Best Online Poker Sites Canada 2024

Canada offers a wide range of online poker sites to meet the preferences of different players. With many options available, we provide an overview of several popular Canadian online poker sites to help players make informed choices. In this guide, we provide information on the best real money poker sites in Canada, game rules, variant options, and additional resources.

Online Poker Origin

Online poker is a unique gambling game as it’s played against other players instead of against the house. The house takes a percentage of the tournament buy-in or cash game pot, called a rake, for running the game. This allows skillful players to develop strategic approaches when playing poker online in Canada, creating a different experience than traditional casino games.

Poker is believed to have been developed in the US during the late 18th century. Many historians believe these players took inspiration from earlier European and Asian games, most notably the French card game Poque. This early game version used the standard 52-card deck and was often played using the Stud format.

Many variants of poker have been developed over the years, including low-ball poker, Omaha poker, and Hold’em poker. While Stud games were considered to be the most popular variants throughout poker’s history, Limit Hold’em, and subsequently No Limit Hold’em exploded in popularity at the end of the 20th and start of the 21st centuries. No Limit Hold’em is now the most widely played poker game in the world.

Best Online Poker Sites Canada In 2024

Our team has completed a comparison table of best-rated websites offering various online poker formats for Canadian players.

How We Rate Online Poker Casinos

Our team uses a set of criteria to evaluate the best online poker sites and provide readers with reliable information. These criteria include:

Online Casino Poker in Canada: Laws & Regulations

Canada takes a very hands-off approach to online poker. Rather than regulating access at a federal level, it leaves regulations up to the individual provinces and territories. For an online casino to legally operate within Canada, they must have a licence from the provincial government in which it’s based. However, no laws prevent Canadians from playing on offshore poker sites.

This means that players can gamble at most global poker online casino sites licensed by various bodies like Kahnawake, MGA, and Curacao. It is not illegal to play casino poker online if you are over the age of 18 or 19, depending on your province’s laws.

Online Poker in Ontario

Ontario is currently the only province in Canada that allows independent companies to obtain a provincial license. This means that Ontario residents can safely access big-name poker sites such as Pokerstars, 888Poker, and GGPoker without having to play on offshore sites.

Online Poker & Taxes in Canada

Canada does not tax online gambling winnings. Anything you win is yours to keep — no need to declare your winnings on your tax returns as a form of income. The only exception to this rule is a person whose primary income is derived from gambling, such as a professional poker player.

How to Play Online Poker: Basic Rules

Each poker variant has unique rules. Since Texas Hold’em is the most popular game in poker online Canada casinos and the rest of the world, we’ll start by running through the rules of the game.

• Texas Hold’em is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, shuffled between every hand.
• The game can have between 2 and 10 players at a table.
• Before the start of the game, designate the player who will start with the dealer button.
• The two players to the left of this button must post blind bets called the small blind and big blind. The small blind is often half the size of the big blind.
• Starting with the player in the small blind, cards are dealt face down one at a time, clockwise around the table until each player has 2.
• The betting action begins with the player to the left of the big blind and moves clockwise around the table.
• If only one player remains in the hand at the end of the betting round (and all subsequent betting rounds), that player wins the pot.
• At the end of the betting round, the first three community cards, the flop, are dealt face-up in the middle of the table.
• There is another round of betting starting with the player to the left of the button, moving clockwise around the table.
• Once the betting round is complete, the fourth community card, called the turn, is dealt face up in the middle of the table.
• There is a third round of betting, following the structure of the previous round.
• After the third betting round, the fifth and final community card called the river, is dealt face-up in the middle of the table.
• The final betting round takes place after the river card has been dealt.
• If two or more players remain in the hand after the final betting round, cards are turned face up, and the pot is awarded to the player with the best 5-card poker hand.
• If two or more players have identical hand ranks, the pot is split evenly.
• Before the next hand is dealt, the dealer button moves one position to the left, and the two players to the left of the button must post the small and big blinds.

Poker Hand Rankings

We’ve created a clear online poker cheat sheet with hand rankings to quickly see which hands win in poker online Canada sites.

Betting in Online Poker Casino

In online poker, there are a total of six actions that you can make. Some actions are situational and can only be made if certain criteria are met. Let’s look at each poker variant in detail.

