The best poker sites have 24/7 customer service and there will always be a telephone number which is free for Canadian players, email with a quick response time and a good live chat facility where you can send text messages to a poker site customer service representative in real time and receive quick answers to your queries. Canadian online poker rooms have gained the confidence of players around the country. Operating on advanced software, playing these poker games has never been as straightforward or easy. Online poker sites like 888poker use their own proprietary software to provide easy-to-stream gameplay.
- Canada Online Poker & Best Canadian Poker Sites 2020 When it comes to poker, including the online version, Canada has a deep history. From live games and tournaments to significant numbers of online players, the country has been a welcome haven for poker action.
- While some lesser real money Canadian online poker sites will try to lure new players in with a big bonus, or a clever ad campaign, the best Canadian poker sites excel in every category.
- Compare Reviews of Canada's Best Online Poker Sites. Sign Up Now & You Get an Exclusive Free Bonus Offer to Play at a Top Canadian Poker Site!
All online casino games test your luck, but poker is one of the rare exceptions that also requires considerable skill. It's also a rare exception in that it doesn't have a house edge. It's just you against the other players at the table, so as far as the luck part is concerned, you have an equal chance of walking away a winner. To gain your own edge, you'll need to take time to sharpen your skills and master your poker strategy.
That's why, at Casino Guru, we don't just list out the best places to play legal online poker in Canada, we provide you with plenty of tips, tricks, and strategy to help you level-up your game. If you're already a poker expert or you just can't wait to play, check out our online poker sites recommendations in the section below. But if you're looking for a little more guidance, read on, friend!
Best Online Poker Sites in the Canada
[LIST OF TOP POKER RECOMMENDATIONS]
Important Online Poker Terms
There's a lot to remember when you're learning online poker, but if you get a handle on the lingo, you're halfway there. Check out our list below to start learning. Once you feel comfortable with these terms, you'll be able to sit at any poker table and feel like a pro.
Ante – A forced bet placed by every participating player before the deal.
Small Blind – Similar to an ante, a small blind is a forced bet placed before a game starts. The player to the immediate left of the dealer button places a bet that is usually half of the minimum.
Big Blind – A forced bet placed by the person to the immediate left of the person placing the small blind. This is usually the minimum bet.
Raise – The action of increasing the opening bet.
Check – Deferring the bet by not raising and passing the decision to the next person at the table.
Call – To match a bet, either the original bet or another player's raise.
Fold – Abandoning a round you do not think you can win or where the bet has reached a level you aren't comfortable with.
Chips – Small, colourful tokens used in place of money at the poker table. Each color denotes a certain amount of cash.
Community Cards – Cards placed face-up in the middle of the table that all players can use to create their hand. (Note: not all games use community cards, games that do are referred to as community games).
The Flop – In Texas Hold'Em, these are the first three community cards, which are dealt face up.
The Turn – The fourth community card dealt in Texas Hold'Em.
River – The last community card dealt in community poker games.
Muck – The discarded cards from players who have folded.
Position – The place a player sits at a table and the strategy associated with that order.
The Rules of Online Poker
Poker is one of the most popular games in the nation, so chances are, you have some familiarity. Even if you've just played a few rounds with friends here and there, you're starting with a pretty good base to transition to the wonderful world of online poker!
There are two basic ways to play poker online. More commonly, you'll just see a digital table, cards, and chips. In live versions of the game, you will also see a live feed of a dealer at an actual table.
Beyond the basic format of the game, online poker is available in many variations, each with different rules and strategies. Let's start with a run through of the most popular version of online poker: Texas Hold'Em.
The goal of Texas Hold'Em is to make the best 5-card hand using the 7 cards available to you. Each player is first dealt 2 cards face-down. These 2 cards are called the pocket cards. You can look at your own pocket cards, but you won't see anyone else's hand. By the end of the game, there are also 5 cards dealt face-up in the middle of the table. These are the community cards. Every player at the table can combine their 2 cards with 3 of the community cards to make the best 5-card hand.
