Great Blue Heron Charity Casino

Located just outside of Port Perrie, Ontario, on Scugog Island. About a 1 hour drive from Toronto. Features a small poker pit of 6 tables. Smoking is allowed everywhere, so be prepared for a gas chamber like atmosphere. Also, it is quite cold inside, I think to keep the players on edge, so wear long sleeves.

Hours: Open 24/7, 365 days a year.

Games: Limit Hold 'em in the following amounts: 5/10, 10/20, 20/40, and 50/100 by request only, provided there are enough players.
Dealer Skill Level: Very Good, mistakes are somewhat rare.

No Limit Mini Tournaments are held every Wednesday and Thursday. The Wednesday game is a $50 buy in with a $500 pay out, winner takes all. Thursday is a $100 buy in with $1000 pay out. The games start at noon and run continuously as long as there are enough players. They usually run well into the night.

Notes: The 5/10 games is pretty loose with enough novices to make some good money for the intermediate player who can manage to play fairly tight. Watch your step in the 10/20 and up. The games basically get tighter and more unbeatable as the stakes increase.

http://www.greatblueheroncasino.com

Casinorama

Located in the Barrie/Orillia Area, about a 2 hour drive from Toronto. There is also a bus that leaves every night from Pacific Mall at Steeles and Kennedy. It costs $5 and they play a movie. Features a smoke-free poker room with about 12 tables.

Hours: 24/7, 365 days a year.

Games: Hold 'em and Omaha Hi-Lo Split. Hold 'em is limit beginning at 2/5, 5/10, 10/20, 20/40, 30/60, and more upon request.
Dealer Skill Level: Very Good, mistakes are somewhat rare.


Notes: The 2/5 is a great game to play for learning as the buy in is only $40. All the novices play here, the skilled player should be able to double the buy in easily in under one hour.

http://www.casinorama.com

CNE Casino

Located at the CNE in downtown Toronto on the waterfront. Naturally, the casino only runs during the CNE for a couple months in the summer. The casino is located in the north-east corner of the Better Living Centre. Smoking is allowed and there is poor ventilation so the air quality is way worse than any casino.

Hours: noon - 6am each day the CNE is open.

Games: Hold 'em in the amounts of 5/10, 10/20.
Dealer Skill: poor, much fewer hands dealt per hour than any casino.

Notes: If you can handle the smoke, this is supposed to be a good place to hit. Apparently lots of tourists or fair-goers think "lets give poker a try." However, this is also where all the Toronto sharks go, so be careful. Learn who they are and get out of the hands they are in unless you've got the best hand. Generally a very loose game with a higher than average amount of hands capped, pre-flop. The lines get super long after about 10pm, you may be in for a 6 hour wait. Get there in the mid-afternoon and you should be alright.

http://www.theex.com

Underground Toronto Clubs

There are at least five underground poker clubs in Toronto. For legal reasons, Toronto-Poker will not disclose any contact information about these clubs. If you ask around enough in casinos or read enough message boards, you can likely find them for yourself. Most of these clubs have at least 2 tables.

Games: The clubs usually run limit hold 'em in the amounts of 4/8, 10/20, and 15/30. No limit clubs are fewer and harder to find.
Dealer skill: usually excellent in these types of venues. As good or better than casino dealers.

Notes: These games, for obvious reasons consist mostly of very good players. Tight playing style by each player boils it down to the luck factor. Note that these clubs are not "sketchy" or "dangerous" as many may think. Players are usually polite and courteous and the people running the clubs are professional and organized. Basically a mini-casino in a "closed down" business. Again, due to issues of legality, play these clubs at your own risk. Toronto-Poker is in no way affilated with these clubs.

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Remember to throw them in the minute they can't win.