The 2025 poker season in Canada kicks off with WSOP Circuit Calgary, starting January 8. Spanning 13 days of thrilling Circuit action in Cowtown, you can stay updated with live coverage by Lyle Bateman right here.
After 12 levels of play, the HORSE game bagged for the night with 34 players remaining from a starting field of 113 entries. There are 17 paid spots on Day 2 and the prizes will be updated shortly in the Payouts tab.
KKPoker rep Chris Alcindor will be returning with the big stack. He is one of three players with more than 200k to start Day 2 with Fraser Short and Zachary Nicholls just behind him.
Stay tuned for the Day 2 opening post with all the chip counts and seat assignments for Day 2, but be sure to click the Day 2 tab to find the details.
The HORSE game is getting good turnout considering how unusual the game is for this market. They are just shy of 100 entries and Paul Sokoloff is now among the players having busted out of the Seniors game in 57th place for $844. Level 8 has just begun so there are just under two levels of entry left in this one — it looks like a decent bet to crack 100 entries.
The turnout for the HORSE is pretty decent considering how unusual the game is compared to most poker here in Alberta lately. The field is up to 75 entries for more than $50k in prizes.
It was no surprise to see Thomas Taylor show up for this one — he is a high-stakes mixed game tournament specialist who routinely hits the final table of big mixed games at the WSOP every summer, so he’ll be one of the favorites in this today. His main competition likely would have been Paul Sokoloff, who is also a high-stakes mixed game specialist, though his specialty tends more to the cash side, but Sokoloff had a tough decision today — whether to try and defend his Seniors ring, or jump into the HORSE. He elected to get into the Seniors this morning, despite the late night last night in the Mystery Bounty, so unless he busts early over there, we won’t likely see him in this one.
Other players in the field include Ronnie Dattani, Mike Malm, Chris Alcindor, Shane Brotherwood, Antoine Saddleback, Hari Aujla, Greg Genge, Stephen Dauphinais, Tyler Hurman, Michael Khan, Gail Flaherty, David Ko, Ryan Smith, Calvin Lake, and Andrew Goosen.
The HORSE game is now underway with Level 1 about halfway complete and the field at 48 entries. Given that this is the first HORSE game in Alberta in recent memory, it’s a bit difficult to estimate numbers, but the turnout so far feels pretty solid given how long it’s likely been since anyone in the field played live stud games.
I won’t be watching this one very closely for Day 1 as I’ll be on Day 2 of the 4-Flight and then the endgame of the Seniors tournament. However, Day 2 of this one will be my main focus on Monday.
Sunday marks a new era in Alberta poker with the first HORSE tournament in modern memory. While Deerfoot put on a HOSE game a few years ago, razz wasn’t an approved game at the time, so they weren’t able to run the full HORSE rotation.
That has changed for 2025 and the full HORSE rotation will be in play for Event #7. The action will change games every 8 hands moving through limit holdem, limit O8, limit razz, limit stud, and limit stud8 before starting the rotation all over again.
The action gets going at 3 pm and there are nine levels of late entry on Day 1. That will put the final entry around 9:45 PM, with another three levels to play on Day 1 after that. At the end of Level 12 (which should be at about 11:45 PM), all remaining players will bag up their chips for Day 2 at 1 PM on Monday.
I won’t be watching Day 1 of this game very closely, but I plan to make it my main focus for Monday’s Day 2.
Chris Alcindor, Winner of the HORSEChris Alcindor, Winner of the HORSE, with KKPoker mates on the rail
It was a bit of a battle between KKPoker and the Die Hard Poker League here at the final table, but the truth is, KKPoker was always going to win since even the DHPL reps play on the site. In the end, however, Zachary Nicholls from the DHPL couldn’t quite find what he needed to overcome the surging Chris Alcindor, KKPoker ambassador.
Alcindor bagged the chip lead from Day 1 and maintained his big stack throughout Day 2. He was still biggest when he got heads-up with Nicholls and though Nicholls was able to claw some chips back, it was never enough to take the lead. In the final hand, Alcindor got there with a flopped pair of sixes against ace-high for Nicholls and it was all over.
This is Alcindor’s second Circuit Ring after winning the Monster Stack in May of 2024 and this is his 5th live win and third best live score. Alcindor can also now claim to have won the first-ever HORSE Ring in Calgary, a feat no one else will ever match.
Zachary Nicholls was on the back foot for most of heads-up with the short stack and it all came to an end for him in Limit Hold’em. He picked up some chips when he forced a fold from winner Chris Alncindor on a board reading 4♣9♥6♦A♣ when he was all in on the turn.
