Where are the best places to play poker near Toronto?

Canadians love their hockey, their maple syrup and their Tim Hortons coffee, or so the stereotype goes. But did you know that Canadians also love casino gaming? Playing casino games at licensed venues in Canada is permitted and the most popular game across all provinces is poker.

While both visiting casino venues and playing games of poker and blackjack in private has long been a form of entertainment for Canadians, over the past few years online casino gaming has really begun to take off.

Shortly after the roll out of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, the first online poker sites came into operation. At first, these sites were very basic but as the technology developed and demand grew, the number of sites skyrocketed and developers soon improved their functionality and game features.

Canadian Online casinos now offer to Ontario residences an array of entertainment options, one provider such as 888poker, they provide a wide range of personalized bonuses for each unique user. In addition, there is a large number of online poker tournaments to choose from depending on the user’s skill level, making it a welcoming and fun platform for everyone.

The online casino and poker industry continues to thrive. Canada now has around 19.3 million online gamblers and the industry is estimated to be worth $4 billion dollars.

Land based gambling also remains popular. For the residents and visitors of Toronto there are a number of great casino venues to choose from and all have a selection of poker tables.

Here are just some of the top casinos with poker that are in easy reach of Toronto:

Casino Rama Resort – Rama, Ontario

The Casino Rama Resort is the ultimate destination for those looking for great entertainment, dining and accommodation options all in one place.

While Casino Rama is a very popular venue, visitors do not need to worry too much about queuing up to play games in the casino. With 47 gaming tables and 1,800 video slots and electronic games, there are a great variety of games to choose from.

For poker fans, there are six tables dedicated to different variants of the game, including Texas Hold ’em Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker. There is also Touch Bet Roulette and Squeeze Baccarat.

The venue holds regular promotions and getaway packages that allow you to combine fine dining, gaming and spa relaxation all into one vacation. The resort’s hotel has 292 Luxury Suites, fitness centre and spa.

Between sessions on the gaming floor there are a number of eateries to rest and refuel at. For fine dining there is The Willow with authentic Asian cuisine, or for a quick bite, gamers can venture over to Cedar express or the Burger Bar.

Great Blue Heron Charity Casino – Port Perry, Ontario

Port Perry is a must visit destination for visitors to Ontario and is home to the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino. This casino has 35,000 square feet of gaming space. While slot machines are a big feature here, poker is the main attraction with tables for both limit and no limit games.

High stakes players are welcome and can call in advance to book a gaming session, the Bad Beat Jackpot starts at $120,000 dollars. If staying for a casino break, visitors can rest at the hotel with beautiful scenic views and dine at the Waters Edge Restaurant.

Elements Casino Brantford – Brantford, Ontario

Elements Casino is an ideal gaming destination for beginners and experienced casino gamers alike, with friendly staff and a variety of games to choose from. There are 16 gaming tables with everything from poker and blackjack to baccarat and roulette.

These tables are set out on level two of the casino and there is a spacious room set away in a more private area for high stakes games. Minimum bets on the main floor start at $15 and $25 dollars in the exclusive space.

Poker games include Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Texas Hold’em Bonus, as well as the five card poker game Mississippi Stud. There are also 500 slot machines to choose from while you are there.

If staying at the venue for food after gaming, there is the Bar & Grill with a number of casual dining options and the Grab and Go for snacks and sandwiches.

Poker Tournaments

If poker tournaments located within Toronto are what you are looking for, then a trip to North York for the Toronto Poker Tournament Series is in order. You can download the app to see when tournaments are next in play and to access cash game waitlist registrations.

At this club there are weekly tournaments and cash games, the schedule is consistently full with poker games and the club is very welcoming to new players. Between games participants can enjoy watching sports and grabbing a bite to eat.

Players new to poker tournaments can find in-person games a little intimidating at first. This is why many choose to also play tournaments online to build their confidence. For residents and visitors in Toronto there are plenty of locations to fine tune your poker skills.

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