Scroll to find the latest poker tournaments in Canada and see how you can play for prizes topping $1 million. From online satellites and majors to live WPT events, get the full lowdown on Canada poker tournaments right here.
Looking for Canadian poker tournaments - whether online or live? Thanks to a relaxed attitude to Canadian poker sites and online poker in general, you can play online just as easily as they can live. From big tournaments to small-stakes online satellites, and anything else in between. This guide will not only show you what events to look out for but also where to play.
Check out the table below for the upcoming poker tournaments in Canada. Regardless of whether you want to play poker online or, you can find details about the latest tourneys here.
| Tournament | Host Venue | Dates |
| WPT Montreal Online | partypoker | Jan 17 - Feb 1, 2021 |
| WPT Live | The Venetian, Vegas | July, 2021 |
| Sunday Million | PokerStars partypoker GGPoker 888poker | Every Sunday |
| WSOP Satellites | GGPoker | Ongoing |
Some of the best tournaments in Canada, such as the Sunday Million, take place online. Indeed, thanks to favorable local laws, Canadian poker players across the country can enjoy the biggest MTTs on PokerStars, GGPoker, partypoker, and other top sites. However, that’s not all. The live scene is also brimming with options. To give you an idea of what to look out for on the Canada poker tournaments schedule for 2021 and beyond, here are some of the hot picks.
If you’re searching for big events, look no further than Millions North America. Organized by Partypoker and typically taking place at Playground Poker Club, this event is for pros and those that want to hit the big time. There are plenty of side events costing CA$500+, as well as super high rollers with five and six-figure buy-ins.
However, the main focus is the CA$10,300 Millions North America main event. Guarantees for this often top CA$5 million, which means the winner can take home CA$1 million+. As well as live satellites taking place inside Playground, party gives players the chance to qualify online for less than $1.
It may sound like a soccer game, but the World Cup of Cards is a fantastic low and mid-stakes series that takes place inside Playground. Buy-ins start at CA$110 and scale up to CA$1,100. Although various types of Hold’em and Omaha dominate the schedule, you can also play niche games like Crazy Pineapple.
Hosted by Canada’s network of Pure Casinos, this tour is aimed at low and mid-stakes players. Events don’t happen every month. However, you should be able to find events costing between CA$100 and CA$1,000 throughout the year at Pure casinos in Edmonton, Calgary, Yellowhead, and Lethbridge.
Canada has been a regular destination for the WPT since the early noughties. From WPT Fallsview to WPT Montreal at Playground, this prestigious organization always stops here. As well as direct buy-ins costing CA$3,000+, you can qualify via local and online satellites. It’s often the case that a host casino will run qualifiers costing CA$100+. If these events are too expensive, you can use the WPT’s online partner, partypoker, to qualify for less than $1.
The Sunday Million has been running since 2006 and it remains one of the best online. AIt takes place every Sunday and, unsurprisingly, it has a $1 million guarantee. The buy-in used to be $215 but is now $109. You can also win a seat in the Sunday Million for less than $0.10. If this event doesn’t suit, there are plenty of alternatives, including SCOOP, WCOOP, the Sunday Storm, and MicroMillions.
Alongside its offline events, there are plenty of weekly and seasonal online MTTs. The highlights of the annual schedule are WPT Online and Online Millions. The former gives you a chance to win some of the most sought-after titles. The latter is one of the largest online MTTs in the world with guarantees topping $20 million.
GGPoker quickly became a top force in the MTT world. You can access this site from Canada and play all its top online events, including the weekly $10,300 Super Millions. If tussling with the elite doesn’t suit you, look out for WSOP Online events instead. GGPoker is the WSOP’s international partner. So you can play for bracelets and $1 million+ prizes if you live in Canada.
Thanks to the legal landscape, there are live and online satellites galore. One way to qualify from Canada is local casinos. For example, if Fallsview is hosting a WPT event, it will generate interest by running live satellites. The cost of these qualifiers will depend. However, in general, the buy-ins will be equal to 10% of the main event’s buy-in.
If you don’t live near a CA poker room or you want a cheaper way to play, PokerStars et al have you covered. Every major site offers satellites to major events both inside and outside of the country. From the WPT and WSOP to partypoker Live Millions, you qualify for pro-level events online for less than $10.
In general, the entry fee and prizes for local events will be in CAD / C$. For example, if you walk into Playground and enter an event, you’ll have to hand over some C$. However, if you play online, the buy-in will usually be collected in USD. There are some exceptions to this rule but, in general, the US dollar is the standard currency.