That got him back to a couple hundred thousand, but it was in the next hand. Alcindor was on the button and raised to 100k, then called when Nicholls raised it to 150k. Nicholls fired 50k on the 6♠9♥2♥ flop, then called with Alcindor raised it to 100k. He check-called for his remaining 95k when Alcindor bet 100k.
Zachary Nicholls: A♣J♣ Chris Alcindor: 10♥6♣
Alcindor found a pair of sixes against the ace-high for Nicholls and the K♣ river didn’t change anything.
Zachary Nicholls brought it in for 20k showing a deuce, then called when Chris Alcindor completed to 50k. Alcindor led for 50k with a queen to Nicholls’ four and Nicholls called.
Alcindor fired 100k on his 6 while Nicholls called when he paired his deuce. They both checked 6th with Nicholls getting an 8 and Alcindor getting a jack. Alcindor fired another bet for 100k and Nicholls called, but mucked when Alcindor showed eight-nine-ten for the straight.
I arrived at the table on the turn with the board reading 9♥6♣4♥6♦ and Chris Watson and Chris Alcindor got into a raising war that saw the bets cap out with Watson all in.
Watson had pocket queens, but Alcindor’s ace-six turned trips for the win.
I picked up the action on the flop with the board reading 10♥5♦8♣. Chris Alcindor checked his big blind before Fraser Short bet 29k all in. Zachary Nicholls called from the button, as di Alcindor.
The active players checked the 4♥ turn and Alcindor fired 60k on the J♠ river. Nicholls raised it to 120k and Alcindor called but mucked when Nicholls showed Q♥9♣2♣A♠ for the nut-nut and the win. Fraser couldn’t find a chop and hit the rail for fourth.
In the first hand, Chrish Watson raised under the gun to 60k and got calls from Chris Alcindor to his left and Zachary Nicholls in the big blind. The flop was 2♥3♦8♦ and after a check from Nicholls, Watson fired 30k. Alcindor mucked while Nicholls called to the 6♥ turn. They checked the turn and the Q♠ river and Nicholls K♦6♦ was good with a pair of sixes against the big slick for Watson.
In the next hand, Fraser Short opened the button with a raise to 60k and Zachary Nicholls and Chris Watson came along from the blinds. The flop was 2♥7♥3♣ and they all checked it to the 2♣ turn. Nicholls led for 60k and Watson was the only caller. 6♠ on the river brought another bet from Nicholls. Watson called, but mucked when Nicholls rolled over pocket deuces for turned quads.
They are down to 5 left after Brady O’Hara hit the rail for 6th place just before the break. Chris Alcindor is still the leader with just shy of 1 million chips. There are three members of BC’s Die Hard Poker League in the final five as well. Chris Watson is sporting the hat, but Zachary Nicholls and Henry Oh are also part of the DHPL, so they were well represented in this one.
Chris Watson brought it in, and got calls from Henry Oh (7♦) and Fraser Short (10♣) before Zachary Nicholls (J♣) raised to 25k. Watson mucked, Oh raised to 50k, and Short mucked his hand.
Nicholls picked up 3♠ to 7♣ for Oh. Oh fired 25k and Nicholls called. Oh got [invalid notations] to 10♠ for Nicholls and they both checked.
Oh led for 50k on his 5♦ and Nicholls called his 6♠. They both got 7th face down and Oh shoved his remaining stack for 18k and Nicholls called. Oh showed 7♠4♦K♥ for the boat and the win against what looked like a spade flush for Nicholls as he mucked his hand.
Paul Sokoloff was the first player out on the final table when Zachary Nicholls found a scoop in O8 with the nut straight and best low. See below for a look at all nine players to make the final table. Tristan Wang then followed Sokoloff out for 8th place.
Brady O’Hara was the bring in showing 5♥ and Michael Khan, Christopher Watson, and Henry Oh called the bring in. Oh led off 4th with a 10♣ and O’Hara checked his K♠. Kahn bet 20k and got a call from Watson while Oh and O’Hara mucked.
Khan got 5♠ to 2♦ for Watson and they both checked. Khan paired up on 6th with 10♦ against 8♠ for Watson. Khan fired a big bet of 40k and after some time in the tank, Watson said “I think I’m supposed to live to fight another day here” and mucked the nut club draw face-up.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Harper hit the rail from the other table to bring them down to 9 left.