Before any cards are dealt, the player or players to the left of the dealer button must place blinds. This is a type of forced bet where 1-3 players place a standard bet to start the round. In Texas Hold'Em, this is usually done by 2 players. The person closest to the dealer button usually bets half of the minimum bet (called the small blind), while the person to their left places the minimum bet (called the big blind). This can be done with or without antes.
Once blinds are placed, the dealer deals cards and the round begins. At this point, the 3rd person from the dealer button is given the opportunity to either call, raise, or fold. If they call, they are accepting the big blind bet, if they raise, they are increasing the big blind bet, and if they fold, they are giving up that round. Then, each player at the table will get to make the same decision in clockwise order.
After the first round of betting, the dealer will lay 3 cards face-up on the table. These cards are called the flop; they are the first 3 community cards. Once the flop is placed, another round of betting starts. When these bets are placed, another community card is placed. This card is known as a the turn or fourth street. The process is repeated and the last community card is placed. This card is known as the river or fifth street.
When the last community card is placed, the last round of betting commences. And the remaining players reveal their cards to determine the winner. The winner gets the pot, minus a small tax taken by the casino.
Winning Poker Hands, Ranked In Order
Making decisions at the poker table with confidence first requires a thorough understanding of the best poker hands. Below, you'll see how poker hands are ranked, from the lowest to the highest.
- One Pair – A hand containing 2 cards of the same rank. If more than one player has a pair, the player with the higher ranking pair wins (e.g. a pair of Kings beats a pair of Jacks).
- Two Pair – A hand containing 2 sets of pairs (e.g. J,J,Q,Q,7).
- Three of a Kind – A hand containing 3 cards of the same rank (e.g. 4,4,4,Q,7).
- Straight – A hand containing cards of sequential rank in different suits (e.g. 3,4,5,6,7).
- Flush – A hand containing all cards of the same suit, regardless of rank (e.g. all diamonds).
- Full House – A hand containing three of a kind and a pair (e.g. J,J,3,3,3).
- Four of a Kind – A hand containing four cards of the same rank (e.g. K,K,K,K,4).
- Straight Flush – A hand containing cards in sequential rank of the same suit (e.g. 2,3,4,5,6 of spades).
- Royal Flush – A hand containing a straight of the ranks, all of the same suit (e.g. 10,J,Q,K,A of hearts).
Online Poker Game Varieties
While Texas Hold'Em is the most popular version of online poker, there are a wealth of other versions to play and explore. If Texas Hold'Em isn't quite your game, maybe you'll click more with a different variation:
- Five Card Stud – You are dealt 5 cards, with the aim of creating the best possible hand with those cards. The first card is dealt face-down, while the remaining 4 cards are dealt face-up. With roots as far back as the American Civil War, this is considered the original version of stud poker.
- Seven Card Stud – Imagine this game as the offspring of Texas Hold'Em and 5 Card Stud. Like Hold'Em, you start with 2 pocket cards, but with the addition of 1 face-up card. But like Five Card Stud, there are no community cards. Once everyone has their first 3 cards, a round of betting starts. You are then dealt another card, followed by another round of betting. This continues until you have 7 cards. Finally, you must create your best 5-card hand out of the 7 cards.
- Razz – Consider this the cousin of Seven Card Stud. But to win, you need the best 5-card low (Ace to 5).
- Omaha Hold'Em – This one is the cousin of Texas Hold'Em, but in this Omaha version, you get 4 pocket cards and need to choose 2 to combine with the 3 community cards to make the best 5-card hand.
- And more! – This is by no means an exhaustive list of your options. Get out there and explore!
Best Bonuses in Online Poker for Canadians
There's a lot of competition between online poker rooms, so casinos are willing to offer a ton of great bonuses to convince you to play with them. Most online poker sites offer no deposit bonuses when you register for an account. You'll also find many welcome packages that include awesome incentives, like tournament seats. And long term players can get additional benefits in the form of loyalty points and rewards.
