The Problem with Poker in Canada

For a major nation with so many professional poker players, why is it there are so few major live poker tournaments held in Canada?

In the live poker realm, there are only a few major festival titles that are coveted above all others. They include the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the European Poker Tour (EPT), and the World Poker Tour (WPT). If you happen to play here in Canada, the only honour on that list you’ll have any chance of earning is a WPT Title.

WSOP bracelets are only given out at the annual series held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. You can compete for a WSOP Circuit ring in Canada, and that comes with a prize package to the WSOP Main Event in Vegas. But no WSOP bracelets here. The EPT is clearly out. By definition, the EPT only tours Europe. The WPT is the only one that comes to Canada, and even that is extremely limited.

Need for More Live Poker Festivals in Canada

I don’t understand why there are so many Canadian poker pros out there, and yet so few major live poker events hosted here in Canada. In fact, there’s only one location in the whole country where a major title can be won. Technically speaking, it’s not even on “Canadian” soil.

I’m talking, of course, about the Playground Poker Club in Kahnawake, Canada. Situated near Montreal, Quebec, Kahnawake is part of the Mohawk Territory, belonging to the First Nations tribe of the Mohawks of Kahnawake. It is they who license, regulate and operate the Playground Poker Club.

This immense poker room—devoid of any traditional, casino-style gambling—plays host to the annual WPT Montreal poker festival, as well as WSOP Circuit events.

Oddly enough, even Ontario’s Caesars Windsor—owned by the same parent company as the WSOP label—doesn’t host WSOP Circuit events.

All in all, Canadian poker players have one chance at a WPT Title, and one chances at a WSOP Ring, once per year, in one venue – unless you’re willing to cross the Canadian border for more opportunities. Clearly, Canadians are willing to travel, since there are so many decorated players claiming their dues around the globe. But there isn’t nearly enough available at home.

So Many Canadian Poker Players Ignored…

In the greater scheme of things, Canada is often thought of as one of the lesser of major countries of the world. It’s not because we’re smaller. We’re actually the second largest country on the planet by land mass, behind only Russia.

It’s not because we aren’t home to enough avid players, either. According to statistics from the Global Poker Index (GPI), Canada has produced 5.8% of all poker players in the North America and South America combined (8,417 of 144,792), and 5.9% of all ranked players in the collective Americas.

With those figures in mind, it’s all the more impressive to note that Canadians are responsible for no less than 8.15% of all major live tournament cashes, dating back to May 1970. The cashes for ‘all Americas’, totaling $19.6 billion, span that full timeline, while Canadian-specific cashes, valued at $1.6 billion, only date back to May 1984.

The problem, I believe, is that we Canadians are a contented people. In most situations, we are more inclined to accept our fate than raise complaints. We take what is given to us, nod in thanks, and make more of an effort to go out and get whatever else we want in life. Our gracious nature is a positive thing, but also leaves us in a negative position.

They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Maybe we should start squeaking a bit more…