Toronto’s WSOP Circuit Returns in Less Than a Month, Boosting Canadian Poker Scene

Meanwhile, poker pros like Daniel Negreanu, Kristen Foxen, and Sam Greenwood are also keeping Canadian poker news relevant to fans. Their recent tournament successes have Canadian railbirds expecting big things on the Canadian poker front in the months ahead.

The WSOP Circuit lands at the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto in about four weeks. After last year’s debut drew over 6,000 entries and a $5.5 million prize pool, 2025 ups the game to 11 ring-awarding tournaments. The prize pool is projected to top $6.5 million with the flagship $2,000 buy-in Main Event. 

GGPoker, with Negreanu as their ambassador, has online satellites, including cheap ones, that open the field to all. Poker amateurs will be inspired by Khaled Aljoma’s 2024 Main Event win in the inaugural Toronto event. He took down $427,191 last year as a one-off winner for a tournament of that magnitude.

Michael Kim, Executive Vice President of Great Canadian Entertainment, expressed excitement for the event in a press release earlier this year: “The demand for this tournament continues to grow, attracting top talent from around the world.” 

With less than a month to go, anticipation is building.

A legal matter is in the background of all Ontario poker news these days. Ontario’s online poker has thrived since its April 2022 iGaming debut. A November 30th, 2024 Ontario Court of Appeal case could shift the game. Ontario seeks international play for its players, eyeing hundreds of millions in added wagers. The matter is ongoing but a ruling, due later in 2025, looms large.

Daniel Negreanu won a $15,200 PokerGO Tour Dealer’s Choice event on March 4th in Las Vegas for $292,500, topping a tough field. He also played well in tournaments that he did not win outright.

Kristen Foxen took the PokerGO Tour Kickoff finale on January 25th for $197,625. She also won a tournament in February. Her results in March so far are not as stellar all poker players have dips, often due to bad luck. In the big picture, she's playing quite well so far in 2025.

Meanwhile, Sam Greenwood banked $1.6 million at the Triton Poker Series Main Event in Jeju recently. This was in addition to a couple of other cashes at the same series.