- Die Hard Poker League 2026/2027 Schedule
- How Die Hard Poker League Season 21 Works
- DHPL League Membership
- Die Hard Poker League Final 2027
- DHPL Online Poker
- Die Hard Poker League All-Time Leaders
- Die Hard Poker League (DHPL) FAQ
The Die Hard Poker League enters Season 21 with a full schedule stretching from August 2026 to April 2027, giving British Columbia players one of the country's most established grassroots tournament series.
Based in Surrey, BC, DHPL combines affordable league tournaments with Crazy Pineapple, Mystery Bounty, Pot-Limit Omaha and mixed-game bonus events. The 2026/2027 season culminates with a two-day League Final on April 9 and 10, 2027.
For players looking beyond Surrey, our Canadian poker tournament calendar tracks confirmed festivals and live events across the country.
Last updated: September 9, 2026
Last updated: September 9, 2026
Die Hard Poker League 2026/2027 Schedule
| Date | Tournament | Buy-in | League Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 28, 2026 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Completed |
| Sept. 25, 2026 | Mystery Bounty NLH | C$500 | No | Confirmed |
| Sept. 26, 2026 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Oct. 23, 2026 | Crazy Pineapple | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Oct. 30, 2026 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Nov. 13, 2026 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Jan. 22, 2027 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Jan. 29, 2027 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Feb. 5, 2027 | PLO bonus event | C$200 | No | Confirmed date, final format TBC |
| Feb. 19, 2027 | Crazy Pineapple | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Feb. 20, 2027 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Mar. 5, 2027 | TORSES | C$300 | No | Confirmed |
| Mar. 19, 2027 | No Limit Hold'em | C$100 | Yes | Confirmed |
| Apr. 9, 2027 | League Final Day 1 | Qualified players | Final | Confirmed |
| Apr. 10, 2027 | League Final Day 2 | Qualified players | Final | Confirmed |
DHPL has indicated that the February 5 PLO bonus event may use a double-board bomb pot format, but the final structure had not been confirmed when this guide was updated.
Next Die Hard Poker League Events
The next DHPL weekend takes place on September 25 and 26.
Friday, September 25 features the C$500 Mystery Bounty No Limit Hold'em tournament. It is a bonus event and does not award Season 21 league points.
The following evening, Saturday, September 26, the regular league resumes with a C$100 No Limit Hold'em event.
Players who want to brush up before competing can review our Texas Hold'em rules guide covering blinds, betting rounds, hand rankings and showdown procedure.
Season 21 Starts With a Win for Pat Woelk
Season 21 opened on August 28 with one of the strongest names in DHPL history immediately returning to the winner's circle.
Pat Woelk won the opening No Limit Hold'em event, with DHPL reporting 106 entrants. The victory was Woelk's ninth career DHPL title, extending his lead over Brant Taylor, who sits second on the league's all-time wins list with seven.
Martin Sayle finished runner-up and Iven Chen took third.
| Place | Player | Cash Listed by DHPL | Event Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Woelk | $2,600 | 10,000 |
| 2 | Martin Sayle | $1,850 | 8,000 |
| 3 | Iven Chen | $1,350 | 6,500 |
| 4 | Ryan Freeman | $600 | 5,000 |
| 5 | Steve McLarty | $400 | 4,500 |
The result leaves Woelk at the top of the early Season 21 standings heading into the September schedule.
How Die Hard Poker League Season 21 Works
The 2026/2027 season is built around 10 points tournaments.
Eight are No Limit Hold'em events, while two use Crazy Pineapple. DHPL has also scheduled three larger bonus tournaments that do not count towards the standings:
- C$500 Mystery Bounty NLH
- C$200 PLO bonus event
- C$300 TORSES mixed-game event
This gives the season considerably more variety than a standard Hold'em-only league.
Players unfamiliar with the October and February format can read our Crazy Pineapple poker rules guide. Crazy Pineapple begins with three hole cards rather than two, with one card discarded after the flop.
The February bonus tournament introduces Omaha into the schedule. Our Pot-Limit Omaha rules guide explains the four-card starting hand, two-card usage rule and pot-limit betting structure.
DHPL League Membership
Season 21 was listed with a league entry fee of C$750.
DHPL reported 95 registered players against a stated maximum of 99 before the season began, highlighting how established the league has become within the Surrey poker community.
Membership priority is given first to returning league members, followed by former members and players who have previously participated in Die Hard events. New players can also apply, although availability depends on remaining capacity and organizer approval.
That makes DHPL somewhat different from a normal casino tournament series. It operates as a genuine season-long league rather than simply a collection of unrelated tournaments.
Players looking for more traditional open casino festivals can compare DHPL with other Canadian poker tournaments running across the country.
Structure: How Many Events Per Season?
Each DHPL season is designed to feel like a mini-tour. While some live leagues run only a handful of tournaments, Die Hard Poker League typically offers 12 to 13 events per season. These are spread out between September and April, giving players plenty of chances to compete without burning out.
Most stops feature a single main tournament, usually No Limit Hold’em. However, the league has also experimented with side events and mixed formats, allowing players to try different styles. This balance of consistency and variety is one of the reasons DHPL has kept its loyal player base for so long.
Die Hard Poker League Final 2027
Season 21 culminates with a two-day League Final at Guildford Golf & Country Club.
- Day 1 begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 2027.
- Day 2 is scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday, April 10, with DHPL aiming to bring back approximately the final 10 players.
The league standings determine access to the final and play an important role in DHPL's season-long prize structure.