Tsubasa Jay Ueda’s fumes didn’t last long today as he hit the rail in 11th place recently. I missed the final action, but he was left short after doubling up Brady O’Hara. He picked up a triple from those fumes immediately after with a nut-nut O8 hand, but that still left him with fumes.
In the previous hand, Tsubasa Jay Ueda doubled up Brady O’Hara to leave himself with just 15k behind. That went in on the next hand where he was called by O’Hara from the small and Michael Khan from the big.
Both active players checked through the board of 3♥J♣7♥8♦4♣ but then mucked when Ueda said “Nut-nut” and showed 10♣9♦2♦A♣.
I picked up the limit hold’em action on the flop with the board reading 7♥3♣9♣. Action checked through the blinds to Zachary Nicholls on the button and he threw out a bet of 15k. Chris Alcindor and Fraser Short both called from the blinds.
The K♣ turn checked around to the 8♥ river where Alcindor fired a big bet of 30k. Nicholls snapped it off showing 9♠8♠ against Alcindor’s A♦7♠ and the rivered two pair took it down though Nicholls was ahead from the flop.
Chris Alcindor is still leading at the break with Zachary Nicholls, Fraser Short, and Paul Sokoloff also among the bigger stacks. Level 19 action will be underway in about 5 minutes. Just before the break, Sokoloff found a nice pot when he turned a set of tens and rivered a boat in limit hold’em against Alcindor to get back above average.
They are down to 11 left now after two quick exist just before the end of Level 18. Michael Griffin was out in 13th place with Gavin Lee taking 12th place today. Full prizes are listed under the Payouts tab.
There are about 10 minutes to play in Level 18 with a break scheduled following this level. I’ll grab a full chip count at the break, but in the meantime, here is a look at the remaining names in the field, and how they are seated.
KKPoker rep Chris Alcindor is still the leader and he’s stacking chips. He is playing around 700k right now, and it looks like the next closest player is Fraser Short with about 300k in front of him. Paul Sokoloff is also still alive, though he’s a little shorter at around 130k.
They are in the money now after three hands on the bubble. The bubble burst in a razz hand that saw Derek Cameron needing a 2-sider to survive. I arrived at the hand on 6th street with Zachary Nicholls showing 2♣6♠K♣7♦ against Cameron with 2♥7♠3♣3♠. Nicholls threw in a big bet for 16k on 6th, and that was enough to force Cameron all in with a call.
He tanked for a bit before throwing in his final 16k. 7th street was dealt face down and Nicholls revealed a made 76. That left Cameron needing a 2-sider to survive, but he rolled over a queen to hit the rail in 18th place.
In the very next hand after the bubble burst, Ron Schindelheim hit the rail for the first cashout of the day here in the HORSE game.
The field is now on the money bubble with 18 left and 17 paid spots. The clock is paused with 22:10 remaining in Level 16 and they’ll take 2 minutes off the clock manually for every hand played until the next elimination.
I’ve just had a look around the room and it looks like Chris Alcindor is the leader at the moment. He looks to be playing a bit more than 400k, while Zachary Nicholls looks to be second with more than 300k. There also look to be a few players in the 200k range including Fraser Short, Jeremy Harper, and Vancouver’s Henry Oh.
Level 15 has just begun in the HORSE game and the field is down to 23 left, 6 off the money spots. I’ve just arrived on the floor, so I was a bit late today, but I’ll have a look around shortly to see who is up and who is down in chips so far today.
Day 2 of the HORSE game is set, and it was a very good turnout considering this is the first HORSE game run in Alberta in recent memory and that the stud variants in the game likely haven’t been played live here for ~20 years. They got 113 total entries for prizes of more than $78k.
There are 34 players returning for Day 2 action but only half of them will make the 17 paid spots. There is more than $20k up top for the winner on Monday evening. Full prizes are listed under the Payouts tab, but the final table payouts (9-handed) are below.
Final Table (9-handed) Payouts
Place
Prize
1
$20,572
2
$13,381
3
$9,026
4
$6,323
5
$4,607
6
$3,497
7
$2,770
8
$2,294
9
$1,990
KKPoker rep Chris Alcindor is the big stack for Day 2 with 266.5k. He leads two other players, Fraser Short and Zachary Nicholls, in the 200k club. Michael Griffin and Henry Oh round out the top five.
One other stack to note belongs to Paul Sokoloff. Sokoloff is a mixed-game specialist who plays high-stakes cash and tournaments against some of the best mixed-game players in the world. He bagged 114k at the end of Day 1, for the 11th place stack, but he’ll be dangerous on Day 2 no matter how many chips he has.
Dylan Payne
Paul Sokoloff
