MUSIC POKER
The game we built and run ourselves. Part name that tune, part music bingo, part poker. You need zero music knowledge and zero poker knowledge to play, and your whole room gets in on it fast.
What it is
Music Poker is our own creation, a mashup of three things people already love. We play song clips, you listen, and you mark the tracks off your card as you hear them. Complete a line and you're in the running to win the hand.
Think name that tune for the guessing, music bingo for the marking, and poker for how winners are decided. We pull from a big library of categories, so a round can swing from throwback pop to country to the songs everyone secretly knows every word to. Lyrics come up on screen, so even the people who "don't know any music" end up singing along and marking cards with everyone else.
People always ask about the name, so here's the short answer. This is not card poker. There are no playing cards, no chips, and no betting. The poker part is simply how we rank the winning hands at the end of a round. That's it. It's a music game, built so the person who never wins anything has just as good a shot as the trivia buff at the next table.
How a round plays
Every player picks up a card printed with songs across a category. No sign-up, no learning curve. Grab a card, grab a drink, you're playing.
Our host plays song clips and the lyrics land on screen. Hear a track that's on your card, mark it. That's the whole move.
First players to fill a straight line across the card take that hand. Better hands beat lesser ones, poker style, so there's a real finish to cheer for.
Why it fills a room
We've run Music Poker weekly at O2's Millwoods for more than eight years. That's not a one-off that looked good on paper. That's a game that keeps a room full and keeps people coming back, week after week.
Here's why it works for a venue. Your guests need a reason to stay, and a reason to make it a habit. Music Poker gives them both. People play a few rounds, they order another round, they stick around for the next category, and they bring friends next week because it's their standing plan now. You can pair menu specials with game bonuses and watch the room lean in. Quieter weeknights turn into your busiest evenings.
Give your Edmonton-area bar, pub or lounge a reason for regulars to circle a date on the calendar. We host, we run it, we bring the energy. You get a fuller room and longer stays. See how we work with rooms across the region on our venues page.
Music Poker travels straight into staff parties, holiday events and team socials, day or evening. It breaks the ice fast because everyone can play, from the intern to the CEO, and no one has to be good at anything. Plan yours on our corporate events page.
Building a full week of programming? Music Poker sits right alongside our other interactive formats. Mix and match formats to keep your calendar fresh. See trivia and karaoke.
Who runs it
Music Poker is only as good as the person on the mic, and that's where we're different. Owner Tarcy Schindelka has been behind a mic since 1993, including years on the radio, so the pacing, the crowd read and the energy come from decades of doing exactly this.
We're a one-stop event company based in Edmonton, and while Music Poker is a home-grown Edmonton favourite, we travel across Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan for events, from Golden and Dawson Creek to Saskatoon and Moose Jaw. We hold a 5.0 rating across 76 Google reviews, we're 5-star on WeddingWire, and we've earned the Alberta Association of Mobile Entertainers President's Award of Distinction. When you book Music Poker, you're booking a proven host, not a rented playlist.
Common questions
No. There are no playing cards, no chips and no betting. It's a music game. The word poker just describes how we rank the winning hands at the end of a round. If you can hear a song and mark it off, you can play.
Not at all. We display the lyrics on screen and pull from a big library of categories, so there's always something you recognize. We built the game so casual listeners have just as good a shot as the die-hards.
Yes. Music Poker is a favourite at staff parties, holiday events and team socials because everyone can play right away. Tell us your date and headcount on our corporate events page and we'll build it around your event.
We've run it weekly at O2's Millwoods for more than eight years, and we host it at venues across the Edmonton area and beyond. If you run a bar, pub or lounge and want it as a weekly draw, start on our venues page.
We do. We're based in Edmonton and travel across Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan for events, from Golden and Dawson Creek to Saskatoon and Moose Jaw. Reach out with your location and we'll sort the details.
Book Music Poker
Whether you want a weekly draw for your Edmonton venue or a game your team will still talk about next month, we'll bring the whole thing and run it start to finish. Reducing the stress of planning is our commitment to you.
