Toronto Mike

Flush Out of Ideas? Try the Toronto Poker Scene

Here’s a quick quiz to whet your appetite for what’s  to follow! Let’s get started with 3 questions about legendary Canadian poker  players:

This poker aficionado was born in Toronto,  Ontario, in 1974. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014. His path  to poker stardom was paved with uncertainty. He quit school a credit short, and  decided to play full-time poker with people twice his age. He excelled at his  craft, boosted his bankroll in double-quick time, and then headed to Las Vegas,  Nevada. After a lackluster showing in Vegas, he returned to Toronto and rebuilt  his poker bankroll.

1

After perfecting his strategy, and  fine-tuning his poker online game, this poker  ace returned to Las Vegas and by 1997 was crowned the Best All Round Poker  Player at the Foxwoods World Poker Final. In 2004, he competed at 11 final  tables, with 2 victories at the WPT (World Poker Tour), and a third poker  bracelet at the WSOP (World Series of Poker). He has won multiple bracelets  over the years and is ranked the #1 all-time money list Canadian player with  total live earnings of $34,093,588, and a best live cash win of $8,288,001.

2

Who is he?

Here is a poker player with plenty of zing  in his game. He was born in Boucherville, Québec in 1987. His forte is live  poker, and he came to prominence at the Final Table of the World Series of  Poker (WSOP) in 2010. There he scooped up a massive first prize of $8.9.  Million. He is second on the Canadian all-time money list, with total live  earnings of $17,772,514 and a best live cash of $8,944,310.

3

This Canadian poker star regularly competes  in No Limit Holdem contests and places strongly. His last major cash was for  $72,876 in the $10,000.00 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship event #48 on 24 June  2017.

4

Who is he?

5

She’s a pro poker player from Toronto, and  she excels in poker online games and live poker games. Her total tournament  winnings to date are $375,000 +, and she got her start back in 2003. Then she  bested several leading poker players including Kathy Liebert, Annie Duke, and  Jennifer Harman. She plays an aggressive game and is well known in all variants  of the game. In 2008, she placed 238 in the WSOP main event. PS: she also dated  the first guy in our quiz...

Who is she?

The  Quickest Way to Learn to Play Poker

6

Poker is a game of skill, wit and strategy.  Before you get started at the hottest poker venues in Toronto, it’s important  to learn how  to play poker. This 5-card draw game allows players to form  the best-value hand starting with a High Card as the lowest-ranked hand, and a  Royal Flush as the crème de la crème. Once you’ve got your hand rankings down,  you can go about compiling the best hand given your pocket cards, The Flop,  Turn and the River.

This interactive poker video explains the  rules of the game in an easy-to-understand format. Getting started with a game  of poker requires 2 players to place mandatory bets. These are the Big Blind  and the Small Blind. These forced bets move around the table so that all  players get to place these wagers. This makes poker a fair game.

The hand begins once the blinds have  posted. Each player at the table will be dealt 2 cards, one at a time, face  down. Players are then tasked with an important decision: Do you stay in the  hand? Or do you fold? Once the Big Blind has posted, a round of betting begins.  This position is known as ‘under the gun’ since the Big Blind must act first.

If you wish to stay in the hand, you call  the Big Blind (match the bet), or you can increase the stakes by raising. The  most common decision that experienced poker players make is to fold if they  don’t have a premium  poker hand. Your 2 hole cards determine whether you should call, raise or  fold. A weak starting hand is typically not worth playing unless you can  outsmart other players at the table.

As soon as all players have acted (made  their decisions) the first 3 community cards will be dealt. These are the Flop.  An additional round of betting ensues, and players will again have the  opportunity to check, raise or fold. If other players choose not to match the  raised bet, the bettor will win the round.

Once all players have acted, the fourth  community card is dealt, known as The Turn. It is a single card, and can be  used by all players at the table to form the best 5-card hand. If players  decide to check on The Turn without any raises, the fifth and final community  card will be drawn – the River. A final round of betting takes place after The  River. These rules are the same in online casino poker games too.

After this round of betting, a showdown may  take place if 2 poker players remain in the hand. The winner is the player with  the best 5-card hand. Of course, there are many unique games of poker available  to players, including Omaha Hi-lo, 7 Card Stud, Texas Holdem, in fixed limit,  pot limit, and no limit variants.

Hot  Poker Venues in Toronto

The Canadian poker scene is bubbling over with excitement. Toronto is one of the hottest destinations for poker players.  Ontario no deposit casinos poker rooms include Casino Niagara where players can enjoy Omaha  Hi-Lo at 12 poker tables, Texas Holdem in limit and no limit games, and Daily  Poker Cash Games.

Another popular hotspot is Casino Rama.  This features 12 poker tables and it runs 24/7.

Players get to enjoy limit and no limit  games of Texas Holdem poker. The online poker scene is equally popular among  Toronto poker players. Poker online games offer added comfort, convenience and  excitement for players, since these poker rooms are available from the comforts  of home, or on the go. Plus, players get to buy in at affordable wagers, and  they can raise the stakes as they see fit.

Quiz Answers:

  1. Daniel Negreanu
  2. Jonathan Duhamel
  3. Evelyn Ng
Author image
About Toronto Mike
Toronto
I own TMDS and host Toronto MIke'd. Become a Patron.