Play Online Poker at the Best Poker Sites in Canada November 2024

The best poker sites in Canada come with an interesting mix of soft competition and high traffic. Continue reading to learn more and find the right site for you with our detail-orientated reviews, expert rundown, and professional tips. Online poker in Canada is now easier to access than ever before.

Canada’s Best Online Poker Sites

Canadian Poker Sites Ranked by Traffic

The Best Online Poker Sites in Canada for Real Money

Online poker for real money in Canada is very easy to access. After all, this is the best form of poker as it adds a thrilling element to the table. With money on the line, the action is more exciting and a big win actually matters. So, while all of the best CA poker sites offer real money games, what are the best picks?

Top recommendation: CoinPoker

If you want the best real money poker online experience in Canada, we recommend checking out CoinPoker. This iconic poker site has received a major update and the client is now better than ever. It offers a variety of real money options across cash games and tournaments, with added jackpot SNG tournaments that are only played with three players.

Of course, banking is also handled well on the platform, allowing Canadian poker players to easily deposit and withdraw funds using major cryptocurrencies. This results in fast transactions and the added welcome bonus for new users is a nice touch as well.

Honourable mention: ACR Poker

Americas Cardroom is not just popular in the US, but also a top choice for real money poker in Canada. It is a renowned brand that has been around since 2001 and hosts some of the best online tournaments. There are various $1M GTD events, loads of cash tables for Hold’em and Omaha, and iconic points races for playing for real money, like The Beast.

The Best Online Poker Sites in Canada for Beginners

For new players, choosing the right Canadian poker site is very important as this can shape the entire experience. While some poker rooms are designed for experienced players, there are options where you can learn the game and just have fun as a beginner.

Top recommendation: BetOnline Poker

BetOnline Poker is known for being a shark-free zone and this is not by accident. The premium Canadian poker site has a user-friendly interface that is available in instant play and by downloading the client. It also has great traffic, so you can just leave a table and join another one if you don’t like the opponents.

Add a solid offering of freerolls and low buy-in tournaments and simple bonuses on top and you have the best Canada poker site for beginners. The site even has tutorials and guides to help players learn how to play poker and you can practice for free by using practice credits.

Honourable mention: CoinPoker

While it doesn’t have the same features as BetOnline Poker, CoinPoker is still one of the best poker sites in Canada for new players. It has cash game stakes starting from $0.01/$0.02, which is the lowest level online. It also hosts micro series of tournaments that have small buy-ins but still come with good guaranteed prize pools that can make it worth your effort.

The Best Online Poker Sites in Canada for Cash Games

If you prefer cash poker games online, finding the ideal site can be tricky. That’s because all of the best poker sites in Canada have cash games and they cover a wide range of blinds. They also offer different variations, like short-handed or all-in only.

Top recommendation: CoinPoker

All things considered, CoinPoker comes out on top for cash games in Canada. As far as we can tell, there is no limit for multi-tabling, allowing players to have as many tables open as they want. The range of stakes is also ideal for all bankrolls since you start with blinds of $0.01/$0.02 and can go up to $50/$100 and still get good traffic. Nosebleed stakes at $500/$1,000 are rare but not unheard of.

There are also rewards running in the background that can give cash game players some extra perks. For example, you benefit from 33% rakeback at CoinPoker Canada, there are daily leaderboard races for Texas Hold’em and Omaha cash games, and there is a Bad Beat Jackpot that can make losing with four of a kind or higher feel a lot better.

Honourable mention: Black Chip Poker

Black Chip Poker is part of the Winning Poker Network and this means a lot of action for cash games. It also offers Seven Card Stud, in addition to Omaha and Hold’em, thus giving players more tables to choose from. We also found quite a few special cash game features, such as the option to run it twice, have auto top-up, and play on up to 24 tables at once.

The Best Canada Online Poker Sites for Mobile

You can play online poker in Canada directly from your phone or tablet. All of the top sites are compatible with mobile devices, but some are definitely better than others. For the best mobile poker experience, go with these CA sites:

Top recommendation: CoinPoker

CoinPoker is available on iPhone and Android devices and it keeps the same functionality as the main desktop client. As a result, you can enjoy cash games and tournaments, take part in SNG events, and even earn rakeback while on the go. The CoinPoker mobile app is available for free directly on the site, so you don’t have to go to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

No matter if you are stuck in traffic in Toronto or if you are enjoying nature in Nova Scotia, real money mobile poker is just a few taps away throughout all of Canada. You can even play a multiple tables at the same time on your phone since the layout allows for quick swapping.

