The 2026 WSOP Circuit Calgary kicked off Thursday with thrilling poker action, highlighted by Allen Shen capturing a WSOP-C ring in the massive Monster Stack tournament and the opening flight of the Main Event generating record-breaking prize pools.
Allen Shen Wins Monster Stack for $78,020
The Monster Stack drew 1,656 entries, creating a total prize pool of $546,480—the largest in Calgary WSOP-C Monster Stack history. Shen, who entered Day 2 fifth in chips with 1.75 million, navigated a field packed with top talent, including Jiajie Sheng, James Ward, and local High Roller champion Andy Trung.
The final table saw dramatic swings:
- Jiajie Sheng exited in 6th place (€12,546) despite starting as the chip leader.
- Philip Dobrikin and Jackson Oniske traded doubles before being eliminated.
- Heads-up play between Shen and Mehmet Siginc ended in a critical cooler: Siginc hit a full house on the river, but Shen’s trip aces turned the tide for a decisive win.
This marks Shen’s second WSOP-C ring, following an online victory in Ontario in 2022 and a runner-up finish in May 2024 in the NLH/PLO Mix event. His rail included fellow champions Nicholas Teeuwen and WPT Global streamer Patrick “Egption” Tardif.
Monster Stack Final Table Results:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allen Shen | $78,020 |
| 2 | Mehmet Siginc | $52,010 |
| 3 | Philip Dobrikin | $35,285 |
| 4 | Jackson Oniske | $24,454 |
| 5 | James Ward | $17,321 |
| 6 | Jiajie Sheng | $12,546 |
| 7 | Devon Rissling | $9,297 |
| 8 | Joshua Lindberg | $7,956 |
| 9 | Jimmy Lee | $5,479 |
| 10 | Cuong Lieu | $4,362 |
Main Event Day 1a Breaks Records
The opening flight of the Main Event attracted 271 entries, pushing $531,160 into the prize pool—surpassing the previous record set in January 2024.
Top stacks from Day 1a:
- Oleksii Mezhenkov – 829,000
- Aleksei Ponomarev – 777,000
- Sami Al-Serri – 486,000
- Christopher Potter – 447,000
- Raymond Lamy – 418,000
- Anthony Smith – 400,000
- Tyler Panas – 400,000
- Tony Ma – 375,000
- Van Vo – 360,000
- Wilie Scott – 358,000
By the end of Day 1a, only 38 players bagged chips for Day 2, with the bubble bursting in Level 17, the final level of play. Three players cashed out at the bottom of the payouts:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | Gaetano Buda | $4,470 |
| 40 | Edward Sorensen | $4,470 |
| 41 | Trent Sapach | $4,470 |
Thursday set the stage for a record-setting Main Event while delivering a thrilling Monster Stack finale. Shen’s victory and the massive Day 1a stacks indicate the 2026 WSOP Circuit Calgary could be one of the most competitive and lucrative series in the city’s history.