DHPL's published rules use tournament prize packages as the league's major reward. These can include packages intended for major tournament series, including the World Series of Poker.
That creates an unusual progression from local C$100 tournaments in Surrey to opportunities to compete on significantly larger poker stages.
DHPL Players at the World Series of Poker
The connection between DHPL and major tournament poker became particularly visible during the 2026 World Series of Poker.
Eric Weber, a Die Hard Poker League member, won WSOP Event #86, the US$600 Ultra Stack No Limit Hold'em.
Weber defeated a field of 8,007 entries and earned US$400,000 along with his first WSOP bracelet.
DHPL described Weber as the first league member to win a WSOP bracelet.
Several other Die Hard players also recorded cashes in Las Vegas during the summer, demonstrating that the Surrey league includes players competing well beyond British Columbia.
Canadian players following the Las Vegas series can find schedules, results and qualification information in our WSOP guide for Canadians.
Poker Formats Played at Die Hard
No Limit Texas Hold'em remains the core DHPL game, but Season 21 deliberately gives players exposure to other poker formats.
No Limit Texas Hold'em
Eight of the 10 Season 21 points tournaments use No Limit Hold'em.
These C$100 events form the backbone of the league schedule and standings.
Crazy Pineapple
Crazy Pineapple appears twice as a points event, on October 23, 2026 and February 19, 2027.
Because the game requires players to manage three starting cards before discarding one, it creates different pre-flop and post-flop decisions from standard Hold'em.
Pot-Limit Omaha
A C$200 PLO bonus event is scheduled for February 5.
DHPL has considered using a double-board bomb pot PLO structure for the event, although the final version remains to be confirmed.
TORSES
The C$300 TORSES event on March 5 is another non-points bonus tournament and adds a mixed-game challenge late in the season.
DHPL has a long history of players competing in mixed games, both locally and during major Las Vegas tournament series.
DHPL Online Poker
Die Hard also maintains an online component.
The league currently advertises weekly PokerStars Home Games every Monday at 7:00 p.m., with C$50 No Limit Hold'em and C$25 H.O.R.S.E. listed.
The games operate through a private PokerStars Home Games club and require league approval.
Players unfamiliar with the mixed-game format can use our H.O.R.S.E. poker rules guide to learn the Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven Card Stud and Stud Hi-Lo rotation.
Players who need information about opening a PokerStars account can also review the current PokerStars promo code for Canada, while checking availability and terms for their province before registering.
Where Is the Die Hard Poker League Played?
Season 21 is based at Guildford Golf & Country Club in Surrey, British Columbia.
The venue is located at:
7929 152 Street
Surrey, BC
DHPL's community setting is an important part of its identity. Instead of operating as a conventional casino tour, the league creates a club-style environment while maintaining structured tournaments and season-long standings.
Players looking for casinos, poker rooms and other tournament options around Vancouver and the province can read our complete guide to poker in British Columbia.
Die Hard Poker League All-Time Leaders
DHPL maintains detailed historical statistics across its many seasons.
As of August 31, 2026, the official all-time cash leaderboard was headed by Darren Kennedy.
| Rank | Player | Recorded DHPL Cash |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darren Kennedy | $63,605 |
| 2 | Everett Wicklund | $47,570 |
| 3 | Pat Woelk | $42,450 |
| 4 | Zach Nicholls | $42,325 |
| 5 | Brant Taylor | $37,710 |
Woelk's Season 21 opening victory also moved him to a record nine DHPL tournament wins.
The league's extensive historical tracking is one reason DHPL stands out from many smaller local poker series. Results, statistics and season standings have been preserved across many years of competition.
Why DHPL Matters to Poker in British Columbia
Major casino festivals naturally generate more headlines, but grassroots leagues play an important role in the Canadian poker ecosystem.
DHPL provides regular tournament structures at an accessible price point, gives local players a season-long competition and exposes players to formats beyond Hold'em.
It also creates a bridge between recreational poker and larger tournament series. Several league members compete regularly at the WSOP and other major events.
For players in Surrey and Metro Vancouver, that combination makes Die Hard one of the most distinctive recurring tournament options in British Columbia.
Die Hard Poker League (DHPL) FAQ
- When does Die Hard Poker League Season 21 run?
Season 21 began on August 28, 2026 and runs through the League Final on April 9 and 10, 2027.
- Where is the Die Hard Poker League played?
Season 21 events are held at Guildford Golf & Country Club in Surrey, British Columbia.
- How much are DHPL tournaments?
Regular Season 21 events are C$100. Bonus events include the C$500 Mystery Bounty, C$200 PLO event and C$300 TORSES tournament.
- Which DHPL events count towards league points?
Ten Season 21 tournaments award points: eight No Limit Hold'em events and two Crazy Pineapple events. The Mystery Bounty, PLO and TORSES tournaments are listed as non-points bonus events.
- When is the 2027 DHPL League Final?
Day 1 is scheduled for April 9, 2027 at 5:30 p.m. Day 2 follows on April 10 at noon.
- Who won the first DHPL event of Season 21?
Pat Woelk won the August 28, 2026 No Limit Hold'em opener. It was his ninth career DHPL victory.
- Does DHPL play poker online?
Yes. DHPL currently lists private PokerStars Home Games every Monday, including No Limit Hold'em and H.O.R.S.E.
- Can new players join the Die Hard Poker League?
DHPL accepts membership applications subject to capacity and organizer approval. Returning and former league members receive priority, followed by previous participants and recommended new players.