Top Online Poker Sites Canada
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. Poker is a game played globally in both, brick and mortar and poker sites online in Canada, where there is a lot of money at stake. The amount of money that is rumoured to change hands in a single calendar year is statistically estimated to be worth billions.
Canadian Poker Sites – List of poker sites that are available to players from Canada Posted on Mar 19, 2012 Updated on Mar 14, 2018 by Tim Glocks If you ask the average Canadian, they won’t actually know whether they are legally permitted to play poker online in their own country.
What's the Best Online Poker Site in Canada for Real Money?
For most Canadians the best online poker site in Canada for real money is 888 Poker because the competition is weak and you will win more. Get other benefits by playing at 888 Poker too, like the no-deposit $88 bonus - but don't just take my word for it - lets look at some data and compare the top poker sites.
There are also other reasons to play at other top sites like bigger tournaments (Americas Cardroom), best for beginners (PokerStars) and best loyalty program (Party Poker).
| Poker Site | Features | Real Money Bonus | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
888 Poker
| $88 No Deposit
| ||
Party Poker
| Get $40 Free
| ||
Bodog Poker
|
| ||
Americas Cardroom
| 200% up to $1000
| ||
PokerStars
| 100% up to $600
|
How to Pick the Top Online Poker Site?
- Safe Online Poker Sites -Selecting the right site to play at during these uncertain times your first concern for a Canadian player is whether your money is safe on that site. First we recommend staying away from online poker sites that have us exposure - the top 5 sites that we list do not have any. The problems with the Full Tilt Poker Shut Down as well as the inability of players to withdraw money off of Ultimate Bet (UB) and Absolute Poker was due to difficulties arising from processing payments from US players. This has lead to the US DOJ calling Full Tilt a Ponzi Scheme. The best online poker sites to play at are publicly traded so that the public can see their books and they are transparent. Not like the privately held Full Tilt and Absolute Poker. In our editors choice of the top 5 poker sites the first qualification is that they must be financially safe.
- Poker site quality - This takes into account a poker sites software quality, ease of use, support and fun to play at. You want smooth running software that is easy to use, feature rich and enjoyable to play.
- Level of competition - The weaker the competition the better. To make money online it is better to play against weak players than strong ones.
- Traffic and growth - Finding the game that you are looking for is important this requires good numbers of players and rules out most smaller sites. Positive traffic growth is important to find new weaker players and to insure that there are enough players to give you action when you want.
- Deposit and withdrawal options- Moving your money should not be a hassle, it should be straight forward and quick and secure with a variety of ways to do it.
- Game variety- The more gaming options the better - for poker (Hold em, Omaha, Stud, Razz, H.O.R.S.E, H.O.S.E). Additional gaming options make for a more complete site this includes blackjack, online casino games and sports betting. Its always a plus to be able to get the best online odds to bet on hockey, football and other sports as well as play poker all in one place.
- Poker Tournaments - having a good selection of tournaments and large prize pools are important as is satellite entry tournaments to the WSOP and other real world tournaments. The more profitable tournaments are the ones with weaker competition, you will make more money if you avoid Phil Ivey.
- Bonuses and Promotions - Bigger and more frequent is better
Poker Sites For Canadians
The best Canadian poker sites are safe fro real money poker games, have great software and a ton of action with lots of players and a variety of stakes to play at. Canada has a lot of great poker players: Daniel Negraneu, Evelyn Ng, Gavin Smith, Isabelle Mercier and of Course Jonathan Duhamel winner of the 2010 WSOP. One thing that sets Canadians apart from US players is that we have access the best online poker sites. Canadians are winning more big titles and more money online and bringing the cash and titles back home. Poker Games available include Texas Hold em Limit and No Limit, variations of Omaha, Stud and mixed games.
Making money with online poker is how most of these pro players got their start and for good reasons. Playing online poker you can play far more hands that in a real world poker room, the rake is lower and swings in profits are far quicker giving players a couple of bad days instead of a couple of bad weeks. The smart players don't go charging after the pros - they go for the weak players - its far more profitable. We have played at and evaluated the best Canadian poker sites to play poker online in Canada. These sites are not only of the highest quality but also the most profitable we have included the good and the bad for each room so that you get a more complete picture.
