, but the flights must play into the money, so it’s possible they could go later than expected.

In January, Senthuran Vijayaratnam took down the Main Event with his luck bear, topping a field of 1,321 for the biggest share of $2,575,796 in prizes. Last October, Travis MacMillan was the top dog over a field of 910 entries with prizes of $1,865,500.