Pickering Casino Resort is a prominent destination for those looking to combine the thrill of gaming with the comfort of a luxury stay. Launched in 2021, this modern facility features a spacious, vibrant casino and a full suite of resort amenities designed for both entertainment and relaxation. Located just east of Toronto, the property is easily accessible and serves as an entertainment hub in the Durham Region.

The heart of the resort is its expansive casino, where gaming enthusiasts will find a vast array of choices. The casino floor spans 96,000 square feet, offering over 2,000 slot machines and more than 90 live table games, ensuring options for both seasoned players and newcomers. Special VIP gaming lounges provide a more exclusive setting, and frequent promotional events add excitement, offering guests extra chances to win big.

Beyond the gaming floor, Pickering Casino Resort boasts a well-appointed hotel with over 200 rooms. The accommodations are designed for comfort, featuring plush beds, flat-screen TVs, and modern bathrooms. Additional amenities such as a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor pool, and conference facilities make this resort ideal for both leisure and business travelers. Room service and a range of in-room dining options further enhance the guest experience.

Dining at the Pickering Casino Resort is equally diverse, catering to all tastes. Choices include the Copperhorn Meet House,the resort’s go-to steakhouse for high-quality meats, while Casual Logo serves gastropub favorites and an expansive local craft beer selection. Sun Sui Wah offers an upscale Chinese dining experience, with handcrafted dim sum and traditional Hong Kong BBQ specialties. For a laid-back bite, Rock House Grill provides all-day classics like omelets, salads, and fried chicken. Italian flavors await at Zio’s, where you can find everything from pepperoni to artisan-style truffle mushroom pizzas. The Pickering Sun Express delivers quick Asian-style bites like noodles and fried rice, and there’s also a Starbucks for your coffee needs.

Entertainment is a key feature at Pickering Casino Resort, with a state-of-the-art event center that can host up to 2,500 guests. The venue regularly showcases performances by top-tier artists and entertainers, providing memorable experiences for visitors. Additionally, the resort frequently holds themed events and seasonal celebrations, ensuring that there's always something happening on-site.

The poker room itself is very spacious 20,000 square feet and has a quality atmosphere, located on the 3rd floor of Hotel with tons of tables for a waiting area and a bar servicing the players. There is a few video poker and other machines in the area, but it's just the right amount and certainly not taking up much space. One of the more "posh" poker rooms for Ontario standards, to be sure.

• Number of Tables: 18
• Hours of Operation: 24/7

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Game Selection

Pickering Casino Resort offers a solid range of poker games, particularly catering to players looking for various No-Limit Hold'em stakes and occasional Omaha action. On weekends, the waiting lists for cash games can get lengthy, reflecting the popularity of the venue. However, one advantage for tournament players is that they can skip these waitlists if they’re registered for an event, making it convenient for those focused on tournament play.

The cash games here generally attract a mix of regulars and high-action players, creating a lively atmosphere. The games tend to be softer than average for live poker in Ontario, especially when compared to places like Niagara or Windsor, though perhaps slightly tougher than Woodbine. A strong online GTO player who can adapt to live dynamics should find it feasible to beat the rake at the 2/5 tables.

Cash Games

• No Limit Hold'em: 1/3, 2/5, 5/10, and 10/20, with 25/50 available upon request.
• Omaha (Limit ½ Kill): 20/40

Most commonly, 1/3 and 2/5 games are running consistently, with 5/10 games occasionally available. Higher-stakes games, including 10/20 and 25/50, rarely run but can be arranged by request, offering flexibility for high rollers.

There is a shared multi-destination bad beat jackpot, linked with Woodbine, Great Blue Heron, and Elements Brantford, adding extra excitement and potential rewards for players.

Tournaments:
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Pickering Casino Resort also hosts well-structured weekly tournaments, usually with a $310 buy-in, attracting a mix of players seeking competitive and well-organized events. Once a month, the stakes increase with a $575 buy-in tournament.
The tournaments attract a wide range of skill levels and it's not uncommon to see well-known players or complete amateurs participating.

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You can check other venues on our province-wide MTT Schedule.

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The rake is an atrocious 10% up to $20 at all stakes, making the 1/3 game pretty much unplayable for any serious player looking to make a profit. While in line with many other rooms in the province, this rake is a massive gouge and not really worth it to pay. As we mentioned, the 2/5 game is still beatable but we think that they should re-think the longevity of these games and offer a more player-friendly rake.

The staff at Pickering Casino Resort is a mixed bag. The tournament staff are top-notch and run things very smoothly. The guys running the cash-games can be hit or miss and not always that knowledgeable. It's the same with the dealers, they range from skilled and fast dealers to slow and novice. Perhaps over time those novice dealers will improve. The cashiers are good. They have waiters to bring food orders and massage girls available and likewise all seem to do their job well.

Pickering Casino Resort’s poker room provides a decent experience for recreational players, but it may fall short for serious players due to the high 10% rake, capped at $20. This steep rate makes the lower-stakes games, like 1/3, challenging for profit-seeking players, though the 2/5 tables remain somewhat viable. The facility itself is well-run, especially for tournaments, with attentive staff and a solid range of dining options. For those nearby or prioritizing convenience and a casual atmosphere, it’s worth a visit, though Ontario has rooms offering better value for competitive play.

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