With 10 large provinces and three expansive territories, it’s no surprise to Canadian poker fans that we have a lot of fantastic places to play the game we all love so much.
So why, for so long, has it been such a surprise to everyone else?
Whatever the reason: the times, they are a-changin'.
If you ask an international poker player to name a Canadian cardroom, the one that most often leaves their lips is the Playground, near Montreal — and rightly so. Between April and October this year alone, they’re hosting international series and tours like the World Poker Tour, the MSPT, the MoneyMaker tour, and also the World Series of Poker Circuit — twice!
But they aren’t the only international poker destinations anymore: WSOP Circuit events are also held several times a year between the Deerfoot Inn and Casino in Calgary and the Great Canadian Casino in Toronto, and you can find many other outstanding events and festivals at myriad poker rooms from coast to coast.
Canadian pro player Xuan Liu famously challenged herself to play poker in every province and territory in the same month, availing herself not only of the biggest casinos in town, but also the home games, bar leagues, and smaller rooms and venues that offer all the poker fans like you and her a spot to stop and play awhile.
Until recently, many Canadian players have taken our domestic poker bounty for granted, traveling south to play in Las Vegas and some of the other American cities that are known for being good poker towns. But increasingly, more Canadians are choosing to ‘buy Canadian’, not only with their groceries, but also with their poker chips.
This year, the unique diplomatic methods employed by the current American administration had a galvanizing effect on their up-til-now friendly northern neighbour in particular, sending American liquor off our sales floors and Canadian tourists off their beaches, and out of their casinos. As the most unnecessary trade war of all time continues, more and more Canadians are choosing to stay home — and to keep their poker bankroll home with them.
More international players than ever are following suit. A drop in attendance from various overseas countries to the WSOP in Las Vegas this summer showed that fewer international players were making the trip this year, opting instead to stay home and play locally, or to visit someplace else for their poker trip. For a lot of those players, Canada is that place — and it’s easy to see why.
The places
For poker in Canada, it all starts with Montreal, Quebec. The Playground is a big reason why, but Montreal is a world-class city in its own right, and has a lot to offer anyone, whether they are poker players or not.
Fine restaurants, old-world architecture, a thriving nightlife, and the joie de vivre of living in a bilingual city is hard to replicate anywhere else in the world. And being a few hours away from historic and beautiful Quebec City is just one of the local attractions for those looking to get out of town for a day.
Traditionally a city known only for underground poker, Toronto, Ontario has recently sprung multiple legal casinos in the general area, adding a figleaf of decorum to an otherwise naturally-evolving environment of friendly home games — and many less friendly ‘private’ venues.
Canada’s largest city, Toronto also boasts its largest collection of cultural destinations: museums, galleries, art installations, theatres, performance venues — there’s nothing you can’t find if you are looking for a good time.
Niagara, Ontario is not only home to the largest casino in the area, but also the world famous Niagara Falls, a must-see if you find yourself anywhere near. The view from the Canadian side of the falls is universally acknowledged to be superior, a point the local inhabitants are quick to share with visitors.
Niagara is also home to the closest thing to the Las Vegas Strip you’ll find in the snow belt: a cavalcade of amusement rides, theme restaurants, fright mazes and escape rooms, all competing to delight and amaze you.
Halifax, Nova Scotia is a jewel on a hill, nestled against the shore of the Atlantic ocean. A maritime city with a small-town feel, Halifax’s many restaurants, bars and cultural venues invigorate its large student population from various universities and colleges in the area.
The Casino Nova Scotia downtown is just one of the stops you’re going to want to make, and if you are interested in a scenic drive or overnight, Peggy’s Cove and the Great Cabot Trail are fantastic destinations you won’t forget visiting.
British Columbia in general is a wonderful place to spend some time, whether it’s skiing, surfing, hiking, or sampling Vancouver’s restaurants and cultural centers.
Similarly, the prairies are their own kind of beautiful, with the Rocky Mountains on one side and a horizon of wheat fields on the other — and Calgary, Alberta boasts one of the fastest-growing poker populations in the country!
The price
But it’s not just the delightful intangible benefits of spending time exploring Canada’s scenery, towns and cities that should factor into planning your next poker trip: in many ways, it’s a simple math problem.
With the current exchange rate for the Canadian dollar, wherever you are considering traveling from, your currency is going to go a lot further in Canada than it is in most other popular poker destinations. You’ll be surprised how much poutine and maple syrup you can load up on: consider your arteries warned!
Plus, unlike ‘the land of the free’ down south, the Canadian government doesn’t tax gambling windfalls for recreational players — so if, after all your poker study and practice, you finally make a big score or final table or bink a huge tournament, if you do it in Canada you get to keep all the winnings!
The policies
As absurd as it feels to be writing this in 2025, traveling to Canada is objectively safer than travelling to the USA. With the new immigration policies and tactics being deployed at and within their borders, US government agencies are seizing precipitously high numbers of visitors to (and legal residents of) the United States, in some cases resulting in extended detainment — or worse.
Governments of many countries around the world are now urging their citizens to consider the new risks of traveling to the United States, and you should consider them too.
The poker people
Finally, you won’t meet a friendlier, more welcoming bunch than the Canadian poker playing community (OK, maybe the lads and lasses over in Ireland and their annual Poker Open… but we’re in good company, then!).
You may come just for the poker, you may win a WPT title or a WSOP ring, you may make a million dollars and keep it all — but a part of you will never leave, the memories you created here will never fade, and the friends you made here will be a part of your life forever.
Bon voyage!
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Additional images courtesy of Great Canadian Entertainment/Casino Niagara/Ed Vasquez/Unsplash/Bruce Jones Design Inc.
