Online Poker Canada, Best Poker Sites
Canadians love playing poker. From poker tables at brick-and-mortar casinos to live games and online tournaments, there’s a lot that you can do in Canada these days. As a matter of fact, some of the biggest names in online poker come from this country, including Daniel Negreanu, Mike Watson, Kristen Bicknell, and Jonathan Duhamel. Duhamel actually holds the record for the highest win in online poker in the world!
Canada has a very hands-off approach when it comes to poker online. Players can gamble at most global poker online casino sites, licensed by various bodies like Kahnawake, MGA, and Curacao. This means that it is not illegal to play casino poker online. To help you make the best and safest choice, we’ve narrowed down your options to the best online poker sites for Canadian players.
Online Poker Sites Canada
The Best Online Poker Canada Sites for You to Play at
Here you’ll find a list and reviews of the best-rated websites that offer online poker in different variants to Canadian players.
| Casino Site | Welcome Bonus | Online Poker Variants |
| 888Poker | $20 No Deposit bonus + 100% up to $400 | Texas Hold’Em, Omaha, SNAP, Blast, etc. |
| PartyPoker | 100% match up to $600 | Fixed Limit Hold’em, No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Hold’em, Short Deck, Pot Limit Omaha. |
| Unibet | Up to $500 cashback bonus, extra $30 and up to $1000 playthrough | Pot Limit Omaha, Texas Hold’Em, No Limit Hold’Em, etc. |
How We Rate Online Poker Casinos
Security of the Online Poker Sites
For starters, we’ll check if the online poker website is secure and licensed. Top-rated sites hold a license from a reputable body like the Kahnawake Gaming Commission or MGA, and uses SSL encryption to keep your data safe.
Online Poker Game Variety on the Site
It’s not just about how safe the site is – it is also about the experience it offers. This is why we further check the list of poker games online offered by the casino in review. Top-rated sites have many choices of high-quality poker games that range from traditional table games to live games to tournaments.
Bonuses on Poker Sites Online
Playing poker online comes with a great perk – you can claim many bonuses to use while gambling. We’ll check what bonuses are available at each online casino and let you know about their terms.
Safe Banking Options for Deposits and Withdrawals
You’ll need to deposit and withdraw money when you play poker online for real money. Unless you play on a demo version, you’ll need to choose a banking option for both. We look at what options are available at the casinos we review and tell you if they are safe and fast.
The Laws Concerning Online Casino Poker in Canada
When you are in Canada, you can play from any of the provinces. The government hasn’t made this illegal, but any operator looking to offer gambling in the country needs to get an official license.
Gambling in Canada is regulated in two different ways. The Criminal code’s sections 201 to 206 render all types of gambling illegal. However, section 207 from 1985 allows all territorial and provincial governments to provide regulated gambling to their citizens.
Since the 4th of April of 2022, Ontario, a Canadian province officially launched a regulated and legal online gambling market. Ever since, the subsidiary of Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, iGaming Ontario, will regulate the new market and give licenses to approved operators.
iGaming Ontario has already given several licenses to casinos including Rivalry, theScore, PointsBet, Bet365 and FanDuel. The suppliers such as Play ‘n’ Go and Inspired Entertainment have also obtained a license to work with these operators.
Most Popular Variants of Online Poker
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. In it, the action moves clockwise and two players sit left of the dealer. Each gets 2 hole cards and must make the best of his hand with the 5 community cards.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha High-Low is a simpler variant, different to Texas Hold’Em since players have 4 hole cards. They must combine 2 of these with 3 community cards. The player with the highest hand wins in this game.
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 that has 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 the seventh ‘street’. The highest value in the end wins.
5-Card Draw
Five-Card Draw is a simpler version, perfect for newbies in this game. There are no exposed cards in it, and players receive five cards. They have the chance to draw i.e. discard cards and get new ones. The highest value hand wins the game.
Pot-Limit Omaha
In Pot-Limit Omaha, players receive 4 private cards and must use only 2 of their private cards and 3 of the community cards to make the best hand possible.
Chinese Poker
Chinese Poker is a rather unique version in which players draw from one pack and try to create their best hand. They complete the rounds of card replacement and arrange 13 cards into 3 separate hands. The middle and bottom hands are 5-card hands, while the top has only 3 cards. Each hand has to be higher than the one before.
Tips for Playing Online Poker Games
Now let’s go through some useful tips for your poker games:
- Don’t call a 3-bet out of position. Avoid calling 3-bets preflop often, especially when you are out of position i.e. where you have to act first. This gives you a severe disadvantage in online poker.
- Move up to the next limit when you have 20-30 buy-ins. When you have at least 20 or 30 buy-ins for a poker game, it is time to move up. Don’t do it too fast.
- Mix up cash poker with tournament play. Most casinos will offer you access to tournaments, and you can often play on multiple tables at a time. This is very different from cash poker play even if the rules are the same. Cash games have less variance and give you a better idea of what to expect, but tournaments are more exciting and engaging and will teach you valuable skills.
- Watch your bankroll. Poker can easily tempt you to bet more than you can afford or chase your losses. Make sure to stick to your budget. Learn if the game has additional bets and prepare for them based on your bankroll.
- Test it in demo version first. You can find a demo version of every poker variant online. Try it out for free if you haven’t played it before to learn the rules and establish your strategy.
- Watch the other players. In poker, it is very important to learn what you can about the other players and their strategies. Watch them closely – this will tell you how to beat them.
Making a Deposit on an Online Poker Site
There are plenty of ways to make a deposit on a top rated online poker site. There are many methods that you can use, including cards, e-wallets, online wire transfers, prepaid cards, and even pay by phone options like Apple Pay.
Once you find a casino, select the banking method you prefer, set your bet, and confirm the transaction. In most cases, you will get the money into your account instantly and can play right away.
How to Make a Withdrawal from Casino Online Poker
To make a withdrawal, you just need to select a method and your withdrawal amount. Make sure that you’ve met the casino’s terms for withdrawal first. If you claimed a bonus, there are some playthrough terms that you must meet before you can withdraw your funds.
The most popular options for withdrawal are e-wallets as the fastest known methods, followed by credit and debit cards, cryptocurrency, as well as online wire transfers.
Taxation of Winnings from Online Poker Canada
Canadian players that gamble recreationally and win money do not have to pay any taxes. You only need to pay taxes if you play poker online professionally.
Poker Online Tournaments Available to Canadians
Many poker sites are available in Canada, some of which are major and offer a big choice of tournaments. Some of the tournaments are created by the casinos or software developers whose games are included, but some are popular on a global level.
Big online tournament events in poker include the WCOOP at Poker Stars, the PowerFest Events at Party Poker, and the Super XL Series at 888.
Other Online Casino Games
FAQ
There is no law against playing online poker in Canada today. This is a gray area in this country, so players can freely gamble at online casinos without any legal trouble.
Yes. Most of the websites today are optimized for mobile gambling. All of the top-rated websites in our list have a great mobile version, and some even have an app you can download.
Not necessarily. Some sites will request that you download software to play, but you can find many options where you can play directly in a browser without downloading anything.
There are all sorts of bonuses you’ll find on poker sites including welcome promotions, matched bonuses, cashback bonuses, no deposit bonuses, etc.
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