The Room Itself
River Rock Casino Resort is at 8811 River Road in Richmond, British Columbia, operated by Great Canadian Entertainment. The poker room here is a separate area of the property, not just a couple of tables pushed into a corner of the main gaming floor. Texas Hold’em cash games rotate through four main stake levels, and a weekly Wednesday tournament usually pulls in a fairly steady local crowd.
If you want to talk to someone before driving over, the most direct poker contact is the Poker Supervisor line at 604-247-8983. Use that for questions about waitlists, current stakes, or tournament details.
The official poker information is kept at riverrock.com/poker/. Registration, seat changes, buy-ins - everything is handled face to face. There is no remote sign-up, no online queue, and you cannot reserve seats through an app or email.
Hours and Stakes
From Monday through Thursday, the poker room opens at 10:00 AM and runs until 4:00 AM the next morning. On Fridays, the schedule switches into a long continuous block that stays open straight through the weekend until Monday at 4:00 AM, roughly 66 hours without closing. So if you are planning on playing late Saturday night or early Sunday, you do not have to worry about the room shutting mid-session.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday - Thursday | 10:00 AM to 4:00 AM |
| Friday to Monday | Continuous (approx. 66 hours) |
The cash game stakes shown on the official page are:
- 1/3 No Limit Texas Hold’em
- 2/5 No Limit Texas Hold’em
- 5/5 No Limit Texas Hold’em
- 5/10 No Limit Texas Hold’em
With those levels, the room covers casual players, regular low-stakes grinders, and moves into mid-stakes for those looking for bigger pots. Actual tables running at each limit depend entirely on who shows up and when, so no specific game is guaranteed at any given time. If you are making a special trip just to play 5/10, it is sensible to call ahead to see what is happening before you get in the car.
Getting a Cash Game Seat
Walk-ins are how almost everyone gets into a game here. There is no need to arrange anything the day before. The process is simple enough in practice, but laying it out helps if you have not been in a live poker room for a while:
- Show up during poker room hours and make your way into the poker area.
- Look for the Poker Supervisor or the registration desk inside that section.
- Let them know what limit you are after: 1/3, 2/5, 5/5, or 5/10.
- If a seat is not open, give your name so they can add you to the waitlist.
- Stay reasonably close to the room; they will call your name when a chair frees up.
- Once you are called, sit down and buy in within the posted minimum and maximum for that table.
- If later in the session you want to move to a different stake, mention it to the supervisor before you give up your current seat.
One general point that helps at most brick-and-mortar rooms: if it is your first visit, arriving a little ahead of the typical evening rush can smooth things out. Late afternoon or early evening on weekend days usually sees shorter lists; full prime-time hours on Friday and Saturday nights tend to be where waits are longest and the room feels more hectic.
Wednesday Night Tournament
On Wednesdays, Great Canadian Entertainment runs a structured poker tournament at the Richmond property. It follows a set timetable every week. Pre-registration begins at 4:00 PM PT, the check-in period goes from 5:00 PM to 6:45 PM PT, and the first hand is dealt at 7:00 PM PT.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Day | Every Wednesday |
| Pre-registration opens | 4:00 PM PT |
| Check-in window | 5:00 PM - 6:45 PM PT |
| Tournament start | 7:00 PM PT |
| Buy-in | CAD $70 |
| Registration/admin fee | CAD $10 |
| Total entry cost | CAD $80 |
| Refund policy | Non-refundable once purchased |
The CAD $10 portion of the entry is a fee, separate from the CAD $70 that goes into the prize pool, and it does not come back to you under any circumstances. Knowing this upfront makes the cost structure clear before you hand over cash or chips. If you want to lock up a spot early, showing up at or soon after 4:00 PM for pre-registration gets that out of the way, but you still need to complete check-in by 6:45 PM at the latest.
To sign up on Wednesday itself, the routine looks like this:
- Go to River Rock Casino Resort on a Wednesday afternoon or early evening.
- Head to the poker room or the dedicated tournament desk area.
- From 4:00 PM PT onward, pay the full CAD $80 entry (buy-in plus fee).
- Get your seat assignment and keep track of your table number and seat.
- Make sure you are back in the poker area in time to finish check-in before 6:45 PM PT.
- Be ready to play when cards go in the air at 7:00 PM PT, as the event is scheduled to start on time.
If you want to double-check timing, structure or a particular detail before committing your evening, you can call the poker room directly at 604-247-8983 and ask for the supervisor.
