Living in Florida, I rarely make it up to Canada, but I couldn’t resist hitting a couple poker rooms in Calgary during a recent family trip to the Canadian Rockies.
Cowboys Casino: The Not-So Wild West
My first stop was Cowboys Casino, which—surprisingly—was pretty dead for a Friday night downtown. Only two $1/$3 tables were running, and I had to wait a while to get onto one. The players were friendly, though, and offered all kinds of good Canadian advice, including how to survive a grizzly bear attack.
Summary: You won’t. Don’t bother running or fighting. Save yourself the trouble and let it eat you.
Pure Casino: Full Tables and One Terrifying Rabbit
Next up was Pure Casino, a little farther off the beaten path—but absolutely hopping. No pun intended, because it was hard to ignore the giant rabbit in the parking lot that scared the crap out of me when he stared me down. Yes, I took a photo before backing away slowly. I know he doesn’t look like much, but I swear he was at least 3 feet tall; certainly was the big brother of the infamous Rabbit of Caerbannog.
Inside, all ten tables were full. In addition to the $1/$3 games (with 15 people on the waitlist), they offered $2/$5 and even some PLO. Once again, the players were friendly and reassured me that the evil rabbit was just a big jackrabbit. Apparently, they’re everywhere, and can leap over 10 feet in a single bound.
Again, I’m from Florida. Alligators, rattlesnakes, and sharks don’t faze me. But giant killer rabbits? I’ll pass.
Poker Across Borders
The sessions themselves were uneventful but fun. I always enjoy getting to know poker players in other cities—and yes, countries. (See my Ireland poker report for more international misadventures.)
Road Signs and Poker Wisdom
Spending over two weeks in Alberta and British Columbia, I noticed something interesting. On major highways, when you approach a dangerous cross-street, the signs say:
My son, the philosopher of the family, turned to me and said, “If only there were signs like that in real life.”
It hit me how right he was—not just in life, but in poker.
If we only knew when that key moment in a cash game or tournament was coming, we’d be more ready for it. That moment that could cost us our entire stack—or all our profits for the day.
In fact, I’d speculate that if there is one thing that separates top pros from the rest of us, it’s a keen awareness of when those important intersections are approaching. Watch a replay of their play in a major tournament and most of it seems unremarkable. It’s easy to say, “I could do that.”
But there are maybe five hands in the whole tournament that you or I would botch—and they don’t. Because they recognized early that this could be a key hand, and they focused on getting it just right.
If only we knew that hand was coming, we’d be ready. We wouldn’t be texting, betting on sports, or already thinking about the dinner break because “there’s only a few more hands to go.” We’d spend an extra 30 seconds on that flop decision, knowing it could turn into a giant pot—and that setting up the right betting line could make all the difference.
Final Thoughts from the Great White North
So there you go—poker and life wisdom, courtesy of Canadian road signage.
To all my Canadian brothers: I always enjoy visiting your magnificent country.
(But if you’re from Florida, trust me—go in the summer.)