Never play poker online in Canada at just any random site, it may cost you your bankroll! A great poker site must be trustworthy with a long track record of keeping your money safe.
Poker Site Traffic
The highest poker site traffic in Canada is at PokerStars with about 4X the traffic of the number 2 site Party Poker. Below are the total number of cash game players based on a recent 7 day average from Poker Scout:
| Ranking | Poker Site | Average # Players |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PokerStars | 6800 |
| 2 | Party Poker | 1500 |
| 3 | 888 Poker | 950 |
| 4 | Bodog Poker | 925 |
| 5 | Americas Cardroom | 750 |
Poker Site Popularity in Canada
Although PokerStars has the most traffic internationally, 888 poker and party poker are more popular in Canada. The reason they are more popular is tough competition at PokerStars and better loyalty programs like cash back to name but two.
How I Pick The Best Poker Sites for Canadians
To find the best Canadian poker sites for October 2020 you must consider not only what rooms accept Canadians but also traffic volumes and that you get the fastest deposits and Withdrawals and more. Those factors are a must - you do not want to play at a site that leaves you hanging like whenblacklisted sites shut down. Quality websites that are properly run, that's the starting point in finding the right site to play for money online. That's where we come in to review and rate the best online poker sites in Canada and offer you exclusive promotions and bonuses.
Factors used in choosing the best sites include: poker site quality, level of competition, traffic and growth, deposit and withdrawal options, game variety, reputation, financial security, US exposure, tournaments and more. By ranking the sites we make it easy for you to pick the best online poker site to play at.
Real Money Poker Sites
Picking a profitable poker site with weak competition is one of the key factors to being successful at online poker. Weaker competition gives good players an edge and the ability to be profitable in the long term at real money poker sites.
The best real money poker sites for Canadians have: high quality software that is easy to use, excellent customer support, weak competition, a multitude of safe secure deposit and withdrawal options, good poker game variety, poker tournaments running 24/7 at a variety of stakes, a great sign up bonus and high player traffic.
Our editors have rated the top real money online poker sites and have come up with their top picks for Canadians to play poker online for real money at. 888 poker is the #1 real money poker site for Canadians with its long standing reputation, award winning software - high traffic levels, the fastest growth amongst online poker sites in the last 12 months, quick highly reliable withdrawals and deposits, a great sign up bonus for new players, VIP rewards program and lots of fishy players.
Real Money Poker Canada
Playing poker online for real money in Canada is legal, super easy and if you are half decent you can even make a living from it. Bankroll management is key to being an effective real money poker player so never bring more than 1/20th of your bankroll into any one poker game.
Playing poker online for real money in Canada is legal, super easy and if you are half decent you can even make a living from it. Bankroll management is key to being an effective real money poker player so never bring more than 1/20th of your bankroll into any one poker game.
Deposit Options
Signing up to play for real money at an online poker room you have several deposits depending on your preference:
- VISA
- Prepaid VISA
- MasterCard
- Prepaid MasterCard
- PayPal
- Instadebit
- Ukash
- Wire Transfer
- Click and Pay
- Entropay
Our Recommendation is to Use a Credit Card VISA /M/C or Prepaid VISA / M/C. The reason is that your funds will be available immediately and no fee added for making the deposit. Its also safe - if you are really worried about putting your credit card information online (unjustly paranoid) then go to your local shop and get a prepaid one.
Poker Bonuses
Online poker rooms offer sign up bonuses and deposit bonuses - free money some times - initial deposit match bonuses will match you dollar for dollar or better like at Bodog poker where you can get $2 in bonus money for every dollar you deposit. You can even get free money with no deposit required. 888 poker offers Canadians $8 free with no deposit required - just download the software and sign up. Now for the real exciting part. Playing online the number of hands that you play per hour is 3-5 times greater than at a real world casino - and you can play at any stakes that you wish - from just pennies right up to thousand dollar blinds. This increased hand count makes for a much quicker transition through the inevitable dips in your cash roll that all poker players go through, as well as the increased earnings by playing more hands.