Be sure to keep checking back with Casino Guru to find the latest and greatest poker bonuses available to Canadians. New deposit bonuses, chances to win prizes, and seats in tournaments are always becoming available.
Online Poker Tournaments, and Sit and Go Poker – What's the Difference?
When you decide to play poker online, you have a few choices available to you. We already discussed the difference between regular and live games, but you can also choose between tournaments and sit and go games.
In tournaments, every player starts with the same number of chips and compete until one player possess all of the chips. Online tournaments can range from small, 7-9 player games to thousands of players.
Sit and go games are a little more casual. This style of game allows you to decide how much money you want to wager and leave the table whenever you want.
Which one you choose depends on your end goals and the budget you're sticking to.
Conclusion
Poker is a true classic that perfectly balances skill and luck. No matter your poker preferences, playing online means you can find a table to suit your needs anytime, anywhere. If you want to stay up to date with the best poker games, bonuses, and announcements, make sure to come back to Casino Guru regularly.
Online Poker Sites for Canada
Canadians are great lovers of poker and most Canadian gamblers have tried their hand at a game of poker at one time or another. In order to become a great poker player, you need to practice. And what better place is there to practice than at an online poker site? It can be quite a challenge to find the best site to play at, but we're going to tell you right now how you can find the best sites for playing poker in Canada.
- Sports
- Casino
- Esports
- Poker
- Sports
- Casino
- Esports
- Poker
The Best Poker Sites for Players in Canada Are Completely Legal
The best poker sites have 24/7 customer service and there will always be a telephone number which is free for Canadian players, email with a quick response time and a good live chat facility where you can send text messages to a poker site customer service representative in real time and receive quick answers to your queries. Canadian online poker rooms have gained the confidence of players around the country. Operating on advanced software, playing these poker games has never been as straightforward or easy. Online poker sites like 888poker use their own proprietary software to provide easy-to-stream gameplay.
- Canada Online Poker & Best Canadian Poker Sites 2020 When it comes to poker, including the online version, Canada has a deep history. From live games and tournaments to significant numbers of online players, the country has been a welcome haven for poker action.
- While some lesser real money Canadian online poker sites will try to lure new players in with a big bonus, or a clever ad campaign, the best Canadian poker sites excel in every category.
- Compare Reviews of Canada's Best Online Poker Sites. Sign Up Now & You Get an Exclusive Free Bonus Offer to Play at a Top Canadian Poker Site!
All online casino games test your luck, but poker is one of the rare exceptions that also requires considerable skill. It's also a rare exception in that it doesn't have a house edge. It's just you against the other players at the table, so as far as the luck part is concerned, you have an equal chance of walking away a winner. To gain your own edge, you'll need to take time to sharpen your skills and master your poker strategy.
That's why, at Casino Guru, we don't just list out the best places to play legal online poker in Canada, we provide you with plenty of tips, tricks, and strategy to help you level-up your game. If you're already a poker expert or you just can't wait to play, check out our online poker sites recommendations in the section below. But if you're looking for a little more guidance, read on, friend!
Best Online Poker Sites in the Canada
[LIST OF TOP POKER RECOMMENDATIONS]
Important Online Poker Terms
There's a lot to remember when you're learning online poker, but if you get a handle on the lingo, you're halfway there. Check out our list below to start learning. Once you feel comfortable with these terms, you'll be able to sit at any poker table and feel like a pro.
Ante – A forced bet placed by every participating player before the deal.
Small Blind – Similar to an ante, a small blind is a forced bet placed before a game starts. The player to the immediate left of the dealer button places a bet that is usually half of the minimum.
Big Blind – A forced bet placed by the person to the immediate left of the person placing the small blind. This is usually the minimum bet.
Raise – The action of increasing the opening bet.
Check – Deferring the bet by not raising and passing the decision to the next person at the table.
Call – To match a bet, either the original bet or another player's raise.