For example, Millions North America is a live event taking place in Canada and the CA$10,300 buy-in was in CAD. In contrast, the Sunday Million is an online event with a US$1 million guarantee. In practice, that means the prize pool is worth $1.2 million+.
It doesn’t matter where you live in Canada, there will always be some available online. However, if you want to venture out and play in a live Canadian poker room, here’s where you can do so:
| Alberta Alberta is home to the Pure Casino chain which means you can find great low and mid-stakes events in Lethbridge, Yellowhead, Calgary, and Edmonton. Ace Poker Room is also great for small stakes events. | British Columbia River Rock Casino is the standout venue in BC. It used to host the British Columbia Poker Championship and now focuses on low and mid-stakes events. |
| Manitoba As well as online events, you can play in Manitoba at Club Regent. This casino has hosted Canadian Poker Tour events in the past. It’s also a host venue for the PlayNow Poker Championship and in-house weekly events costing $60 and $125. | New Brunswick There are some great amateur and small stakes in New Brunswick. If you’re in the area, check out the Moncton Poker Championship. |
| Nova Scotia Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax has a buzzing card room, so check out its schedule if you’re in the area. Otherwise, you may find private home games. | Ontario You’ll find some of the biggest events in Ontario. As well as local events such as the Toronto Poker Tournament Series, you can play WPT and WSOP events at places such as Fallsview Casino and Caesars Windsor. |
| Prince Edward Island Red Shores Casino is the only place to play live in this province and the schedule won’t suit high rollers. However, you can usually find some small stakes MTTs. | Quebec Casino Montreal, Casino du Lac-Leamy, and Playground Poker Club all host some of the best tourneys. As well as Lotto Quebec’s Big Sunday tournament, you can play dozens of major events in this province, including Millions North America. |
| Saskatchewan Casino Regina hosts this province’s major local events, including the Station Poker Classic, Diamond Poker Classic, and the Harvest Poker Classic. | Yukon There is only one room in the Yukon, but you can still find some great value events. Although they’re not as regular as we’d like, games like the White Ram take place at Diamond Tooth Gerties and have prize pools topping CA$15,000. |
We know that Canada poker tournaments in 2021 are split between live and online venues. Indeed, local gaming laws are such that you can play online at international sites and, therefore, access some of the best events in the world. However, we also know that some people like to play live. With that being said, here are some factors to consider.
Many players prefer online MTTs because they’re easily accessible and can be over in a few hours. That’s ideal if you’re a recreational player with a life outside poker. However, if you’ve got more time to spare, the live arena is better if you enjoy reading players and being sociable. Moreover, for live events that run for multiple days, the potential returns on your investments can be huge.
Canadian sites are best for low-stakes costing $200 or less. Not only can you play for as little as $0.10, but you can also fight for prizes worth $100,000+. For high stakes action and bigger guarantees, the live circuit wins thanks to big tournaments such as the WPT and Millions North America. These pro-level events cost upwards of $1,000 to enter and have top prizes worth over $1 million.
There’s no doubt that online MTTs run more frequently. Additionally, you’re more likely to find affordable satellites to major tournaments. That’s not to say you can’t find regular action on the local live circuit. However, sites such as PokerStars have hundreds of MTTs running every day and that’s something no live venue can match.
GGPoker is ranked as one of the biggest poker sites in the world and that’s thanks, in part, to its MTTs. You’ll find over $500,000 worth of added value every day of the week thanks to daily guarantees, SNGs, and majors.
This Canadian site is great if you want fishy action. 888Poker benefits from having a sportsbook as its sister site, so you can find plenty of loose players in popular MTTs such as the PKO Series.
PokerStars has been the home of online MTTs for more than two decades. From one-cent mega-events to the Sunday Million and the biggest festivals online, this is arguably the best place for online tourneys in Canada.
Partypoker has undergone a revival in recent years. Today, you can play Online Millions events, WPT Online events, and a host of weekly showdowns, including Daily Legends.
Betsafe is part of the iPoker Network, which means you’ll get access to Twister SNGs with random jackpots topping $100,000. Add to this a revamped MTT schedule with over $100,000 in guarantees every day, and Betsafe is a rising star in the Canadian scene.
Guts might not be the biggest name in CA, but it has a schedule that’s packed with value. There is more than $100,000 in guaranteed value every day. And, as a member of the iPoker Network, Guts also gives you access to major events such as the $1 million+ Bounty Hunter Series.
TigerGaming poker is big on bonuses. For example, you could win $1 million by playing special SNGs. Add to this the fact TigerGaming is open to US players, and there are some fishy spots such as the Daily $55K and the $150,000 guaranteed Sunday Main Event.
