Elements Casino Brantford is a notable destination for poker players, offering a wide choice of options for gaming and essential amenities. The casino features a contemporary and cozy poker room, providing a welcoming environment for recreational players and a decent ambience to grind in for serious competitors. With its convenient Brantford location, the casino draws crowds from the local area, the tri-city region, and the GTA. Being so easily accessible to population centers attracts a diverse player pool from these surrounding areas.

However, it lacks the on-site hotel and level of amenities found in some of its competitors. Despite recent improvements, the casino remains underwhelming when compared to other venues in the province. The poker room, though quaint and dedicated, can feel crowded at peak hours, with some of the longest wait times in the province, along with Casino Niagara.

Other Amenities

Our primary focus is the poker room; however, there is a variety of other gambling options at Elements Casino Brantford as well as some amenities. There is over 500 slot machines and 55 table games on the gaming floor, offering several options for gamblers to get it on the action. The food available at the property isn't in abundance but it does cater to different budgets with options like the Gateway Restaurant and the snackbar upstairs. The lack of a hotel on-site and more extensive dining options is a drawback for gamblers planning to spend extended time at the casino.

• Number of Tables: 10
• Hours of Operation: 10am-4am

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Cash Games

• 1/2 NLHE: This game runs regularly and attracts a mix of recreational and regular players, providing a good balance of competition and entertainment.
• 2/5 NLHE: Available on weekends and during peak hours, this game caters to more serious players looking for higher stakes and deeper stacks.
• Limit Games: Regularly runs at 10/20 and 20/40, providing options for those who prefer the structured betting format.
• Deep Stack Games: A couple of times a week, they run a deep stack game where players can buy in up to the amount the chip leader of the table has at any given time. This creates very deep stack games, which are very juicy, amplifying player mistakes.

The wide selection of games ensures that both casual players and serious grinders can find a game they are looking for. However, the high rake and long wait times are a deterrent for many.

They are part of a Multi-Destination Bad Beat Jackpot that shares liquidity with Great Canadian Casino, Great Blue Heron and Pickering Casino.

Tournaments

Currently, Elements Casino Brantford does not have any scheduled poker tournaments, which is why I can only give them four stars for otherwise excellent game selection options.

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• Rake: 10% up to $15 per hand.

The casino sharply increased the poker rake after resuming operations from the Covid shutdown. We consider this high rake as a mistake, as it takes too many chips off the table, ruining the game's economy and causing players to bust too quickly. For serious players, the high rake makes low-stakes games nearly unplayable. While you can still earn at $2/5 or in the deep stack games, the level of gouging makes rooms with lower rake or online multi-tabling a better option for the serious poker player.

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The staff at Elements Casino Brantford are professional and friendly. However, this casino often appears understaffed, leading to long wait lists even with open tables because they don't have enough dealers. Service can be slow, with waitresses taking hours to reach tables during especially busy times. In my opinion, the floor staff sometimes seem to favor regulars, giving preferential treatment. Despite these issues, the dealers are generally good and competent, ensuring that games run smoothly.

Elements Casino Brantford offers a decent poker room with a good variety of games and generally competent staff, though the high rake and long wait times are significant drawbacks. The poker room does have good action and you can get on really good tables. There is a good percentage of casual players playing there, which can make it attractive for seasoned players.

In summary, Elements Casino Brantford has a few things going for it but falls short of standing out as a premier destination for poker in Ontario. The comfortable poker room and excellent game selection could have made it one of the best spots for poker players to grind in the province. However, the high rake and long wait times are significant drawbacks, and the lack of accommodations at the property may deter some long-distance visitors. For serious poker players, other options with lower rake might be more appealing, but for recreational players and especially those looking to enjoy a casual game of Limit Poker, Elements Casino Brantford remains a strong contender.

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