Honourable mention: BetOnline Poker

BetOnline is one of the few poker apps that is available by download and instantly on iOS and Android. This means that you don’t have to install anything to start playing poker for real money in Canada. You can simply go to the site and open the poker room. If you like having an app however, you can scan the QR code on the site and install it right away. The interface looks great and the games run smoothly.

The Best Online Poker Sites in Canada for Tournaments

Poker tournaments are hugely popular in North America as they can provide huge prizes from relatively small buy-ins. We were impressed with the schedules at all Canadian online poker sites, but some of them stood out as being the best for tournaments.

Top recommendation: ACR Poker

ACR Poker offers weekly guarantees that total more than $12 million. This basically means poker 24/7 in various tournaments at all betting levels. We found a great range of satellites and qualifiers that allow players to move up the levels and reach some of the biggest tournaments on the poker site for cheap. The SNG steps are also worth checking out here.

We recommend filtering by desired buy-in, game format, and entry format in order to better browse the many tournaments provided. Some of the big events have streaming for the final table with a 30 minute delay. You will also find tournaments open for staking, where you can buy a part of someone’s buy-in and receive a portion of the payout if they win real money.

Honourable mention: BetOnline Poker

We also like BetOnline Poker for online tournaments in Canada. The site has several series that make it exciting, with the Sunday Majors being a highlight. There are about 100 tournaments taking place on Sunday, while week days are also packed with events. Additional series and freerolls are added from time to time and there is a daily Sit & Go leaderboard that awards extra prizes to the most active players.

The Best Poker Sites in Canada Compared

Find out which of the best online poker sites CA have the games and tournaments you like. Quickly compare bonuses on the first deposit and general rakeback to find the best poker room right away.

Poker Site	Welcome Bonus	Poker Rakeback	Poker Games	Fast Fold Poker	Tournaments
CoinPoker	150% bonus up to $2,000	33%	Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High/Low, Omaha 5	N/A	Multi-Table Tournaments, Freerolls, S&G, PKO, Jackpot S&G (Cosmic Spins), Satellites, Live Tournament Buy-in
ACR Poker	100% bonus up to $2,000	27%	Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High/Low, Omaha 5, Seven Card Stud	Blitz Poker	Multi-Table Tournaments, Freerolls, S&G, PKO, Jackpot S&Gs, Satellites, Live Qualifiers
Black Chip Poker	100% bonus up to $2,000	27%	Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High/Low, Omaha 5, Seven Card Stud	Blitz Poker	Multi-Table Tournaments, Freerolls, S&G, PKO, Jackpot S&Gs, Satellites, Live Qualifiers
BetOnline Poker	100% bonus up to $1,000 + 21 tickets	25%	Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High/Low, Omaha 5, Omaha 6, Open Face Chinese	Boost Poker	Multi-Table Tournaments, Freerolls, S&G, Jackpot S&Gs (Windfalls), PKO, Satellites
Ya Poker	100% bonus up to $2,000	27%	Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High/Low, Omaha 5, Seven Card Stud	Blitz Poker	Multi-Table Tournaments, Freerolls, S&G, PKO, Jackpot S&Gs, Satellites, Live Qualifiers

Top CA Online Poker Sites Reviewed

If you want to learn more about the best sites in Canada before you play poker online, we have you covered. Check out the following reviews of three of the top CA poker rooms to see what they offer and find the perfect fit from the very start.

1. CoinPoker – Overall Best Real Money Online Poker Site in Canada

Poker Site Rating: 10/10

CoinPoker comes highly recommended across different categories and so it is no surprise that it is our top pick for online poker for real money in Canada. This cryptocurrency gaming platform comes with a modern poker client that looks great on both desktop and mobile devices. We found in our CoinPoker review that it is one of the most welcoming poker rooms and caters to all types of players.

We like the clean interface and the fact that you can register without providing any personal details. This also goes for banking as CoinPoker is one of the few Canadian poker sites that doesn’t require you to submit all sorts of documents before you can play, and more importantly, before you can withdraw your winnings.

The range of cash games and tournaments is very impressive and covers all betting levels. In addition to Omaha and Texas Hold’em, you will also find 5-Card Omaha games at CoinPoker. The only noticeable missing option is a fast-fold poker variant, but you can check out the Cosmic Spins jackpot sit & go events for some fast-paced action.

2. BetOnline – Premium Poker Client for Canadian Players

Poker Site Rating: 9.6/10

BetOnline has a great client for poker online in Canada, available by download and directly on the site. The operator updates it frequently and incorporates some nice features. You can run it multiple times in cash games if everybody that is all-in on the hand agrees to it. There are straddle tables that help create bigger pots with a third blind.