• Limp. Also known as a preflop call, this action can only occur during the preflop betting round if no player has raised. It requires you to match the size of the big blind. For example, you’re playing online poker in Canada in a $1/$2 cash game, the action folds to you and you limp by putting out $2 worth of chips.
• Fold. The act of surrendering your hand. Folding your hand means you are not required to contribute any more money to the pot. However, folding your hand, gives up your chances of winning the pot.
• Call. The act of matching the previous bet or raise. This can be done during any betting round. For example, a player bets $5 on the flop, and you call by matching the $5 bet.
• Bet. The act of making a wager before any other bets have been made. You can only bet during the post-flop betting rounds (flop, turn, and river) and only if no other player has made a bet. For example, you’re first to act on the turn, and you make a $10 bet into a $20 pot.
• Check. Checking is considered a “non-action” in poker. By checking, you waive your right to make a bet, and action moves to the next player. A check can only be made during the postflop betting rounds if no bets have been made. If another player has made a bet, checking is no longer an option. For example, you’re first to act on the flop betting round, so you check which moves the action to your opponent.
• Raise. The act of increasing the size of the wager. This action can be taken on any street but only if a bet has already been made. For example, in the preflop betting round of a $1/$2 cash game, you can raise it to $5, as the big blind has already made a $2 bet. Similarly, in the flop betting round, a player has made a $5 bet, so you raise it to $15. There is no limit to the number of raises you can make.

Understanding Poker Concepts

Best Online Poker Games in Canada

The best poker sites in Canada offer many variations of poker. These games are similar but have different rules, thus requiring different strategies. Learn more about each type before you play poker online for real money.

Texas Hold’Em

Texas Hold’Em is the most widely recognized variant of the game. It’s also most frequently found at poker online casinos Canda. In this game, players are dealt two hole cards and must make the best five-card poker hand using any combination of their 2 hole cards and 5 community cards. The two players to the left of the button must post blind bets before the start of each round, and there are a total of four betting rounds: preflop, flop, turn, and river.

Pot-Limit Omaha

In Pot-Limit Omaha, players receive 4 hole cards instead of two, doubling your potential options. However, you must only use 2 cards from your hand and 3 from the 5 community cards; unlike Texas Hold’em, you can’t use 1 card from your hand to make the best possible 5-card poker hand. This game also has four betting rounds. The players to the left of the button must post blind bets before the start of the round.

Omaha Hi-Lo

Omaha High-Low is a split-pot version of Omaha, with half the pot going to the player with the highest hand and the other half going to the player with the lowest hand. The high hand is determined using the standard online poker rankings, while the low hand is made up of your five lowest unpaired cards that are 8 or lower.

Like Pot Limit Omaha, you can only use two cards from your hand to make the best five-card poker hand; however, you can use different cards for your high and low hand. For example, if you have AsKd2c3s on a board of 4dKsKcAd7s, your high hand would use your ace and king for a high hand of AdAsKdKsKc, and you would use 2 and 3 for a low hand of 7s4d3s2cAd.

7-Card Stud

Seven Card Stud is a classic version of the game. Players start with 2 hole cards and one card face-up. The one with the lowest value in the exposed card starts the action with a full bet or a nominal bet. In each round, players get another exposed card until ‘seventh street,’ where players are given their last card face-down. This game has no community cards, meaning that you must make your best 5-card poker hand from the 7 cards in front of you. At the end of the last betting round, the player with the best hand wins.

5-Card Draw

Five-Card Draw is a simpler version of online poker, perfect for beginners. Each player receives 5 cards and has the option to discard and draw new ones. Depending on the format, there can either be 1 or 3 chances to discard and draw, with each having its own betting round. After the last betting round has been completed, the player with the highest value hand wins the game.

Chinese Poker

Chinese Poker is a rather unique points-based game in which players draw a total of 13 cards from the deck to create three separate poker hands in a 3-5-5 format. The hands must be arranged from worst to best, and cards cannot be moved once they have been placed.

After the last card has been placed, players compare hands. The winner of each hand receives a point, and there are bonuses for players who make strong poker hands, such as flushes and full houses.

Players usually assign a dollar value to each point, with points being tracked across multiple hands. At the end of the game, the points are totted up and winning players are paid out accordingly.

Top Online Poker Games We Recommend

Many of the top Canadian online poker sites offer multiple variants, giving you plenty of choice when you sign up. Knowing where to begin can be tricky for beginners, so we’ve highlighted the top online poker variants we recommend trying:

Tips for Playing Online Poker Games

Playing online poker for real money in Canada as a beginner can seem daunting, but don’t worry. If you’re new to the game, our team has provided some helpful tips that you can use when playing for the first time:

• Learn Preflop Ranges. Preflop is arguably the most important street of the game, as your decisions directly impact the rest of the hand. Play too many hands, and your ranges will be too wide post-flop; play too few, and you won’t have sufficient board coverage. Look at some preflop charts and follow them closely when first starting out.
• Practice Bankroll Management. To reduce your risk of ruin, we recommend only playing Canadian online poker for real money, with a small percentage of your bankroll in each game. For cash games, we recommend having between 30 and 50 buy-ins, and for tournaments, between 100 and 200 buy-ins. When I played, I would only take a shot at the next level when I had at least 30 buy-ins for the next stake level.
• Try Different Games. Most casinos will offer both tournaments and cash games, allowing you to try each format. Cash games have less variance and offer more consistent winnings, but tournaments offer the chance to win larger prizes in a single session. By trying both, you can learn which one you prefer to play.
• Start By Playing For Play Money. Many Canada online poker sites offer play-money versions of their games. This allows you to get to grips with the rules and mechanics of the game without risking your bankroll. This is the best way to learn a new format or make your start as a beginner.
• Watch The Other Players. In poker, your opponents convey information about their strategies based on how they play and act at the table.

