A bit more than a year ago, the Alberta poker community suffered a devastating loss when popular player and organizer, Ryan “Snides” Snyder, tragically passed away. The local community put on a huge tribute to the founder of 780Poker, the first Alberta-centric online poker forum, during an event when they learned of his untimely death at 39, but now, a year later, the community has once again stepped up for an annual memorial.
Among the celebrations of Ryan’s life that took place on Nov 2 at Pure Casino Edmonton was the unveiling of a memorial bench outside the Pure Poker room at Argyle. Donated by his family, seen posing with the bench after its unveiling, the bench is likely to get a lot of use from players on tournament breaks or recovering from a bad beat on the cash tables.
In addition to the bench, which will stand as a memorial to Snides over the years, Ryan’s friends and family gathered at the casino on Nov 2 for the First Annual Ryan Snyder Memorial Poker Tournament, with a charity donation coming from every buy-in. This was the first edition of what is expected to become a fixture game over the years to honour a departed friend and fierce competitor at the tables.
Poker with a Purpose
When poker players sit down at the felt for a game, poker is always top of mind. But in this case, there was more in play than just chips and prizes — they were also playing in memory of Snydes and to benefit local charities.
With $50 from each buy-in going directly to the Edmonton Humane Society and the Northern Lights Regional Humane Society, the game raised more than $6k for animal rescue in north-central Alberta. The game drew 122 entries, with local regular Mishel Nguyen taking down the win.
Nguyen has been having a pretty solid end to 2025, with several deep runs and final table appearances in recent PPT events in Edmonton, so this win keeps her 2025 streak going.
Community Out in Force for Snides
With Ryan’s family in attendance for the First Annual Ryan Snyder Memorial, the rest of the local community came out to show support for the family and pay tribute to their friend. The tournament got 122 entries in total, with many familiar faces in the group, including close friends and colleagues of Snides.
Ryan Cairns, who recently won a PPT Main Event, was Snides’ roommate and posed with his mother away from the action. Weston Pring was a close colleague of Ryan’s with 780 Poker and the Alberta Poker Index in the last few years, and also took time out from the game to get a picture alongside Leslie Snyder.
It’s been a year since Snides left us, but his memory is still strong in the community. While this inaugural event was a big success, I expect future editions to grow and for players to be playing in Ryan’s name for years to come.