The BetOnline poker odds calculator is also very useful and you can access it for free through the client. You will find a lot of customisation options for the tables and the overall design, and you will also have various throwables if you want to express yourself while playing.

Cash games are available from $0.05/$0.10, which is a bit higher than on other Canada poker sites, but you do have an easy option to play free poker online. Simply select the play money tab and join a table. This is great for practicing and checking out the interface first-hand. When it comes to real money play, the first deposit unlocks a matching bonus and quite a few free tournament tickets.

3. ACR Poker – Great Schedule of Poker Tournaments in Canada

Poker Site Rating: 9.8/10

Americas Cardroom is one of the top online poker sites in Canada, offering the complete package, including some of the biggest tournaments in the country. With an entire team of ACR Pros and daily streamers behind it, the poker brand is already well-known in North America.

The client is available by download for PC, Mac, and Android. Unfortunately, ACR Poker isn’t available on iPhone at this time. After installing the software, you will find a well-organised lobby with a lot of players. The great traffic results in quite a few cash tables, big tournaments, and overall 24/7 poker action in Canada.

Special tournaments take place throughout the week, but there are also exclusive events that require more attention. The highlight is The Venom series, that includes a main event with a record $12.5 million guaranteed prize pool. For something more frequent, you can check out the Jackpots SNG that have a random prize of up to $1,000,000.

Best Online Poker Games in Canada

You can take your pick from several poker games online when playing at the best sites in Canada. There are some differences in rules, which can require different strategies at the tables. Learn a bit more about the most popular games below and find the right one for you before you play online poker for real money.

Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em is the main poker variant played on online sites and in poker rooms in Canada. It uses a standard deck of 52 cards and usually seats six or nine players at a table. Each player starts the hand with two cards that the other players at the table can’t see.

After several rounds of betting, the dealer will present five cards on the table that are visible to everyone. In order to win in Texas Hold’em, you must have the best five-card hand from combining your hole cards with the community cards. Another way to win is by making everyone else fold.

Omaha

Omaha is also hugely popular throughout Canada and you can find it on all of the best sites, both for cash games and for tournaments. While similar to Texas Hold’em, the main difference is that each player receives four cards at the start of the round. Also, you must create a five-card hand using only two of these hole cards and three cards from the table.

In addition to standard Omaha poker tables, you will also find Omaha High/Low tables at Canada poker rooms. Here, you win half of the pot by having the strongest hand and another half by having the weakest combination.

Other Omaha variations include 5-Card Omaha and 6-Card Omaha. As the names suggest, you start with five or six hole cards, respectively. This results in even stronger hands and can be an exciting way to play poker online on Canadian sites.

Seven Card Stud

Seven Card Stud keeps the same poker hand rankings and basic rules, but changes the way the cards are dealt when compared to Hold’em and Omaha. Here, there are no community cards and instead, each player receives seven cards after multiple betting rounds. Five of these cards are visible to everyone, while only two are facing down.

Other Real Money Poker Games in Canada

As we continue the list of poker game variations available online, we have to mention some special options. First on the list is Open Face Chinese Poker, also known as Pineapple OH on BetOnline. Here, you receive 13 cards and must create three hands into a 5/5/3 split following certain rules. Points are awarded for each winning hand in the showdown with other players.

The best Canada poker sites have casino sections with all sorts of games. Included here are casino poker variants, such as Oasis Poker, Caribbean Stud, Triple Card, and more. Video poker is also provided in different formats and can be a good alternative to online poker if you don’t want to play against other players.

Casino games are also great for playing free online poker games with fake money to practice and just have fun. You can check out the demo versions and play during tournament breaks and even while at a table.

Canada (Including Ontario) Online Poker Overview

The Canadian government has mostly taken a hands-off approach to online poker. However, in 2022 the province of Ontario began regulating its own market with several operators launching.

That province reverted to a fenced-in market, meaning players would only compete against others in Ontario. That’s a significant change to the market and mimics the approach seen in the US.

This review offers everything a player might want to know about playing online poker for real money in Canada — from the best sites and bonuses to laws and the live poker scene. Here’s everything you need to get in on the action.

Most global online poker sites are available to players in Canada, a prime reason many American poker pros moved north after Black Friday or still spend quite a bit of time in the country.

Online poker has flourished north of the border since its early days in the 1990s.

In Canada, gambling is regulated on a provincial basis. As the CBC notes, the internet “doesn’t pay attention to provincial boundaries.” Many lawyers argue that there is nothing against playing poker online in Canada’s criminal code.

