As 2022 began, the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOP-C) made its way to Alberta for the first time, stopping in Calgary. That event turned into a record-setting outing, with the Main Event coming out as the biggest live poker game in Alberta history.
There were many reasons why the 2022 debut of WSOP-C in Calgary was a runaway success, but it was a good enough showing to bring the tour back to Cowtown in May for a second run last year. Now, the third edition of WSOP-C Calgary will run at Deerfoot Inn & Casino starting on January 11, with two weeks of live poker action planned.
In a very unusual move for the Alberta live poker market, GGPoker is offering players the chance to play online for live poker tickets in Calgary. While Albertans play online poker on the same global clients as the rest of the world, the legal situation for online poker in much of Canada is best described as “grey.” One by-product of the grey zone is that licensed live casinos are prevented from partnering with online entities, as none of those online operators are technically licensed in Alberta.
That situation means online satellites to live games in Alberta are rare. However, with GGPoker being the WSOP’s international online partner in Canada, the operator has decided to throw some satellite parties for WSOP-C Calgary on its own.
- Or get up to $100 worth of rewards
- Available in many regulated markets
- Great MTT schedule including WSOP events
Cheap Seats to WSOP-C Calgary
After a record-setting outing in early 2022, plus an excellent second running in May 2022, Calgary has proven to be a popular Canadian stop on the Circuit. To help some players book their trip to Calgary, GGPoker is offering satellites, including a freeroll for players depositing through the Team Canada promotion.
There are two satellite options for players looking to book a seat at Deerfoot. For $50, players can play for a seat in the Main Event worth CAD $1,700. For $100, players can play for a package to the Main Event worth $2,500.
There are cheaper ways to make it to the Main Event, however. Players can jump into the above tree in a sub-qualifier for $5 to play into the $50 ticket game or $10 to play into the $100 package game.
Players can actually get to Calgary for free, though time is running out on that offer. Through the Team Canada deposit promotion, players will get a chance to freeroll their way to a Main Event package. For a deposit of at least $20, players get a shot at a freeroll with an ME package up top for the winner. The final day for the promotion is January 9, though, so time is running out on the freeroll offer.
- Or get up to $100 worth of rewards
- Available in many regulated markets
- Great MTT schedule including WSOP events
Another Big January at Deerfoot Inn & Casino
It was almost a perfect storm in January 2022 as the series was one of the only places in Canada to play live poker at the time, and it was the first big series in the country since the COVID lockdowns loosened. Added to that was the fact that the 2022 WSOP-C in Calgary would be the first time in a couple of years that Canadians could compete live for WSOP Gold Rings and the first time in more than five years that the Circuit was played west of Ontario.
Players came to the Albertan city from all over Canada and from around the world. By the time the dust settled on that first running of the series, players from nearly every province and territory in Canada were figuring in the prizes. Only Nunavut, the smallest territorial jurisdiction in Canada, failed to find a payday, but every other province and territory was represented.
While it seems unlikely that this upcoming Circuit Series will reach the dizzying heights of January 2022, there has been a lot of interest in the 2023 edition. With online satellites running for what might be the first time in a decade or more for an Alberta live poker event, there is a lot of attention on the series.
See below for the schedule of WSOP-C Calgary, which runs from January 11 to January 23, with 15 Gold Rings on offer. Head to GGPoker and click on the 'GGLive’ tab to find the satellites, and play your way to Calgary.