Best Low Rake Poker Sites
The low rake poker sites do very in percentage rake for different No Limit Texas Holdem stakes. PokerStars does have lower rakes but it has a weaker rewards progam than the other sites. The only rakeback poker site is Americas Cardroom at 27%, but the cash back rewards at Party Poker in Canada is even better at 20%-40%. Most tournaments online are priced in at 5.00% with the very highest buy-ins being reduced. The maximum rake per pot also does differ between different sites. Check the table below for low rake poker site comparisons for No Limit Texas Holdem games for 6-9 players.
| Stakes | 888 Poker | Party Poker | Bodog Poker | ACR Poker | PokerStars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.01/$0.02 | 6.25% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $1.00 | 5.00% / $2.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 3.50% / $0.30 |
| $0.05/$0.10 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $1.00 | 5.00% / $2.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 4.50% / $1.50 |
| $0.10/$0.25 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $2.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 4.50% / $2.00 |
| $0.25/$0.50 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $2.00 |
| $0.50/$1.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $2.50 |
| $1.00/$2.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $2.75 |
| $2.00/$4.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 |
| $3.00/$6.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $3.50 |
| $5.00/$10.00 | 5.00% / $5.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 4.50% / $3.00 |
| $10.00/$20.00 | 5.00% / $5.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 5.00% / $4.00 | 5.00% / $3.00 | 4.50% / $3.00 |
| $25.00/$50.00 | 5.00% / $5.00 | 5.00% / $5.00 | N/A | 5.00% / $3.00 | 4.50% / $3.00 |
| $50.00/$100.00+ | 5.00% / $5.00 | 5.00% / $5.00 | N/A | 5.00% / $3.00 | 4.50% / $5.00 |
The different poker sites have nearly identical poker rakes at 5% at all stakes with PokerStars, Americas Cardroom and Party Poker having the lowest caps. Overall PokerStars has the Lowest rake for most No-Limit Holdem cash games online, just don't play the $3.00 / $6.00 game with its higher cap.
Cash Rewards
Cash Rewards programs give players a percentage of the rake that they pay back up to 40% through cash back rewards programs and gives the bankroll of frequent players a large boost that can turn an average break even player into a net winner.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Poker Site
Do They Accept Canadian Players? - Not all sites accept Canadian Players. All the online rooms we list do accept Canadian Players. For the top Canadian friendly poker rooms.
What Operating System is on Your Computer? - Some sites do not have Mac versions available and not all Mac software runs as well as Windows software. All of the 5 poker sites recommended here are Mac compatible. But if you run Linux you need no-download software like at 888 poker.
Traffic Levels For Canadian Hours - Many poker sites have good traffic but they are mainly from European countries and traffic levels in the evenings in Canada are very low. Rooms with higher traffic levels for Canadian prime time hours are Americas Cardroom and Bodog..
Is The Competition Weak? - If you play at some sites the rooms are filled with sharks trying to take your money, you will be much more profitable and have a better time playing against weak players that are looking just to gamble or have fun. The fishiest poker sites are 888 poker, Americas Cardroom and Bodog.
Company Reputation, Financial Security and Support - Online poker and gambling has been around for a while now and the places where you play for real money should have rock solid a reputation, be more than adequately financially secure and offers fast cash outs. Support should be quick and responsive with multiple ways to access it. These companies treat customers fairly because they are in it for the long haul - only the safest sites get selected for our top 5.
Software Quality and Reliability - Poker software not only needs to look nice with sharp graphics high quality software has tested random number generators, is functional and easy to use and is up and running almost all the time with few disconnects.
What Promotions and Bonuses are Available? A great sign up bonus for new players plus frequent promotions where you can get free cash and prizes need to be of interest to you and truly rewarding. While many promotions are ongoing some of the best ones are offered for only a limited time.
If your not sure what online poker site to play at or weather its safe to play at for real money - those are very common concerns and the reason for us to create this website to give you only the best options of the most popular sites. Choose from one of our top sites and give it a try, change the skins for the table and avatar options to get a better feel for the site - that often makes a big difference on your enjoyment level. Now go flop that set and make your move on the unsuspecting online world.
New Poker Sites 2020
There are no new poker sites in 2020 that are worth your time in 2020. You are much better off sticking with large established sites and only try a new one once it has been deemed credible.
New sites need to prove that they are financially stable and can pay back your money. New sites that are also able to show consistent growth and popularity as well as financial stability, Licensing, and credible individuals in charge.
