Poker game is any number of card games in which players wager over which hand is the best hand according to the specific game rules and rankings. Poker is one of the most popular games in Canada as you can win real money from wagering at online casinos.
In our review, Canadian players will find out the best Canadian online poker sites with the most favorable conditions.
Best Poker Sites in Canada 2021
We have a set list of criteria’s that online casino sites for playing poker have to pass in other to be recommended by us, because we understand how important it is for players that any gambling site they play at has to be safe, trusted and reliable with the best incentives they can get. Therefore, we have selected the best poker sites based on important criteria’s:
- Security & Legality of online casinos: We understand the need for players to feel safe and comfortable when playing at an online casino, so we look to make sure that casinos we recommend are licensed by the proper bodies and also have an SSL encryption type of security on their site.
- Software & Wide range of games: If a player wants to play different types of real money poker online, he might not find it funny moving from site to site, so we make sure to check out for sites that have popular software gaming developers and offer not only all the poker variations but also provide a good range of tournaments.
- Best bonuses: In a highly competitive market, we look for sites offering better and more enticing bonuses and promotions with less conditions.
- Mobile compatibility: Players enjoy playing poker from the comfort of their mobile smartphones and tablets while on the go, so we look for and recommend sites that provide players with this great experience.
A list of the bests poker sites in Canada 2021 includes:
How to play poker
- learn the 10 basic 5-card hands and their ranking: No matter the variety of poker you play; the hands will always be the same. to familiarize yourself with the different hands, we advise you print out a “cheat sheet” and study it well so that you can easily recognize them. The winning poker hands or combination, from the highest to the lowest are:
- Royal straight flush: This is the highest ranking hand and it includes a 10, Jack, Queen, King, an Ace of the same suit, one kind (all diamonds, clubs, hearts or spades). It cannot be beaten by the royal straight flush of another suit but will be tied.
- A straight flush: This is made up of 5 consecutive cards of the same suit.
- 4 of a kind: This means you have 4 cards of the same rank but different suits and a fifth card of any rank like 4 aces and a 9. Note that if you have 4 aces, then no one can have any hand with an ace, so that no royal flush is available.
- A full house: This contains 3 match cards of 1 rank and 2 matching cards of another rank.
- A flush: This contains any 5 cards of a consecutive rank but from more than one suit.
- 3 of a kind: This means that you have 3 cards of the same rank, in addition with two unmatched cards.
- 2 pair: This is made up of 2 cards of one rank, plus 2 cards of another rank, plus 1 unmatched card.
- Pair: This means that you have 2 cards of the same rank, plus 3 other unmatched cards.
- High card: This is the lowest-ranking also called a “nothing” hand, when no 2 cards have the same 5 cards are not consecutive and they are not all from the same suit.
TIP: Bear in mind that if two people face off with the same type of hand, the higher-ranking cards hand wins. If they have the exact same ranks of cards, it is a tie and the price is split evenly.
- Place the blinds or ante up: In poker, bets are placed at the starting of the game in one of 2 available ways. In Texas Hold’em, the player next to the dealer typically places a small blind bet, while the player to that person’s left places a big blind that is at least the minimum bet. The other option is that each player can “ante up” the minimum starting bet, which means placing a minimum starting bet into the pool.
- Look at the 2 cards the dealer gives you, identify which is your hand: The first card will be burnt by the dealer on deck, which means placing it out of play. Then the dealer will pass out 2 cards to each player. Check your cards to see what you are holding.
- In poker, a card will always be burnt at every round of dealing by the dealer. That way it is harder for players to anticipate what card is coming up and the game will always be more of a gamble.
- The cards will always be passed out in a clockwise direction by the dealer, starting on the left.
- Bet, call or raise after each round is dealt if you want to
- Look at the flop to see if you have a good hand
- Check the “turn card after the second round of betting
- Examine the “river” card and decide on the hand you’ll play
- Reveal each player’s hand clockwise in the final “showdown”
Types of poker games
There are different variants of poker game and they have their rules, they include:
- Texas hold’em: This is a very popular variant in the online poker world, Texas hold’em is available in every reputable poker room. The games see players dealt two hole face down cards. They must use those cards and up to five community cards, dealt around the table multiple rounds of checking, betting and raising to build the best hand as possible. At the end of a round, a showdown determines who wins the pot.
- Three card poker: This variant of poker is found in online casinos rather than poker rooms, because it is played against the dealer instead of other players. Players are dealt here cards after placing their bet and must decide whether to play the hand by doubling their wager or fold instead. This hand is the compared to the dealer hand, which typically must have queen high or better to qualify to see who wins the round.
- Omaha: This is another poplar variant of poker on the web, all the best online poker rooms offer Omaha alongside Texas Hold’em, five community cards are dealt around multiple rounds of betting. But then in this case, players are dealt four hole cards and must use exactly two of their cards together with three community cards to build the best hand that they can.