Making a Deposit on the Best Online Poker Sites

Many of the top online poker sites in Canada offer a variety of payment methods that you can use to make your deposit. To help you understand the differences between each option and find the best method for your needs, we’ve explored the most popular banking methods below:

• Cards. These are the most widely used and popular payment methods. You can deposit money with the help of a Mastercard or Visa at almost every online poker Canda site and play for real money. The transactions are usually instant.
• E-wallets. Another popular payment method, e-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill, and MuchBetter, offer a fast and convenient way to make online poker deposits. Players benefit from instant deposits and security features like 24/7 fraud prevention teams.
• Online Wire Transfers. Offering payments directly from your bank account, online wire transfers are becoming increasingly rare. They often take longer than most other payment methods and sometimes come with transaction fees.
• Prepaid Cards. These payment methods are the best way to make online poker deposits using cash. Simply purchase a prepaid card, such as Paysafecard, from an approved retailer and use your unique 16-digit code to make your deposit.
• Mobile Payments. Mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are two of the safest ways to deposit money into an online poker Canda site. They tokenize your debit card, allowing you to make payments without sharing sensitive details.
• Cryptocurrency. A fast-growing payment option, cryptocurrency offers fast peer-to-peer payments that aren’t managed by a central authority. This means that your payment cannot be blocked or edited, providing you with one of the safest ways to make a deposit.

Once you find a casino, select your preferred banking method, enter your deposit size, and confirm the transaction. In most cases, you will get the money into your account instantly and can play immediately.

How to Make a Withdrawal from Casino Online Poker

Once you’ve finished your online poker session and are ready to withdraw your winnings, you’ll find the process is as easy as making a deposit. To make your first online poker withdrawal, follow our helpful walkthrough:

1. Log in to your online poker account.
2. Head to the Cashier or Bank section of your site.
3. Select the withdrawal option.
4. Choose your preferred payment method, such as e-wallets, cryptocurrency, or debit cards, from the list of options.
5. Input your withdrawal amount.
6. Confirm that your payment details are correct.
7. Approve the transaction.

As soon as you approve the transaction, it will be sent for processing. Online poker casino Canada processing times can be as short as a few seconds or as long as 48 hours, so don’t panic if you don’t instantly receive your funds.

Poker Online Tournaments Available to Canadians

Many poker sites available in Canada host worldwide poker tournaments that offer huge prize pools and prestigious accolades. For example, the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is one of the biggest online tournament series in the world, offering more than $80 million in guaranteed prize pools, and is available to Canadian players. Winning a WCOOP title is as prestigious to many players as winning a WSOP bracelet and can be done from the comfort of your own home.

Plenty of other big-name events are open to Canadian players, including the PowerFest Events at Party Poker and the Super XL Series at 888, giving you a number of options when you log on to play.

Real Money vs Free Online Poker

As many Canadian online poker casinos offer play-money versions of their popular games, it’s important to determine which option is best for you. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve explored the differences between real money and free online poker.

Responsible Gambling

Canadian poker casinos are dedicated to the safety of their players, providing a variety of responsible gambling resources that put you in control of your gambling. The most obvious resources are the responsible gambling tools. These tools include wager limits, loss limits, time outs, deposit limits, reality checks, and self-exclusion, all of which either limit your access to gambling or remind you to take frequent breaks.

Another way these casinos help you manage your gambling is through information. Many of these sites have dedicated responsible gambling pages that offer tips on gambling responsibly, information on how to spot problem gambling, and links to external resources.

At Casino of the Kings, we only recommend online poker sites in Canada that offer responsible gambling tools. Our experts test every site on our list, ensuring that each one meets our high standards for player safety.

Given that it’s possible to be a winning poker player, it’s easy to lose sight of responsible gambling practices. Poker is still a gambling game, so it’s important to manage your bankroll, play short sessions, and keep the game fun.

Final Thoughts on Canada Online Poker

Poker is a fascinating gambling game that offers an unrivalled level of strategy. The best online poker sites for Canadian players offer various formats, such as cash game and tournament poker, as well as multiple variants, such as Stud, Omaha, and Texas Hold’em. Before you choose your next online poker site, read our team’s honest and unbiased reviews to find the top places to play.