Canberra casino poker means one thing on most weeks: the poker pit, open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7pm until late. The regular game is no-limit Texas Hold’em at $2/$3 blinds, with a buy-in of $100 to $500 and a 10% rake. Omaha, stud and two rarer games run when enough players ask.
Poker pit nights and the Hold’em cash game
The pit is the only place in the casino where you play poker against other people. Everything on the list below is a cash game. You buy in, play as long as you like and cash out at the cage.
| Game | Blinds / stakes | Buy-in | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-limit Texas Hold’em | $2/$3 | $100–$500 | Every pit night |
| Pot-limit Omaha | $1/$2 | $200 minimum, no cap | On demand |
| 7-card stud (half pot / full pot) | $5 blind | $200 minimum | On demand |
| Fixed-limit Manila | $5/$5, $10 optional | $200 minimum | On demand |
| Faro poker | $5/$5, $10 optional | $200 minimum | On demand |
The rake on Hold’em is 10%. The pit page also lists a cap on commission, which rose to $20 for the 10% rate (from $15) and $25 for the 5% rate (from $20) in a change dated Monday 1 June. Caps change, so ask the dealer before you sit down.
“On demand” means what it says. Turn up at 7pm on a Thursday and ask for Omaha, and you may get it if a table’s worth of people want it. Don’t count on it, though. The casino also says the non-Hold’em games are for Infinity Rewards members, so sign up first if you’re after a stud or Manila game.
The pit has a published code of conduct, and the casino says there are no poker promotions running at the moment.
Is there a Canberra Casino poker tournament?
Not on a regular schedule that we could find. The pit page in November 2026 listed cash games and no tournaments. The tournaments on the promotions page were a blackjack event and a mini baccarat event, each with a $2,500 prize pool. If a poker event is your reason for the trip, call +61 2 6243 3700 and ask before you book anything.
Poker against the dealer: Canberra Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em
On the main floor there are two poker games where you play the house, not the table.
Canberra Poker is the casino’s own one-round variant, played against the dealer instead of the other people at the table. Like every house-banked game, the edge sits with the casino however well you play.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em uses Hold’em hands, but you play head to head with the dealer. There’s an optional bonus bet. You choose when to raise, so your decisions count for more than in Canberra Poker. It’s still a house game, though.
Both sit on the main floor, so they don’t wait for a pit night.
Poker machines: none
Many people mean pokies when they type “does canberra casino have poker machines”. The answer is no. The casino has never had them, and the 2017 law that would allow up to 200 depends on a redevelopment that hasn’t happened. The full story is on our overview page.
Hand rankings, for the first night
If it’s been a while, here’s the order from best to worst. It’s the same in Hold’em, Omaha and seven-card stud. Manila is the exception: it’s played with a short deck, so ask the dealer how it ranks there.
Two practical notes for a first pit night. Bring cash or plan a stop at the cage before you sit down. And bring photo ID, because nobody gets in without it, players included. Hours, parking and food are in the visitor guide.
Readers outside Australia who play online where it’s legal can check our partner’s offer. It isn’t connected to Casino Canberra and isn’t available in Australia.
Quick answers
Does Canberra Casino have poker machines?
No. 'Poker machines' means pokies, and the casino has none. The poker here is the card game, played in the pit or at the house tables.
Is there a weekly poker tournament at Casino Canberra?
None was listed when we checked in November 2026. The pit page lists cash games only, and the tournaments on the promotions page were for blackjack and mini baccarat.
Is Infinity Rewards membership required in the poker pit?
Not for the Hold'em game. The casino says the other pit games are for Infinity Rewards members, and joining is free at the host desk.