- Open-face china poker: This variant of poker is also known as OFCP or OFC, here all cards are dealt face-up. Players start with five cards and are later dealt another eight cards until they have thirteen cards. From these cards, they must construct three hands i.e ‘3 cards in the front, 5 each in the middle and back’, comprised of 2 five hands and one three card hand. The back hand must be stronger than or equal to the middle, and the middle must be stronger than or equal to the front.
- Caribbean poker: to understand this variant of poker also called Casino Stud Poker, is to think of it as Stud poker that is played against the dealer in an online casino rather than against other players. Here, once a player ant up, both them and the dealer might be dealt 5 face-down cards. Once the dealer has revealed one their cards, the player can decide if he wants to double their initial bet or fold.
- Draw poker: This variant of poker has other sub-variants, such as 5- card draw. In this game, players are dealt with several hole cards and must attempt after various rounds of betting to discard some or all of their cards in order to put together the best hand they can. At the end of the round, there is a showdown to determine who the winner is.
- Hi Lo Poker: The basic rules of the Hi Lo variant of poker can be applied to various and different types of online poker gambling. In Omaha Hi Lo for an instance, the game is played almost identically to standard Omaha rules except the fact that each player must construct a high hand and a low hand i.e typically 8 high or low to qualify. The pot is split between players who have the highest and the lowest hands in the showdown.
- Stud Poker: there are several other sub variants of this poker, one popular example is the 7-card stud. The aim of the game is to build a competitive hand from a mix of face-down cards. For instance, in a 7-card stud, players are dealt 2 hole cards then 4 face-up cards and a final hole card. From these they must use any 5 of their cards to build their hand.
- Razz Poker: In the variant, the rules are similar to the 7-card stud rule with just one very big difference, and that is to put together the lowest hand possible. This simply means that A,2,3,4,5 is the best hand in Razz. Here, a royal flush is almost always the ultimate hand that players are searching for. It is a popular variant and even feature in the world series of poker.
Compare poker online and poker offline, pros and cons of each type
Poker is a great game that gained fame quickly, as it was a favorite pass time game for most people. With the evolution of modern technology, it became available online for playing with real money. The comparison between the online and offline poker is not feasible as they are like 2 sides of a coin.
Online poker: This are poker games played online through the internet at any gambling casino.
| Pros online poker | Cons online poker |
| In online poker, deposits and withdrawals are made by bank transfer, credit card or one of the many online payment methods So you don’t have to worry about your money and you can quickly get your winnings directly into your poker account You can play for free if you want to test your game play You can play as many variants as you want anytime of the day You can play from your comfort zone with your mobile |
It is quite difficult to know a players tell You might get addictedYou won’t be able to tell the facial expression and read the emotions of other players to be able to use it to your advantage. |
Offline poker: These are poker games played in the traditional game buildings and houses.
| Pros offline poker | Cons offline poker |
| You can get meals or Drinks served on the tableYou get to enjoy the posh environment and glamour the game brings You will be able to tell the facial expression and read the emotions of other players to be able to use it to your advantage |
A player has to dress well according to dress coded Table limits can be highOften a player has to play out of his comfort zone |
Poker strategies and tips
In playing online poker games for money, there are so many different options with lots of exciting opportunities. Being over excited can result to huge mistakes because gambling or placing bets without really thinking about the next move might be dangerous. The tips below might look simple but they are worth bearing in mind for both beginners and professionals, and they apply to all the forms of poker.
- Understand the rules of the variant– there are many rules that are consistent across all variations of poker, such as hand strength, but there are also some key differences. It’s these differences that you must master to be successful at any game type. While you are playing different games, you ‘re likely to come up against players who are experts in a variant.
- Know when to fold– also, understanding the role of the position in poker for example, whether or not you have contributed any blind will help you figure ot when folding early is the right move to make. If you have a poor hand and haven’t spent any money on the round, bowing out early to avoid wasteful betting can be a good decision.
- Stick to a single table- the opportunity to enjoy multiple table poker is an exciting one that is rarely afforded to players offline. Although playing multiple hands at once offers the chance to make some big wins, it should be avoided until you are confident in playing and winning consistently at a single table.
- Think about your opponents- while playing online, watch out for how many hands that are playing, if any face-up cards are playing have they been betting aggressively up to this point? Trying to build a picture of your opponents is a part of the art of online poker.
- Don’t bluff too much– when the thought of poker crosses players’ minds, they think of bluffing. In real, there is no need to bluff so as to become a successful poker player. Bluffing and semi-bluffing can definitely be a valuable tool in your arsenal but playing the hand you are dealt should always be your primary tactic.