As the Ontario changes exemplify, the country seems to be moving toward a more regulated approach as seen in numerous other countries.

How Big is the Real Money Online Poker Market in Canada?

Luckily for players in Canada, all major online platforms operate in the country. Those in the country have no trouble getting online to play some poker.

The country’s history as a legal casino and gambling destination make it a nice market for the industry. Canada has a population of almost 38 million people. That’s just a bit under the state of California in the US, offering a nice number of players.

Despite Ontario going it alone as its own ringed-in market, the province still has a nice size for online poker markets. The province has about 14.6 million people, enough to support a nice player pool.

This is Canada’s largest province in terms of population with major metropolitan areas like Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, and Hamilton.

Canada Online Poker Laws

When in Canada, players can play from any of the country’s 10 provinces. The government has made no efforts to make it officially illegal.

Any operator looking to be based in the country, however, will have to officially seek licensing. Ontario worked to shore up its own regulatory environment in 2022. The province still offers a nice market size with more than 14.6 million people.

Where Can I Play Poker Online in Canada?

There are numerous options for Canadians to play cards online or even Americans looking to head north to get in on the action. Here’s a look at some of the best sites:

1. CoinPoker – Best site for real money poker anywhere in Canada.
2. ACR Poker – Long list of scheduled tournaments and cash tables at any time.
3. Black Chip Poker – Generous welcome bonus and following reload bonuses for poker.
4. BetOnline Poker – One of the best free poker sites where you can practice in Canada.
5. Ya Poker – Licensed poker operator with fair shuffling and secure banking.

How to Deposit and Play Online Poker in Canada

Players in Canada can take satisfaction in being able to play on any of the major traditional real money online poker sites. The major well-established and respected sites offer plenty of cash games and tournament action for players from Vancouver to Montreal to Saskatoon.

Making a deposit on the poker sites listed here is a simple process, but you’ll want to make use of the exclusive bonus links and offers mentioned here to earn some free money for hitting the tables.

That goes for the larger international platforms as well as for the poker sites that have launched in Ontario as well. Those making a first deposit will need to provide some basic information, like:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Email
• Username
• Password

You can then qualify for any no deposit bonuses and are also ready to snag some nice deposit bonus funds. After entering all that information to set up an account, players will then be able to choose the amount and method of their deposit.

Accepted Deposit Methods for Online Poker in Canada

Established and trusted sites like those outlined here make use of common and reliable deposit methods. You can expect those to include:

• Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin
• ACH/bank transfers
• Major credit and debit like Visa, Mastercard and Discover
• Wire transfers

Not every operator will offer all of the above, but these are some of the favorites you will find at these legal, regulated online poker sites in Canada..

Have a nice night at the cash game tables or secure a big score in a tournament? These are also some of the ways real money online poker sites will pay out those winnings.

With proven sites that operate under gambling commission regulations, players can expect prompt and secure payouts.

Are Canada Online Poker Sites Safe?

Those using the sites mentioned here can rest easy in the fact that their personal information will be secure. These are trustworthy offshore operators that are all licensed and regulated by legitimate commissions.

The regulations from these commissions ensure players can expect a fair game as they might find in a real casino or poker room. They also set standards and practices that make sure player funds are secure and not intermingled with business operating funds. That is real money in your account after all and keeping it safe is important.

This should be seen as a major plus for players. Not all international operators follow these standards. Slow payouts are a frequent complaint from some such sites. Other times, unregulated sites have folded, and lost player funds are never returned.

Additionally, Ontario’s regulated online poker market is regulated by iGaming Ontario (iGO), a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The group was created to oversea all aspects of online gaming, including the plans for expansion in 2022.

Where Can I Play Live Poker in Canada?

If you don’t want to play at any online Canadian poker sites, there are over 50 licensed brick-and-mortar poker rooms in Canada spread out across the country. So, finding a venue shouldn’t be much of an issue. Here’s a list of some of the most interesting locations:

• Playground Poker Club (Kahnawake)
• Casino Montreal (Montreal)
• OLG Casino Brantford (Ontario)
• Caesars Windsor (Ontario)
• Niagara Fallsview (Ontario)
• River Rock (British Columbia)
• Casino Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia)
• Northlands Park (Alberta)

What Is or Is Not Legal in Canada?

Gambling in Canada is regulated on two levels. Sections 201-206 of the federal Criminal Code render all types of gambling and betting illegal throughout the entire country. Only parimutuel horse race betting is
exempt from this general prohibition.

