poker at Casino du Lac Learny (Quebec)?

[pdxpuck]

Anyone know if there is much poker going on at this casino? If so, what are they typically spreading? I have a biz trip coming up next month to lovely Ottawa and would like to do something besides work (and drink). Any other casinos in the area? Thanks...

[Cry Me A River]

There is no poker in any (government run) Quebec casinos (there may be some on Reservations I'm not familiar with?). All games are player vs house (BJ, Craps, Roulette, Video Poker, Slots, etc). My own speculation is because they run it under their lottery corperation and consider these games an extension of the lottery.

There are no other Casinos in the Ottawa area except the Racetrack/Slots, which has a horse racetrack and slots...

[Cry Me A River]

BTW - It is unbelievably freaking cold here right now (-28C, -40 with windchill). Stay away, stay very far away!!

[RydenStoompala]

The Quebec gaming people are currently re-thinking their "anti poker" stance. There is a design study underway to see if they can jam a room into Casino Montreal. The Gatineau (Ottawa/Hull, Lac Lemay) casino is also scheduled to be "studied." I think it's horsecrap. The infinitely mobbed-up province of Quebec has to run into the Hells Angels and other gangs of nice folks who have been opening cardrooms in Montreal and eslewhere. Since it is my firm belief that half of the province is on the take, works for the government, or both, I rate the chances of a quick move into poker at close to zero. A great no-limit room just opened in downtown Montreal, right near the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Let me put it this way...you're safer there than you will be in any government joint that manages to get past the mob/angels in the next two years. The food is fantastic! Ante up and dont touch the Harleys.

[Cry Me A River]

What's really crap is that the Ontario government has decided to open no more Casinos. A Casino in any reasonable location in Ottawa, particularly one that hopped on the poker bandwagon would absolutely bury Lac Leamy. Sure the racetrack would scream bloody murder and there'd be a huge NIMBY faction but the current situation is pretty silly...

[BlackAces]

I wonder if poker in Quebec could ever work. The "one language only at the table" would be a huge problem, as I can't for the life of me see them as being English only (people would have a fit -- this is a province where French lettering is required to be twice as large as English on all commercial signs), and having them as French only would shut out all of the anglophones who would flock to such a room, especially from Ottawa and New York state and Vermont.

[Cry Me A River]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder if poker in Quebec could ever work.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would expect English or French to be acceptable at the table. The reason for the rule is to prevent players from colluding using a language known only to them. Since the dealers are likely to be billingual as will many of the players (at least enough to detect collusion) it shouldn't be a problem.

[pdxpuck]

well, thanks for the disappointing responses. I guess I'll just pack my skates for a freezing evening or two on the canal...

I appreciate the feedback.

[iceblink]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone know if there is much poker going on at this casino? If so, what are they typically spreading? I have a biz trip coming up next month to lovely Ottawa and would like to do something besides work (and drink). Any other casinos in the area? Thanks...

[/ QUOTE ]

There's still no legal poker in Quebec.

There was supposed to be a pilot project in the works for the Casino du Lac Leamy (Hull), but apparently that's been shelved indefinitely.

The latest excuse/explanation I've heard for not adding poker to the Casino de Montreal is that they want to wait until they move into their new location, where they'll have more space. Problem is I've been hearing that same excuse off and on for the entire three years I've lived here, and no one seems to know when the casino is actually going to move.

But fortunately there is a thriving underground poker scene here....

For legal poker, the closest thing to Montreal/Ottawa is the Akwesasne Indian casino, in upstate NY. It's just a few minutes across the border from Cornwall, Ontario. The poker room has a reputation for being poorly run, but apparently there are lots of fish. See link below for their hours and games spread:

http://www.mohawkcasino.com/index.php?L=POKER

Alan
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