Live poker with a dealer online
Live poker involves playing poker games with a deal in real time, being streamed from the online casino site to your mobile device in the comfort of wherever you are laying from. In live casino, the dealer deals a single hand face up that is meant for all players, the live dealer table does not feature any seats meaning that it can serve a lot of players. Live poker comes with a lot of features, which make a poker game truly special. In live poker with a dealer online, you play against real live opponents that you can communicate with via an avatar selected by you or virtual presents and chat options available. The aim at live poker is to come up with the best hand out of all other players or to bluff your way through the betting rounds causing all other players to fold.
Best Online Poker Sites for Real Money in Canada
Playing online poker for real money in Canada is the new trend now, players have a lot of advantages as it is possible to win significant sums of cash if they play well or get lucky. Playing a poker game with real money is actually a good way to experience the rush and excitement that comes with this game and they can also make use of a welcome bonus and earn loyalty points while they play. But bear in mind that you might get a bad beat if you make a careless mistake and you stand to lose real money.
Best Sites for Free Online Poker Games in Canada
Most online poker sites offer a demo version of demo game found in the site. Playing of poker for free gives a player the perfect opportunity to learn and get familiar with different variations, hone skills and become accustomed to reading opponents’ moves, but then it still wouldn’t fully prepare you for real money online poker, as it will be difficult to prepare for some certain strategies. In free poker you can freely bluff, go all in or bet aggressively than normal in some cases but when you meet those same scenarios in real money it will be difficult to assess a better strategy. The best sites for playing demo/free are:
Better poker bonus sites
A very good way of an online poker site to attract players is by offering exciting poker bonuses and promotions. As a player, you can use these to improve your chances of winning real money. There are several types of bonuses at the best poker sites and they include:
- Welcome/ sign up: This type of bonus is received after registering with an online poker, it is usually a specific amount of bonus money added to your first deposit.
- Match bonus: this type of bonus matches the amount of money deposited by players to a set percentage. For instance, a 100% match grants a $20 bonus on a deposit of $20.
- Reload bonus: This type of bonus is like the welcome bonus, but is for returning players who are topping up funds to their account.
- No deposit bonus: This is usually a small amount of bonus cash, with plenty of terms and conditions. It is gifted to players who register without having to make a deposit first.
- VIP Bonus: Players who are part of VIP or loyalty schemes qualify for additional bonuses, that may not be available to the general public.
Note: It is very advisable to note that before playing poker, you need to familiarize yourself with the terms of bonuses available in the online casino.
Poker Tournaments
When players play poker games against other players, they do so in tournaments. To participate in a poker tournament, each player has to pay an entry fee then competes to win a portion of the prize pool. While the event is in progress, the blind levels increase steadily at regular intervals. A tournament is officially over when one player has all of the chips, then he is declared the winner. There are two basic types of poker tournaments:
- Multi table tournaments (MTT): These are poker tournaments where the players are spread out over multiple tables at the start of the tournament and gradually narrows the field as players are eliminated until one player has acquired all the chips and is declared the winner.
- Single –Table tournaments (STT): These are poker tournaments on a single table and it immediately begins once all the seats at the single table have been occupied. It is also known as “Sit-and-Go”
A poker player
A poker player is a professional player who plays the poker game and gets paid while avoiding many mistakes on the road.
Benefits include: freedom, competition, traveling and money
The disadvantages are that it is mentally draining, it is exhausting and there maybe social stigma from people who don’t like gambling
Poker glossary
- Ante: This is an initial bet that each player is required to put in the pot before the game or round begins.
- Open: This is the first opening bet which is made by putting it in the pot. If you don’t, you can either pass, check or fold.
- Check: The check hands over to the turn to the next player, who can either bet or raise.
- Call: The call confirms the leveling of the previous bets.
- Raise: This raises the bet of the previous player.
- Fold: This is giving up made by throwing the cards in.
- Check-raise: This is also called Sand-Bagging- check in the first round and raising after it.
- Bleed: this is to continually loose chips or funds through bad play.
- River: the 5th and final community cards to be dealt
- Showdown: the final stage of the bet where all the cards are shown and the outcome decided
- Tilt: an objectively bad play made by a player due to carelessness
- Turn: the 4th community card to be dealt
- Quads: 4 of a kind
- Side bet: an optional bet that is placed independent from the main bet
FAQ
Can I play poker with other players for real money?
Yes, players can play against other players using real money.
Can I use my credit or debit card to make a deposit?
Yes, you can use your cards to make a deposit, you just have to go to the banking/payment section of the casino.
Are there tips I can use to win in online poker?
There are a few tips and strategies one can use in trying to affect his chances of winning.
Can I play poker free?
Yes, there are demo versions of different poker games available which you can play at the casinos we recommend.
Can you win big on online poker sites?
Yes, you can win big on online poker sites, as there are a lot of variety of games to play.