The benefits of playing on a new online poker site include better sign up bonuses and bigger player promotions. In order to gain players attention the sign up bonus may be double or more when compared to established poker sites. Though these sites are new we have evaluated them to ensure that they are reliable, safe, secure and financially sound. No site meet this criteria this year.
The Fishiest Poker Sites
The fishiest online poker site is 888 Poker, the next two easiest places are Bodog and Americas Cardroom. Party Poker is tougher and PokerStars is by far the toughest poker site.
We have ranked the fishiest poker sites after careful examination of all the top poker sites that accept Canadian players. The poker sites with the most fish have high growth with a lot of new players, more gamblers, less poker pros, few prop players and a lot of recreational players that like to play because of cool software and features.
Finding the easiest poker sites with a lot of fish and few sharks is where its at to help you win more money online. Weak players give a lot more action and play with almost any hand. They like to call a lot and will often show down to the river with nothing.
Free Poker Sites
Play poker online for free with no download in Canada - Governor of Poker 3 plus get my top picks and reviews of the best free online poker sites in Canada. Here you can even find out which sites let you play poker for free with no download and get free poker money or how to win real money in free poker tournaments - freerolls.
Compare Online Poker Sites
Comparing online poker sites is the best way to pick the right site for you to play at. A great online poker site a game at the stakes you want when you want and a lot of fish with few sharks and a rich sign up bonus to get you started. Top notch security, software, support and fast cash-outs are a must. Sites with no US exposure are more financially secure and less risky to play at - all of these factors and more have gone into our extensive rankings. Additionally sites on poker networks including 888.com, Party Poker, Bodog, Winner, and PokerStars are the best online poker sites for Canadians to play poker online.
Online Poker Site FAQ's
Best Online Poker Sites Canada Reddit
Online poker is legal to play in Canada both for free or for real money. There is no laws against playing poker online in any of the provinces or territories and you are legal to play at 888 Poker, Party Poker, Bodog, Americas Cardroom and PokerStars.
There are some online poker sites that have been rigged in the past, they include Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet. The poker sites for Canadians that I list here are not rigged and are safe to play online poker at.
Safe poker sites are licensed and regulated by the government in the jurisdiction of their license. Third party audit sites like eCOGRA audit and verify that there is no rigging or scamming going on - if there is it will show up there or on Reddit forums first.
The safest online poker sites in Canada are those that you find on this website, they have a long track record (15 years or more) of fair games and have a strong reputation with high traffic levels. The safest 5 sites are: 888 Poker, Party Poker, Americas Cardroom, Bodog, and PokerStars.
Licensing and third party audits monitor poker sites for random number generators and segregated players funds is another factor that needs to be verified to ensure the safety of your real money accounts.
You can play real money poker games online in Canada in Canadian, US dollars or cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Many deposit options are available such as credit Cards like VISA and MasterCard but NO PayPal.
Real money poker sites offer deposit bonuses on your first deposit of up to $1000, additionally there is often free poker money or no-deposit bonuses.
Crypto withdrawals are the fastest, but other options like bank wire or check by mail might be more to your preference.
PokerStars has the most players over all and is number 1 in traffic worldwide. Party Poker is number 2 and 888 is third. 888 poker has the most Canadians followed by PokerStars then Party Poker.
Its super easy to get an online poker bonus: first follow one of the links from this site to the poker room of your choice, second create your new player account, third make a real money deposit and your bonus will be linked to your account, fourth and finally you must complete the play through requirement in order to have the bonus cash released into your account.
The best poker sites on Reddit for Canadians are a mixed bag of the 5 that I recommend on this website with either Party Poker or 888 Poker being recommended the most. You have to watch however that it is not just a poker site trying to pump itself in a well know forum.
Top Online Poker Sites Canada Free
sourceOnline poker players go from huge losses to huge winnings, but if you are a decent player with good bankroll management and you put in 6+ hours a day 5+ days a week, you should be able to make $100 000 plus per year. This is playing at middle stakes where the competition is not too tough and you need to be ready for the swings.
The most profitable players have accounts at multiple online poker rooms and specialize in either cash games, sit n gos, heads up or tournaments to make their living. Sit n gos and cash games have the lowest swings while tournament wins are less frequent.