Are you ready for the biggest games around? The World Series of Poker Circuit Calgary October 2026 (2026 WSOP-C Cal Oct) is on deck for Sep 30 – Oct 12, and it promises to be the biggest games in the province.
After a record-setting performance this past January, the Circuit once again returns to Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary for two of the biggest weeks in Alberta poker all year. Recent series have all been between $5 and $6.5 million in total prizes, and there’s no reason to believe the upcoming games won’t see a similar, or bigger, number.
The main series action gets going at 11 AM on Sep 30 with the traditional series opener, the Big 30 Stack, and that kicks off nearly 2 weeks of poker. There are a total of 18 events from Sep 30 through Oct 12, with the big games scheduled near the end of the series, as usual.
This past January, the series crushed local records with more than $6.6 million in combined prizes, with Main Event prizes of more than $2.5 million. That was a pretty extraordinary result, with the previous record from Jan 2024 at $5.8 million, so a final prize pool in the $5.5-$6 million range seems like a solid prediction for this October series, but the numbers could go even higher.
WSOP-C Calgary Summary
| Series | Events | Entries | Prizes | 1st Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2022 | 12 | 6,510 | $3,324,335 | $593,172 |
| May 2022 | 13 | 4,490 | $2,562,408 | $546,234 |
| Jan 2023 | 15 | 7,480 | $5,322,735 | $934,950 |
| May 2023 | 13 | 5,495 | $3,451,103 | $893,057 |
| Jan 2024 | 15 | 9,464 | $5,808,951 | $983,232 |
| May 2024 | 16 | 6,220 | $3,659,945 | $690,708 |
| Aug 2024 | 16 | 5,811 | $3,437,300 | $636,422 |
| Jan 2025 | 17 | 9,592 | $5,740,395 | $947,151 |
| Oct 2025 | 18 | 8,078 | $5,034,726 | $909,283 |
| Jan 2026 | 18 | 10,189 | $6,637,533 | $1,175,777 |
| Totals | 153 | 73,329 | $44,979,431 | $8,309,986 |
The Big Games
The Main Event and the High Roller, coming on the final weekend of the series, will undoubtedly be the biggest games of the series, but there are a few others that promise to deliver massive fields and huge relative prize pools. The Mini Main Event, formerly known as the 4-Flight, is a small buy-in event at just $400, but it holds the record for entries for any multi-flight game in the province of Alberta after an astonishing 2,269 entries were recorded in Jan 2029.
The other smaller game that is likely to go huge is the Monster Stack. In Jan 2024, the game drew more than 1,650 entries for prizes well over half a million.
Event #4: $400 NLH Mini Main Event
- Dates:
- Day 1 Flights: Oct 1 – Oct 3, 11 AM/4 PM
- Day 2: Oct 4, 1 PM
- Starting Stack: 30k
- Blinds: 30/25 minutes
The Mini Main event, both in it’s current incarnation, and under it’s previous identity as the 4-Flight, has traditionally been the biggest field of the series. Out of 10 editions of either the 4-Flight or the Mini Main, the game has drawn more than 1,000 entries 7 times, and more than 1,500 entries 6 times.
This past January, it blew the single-event entry record out of the water with a massive 2,269 entries for nearly $750k in prizes from a $400 buy-in. While the game this time around may not hit those dizzying heights, a field of 1,500 or more is nearly guaranteed, and 2k or more is well within expectations.
The Mini Main runs two morning flights and two evening flights. Morning flights start at 11 AM with 30-minute blinds, while the evening flights start at 4 PM with 25-minute blinds.
Event #10: $400 Monster Stack NLH
- Dates:
- Day 1 Flights: Oct 6/7, 11 AM/4 PM
- Day 2: Oct 8, Noon
- Starting Stack: 40k
- Blinds: 30/20 Minutes
The Monster Stack is typically the second-biggest field of the series, with most incarnations blowing past 1,000 entries. Since January of 2025, the game has seen 1,536, 1,203, and 1,656 entries, so a field of 1,500+ for this one seems like a decent bet.
The Monster typically runs two flights, but this time around, there’s an added turbo flight for Day 1c. 1a/b start at 11 AM and play 30-minute blinds, while 1c runs at 4 PM on Oct 7 with 20-minute blinds. That could easily make this the biggest Monster ever to stumble into the Sundance Room at Deerfoot Inn & Casino.
Event #12: $2,300 NLH Main Event
- Dates:
- Day 1 Flights: Oct 8-10, 11 AM
- Day 2: Oct 11, Noon
- Day 3: Oct 12, Noon
- Starting Stack: 40k
- Blinds: 40 Min (60 Min on Day 2/3)
The Main Event will unquestionably be the biggest prize pool of the series. In January of 2026, the Main Event bagged nearly $2.6 million in total prizes, with winner Senthuran Vijayaratnam pocketing nearly $400k for the win.
There are 3 Day 1 flights, at 11 AM on Oct 8, 9, & 10. Qualifiers from those flights will reconvene on Sunday for Day 2, with the big money awarded on Monday’s Day 3.
Event #17: $3,500 High Roller NLH
- Dates:
- Day 1: Oct 11, 2 PM
- Day 2: Oct 12, 1 PM
- Starting Stack: 50k
- Blinds: 40 Minutes
The High Roller game is the biggest buy-in of the series, with prizes typically ranging from $500k-$800k, and a 1st place of more with $100k. Aaron La bagged the HR ring in January of this year, for more than $150k over 205 entries, while Andy Truong took down this game last October for $107k over 140 entries.
Day 1 action runs at 2 PM on Oct 11, with Day 2 finishing the game out starting at 1 PM on Oct 12, alongside Day 3 of the Main Event. Blinds are 40 minutes throughout the event.
Will Oct 2026 be Another Record?
Jan 2026 blew the previous records away. Prior to this year’s opening tilt, the biggest WSOP-C event came in at just shy of $6 million in Jan 2024. With 10 WSOP-C Calgary series in the books already, fully half of them have cracked the $5 million mark, with every Jan or Oct series since 2023 breaking $5 million.
While Circuit series in other months have come in under $5 million, this October is expected to easily go past that, and probably at least flirt with $6 million. The Jan 2026 record will be tough to beat, but there’s been a lot of pre-series interest, so it’s certainly within possibility.
The 2026 WSOP-C Calgary October gets going on Sep 30, and it promises to host some of the biggest games in the province. Use room code WSOP1026 for the special poker room rate to take your shot at the biggest prize pools in Alberta.
See you in Cowtown!
2026 WSOP-C Cal Oct Schedule & Structures’
