Live poker players in Ontario are in luck because the largest tournament up the year is upon us. In partnership with Pokerstars Ontario, the CNE Casino is holding a No-Limit Hold’em with a maximum prize pool of $320,000.
This 40-day poker event by the CNE is presented by PokerStars Ontario this year and serves as a flagship event for the temporary casino.The CNE Casino can be found in the northeast corner of the Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto.
Since its opening on July 24, the CNE Casino has been providing table games like blackjack, roulette, WAR, and three-card poker on a gaming floor includes a 24-table poker room.
In addition to the table games on offer, players can earn a seat in the Semi-Final flights of the poker tournament by winning a qualifying round for the CNE Casino Hold’em Poker Tournament, which runs multiple times per day and has a buy-in of $200.
The tournament qualifying rounds will be played as 10-max sit-and-gos. There will be up to 200 of these sit-and-go qualifying tournament rounds, allowing for a maximum prize pool of $320,000.
Last year’s event was a sell-out, with a prize pool of $248,000. CNE management is anticipating another sell-out this year with an even bigger prize pool.
There will be a total of four semi-final qualifying rounds being held on July 31, August 7, 14, 21, and 28, with 40 participants per semi-final and the top ten players of each semi-final will move on to the finals being held on Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31.
*All dollar amounts in this article are in CAD.
What To Expect From Your CNE Experience?
The CNE Casino is just a small part of the whole CNE experience. For players who bust the event early, there are still plenty of things to do. Not least of these are the poker cash games and casino table games at the CNE Casino.
Additionally, from August 18 onward, the rest of the CNE opens with attractions that include an Ice Skating Show, Fountain Show, Musical Performances, a farm, a gaming tent, the circus-based Cirque-Tacular Spectacular, and much more.
There are also regularly scheduled shows by SuperDogs, Monster Energy Skateboard Team, and a drone team.
On August 18 there will be additional celebrations for the opening of the CNE and from September 2 to September 4 attendees will be able to watch the Canadian International Air Show overhead.
CNE Casino presented by PokerStars Ontario Schedule
| Date | Time | Flight | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Sit and Go | Qualifying rounds | $200 |
| Wed, Jul 31 | TBC | Day 2a Semi-Final | Qualifier’s Ticket |
| Wed, Aug 7 | TBC | Day 2a Semi-Final | Qualifier’s Ticket |
| Wed, Aug 14 | TBC | Day 2b Semi-Final | Qualifier’s Ticket |
| Wed, Aug 21 | TBC | Day 2c Semi-Final | Qualifier’s Ticket |
| Wed, Aug 28 | TBC | Day 2d Semi-Final | Qualifier’s Ticket |
| Fri, Aug 30 | 2 p.m. | Day 3 | – |
| Sat, Aug 31 | 2 p.m. | Day 4 (if required) | – |
Join The Action On PokerStars Ontario
For any Ontario poker players who can’t make it to the CNE tournament in Toronto, but still want to play some poker, PokerStars Ontario has you covered.
All you have to do is download the software and sign-up for an account to gain access to PokerStars Ontario‘s cutting edge software. Players can enjoy cash games, sit-and-go tournaments, and scheduled daily events, as well as regular festivals like the Sunset Series and Spin And Go Heist.
You can also read the PokerNews review of PokerStars Ontario for more information on the software and company.
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Eligible iGames conducted and managed by iGO are only available to those physically present in the Province of Ontario. PokerStars Ontario operates pursuant to an agreement with iGaming Ontario.
For more information, visit the Ontario Players Homepage