Section 207, which was introduced in 1985, allows all provincial and territorial governments to provide regulated gambling to Canadian citizens. This means that local authorities, such as the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission or the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario,  regulate local brick-and-mortar poker rooms.

The above limitations do not really apply to offshore poker operators. Neither federal nor local regulations explicitly ban sites like CoinPoker and BetOnline from offering their services to Canadian citizens.

In fact, operators are free to advertise their Canadian online poker sites all over the country. The only exception is Ontario, where online-gambling advertisements have been banned since 2006.

It’s also worth noting that the Kahnawake Gambling Commission used to be a popular choice with US-facing offshore gambling operators. In 2016, the Commission struck a deal with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, agreeing to force those sites to withdraw from the US poker market.

History of Real Money Online Poker in Canada

As mentioned above, Canadian players have always enjoyed unrestricted access to playing on online poker rooms for real money. Unlike United States citizens, they never had to deal with a major government crackdown. The aforementioned 2006 Ontario ban on gambling-related ads is the only case of a local government trying to interfere with online gambling.

Unlike in the case of United States, major online poker providers never had to flee the country. All in all, Canadian poker enthusiasts tend to have it even better than their European colleagues, including poker in the UK.

When it comes to locally regulated online poker sites, available options suffer from very poor traffic. This is mostly because, unlike similar poker rooms operating on fenced markets in the United States and Europe, they simply cannot rely on a lack of competition to boost their numbers.

Official regulated sites such as Loto-Quebec (Quebec) and PlayNow (British Colombia) tried overcoming this issue by combining their player pools on a peer-to-peer network. Unfortunately, the results were rather disheartening.

Famous Poker Players in Canada

Famous Canadian poker players include Daniel Negreanu, Kristen Bicknell, Mike Watson, Mike McDonald, Jaime Staples, and numerous others.

A Canadian has even won the biggest event in poker. Longtime online poker player Jonathan Duhamel, of Quebec, took down the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2010 for $8.9 million.

Canada and Poker-Related Taxes

While gambling companies operating on the Canadian market are considered suppliers of gambling services and products to territorial governments, the country does not recognize any industry-specific taxes. Gambling companies simply must comply with federal and local income tax laws, and that’s that.

For players, the situation gets slightly more complicated. If you’re a recreational player and poker isn’t your only source of income, you don’t owe the state any income tax on your poker winnings. On the other hand, if you’re a professional player, you are required by law to pay income tax.

However, for a person to be officially considered a professional poker player, it must be provable that they expect to receive a steady income and that said income was earned by an intentional pursuit of profit.

More On Poker Pro Tax Status

The Canadian Revenue Agency isn’t keen on pushing for such interpretations, as they would imply that all poker-related expenses incurred by the player suddenly become tax-deductible. This would include travel and accommodation costs, buy-ins, computer software, coaching, courses,
possibly rake, and more.

Consequently, very few people officially achieve a “poker businessman” status in Canada. Even in cases involving highly profitable players, the situation is almost never clear-cut.

Both the Tax Court of Canada (2011, Cohen v. The Queen) and the Federal Court (2013, Radonjic v. Canada Revenue Agency) sided with poker players, determining that they aren’t conducting a gambling business even though they were consistently turning a profit from their poker play.

The bottom line is fairly simple: if you aren’t a WSOP Circuit pro, you don’t have to worry about taxes.

And if you do happen to sit down at the poker table with the likes of Scott Blumstein from time to time, you can always deduce your expenses from your income before you pay that 33% tax.

Legal Gambling Age in Canada

The legal gambling age is 18 or 19 in Canada, depending on the province:

• Alberta – 18
• British Columbia – 19
• Manitoba – 18
• New Brunswick – 19
• Newfoundland and Labrador – 19
• Nova Scotia – 19
• Ontario – 19
• Prince Edward Island – 19
• Quebec – 18
• Saskatchewan – 19

Canadian real money online poker players don’t have to deal with geo-location requirements on Canadian poker sites. ID verification requirements vary from one site to another, but in the vast majority of cases, a photocopy or scan of a Canadian passport is more than enough.

Conclusion

With all the cards on the table, we can safely say that Canadian players have some great poker sites to consider. The best option right now is CoinPoker, a crypto-based online poker room that offers a great variety of cash games across a range of stakes and a busy schedule for weekly tournaments. It also comes with the unique advantage of not requiring documents to sign up, play, and withdraw.

You can join CoinPoker within minutes and play real money poker online in Canada, on desktop and on mobile devices. The welcome bonus will prove to be very useful as you get a boost in funds and can then benefit from 33% rakeback, various leaderboard prizes, and other promotions.

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