The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is on the horizon with the first event beginning today at the Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas. As always, we look forward to an exciting seven weeks of action as life-changing money, a spot in the poker limelight, and elusive WSOP bracelets are given away daily.
This year, poker.pro will be focusing on Canadian players who cash and make deep runs. Lyle Bateman and I (Alek Gillies) will be posting articles nearly every day featuring Canadian players who find cashes. As well, those who make deep runs or find a bracelet may be interviewed to hear about their side of the event.
The WSOP is undoubtedly the biggest event in poker and it makes sense to share details about locals, and band together as a community. I will be joining the fray in Vegas, as well, to do some boots on the ground reporting, so make sure to say hi if you see me. Along with this new style of coverage, we will have other sections of poker.pro focusing on the Baltic, British, and Asian scene and their success at the 2025 World Series of Poker.
- Read More: British Outlook for the 2025 WSOP
Alongside our poker coverage, some lifestyle coverage will come out with suggestions on food, shows, and general tips that will help you thrive in Vegas during the summer. For a sneak preview of what some of this coverage will look like, take a look here at some of the Irish Open coverage that had a Canadian focus. Make sure to stay tuned and here is the schedule for the first week of the WSOP.
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Chips | Clock(min) | Late Reg. | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2025 02:00 PM | Event#1 WSOP Event #1: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Millions – Flight A | $1,000 | 40,000 | 30/40 | 12 levels | 1 Re-entry Per Flight |
| May 27, 2025 02:00 PM | Event#2 WSOP Event #2: $500 Industry Employees No-Limit Hold’em | $500 | 25,000 | 40 | 9 levels | 1 Re-entry |
| May 28, 2025 10:00 AM | Event#1 WSOP Event #1: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Millions – Flight B | $1,000 | 40,000 | 30/40 | 12 levels | 1 Re-entry Per Flight |
| May 28, 2025 12:00 PM | Event#3 WSOP Event #3: $5,000 Eight Handed No-Limit Hold’em | $5,000 | 50,000 | 60 | 11 levels | 1 Re-entry |
| May 28, 2025 02:00 PM | Event#4 WSOP Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (8-Handed) | $1,500 | 25,000 | 40/60 | 9 levels | Freezeout |
| May 29, 2025 10:00 AM | Event#1 WSOP Event #1: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Millions – Flight C | $1,000 | 40,000 | 30/40 | 12 levels | 1 Re-entry Per Flight |
| May 29, 2025 12:00 PM | Event#5 WSOP Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | $5,000 | 50,000 | 40/60 | 12 levels | 2 Re-entries |
| May 29, 2025 02:00 PM | Event#6 WSOP Event #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud | $1,500 | 25,000 | 40/60 | 9 levels | Freezeout |
| May 30, 2025 10:00 AM | Event#1 WSOP Event #1: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Millions – Flight D | $1,000 | 40,000 | 30/40 | 12 levels | 1 Re-entry Per Flight |
| May 30, 2025 12:00 PM | Event#7WSOP Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship | $25,000 | 150,000 | 20 | First Draw | Freezeout |
| May 30, 2025 02:00 PM | Event#8WSOP Event #8: $1,500 Dealers Choice | $1,500 | 25,000 | 40/60 | 9 levels | 1 Re-entry |
| May 31, 2025 10:00 AM | Event#1 WSOP Event #1: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Millions – Flight E | $1,000 | 40,000 | 30/40 | 12 levels | 1 Re-entry Per Flight |
| May 31, 2025 02:00 PM | Event#9 WSOP Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | $10,000 | 60,000 | 40/60/90 | 10 levels | Freezeout |
| Jun 01, 2025 10:00 AM | Event#10 WSOP Event #10: $600 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack | $600 | 30,000 | 30 | 12 levels | 1 Re-entry |
| Jun 01, 2025 12:00 PM | Event#11 WSOP Event #11: $10,000 Mystery Bounty | $10,000 | 60,000 | 40 | 12 levels | 2 Re-entry |
| Jun 01, 2025 02:00 PM | Event#12 WSOP Event #12: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | $1,500 | 25,000 | 40/60 | 9 levels | 2 Re-entry |
Albertan Success at the Previous WSOPs
Garrett Bok & Stephen Dauphinias Find Deep Runs in 2024
The 2024 summer saw some big results for Edmontonians as both Garrett Bok and Stephen Dauphinais made deep runs in different events. First it was Dauphinais who battled to the final table of Event #54: $1,500 Millionaire Maker. He battled to an impressive third place to cash for a whopping $651,040. Also, Dauphinais found a cash in the main event for $17,500.
The main event is where Garrett Bok shined. He battled through seven grueling days of play to exit the tournament in 35th place. For his effort, Bok received $300,000 after battling with some of the world’s best. Kristen Foxen made the deepest run of any female player in the WSOP, exiting in 13th for $600,000. The female Canadian has since seen some big cashes to push her past the $10 million lifetime earnings, joining Vanessa Selbst as the only other female player to do so.
Jaspal Brar & Kang Hyun Lee Win Bracelets to Put Edmonton on the WSOP Map
It started in 2022, when Jaspal Brar made a deep run in Event #88: $1,000 Super Turbo NLH. Brar couldn’t be stopped as he went on a tear to take down his first WSOP bracelet and brought a win to the Edmonton poker community. He bested the 1,288-player field to take home $190,731. This wasn’t the only big sweat for Brar, as his girlfriend Lina Niu topped 578 runners in the WPT $1,100 NLH Ladies Event to take home $105,136 later in the year.
The following year, a last-minute event would see another Edmontonian claim a bracelet. Kang Hyun Lee bested the 1,710-player field to take home the $236,741 place prize along with a coveted WSOP bracelet. Lee was a gracious champion as he remarked that “It feels amazing! Just being a poker enthusiast my whole life, to finally get the most coveted award in the game, it just feels surreal.” With such great results from the past years, it is exciting to see what is on the horizon at the 2025 WSOP for Canadian players.
Political Tensions With Canada & U.S. and How it could affect Canadian Turnout
For many reasons, 2025 is a year unlike any we have seen thus far. Political tensions between the United States and Canada are at an all-time high as Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the 51st state. With this in mind, many players are choosing to support European or Canadian events rather than heading down to the WSOP.
At the forefront of the growing anti-U.S. sentiment are Canadians, who appear more united than ever. According to a report by Retail Insider, 67% of Canadians have reduced their purchases of U.S.-made goods, with nearly three-quarters stating they intend to continue supporting Canadian-made products even if U.S. tariffs are eventually lifted.
While the massive guarantees and allure of the WSOP bracelet are too much for some, there are surely players who have chosen to avoid the 2025 WSOP series altogether, strictly over political reasons. Canadians account for nearly 30% of all international visitors to Las Vegas, with Mexico following at 23%. Judging by the sentiment in online communities, Canadians don’t support current U.S. policies, and that discontent could lead to a much steeper drop in WSOP entries than many expect.
Stay tuned as we bring you all your poker news needs alongside the WSOP 2025, as well as various tournaments running at the same time. Make sure to check back to follow how Canadians fare at the 2025 WSOP, as plenty of action, drama, and stories are sure to unfold.
