WSOP Circuit Calgary January 2026 Early Results and Ring Winners

The January 2026 stop of the WSOP Circuit Calgary is off to a productive start, with the opening days delivering solid turnout, larger prize pools than the October 2025 series, and three rings awarded across the first completed events. Action at Deerfoot has already produced six-figure prize pools and several career defining results. 

Across the first two days, entries exceeded prior series benchmarks, confirming continued interest in WSOP Circuit Canada events and setting a steady pace for the remainder of the Calgary schedule.

The first ring of the series was awarded in Event #1 Big 30 Stack, which drew 404 entries and generated a prize pool of $134,017. 

The field size surpassed the October 2025 edition by more than 30 entries, adding roughly $12,000 to the overall payouts.

Shawn Johnson secured his first WSOP Circuit ring with a $28,013 win. This marked only his third recorded Hendon Mob cash. 

His previous results included a 47th place finish in the 2022 WSOP Circuit Calgary Double Stack and a deep run in the 2019 WSOP Big 50 in Las Vegas.

The final table featured Anthony Casten, Victor Ma, Curtis Singleton, and Henry Friesen. Ma exited in third place, while Friesen reached heads up play despite spending much of the final table as the shortest stack. Friesen laddered consistently but was unable to overcome Johnson’s chip advantage in the final duel.

Event #1 Big 30 Stack Top 2

Event #2 NLH/PLO Mix attracted 201 entries, creating a $103,865 prize pool and improving on the October turnout by 18 entries. 

The final table included several familiar Circuit names, including Stefan Maloney, Mike Malm, Peter Darlington, Weston Pring, Amir Khan, and four time ring winner Nicholas Lee.

Mehmet Siginc navigated a fast moving final table that went from 10 players to a winner in just over three hours. Heads up play saw Siginc facing Lee, who was chasing his fifth WSOP Circuit ring. 

Lee stayed alive through multiple doubles and briefly gained the lead when ace ten cracked Siginc’s pocket deuces.

Momentum shifted quickly. Siginc regained control and closed the match when his ace nine held against Lee’s king ten. Siginc collected $24,850 and denied Lee a milestone fifth ring.

Day 2 of the WSOP Circuit Calgary saw the third ring awarded in the Black Chip Bounty, which recorded 290 entries. The event produced $120,350 in standard prizes along with $29,000 in bounties.

Manitoba’s Claire Leclerc earned her first WSOP Circuit ring and second live tournament win, banking $25,986. Her previous live victory came on the 701 Poker Tour in 2024. Leclerc had previously finished runner up in a 2025 Calgary $1,000 event, narrowly missing a ring at that time.

Leclerc spent much of the final table among the shorter stacks and advanced through careful laddering. Graham Lupton, a two time ring winner, controlled much of the late play and entered heads up with a near 3:1 chip lead.

The decisive hand came when Leclerc slow-played pocket aces and extracted a large river bet, leaving Lupton short. The match ended shortly after, with Leclerc holding against Lupton’s shove to secure the title.

The $400 Mini Main Event opened with 319 entries on Day 1a, generating $100,007 in prizes. Play concluded at 5 percent of the field, leaving 15 players advancing after a double elimination on the bubble.

Ankhbayar Bayar bagged the chip lead with 1,425,000, joined by Kyle Crego as the only other player above one million chips. With blinds paused late in Level 21, Day 2 is expected to resume at 15k/25k/25k depending on outcomes from subsequent flights.

With strong attendance and multiple first time ring winners, the opening stretch of the WSOP Circuit Calgary January 2026 series has established early momentum heading into the remaining schedule.