There are hundreds of sites and apps where you can play online poker with real money or for free even on a mobile smartphone in Canada.
To play online poker with real money you need to fund your online casino account with real cash either in CAD or BTC to play poker. OR simply play online poker for free at online casinos or by downloading the poker apps from Google Play Store.
Real Money Poker
Real Money poker involves real cash deposits. You can then use the funds from their online poker account to take part in any game the site offers whether it’s tournaments, cash games or Sit & Go’s. It’s quite similar to getting chips at a venue based casino. Online poker with real money is convenient as you are able to withdraw your funds at any point and what you win is also real cash.
Moreover, if you are worried about your safety and security at online poker sites then note that they segregate your funds from their operating expenses to keep the players’ accounts safe at all times. Nearly all online poker sites are audited by gaming regulators. In addition players have to pass the required age verification test to successfully deposit money into an online poker account.
Which poker games can you play online?
There are various poker games that you can play online even with mobile. Video poker games are common to play. These poker games are powered by top gaming providers like Microgaming, IGT, Real Time Gaming, Betsoft, Rival and others.
You can play the Poker games instantly or Download free casino games software and both ways are great ways to get started.
Here are few of the most popular video poker games to play at Canadian friendly online casinos.
Poker Games from Microgaming
Microgaming is one of the casino and gaming software developers that provide a great variety of video poker games to Canadians even for the most demanding players. A great variety of poker games are present in the developer’s offerings, including a range of multi-hand offerings.
Literally, every poker variation is offered by Microgaming casinos, including the most popular variants. . Following are the popular Microgaming poker games to play:
- Deuces Wild
- Holdem Poker
- Aces and Faces
- Jacks or Better
- Tens or Better
- Power Poker
- Bonus Deuces Wild Power Poker.
- Jackpot Deuces Poker
- Supajax
You will find an impressive variety of Microgaming video poker games including multi hand games, such as 10 hand Aces and Faces or 100 hand Jacks or Better, which allow players to play up to 100 hands simultaneously. Interesting varieties of standard games are offered, where certain cards are wild. Games like Double Double bonus poker have extra winning possibilities.
What are the best progressive poker games from Microgaming?
Microgaming’s large portfolio of video poker would not be complete without a progressive jackpot game There are two best progressive poker games to play:
- Jackpot Deuces Poker: This is a single hand video poker game, with a maximum 5 coin bet. To be eligible to win the game’s enormous jackpot, you must bet the max. Your objective is to assemble the best possible 5 card poker hand. To win the top jackpot, you will need a “Diamond Royal Flush,” composed of the 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of diamonds.
- SupaJax: This poker is based on the familiar favorite Jacks or Better. Once again you must bet the maximum 5 coins to have a chance at the giant progressive jackpot. Four jacks plus the exclusive SupaJax card are the winning combination you are looking for to win.
What are the best online poker sites in Canada?
The best online poker sites in Canada are the Microgaming powered online casinos.
You can play Microgaming poker games online for real money or for free at the following sites:
And others
Many Canadians also join Bodog Poker site and 888 poker site to play with real CAD or BTC.
What are the free poker apps to play poker?
There are many free poker apps for cellphones or mobile to be found at Google Play Store. Some of the best ones are:
- Governor of Poker 3
- PokerStars
- Party Poker
- World Series of Poker (WSOP)
- 24/7 Free Poker
- Zynga Poker
You can download these poker apps on your Android or iPhone from the respective app stores.
Which video poker game is best to play?
Jacks or Better is great choice because of its popularity and an outstanding balance of payout and house edge.
All video poker games have transparent odds. It means that you can calculate your chances of winning and overcoming the house edge.
Video poker games use the same 52-card deck as other poker games. That means you have 1 in 52 chances of getting any particular card, 1 in 13 chances of getting any number that you want, and 1 in 4 chances of getting a specific suit.
Those are the base odds in any video poker game. Since you know what your chances are in getting any particular card, you can use it to calculate a video poker game’s expected return.
What video poker games have the best odds?
Following video poker games have the best odds:
1. Jacks or Better
This game is pretty straightforward and eerily similar to 5 Card Draw. You’ll get five cards, and you choose the ones that you keep, then rank the hand using poker rankings. The payout that you’ll receive depends on the rank, with pairs being the lowest-paying hand and the royal flush with a payout of 800 to 1.
