Alberta
Poker in Alberta – The Complete Guide for Players
Alberta has one of the most exciting poker scenes in Canada, with a mix of top-tier live poker rooms, growing online options, and major tournaments. Whether you're looking for high-stakes cash games in Calgary, daily tournaments in Edmonton, or online poker from anywhere in the province, Alberta has plenty to offer.
🃏 Live Poker Rooms in Alberta
Alberta is home to some of the best live poker rooms in Western Canada, offering a mix of No-Limit Hold’em, Omaha, and tournament action.
✔️ Pure Casino Calgary – The busiest poker room in Alberta, known for high-stakes action and daily tournaments.
✔️ Yellowhead Casino (Edmonton) – Hosts Alberta’s largest tournaments, including WPT stops.
✔️ Deerfoot Inn & Casino (Calgary) – A poker hotspot with deepstack tournaments and cash games.
✔️ Grey Eagle Resort & Casino (Calgary) – Features a solid mix of mid- to high-stakes poker.
✔️ Elbow River Casino (Calgary): Offers 14 cash tables, making it the largest poker room in Calgary
✔️ River Cree Casino (Edmonton): A solid option for live poker players
Tax Implications
For casual players, poker prize money in Alberta is tax-free. Under Canadian tax law, gambling winnings aren’t considered taxable income unless poker is your primary source of income.
Money earned by professional players is considered business income and is subject to taxation. Alberta’s tax rates range from 10% to 15%, depending on your earnings.
International winnings: If players earn more than USD 1,200 at a US casino, a 30% tax will be withheld. However, players can claim this tax credit when filing your Canadian tax return to avoid double taxation.
Alberta offers plenty of opportunities when it comes to online and live poker with the province aiming to become the next state with regulated online poker.
💻 Online Poker in Alberta
Alberta currently does not have a government-regulated online poker platform, but many players access offshore poker sites like:
✅ GGPoker – The best option for MTTs and WSOP qualifiers.
✅ WPT Global – Great for casual players and tournament grinders.
✅ Stake Poker – A crypto-friendly site with fast transactions.
✅ CoinPoker – Ideal for blockchain-based poker players.
✅ JackPoker – A newer site with softer games and great promotions.
GGPoker
A global online poker giant, GGPoker offers a plethora of options to grinders. Be it cash games, tournaments, series or monthly promotions, the site is known to offer some of the biggest prize pools.
GGPoker’s parent firm NSUS Group bought the World Series of Poker (WSOP), which meant more synergy between the site and the live poker brand. GGPoker players have access to WSOP tournaments and online qualifiers to the Main Event.
WPT Global
The poker site from World Poker Tour’s (WPT) hood offers competitive promotions and multi-table tournaments. This site offers a secure gaming environment with a wide range of poker games which suits beginners as well as pros.
WPT Global also schedules online qualifiers to live poker events which means players can experience both the forms of the card game.
Banking Options
Alberta players have plenty of options for deposits and withdrawals like.
- Credit/Debit Cards: Visa and MasterCard remain popular for their convenience.
- E-Wallets: Options like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill offer secure and instant transfers.
- Bank Transfers: Reliable for large sums but slower.
- Prepaid Cards: Paysafecard allows anonymous funding.
- Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin and Ethereum are gaining popularity for their speed and anonymity.
Most platforms accept deposits as low as $10, making poker accessible to recreational players.
📜 Poker Laws in Alberta
✔️ Live poker is legal and regulated at licensed casinos.
✔️ Online poker is not directly regulated, but offshore sites are accessible.
✔️ Home poker games are legal if the host does not take a rake.
🏆 Major Poker Tournaments in Alberta
🎟️ Alberta Poker Championships (Yellowhead Casino) – One of the biggest tournament series in Western Canada.
🎟️ WPT DeepStacks Edmonton – A WPT event with huge prize pools.
🎟️ Deerfoot Poker Series – A popular mid-stakes tournament with a loyal following.
Well-Known Poker Players from Alberta
Doug Lee
Doug Lee from Calgary is Alberta’s top poker player, having earned over $2.1 million so far from his live tournament career.
Lee has won two WSOP Circuit tournaments with over $900K from WSOP tournaments. He has finished in the money 23 times in WSOP events and placed in the money four times during the 2022/23 Canadian WSOP Circuit series, including a 30th-place finish in the Main Event.
Thomas Taylor
Thomas Taylor from Chestermere is the second-highest-earning player from Alberta, with career winnings of over $2 million. The player scored two WSOP Circuit rings and has 125 cashes in WSOP events.
In the recent WSOP Circuit series in Calgary (2024), Taylor placed in the money twice. His most notable achievement is a runner-up finish in Event #48: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) at WSOP 2024, where he won over $175K.
🔥 Poker Trends in Alberta
✔️ Live poker is booming, with higher buy-in tournaments attracting top Canadian players.
✔️ More players are moving online, choosing crypto-friendly poker rooms for faster payouts.
✔️ Interest in mixed games is growing, with more players trying PLO and mixed-game formats.
🎯 Where to Play Next?
Alberta is a top destination for poker in Canada, with plenty of live action and growing online options. Whether you're a cash game grinder, tournament player, or online pro, you’ll find great games in Alberta.
