The best poker rooms in Canada
We get it. You love playing online poker. But sometimes you can't beat the experience that comes with playing live. And Canada's live poker scene? It's pretty fantastic. Whether you're new to the game and you want to stick to smaller stakes, or whether you're a Vegas-crushing champion that can give hard-core pros a run for their money, you'll find some pretty incredible places to play poker in Canada. Here's a look at our top five favourites.
Playground Poker Club
If you see a bunch of poker players driving along Highway 401 from Toronto to Montreal, they're not making a 5-hour poutine run. Chances are they're headed to the Playground Poker Club, one of the most respected live poker rooms in North America.
The poker club is located just outside of Montreal. In fact, it's in Kahnawake - yes, that's the same Kahnawake reservation that's famous for licensing and regulating online poker rooms.
While you won't find $0.01/$0.02 tables that so many online poker sites offer, you don't necessarily need a huge bankroll to do some damage with. The Playground Poker Club offers cash games from as low as $1/$2.
Poker players can choose from No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha, and if there's enough interest in another game like Stud or Limit Hold'em, the club will consider opening up a table.
Playground Poker
1500 Unit C Route 138
Kahnawake, QC J0L 1B0
Casino Montreal
Here's the thing about the Playground Poker Club. It attracts a lot of serious players, so if you're a bit of an amateur, you might not find that much success there (unless you happen to meet a couple of ultimate fighters who are nowhere nearly as badass on the felt as they are in the octagon).
But if you find yourself in Montreal and you want to play some poker within city limits, head over to Casino Montreal. The rake is considered to be a bit on the high side, but believe us. The tables are pretty soft and you'll love playing here if you've got an ounce of skill.
Casino Montreal
1 Avenue du Casino
Montréal, QC H3C 4W7
OLG Casino Brantford
If you're in Ontario, your first thought might be to head over to Fallsview Casino or Caesars Windsor. But those aren't necessarily the best choices. OLG Casino Brantford is a smaller property, but that doesn't stop them from offering 14 Texas Hold'em poker tables in their dedicated poker room.
The poker room offers ladies only events, freeze out tourneys, deep stack events, bounty events, and even gentlemen only tournaments. And it's not just tourneys that OLG Casino Brantford offers. Cash games run all the time.
OLG Casino Brantford
40 Icomm Dr
Brantford, ON N3S 7S9
River Rock
When a poker room is the site of a World Series of Poker circuit event, you know it means business. And the River Rock Casino is a serious site for poker players looking for action around the clock. Unlike a lot of other poker rooms in Canada, River Rock's poker room is open 24 hours a day.
And games aren't just limited to No Limit Hold'em. You'll find Omaha, Omaha 8 or Better, and Seven Card Stud - all in Limit and No Limit flavours. And it's all available just a hop, skip, and a jump from Vancouver city limits.
River Rock
River Rock Casino Resort
8811 River Road
Richmond, BC, V6X 3P8
Casino Nova Scotia
We covered the west coast, so it's only fair that we jump over to the other end of the country. If you're in Halifax, make the trip to Casino Nova Scotia. Open every day from Noon to 4am, you'll find No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha games at all kinds of stake levels - as low as $1/$2. And if you're into higher stakes, they've got it covered with special High Limit nights and large-scale tournaments.
If you're the type of poker player who wants to feel like you're playing in Vegas but you want the comforts of home, you'll love Casino Nova Scotia, especially with its flat-screen TVs that keep you connected to everything that's happening in poker, sports, news, and more.
Casino Nova Scotia
1983 Upper Water St
Halifax, NS B3J 3Y5
