WPTDeepStacks Travel Guide to the Montreal Tour Stop

The Playground Poker Club is just across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal, Quebec, so there are a lot of entertaining options available to players outside of the poker tournament while they’re here for the WPTDeepStacks Montreal Main Event. Here are a few things the WPTDS crew recommends checking out if you have some free time at this tournament stop.

If you have a few hours: Downtown Montreal has a ton of options from sightseeing to dining and everywhere in between. This cosmopolitan city has been called the Paris of the West, and the blend of modern and historic architecture is a beautiful mix. The Old City and Old Port are used regularly as a stand-in for Europe in Hollywood movies, so a walking tour of this part of town is a great way to spend a few hours. The Montreal City Hall, Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, and the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History are good options to check out in the neighborhood.

This is also where the Igloofest Music Festival (pictured) is taking place on Friday and Saturday night starting at 7:30 pm. Just make sure to dress warm because the forecast is quite cold this weekend. Downtown is right next door, which is home to the Bell Centre where the Montreal Canadiens play their NHL home games. They will play games on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm, and Tuesday night at 7:30 pm during the WPTDeepStacks Main Event.

A little further afield: Other interesting sights that are spread across town include the Olympc Stadium of Montreal (host site of the 1976 Summer Olympics). You can tour the stadium and even take a ride to the top of the inclined tower which is the tallest in the world for great views of the city. Another spot to get great views of the city is on top of Mount Royal Park, which is just a short hike from downtown. This is also where you will find Saint Joseph’s Oratory that has a cavernous dome and is open for tours daily.

If you have your family along for the trip: St. Helen’s Island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River is home to Parc Drapeau, La Ronde amusement park, and the Biosphere Environmental Museum. Another fun option for kids is the Biodome located right next to the Olympic Stadium, and there is also the Granby Zoo, Montreal Botanical Gardens, Montreal Science Centre, and Montreal Insectarium.

If you bagged Day 1A, and have Day 1B off: Two words – Mount Tremblant. This beautiful outdoor playground is a winter wonderland this time of year. The ski resort is widely regarded as one of the best on the Eastern side of North America. In addition to the slopes, the village at the base of the mountain is reminiscent of a European ski village, and there are many bars and restaurants to fulfill your schedule of Apres ski activities. It takes just under two hours to make the drive to this mountain getaway.

And in addition to all these options, the Playground Poker Club has a number of great amenities as well. The Rail Restaurant and Bar has a great selection of food items for any meal of the day, and a newly-opened portion of the casino now includes slot machines in addition to numerous poker cash games. Whatever you choose, there is definitely a lot to do here while you’re in town for the WPTDS Montreal Main Event.