Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary is no stranger to World Series of Poker Circuit events, having hosted eight since the first one in Jab 2022. In past years, however, those series have generally come near the start of the year — for the first time, 2025 will feature a WSOP-C in October, in place of the more familiar Fall Super Stack.
The series action runs from Oct 1 – 13, with 18 events spread across 13 days of poker. While many of the events in the series will be familiar to previous players, there are some key differences in a few events, and some new additions to the mix for this time around.
Perhaps the biggest news in new additions is the TORSE game. Since the beginning of this year, the WSOP-C series has been playing HORSE, the first time that full mix has run in Alberta in recent memory. However, the modern variant of TORSE, which replaces the limit Hold ‘Em round with triple draw deuce to seven, has been gaining popularity recently, and will be the mix-game format for this series, marking the first time a draw or deuce game has run in this market.
Other changes to the schedule from previous series include extra juice in the Main Event with an increased buy-in, as well as a $3,500 High Roller. This series also features a Mini Main Event for $400 with four starting days, replacing the Four-Flight.
More Juice in the Main; Buy-In Up to $2,300
- Event #12: $2,300 Main Event ($2,050 + $250)
- Dates: Oct 9 – 13
- Blinds: 40/60 Minutes
- Starting Stack: 40k
- Three Starting Flights
- Day 1a: Oct 9, 11 AM
- Day 1b: Oct 10, 11 AM
- Day 1c: Oct 11, 11 AM
One of the biggest changes to the schedule for this new October series is a bigger Main Event. Previous series have played $1,700 Main Events, but this time around, it’s jumping to $2,300. Prize pools for this game were already in the $2 million range, and this should only serve to increase those numbers.
Players get 3 Day 1 shots to grab a bag, running from Oct 9 – 11 at 11 AM. Qualifiers from those three days will reconvene on Sunday for Day 2, with the final table scheduled to play out on Monday, Oct 13.
While it’s hard to compare previous numbers, given this series has never run in October, in January of this year, the $1,700 Main Event got 1,371 entries for almost $2.1 million in prizes. If this Main Event hits 1.300 entries, it will mean a prize pool of more than $2.5 million.
Who Likes Deuce? TORSE on Deck for the First Time in Alberta
- Event #7: $800 TORSE ($695 + $105)
- Dates: Oct 5-6, 2025
- Day 1: Oct 5, 3 PM
- Day 2: Oct 6, 1 PM
- Blinds: 40 Minutes
- Starting Stack: 30k
The biggest difference in the schedule for October 2025 is the first TORSE game in Alberta, and very likely the first time deuce to seven or any kind of draw game has been played here, at least in recent memory. The $800 game combines deuce to seven triple draw with limit O8, and the three seven-card stud variants for a modern take on the HORSE rotation.
KKPoker’s Chris Alcindor took down the first ring in the HORSE event this past January, while local mixed-game wizard Thomas Taylor bagged the HORSE gold in the Spring Super Stack this year, and Jerod Dobson & Kimberly Durham chopped the August game.
With the new game addition this time around, there will be a few differences, but I’d expect many of the same names that have dominated the HORSE games to come up big in this one as well.
$3,500 High Roller, Mini Main, & Return of the Flip & Go Also Feature
There’s a lot of other action to look forward to in Calgary in October. The $3,500 High Roller should see a big prize pool, while the Mini Main Event should do at least as well as the 4-Flight games it replaces, with that game generally hitting the highest attendance figures in previous series.
The Ladies event also returns on Oct 11, alongside Day 1c of the Main Event. Jenelle Exner has been dominant in this game recently, winning it twice and coming third in the most recent edition, but Alberta has a wealth of women’s poker talent, and it’s generally a very well-attended game.
And it’s not all new this October. Fan favorites like the Monster Stack, the NLH/PLO mix on opening day, and the $600 Mystery Bounty will bring back a more familiar feel to the schedule.
WSOP-C in Calgary regularly exceeds $5 million in total prizes, with the final kitty approaching $7 million in the record year so far. With October being completely new dates, it’s hard to predict how the numbers will turn out, but it’s safe to say there will be millions on offer in Calgary in the first two weeks of October this year.