Fold – Abandoning a round you do not think you can win or where the bet has reached a level you aren't comfortable with.
Chips – Small, colourful tokens used in place of money at the poker table. Each color denotes a certain amount of cash.
Community Cards – Cards placed face-up in the middle of the table that all players can use to create their hand. (Note: not all games use community cards, games that do are referred to as community games).
The Flop – In Texas Hold'Em, these are the first three community cards, which are dealt face up.
The Turn – The fourth community card dealt in Texas Hold'Em.
River – The last community card dealt in community poker games.
Muck – The discarded cards from players who have folded.
Position – The place a player sits at a table and the strategy associated with that order.
The Rules of Online Poker
Poker is one of the most popular games in the nation, so chances are, you have some familiarity. Even if you've just played a few rounds with friends here and there, you're starting with a pretty good base to transition to the wonderful world of online poker!
There are two basic ways to play poker online. More commonly, you'll just see a digital table, cards, and chips. In live versions of the game, you will also see a live feed of a dealer at an actual table.
Beyond the basic format of the game, online poker is available in many variations, each with different rules and strategies. Let's start with a run through of the most popular version of online poker: Texas Hold'Em.
The goal of Texas Hold'Em is to make the best 5-card hand using the 7 cards available to you. Each player is first dealt 2 cards face-down. These 2 cards are called the pocket cards. You can look at your own pocket cards, but you won't see anyone else's hand. By the end of the game, there are also 5 cards dealt face-up in the middle of the table. These are the community cards. Every player at the table can combine their 2 cards with 3 of the community cards to make the best 5-card hand.
Before any cards are dealt, the player or players to the left of the dealer button must place blinds. This is a type of forced bet where 1-3 players place a standard bet to start the round. In Texas Hold'Em, this is usually done by 2 players. The person closest to the dealer button usually bets half of the minimum bet (called the small blind), while the person to their left places the minimum bet (called the big blind). This can be done with or without antes.
Once blinds are placed, the dealer deals cards and the round begins. At this point, the 3rd person from the dealer button is given the opportunity to either call, raise, or fold. If they call, they are accepting the big blind bet, if they raise, they are increasing the big blind bet, and if they fold, they are giving up that round. Then, each player at the table will get to make the same decision in clockwise order.
After the first round of betting, the dealer will lay 3 cards face-up on the table. These cards are called the flop; they are the first 3 community cards. Once the flop is placed, another round of betting starts. When these bets are placed, another community card is placed. This card is known as a the turn or fourth street. The process is repeated and the last community card is placed. This card is known as the river or fifth street.
When the last community card is placed, the last round of betting commences. And the remaining players reveal their cards to determine the winner. The winner gets the pot, minus a small tax taken by the casino.
Winning Poker Hands, Ranked In Order
Making decisions at the poker table with confidence first requires a thorough understanding of the best poker hands. Below, you'll see how poker hands are ranked, from the lowest to the highest.
- One Pair – A hand containing 2 cards of the same rank. If more than one player has a pair, the player with the higher ranking pair wins (e.g. a pair of Kings beats a pair of Jacks).
- Two Pair – A hand containing 2 sets of pairs (e.g. J,J,Q,Q,7).
- Three of a Kind – A hand containing 3 cards of the same rank (e.g. 4,4,4,Q,7).
- Straight – A hand containing cards of sequential rank in different suits (e.g. 3,4,5,6,7).
- Flush – A hand containing all cards of the same suit, regardless of rank (e.g. all diamonds).
- Full House – A hand containing three of a kind and a pair (e.g. J,J,3,3,3).
- Four of a Kind – A hand containing four cards of the same rank (e.g. K,K,K,K,4).
- Straight Flush – A hand containing cards in sequential rank of the same suit (e.g. 2,3,4,5,6 of spades).
- Royal Flush – A hand containing a straight of the ranks, all of the same suit (e.g. 10,J,Q,K,A of hearts).
