Nights on the felt, weeks on the calendar
Our casino events are what happens when a proper restaurant decides poker nights deserve a programme: social poker evenings, monthly tournaments, whisky-and-cards sessions, and the odd charity game. All in-person, all in the Green Felt Room.
Four nights we run on repeat
Each event pairs the poker room with the kitchen — check the menu before you book.
Social Poker Night
The friendliest poker night in Dunedin. $20 buy-in, dealer teaches beginners live, Dealer's Board on the rail. Where most of our regulars started.
Deep-Stack Championship
Our flagship poker tournament — slow blinds, season leaderboard points, $100 buy-in and a trophy that lives behind the bar with the winner's name on it.
Whisky & Cards Evening
Sam guides a three-dram flight between poker levels — island peat first, Japanese malt to finish. Cards get braver as the flight goes on.
Charity Poker Night
Every buy-in goes to the Mornington community kitchen. The loudest poker night of the season — $38,000 raised so far and counting.
Your first casino event, step by step
Never been to a poker event? Here's exactly what the night looks like — no surprises, no pressure.
Doors & dinner
Check in with the poker room manager, grab dinner in the Main Hall or order the Dealer's Board straight to your seat.
Shuffle up & deal
Cards go in the air. Dealers run the tables, explain anything you're unsure about, and keep the pace friendly.
The break
Bar restock, kitchen run, leaderboard check. Regulars use the break to talk rubbish about hands they lost.
Final hands & last call
Tournament tables play to a finish; social poker winds down with last orders and a warm send-off.
Dress code: smart casual. No suits required, no jandals either — think "nice dinner out", because it is one.
Adults only, and we mean it kindly
All casino events at Joysola are strictly 18+ — bring photo ID, our door team checks everyone. Poker here is social, in-person and venue-based; we are not an online casino or betting platform.
Play responsibly. Set a budget before the night starts, take breaks, and remember the dinner is half the point. If gambling stops feeling like fun, Gambling Helpline NZ is free on 0800 654 655 — and our team can help with self-exclusion from poker events anytime, no questions asked.
What the event crowd says
"Did the Thursday social poker night as a total newbie. Dealer taught the table, nobody rushed me, and the ribeye beforehand didn't hurt either."
"The deep-stack is run better than card rooms I've played in Melbourne. Real structure, real dealers, and you can eat properly between levels."
"Whisky & cards night is a genius idea. Came for the drams, stayed for the poker — booked next month before I left."
Before you book
Quick answers for casino events — anything else, the team replies fast on the contacts page.
Event seats fill by Wednesday
Tell us which casino event you're after — social poker, the deep-stack, or whisky & cards — and how many seats. Dinner first is always the right call.