Poker near Oshawa and Durham Region

Pickering is the Durham anchor

From Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and the rest of Durham, Pickering Casino Resort is the first room to look at. It publishes:

• A 24/7 poker room
• No-Limit Hold'em from $1/$3 through $10/$20, with $25/$50 by request
• Omaha
• Weekly tournaments

A room that deals around the clock, spreads a full Hold'em ladder and runs its own tournaments means most Durham players rarely need to go farther.

Published stakes aren't the same as live stakes

Here's the part that catches people. Pickering publishing $1/$3 through $10/$20 doesn't mean every one of those games is running at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. In most card rooms the smaller games run most often, and bigger games start only when enough players want them.

Before you drive, check the list one of three ways:

• PokerAtlas
• The poker desk
• The phone method the room lists

If you want $5/$10 and the list shows only $1/$3 and $2/$5, you can decide at home whether to play smaller, wait, or skip it. That beats finding out at the podium. Our live list guide walks through it.

Games that suit a Durham player

Regular cash nights

For a weekday $1/$3 session, Pickering is the easy answer. A usual buy-in is around $300 (100 big blinds), and because the room is open 24/7 you can leave after rush hour clears instead of fighting it.

Tournaments

Pickering's weekly program is the main draw for Durham tournament players. Don't assume a weekly event runs unchanged forever, though. Check the Pickering weekly tournaments page, the tournament calendar and the venue itself for the start time, buy-in, re-entry and registration rules on your date.

Omaha

Pickering publishes Omaha. If you specifically want a PLO format that isn't on Pickering's list, that's when Toronto comes in.

When to keep driving west

Great Canadian Toronto is the main westbound alternative. It's also 24/7, so hours aren't the reason to go. You go for:

• A specific Omaha or PLO game, since Toronto publishes several formats
• A game that's on Toronto's live list but not Pickering's tonight
• A stake that isn't running in Pickering when you want to play

That's a real extra drive across the GTA from Oshawa, so compare both live lists before you commit. The room comparison tool puts the two side by side.

Late-night sessions

Both rooms never close, which makes it easy to play longer than you meant to. Set a stop time and a loss limit before you sit down, and factor in the drive home. See our session limits guide.

Oshawa and Durham poker questions

By the TorontoPoker.org editorial team · Updated September 2026 · 19+ · Play responsibly