Online Poker Game Varieties
While Texas Hold'Em is the most popular version of online poker, there are a wealth of other versions to play and explore. If Texas Hold'Em isn't quite your game, maybe you'll click more with a different variation:
- Five Card Stud – You are dealt 5 cards, with the aim of creating the best possible hand with those cards. The first card is dealt face-down, while the remaining 4 cards are dealt face-up. With roots as far back as the American Civil War, this is considered the original version of stud poker.
- Seven Card Stud – Imagine this game as the offspring of Texas Hold'Em and 5 Card Stud. Like Hold'Em, you start with 2 pocket cards, but with the addition of 1 face-up card. But like Five Card Stud, there are no community cards. Once everyone has their first 3 cards, a round of betting starts. You are then dealt another card, followed by another round of betting. This continues until you have 7 cards. Finally, you must create your best 5-card hand out of the 7 cards.
- Razz – Consider this the cousin of Seven Card Stud. But to win, you need the best 5-card low (Ace to 5).
- Omaha Hold'Em – This one is the cousin of Texas Hold'Em, but in this Omaha version, you get 4 pocket cards and need to choose 2 to combine with the 3 community cards to make the best 5-card hand.
- And more! – This is by no means an exhaustive list of your options. Get out there and explore!
Best Bonuses in Online Poker for Canadians
There's a lot of competition between online poker rooms, so casinos are willing to offer a ton of great bonuses to convince you to play with them. Most online poker sites offer no deposit bonuses when you register for an account. You'll also find many welcome packages that include awesome incentives, like tournament seats. And long term players can get additional benefits in the form of loyalty points and rewards.
Be sure to keep checking back with Casino Guru to find the latest and greatest poker bonuses available to Canadians. New deposit bonuses, chances to win prizes, and seats in tournaments are always becoming available.
Online Poker Tournaments, and Sit and Go Poker – What's the Difference?
When you decide to play poker online, you have a few choices available to you. We already discussed the difference between regular and live games, but you can also choose between tournaments and sit and go games.
In tournaments, every player starts with the same number of chips and compete until one player possess all of the chips. Online tournaments can range from small, 7-9 player games to thousands of players.
Sit and go games are a little more casual. This style of game allows you to decide how much money you want to wager and leave the table whenever you want.
Which one you choose depends on your end goals and the budget you're sticking to.
Conclusion
Poker is a true classic that perfectly balances skill and luck. No matter your poker preferences, playing online means you can find a table to suit your needs anytime, anywhere. If you want to stay up to date with the best poker games, bonuses, and announcements, make sure to come back to Casino Guru regularly.
Online Poker Sites for Canada
Canadians are great lovers of poker and most Canadian gamblers have tried their hand at a game of poker at one time or another. In order to become a great poker player, you need to practice. And what better place is there to practice than at an online poker site? It can be quite a challenge to find the best site to play at, but we're going to tell you right now how you can find the best sites for playing poker in Canada.
- Sports
- Casino
- Esports
- Poker
- Sports
- Casino
- Esports
- Poker
The Best Poker Sites for Players in Canada Are Completely Legal
Canada's gambling laws are fairly strict and it's highly unlikely you will find a state-approved poker room operating anywhere within the country. Don't despair though, because there's something the government can't regulate – offshore poker sites. These are perfectly legal for Canadian gamblers to use and as long as they accept Canadian players there won't be a problem.
There is an element of risk in using offshore poker rooms in that the Canadian government will not help you in the event of any form of dispute. That's why you need to check that a poker site has all the relevant gaming licenses to operate where it does legitimately.
There should be proof of regular testing and auditing by independent third-party auditors as well. Information about licenses, testing and auditing can generally be found on a poker website's homepage.
One final thing that must be checked is that the poker site guarantees payments. Other players' comments on various forums and message boards can help here. Nobody wants to play poker, win and not be able to withdraw their winnings.
