The 3rd day of action at WSOP-C Calgary Jan 2026 is in the books and it was a record-setting day. The day featured no Rings awarded, but saw two flights of the Mini Main Event play out.
When Day 1a played on Thursday, anticipation was high for a big game, and it didn’t disappoint, coming in higher than the opening flight of the previous field-size record holder, the Jan 2024 4-Flight. That set the stage for a big Friday, and once again, the hype was real.
Both flights on Friday drew bigger crowds than the previous record-holder, with the combined total after three flights at 1,353, more than 250 entries above 2024. That leaves the game needing just 362 entries on 1d to match the previous record, and given the interest so far, that number looks like it’ll be beaten before the first break of 1d.
- Read more: Claire Leclerc Wins Her First Ring in the Black Chip Bounty
- Read more: Johnson & Siginc Take the First Two Rings in 2026
Mike Malm Bags Biggest
Once the dust settled on the second and third flights, 2024 & 2025 API Player of the Year Mike Malm was on top of the pile. He played Day 1b on Friday morning, and by the time they bagged up shortly after the start of Level 21, he had 2.2 million in front of him.
That’s more than 700k above the next biggest stack, belonging to Ben Cooper from Day 1c, who bagged just under 1.5 million. 1a leader Ankhbayar Bayar’s bag was a bit smaller than Cooper’s.
That said, Day 1d promises to have a lot of chips in play, and there’s every possibility for someone to match or Beat Malm’s total. Bigger flights don’t always produce the biggest stacks, but the more chips are in play, the more likely big stacks are.
Anatomy of a Potential Record
- Day 1a
- Entries: 319
- Prizes: $100,007
- Day 1b
- Entries: 543
- Prizes: $179,190
- Day 1c
- Entries: 491
- Prizes: $153,929
- Combined
- Entries: 1,353
- Prizes: $441,227
- Previous Record Event – Jan 2024 4-Flight
- Entries: 1,715
- Prizes: $565,950
Buckle up, Calgary — The January 2026 Mini Main Event is going to set a new record for the biggest field ever in Alberta poker, and it’ll probably happen before the first break of Day 1d.