Though this video poker game doesn’t have the best odds, but it’s most likely the game that you’ll find in every casino. Before you start playing Jacks or Better, it would be best to look for one that offers a 9/6 paytable. The payback percentage for this game shoots up to 99.54%, which is better than the odds of experts who play blackjack.
2. Deuces Wild
Deuces Wild is almost the same as Jacks or Better, but with a very distinct variation — the 2s in the deck are wild cards and can be used as any card that you might need to complete a hand.
This variation changed the dynamics of the game, so the lowest-paying hand in Deuces Wild is a 3 of a kind. The royal flush remains the highest-playing hand, with 800 to 1 in a five-coin game.
The payback percentage for Deuces Wild is higher than Jacks or Better at 99.73%, but you won’t see this game often. If you’ve found a casino with Deuces Wild, it’s probably one of the best paying games around.
3. Bonus Poker
In Jacks or Better, the payout when you complete a 4-of-a-kind is the same, regardless of the card; in Bonus Poker, the payout depends on the rank.
The payback percentage for Bonus Poker is 99.17%, which isn’t the game that you’d want to play over and over. The game is very volatile, and your winnings may fluctuate. However, any video poker game that has a payback percentage higher than 99% will always be one of the highest-paying games in most casinos.
4. Double Bonus Poker
If you’re looking for a video poker game that’ll pay you to play, then Double Bonus Poker is best. The payout for a 4-of-a-kind is twice of what you’ll get from Bonus Poker, which brings the payback percentage for this game to a whopping 100.17%! Casinos counter the generous payout on complete hands by reducing the pair payout from 2 to 1.
Jacks or Better | 99.54% |
Tens or Better | 99.14% |
Joker Poker | 98.60% |
Deuces Wild (single play) | 96.77% |
Deuces Wild (multi hand) | 99.37% |
Deuces and Joker Wild | 99.07% |
Aces and Faces | 99.26% |
Aces and Eights | 98.72% |
All Aces | 99.26% |
Double Bonus | 99.11% |
Double Double Bonus | 98.98% |
Double Joker | 98.10% |
FAQs
Q1. Is it legal to play online poker in Canada?
It is legal to play poker online in Canada at the above mentioned offshore online casinos. Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia. Quebeckers can play online poker on Loto-Québec’s site. Also BC punters can play at PlayNow, which is owned by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. Note that PlayNow and OK Poker are in fact just two skins on the same network. No matter which province you’re playing from, the opponents at your table could be from any of those three provinces.
Q2. Are poker winnings taxable in Canada?
No poker winnings are not taxable in Canada. By default, Canada charges no tax on gambling winnings, unlike the US. However, it does make an exception for someone it considers a professional gambler. It’s only if you’re spending long hours playing a skill-based game like poker, using a system to grind out profit, and relying on it as your primary source of income that you’re at risk of getting declared “a professional.” Once you have that designation, then you are required to declare your winnings each year and pay income tax on them.
Q3. Where can I play Live poker in Canada?
The Playground Poker Club in Kahnawake (just outside Montreal) has arguably become the most popular poker room in the country, with different online poker sites choosing this location as the venue for their live events.
PokerStars has held its Canada Cup ($3,300 Main Event, $2 million guaranteed) at Playground, while partypoker is holding its Canadian Poker Championships. This means that online players in Canada can satellite into live events online for a fraction of the buy-in.
The nearby Casino Montreal might be the best choice for newcomers and amateur players, due to the lower overall skill level of the common player. However, because of this the rake fees are slightly higher than those in dedicated poker rooms.
In Ontario, players can visit the OLG Casino Brantford which offers 14 Texas Hold’em tables. Cash games always run, but they also offer a varied tournament schedule including ladies events, bounty events, and deep stack tournaments.
The River Rock Casino in Richmond, British Columbia, is open 24 hours a day, offering around-the-clock cash games. Other recommendations include Casino Nova Scotia, Caesars Windsor, Northlands Park in Alberta, Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, Medicine Hat Lodge Resort in Alberta, Casino de Mont-Tremblant, and Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino (also in Alberta).