Welcome Bonus and Other Advantages
When asked what the most important thing all the best Canada poker sites offer, the one comment we consistently hear from players is ‘bonuses'. They also rate gameplay, customer service and security quite highly on their list of requirements. Any site fulfilling all of these criteria will definitely be one of the best poker sites for players in Canada.
There are bonuses offered to new players by all the best online poker rooms for Canada residents. It is very common to be offered a first deposit bonus. This is when a casino doubles your initial deposit up to a certain amount. It can be hundreds of dollars from some poker rooms and is definitely an offer worth accepting. There can even be a deposit bonus on subsequent deposits in some cases.
Other welcome offers include no deposit bonuses and bonuses for downloading a poker app. Existing players should be treated well too, and a number of poker rooms offer regular deposit bonuses and free tournament entries to those who have been members for a while as an incentive to keep playing at that particular site.
Bonuses usually come with some rules and you will generally find that bonus money has to be staked a certain number of times before it can be withdrawn from your account. Always read the terms and conditions before accepting any form of bonus.
Gaming Options
Texas Holdem is without a doubt the biggest and most popular version of poker the world has ever seen, but it's worth remembering that there are other games too. Seven Card Draw, Caribbean Stud and Low Ball are all fantastic games and if you want a full poker experience you need to play these kind of games as well as Texas Holdem. Look for a poker room that has a wide variety of poker games.
The same goes for tournaments. You might prefer a sit and go to a long tournament and you might wish to play small stakes rather than play in a tournament with an expensive buy in. Make sure the poker room caters for your needs before you join.
The quality of gameplay is also important. Nobody wants a game that closes down randomly; freezes even for a second or doesn't flow smoothly. Nobody wants a game of poker with terrible graphics or sound effects either. Play a free practice game to see if the poker game is any good before committing to becoming a member of a particular poker site.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Canadian players will find in a lot of cases that they are unable to use their bank card to make deposits or withdrawals to or from a poker room. They might experience similar problems with a bank transfer. Therefore, it's important to find a poker site which accepts other means of payment.
Many online poker rooms now accepted various forms of e-wallet, such as Skrill or Neteller. These act as a stepping stone between your bank and the poker site. All transactions remain anonymous, as any money you transfer to your e-wallet from your bank will simply show up as ‘Skrill' or ‘Neteller' on a statement. Both of these e-wallet providers will give you a MasterCard linked to your account if you wish. This can be used to withdraw any poker winnings from an ATM and your gaming activity will remain a secret from your bank manager.
All deposits are more or less instant to your poker room account, but withdrawals can often prove a little more challenging. When you request a withdrawal it's because you want the money now, not in a couple of days' time. It's quite infuriating that some poker sites wait anything up to 72 hours before they process a withdrawal request. With the 2-3 days processing time a bank also uses, it can take over a week before money is back in your account.
Some poker sites don't take anywhere near as much time and will process a withdrawal request as soon as possible. And luckily, e-wallet transfers are very quick and generally, money only takes a few minutes to show up in your account.
Read the Reviews
Best Online Poker Sites Canada
What other players think can have a huge impact on your choice of poker room. If a poker site has nothing but negative reviews, you really should listen to the masses and avoid it.
Our reviews are also a source you can trust. We join each site as a player in order to find the best poker sites for players in Canada and we assess them based on all the criteria on this page. If it's good or bad, we'll tell you the truth. We don't believe in dishonesty and we want our Canadian players to play at only the best poker sites whenever possible.
Customer Service
Customer service is often overlooked when looking for the best sites for playing poker in Canada, but it's just as important as all the other factors. A customer service team should be staffed by friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff and they should be reachable via a number of convenient means at times which suit a player's needs.
The best poker sites have 24/7 customer service and there will always be a telephone number which is free for Canadian players, email with a quick response time and a good live chat facility where you can send text messages to a poker site customer service representative in real time and receive quick answers to your queries.
5 Best Online Poker Sites In Canada
A poker site which ticks all of these boxes has great customer service and is well on the way to being among the best Canadian poker sites.