Pete, where do you normally play? I'm just curious since you seem surprised by this rule. Getting picked up after missing two big blinds is pretty standard at all the casinos around here. I do think they should probably make an exception for you in this case though. The supervisor should at least direct you to the pit manager when you asked to speak to someone else about the issue. A few of them are pretty good in Brantford, but I know a lot of them seem to just avoid conflict and move on as quickly as possible. Next time just go straight to the pit manager. They're the only ones who can really make any decisions about bending the rules in certain situations. The supervisors are pretty much just dealers in suits.

Spoken from a dealer, this.

I'm not surprised by the rule. I'm merely pointing out that it's an awful rule that seems to be being abused by regulars and needs to be changed.

I don't know how to "just go straight to the pit manager". I know what the staff looks like in the poker room and I know how to ask them to speak to the person in charge, but beyond that I have no clue how to find the "pit manager". Apparently this is also a problem.

I also don't know who you're referring to when you say "spoken from a dealer", but the dealers in Ontario are generally clueless when it comes to poker, so acting like that position comes with some sort of authority is pretty laughable. (I know because they love expressing their opinions and are almost always wrong when it comes to anything poker related; none of this is surprising considering that most of them would prefer to be on the other side of the felt if they had the ability.)

I'm guessing you were playing $10-20 or $20-40 if you feel players colluded to blind you out at a faster than normal pace. I know having the "double blind" rule discourages those players from sitting at $5-10 to pass the time. They sit at $5-10, post from the cutoff then walk away for 2 rounds. They repeat this until their seat opens at the bigger game and at Brantford you only pay session at >= $10-20 whereas smaller games are rake-based games. I've seen this happen on some busy nights where we're playing 6-7 handed at full rake because the higher limit players do this.

... if I recall at one point regulars in the $10-20 and above games could opt out of the bad beat contributions because they made a huge stink about it being introduced. They had no problem contributing when it was > $100,000 jackpot though.

What's the rule at most Vegas-based casinos, is it timed? I know at Brantford only 1 player can be on meal-break at once.

lol. as pathetic as that is, i could definitely see a few of the 10/20 players doing that.

it's usually two (or three?) "no player" buttons plus 15 minutes. you get a "no player" button every time a new dealer comes in, every half hour. these are nine handed tables and it almost never causes problems. why brantford is so averse to having even one player leave a 10-handed table for five minutes is beyond me.

Has anybody found any better regular tournaments in the GTA than the ones at Brantford? Whenever I phone the toll-free number the day before a tournament, it seems that very few people have bothered to pre-register.

I would love an update on the games, action level etc...

I'll be returning to Canada for the first time in 6 years and wondering how things are at Brantford.

Much appreciated.

The good old days in Brantford when they had week-long tournament series such as the $450,000 Ultimate Poker Challenge in the sports area six years ago while all the cash game tables were full those nights are long gone. Since last year, the OLG Slots electronic locations with $5 max rake NLHE cash games and Deep Stack tournaments with only 4% rake have put a dent in other poker rooms. My first choice is to play a Deep Stack or other tournament at OLG Slots then a NL cash game after I bust out. Even after I play a decent tournament at Brantford (doesn't sell out anymore), since they still don't have $100-max NL or spread limit, I would rather go play a NL cash game at Mohawk, Woodbine or Fallsview.

I've never played live before, and I'm looking to play here in a couple of weeks. What do they usually offer as far as no-limit goes? I'm looking for either 1/2NL or 2/5NL preferably.

Brantford, by law, cannot offer NL cash games. Tournaments only. All the poker in the card room is limit, afaik

oh wow, didn't know that. Anywhere nearby to play NL? I live in mississauga so I'm hoping somewhere within 90 minutes. Worst case I'll go to woodbine and play at the electronic tables I guess

Woodbine is your closest option. Nearest alternates are the three casinos in Niagara Falls or CasinoRama up in Orillia.

A curious recent phenomenon in Brantford is the death of the 5/10 game. It's not at all unusual to see them spreading two tables of 2/5 and two of 10/20 but one - or none - of 5/10. I'm not sure why this particular phenomenon happens, as there's no economic reason for it (the rake is much worse in 2/5) but it does.

That said, I wouldn't complain too much; Brantford has its upsides.

What are there Thursday tournament like? Was thinking about going to play one. How many people usually play eg, 125 deep stack and is the structure alright

Strangely, the decent tournaments at Brantford, Georgian Downs & GBH are getting lower numbers. The $100+$25 tournament this Thursday has a Skill Level of 6 and a Patience Factor of 11, but the rake is too high at 20% and difficult to beat. I only play their tournaments with lower beatable rake.

Will they get 60-80 people?

Also is there 1/2 cash that runs there?

Still no NL cash at this OLG casino. That is why I play tournaments at the other OLG NL locations of Western Fair, Mohawk and Georgian Downs, then play NL cash games after. It is also the reason why poker traffic keeps going down at this Limit-only room, including the death of 5/10 Limit.
Probably not for the high-rake tournaments. For the $300+$30 Deep Stack with beatable 9% rake, there were 58 players on a Thursday morning. Last Sunday, the $100+25+20 Bounty tournament with 13% rake sold out at 80 players.

How long does those usually take? They start at 10AM right?

The Thursday and Sunday tournaments at Brantford start at 11 AM. The 15,000-chip Deep Stack took around 11 hours at Brantford while the electronic equivalent of the excellent Georgian Downs Tournament of Champions took only around 8 hours because you get a lot more hands/hour.

was thinking of going there tonight, is the action at the limit tables good on sunday nights?

When the tournament started after 11 AM, there were 3 cash tables. I made it deep & I think there were up to 10 cash tables going when I left.

NEW 50-100 limit game every friday !

Just to let everyone know. There is a 50-100 limit game spreading every friday in brantford now. Today will be the fourth week and the interest level has been high with the game wrapping to sunday every week so far. We usual start the game between noon and 2 pm on friday afternoon. The game has been consistently full with a good list all weekend.

Do you play in it? I was playing to the table next to it basically all weekend

What is the 10/20+ action like these days in brantford?
Also, anyone remember "shampoo" from back in the day?
What ever happened to him?