Video Poker Casino Games in Canada for October 2025

If you like the thrill and big paydays that come with playing online slots but also enjoy the strategy that accompanies each decision at the poker table, then video poker is the perfect game for you. Canadian players have been flocking to the game in recent years, and that’s why we’ve put together this guide. Below, we’ll reveal everything from the best strategies to the top video poker sites in Canada.

Our team of experts has been focused on the Canadian gambling market for years. We’ve spent countless hours playing the top video poker games available to Canadian players, giving us direct insight into which sites can be trusted and which ones can’t.

This guide is the culmination of that experience and effort. We actually did the work - registering, depositing, playing real-money video poker games, and withdrawing from online casinos. We didn’t just toss a few prompts into ChatGPT and call it a day.

Below, you’ll find the best Canadian casinos for playing video poker alongside our experts’ top tips and strategies that work for all players, regardless of experience, so that you can have the best video poker playing experience possible.

Video poker is kind of like a cross between regular poker and a slot machine. Instead of facing off against other players, you test your luck against a computer program and its random number generator (RNG). The goal is to make the best five-card hand possible by choosing which cards to hold and which ones to discard. The better the hand you make, the more you’ll be paid as a result.

Video poker got its start back in the 1970s, just as video slots and personal computers were starting to make their respective rises in the United States. It was an instant hit, as it attracted both skilled gamblers and slot jockeys looking for a fresh challenge. Part of the appeal lies in the fact that it’s a chance-based game, but the strategies you use and decisions you make may affect your outcomes.

Yes, video poker is legal in Canada, but the laws can vary depending on location. This makes it critical to learn your local statutes before playing. In Ontario, there are multiple platforms that are regulated within the province and able to offer video poker and other casino games to residents. These casinos are safe and regulated by iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

For everyone else, there are multiple legitimate, licensed offshore casinos that offer video poker games. These sites tend to offer more games and bigger bonuses than locally-regulated casinos, but you have to be careful when picking one. Stick to licensed sites with strong reputations, like the ones listed below.

Video poker’s popularity ensures that it’s also offered at many land-based casinos, so you can likely find a few games at your closest brick-and-mortar establishment. Again, though, the variety is likely to pale in comparison to what you can find at internationally licensed casinos. Ultimately, you can safely play video poker from anywhere in Canada. You’ll just need to check your local laws and make smart decisions when it comes to picking where you play.

There are quite a few different variants of video poker, but almost all of them follow the same basic format. We’ll walk you through a generic hand, from picking a machine to playing the cards you’ve been dealt.

1. Start by deciding which game to play. As mentioned above, they’re all fairly similar, but you can play a few for free before deciding which one’s right for you. Be sure to note the gameplay and pay tables to find one that matches your play style.
2. You begin each hand by placing a bet and receiving five cards. You’ll then select which of the five cards you want to keep, and the ones you don’t keep will be replaced.
3. After this is done, you’ll be dealt new cards and your hand will be assessed by the computer. If you win, you’ll get paid at this time according to your hand ranking and the game’s paytable.
4. Some games have autoplay features that let you speed through hands, and the coin denominations can also vary from machine to machine. Ultimately, though, most video poker games will follow the steps laid out above.

While there are dozens of different types of video poker games, most fall into one of five basic categories. Here are the games you’re likely to find in any online casino you visit:

Jacks or Better

The most common game is also the most beginner-friendly. It gets its name from the fact that you must have a pair of jacks or better in order to get paid, whereas all other hands fail to qualify.

Each hand plays like it would in a normal game of poker, with no wild cards. If you play at full pay tables (those with 9/6 payouts), your RTP here can reach 99.54%. If you’re just starting out playing video poker, this is the game that has training wheels.

Deuces Wild

As the name suggests, Deuces Wild is like Jacks or Better, except twos act as wild cards. That means that if you have three aces and a two in your hand, the two will function as the fourth ace, improving your hand from three of a kind to four aces. This means that the average hand value is higher in this game, and the minimum winning hand ranking rises as well (often to three of a kind or better).

The addition of wild cards makes this game much more volatile than Jacks or Better; that means that, while your wins will be bigger, you’ll also have to endure longer stretches of losing hands. Still, though, with proper play, some of these games can have RTPs north of 100%, meaning they can actually be (slightly) profitable in the long run – theoretically, of course.

Joker Poker

Joker Poker throws a single wild card into the mix, adding a joker to create a 53-card deck. This creates a kind of happy medium between Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild; hands are better, but not that much better.

As a result, the minimum winning hand is usually either two pair or a pair of kings. The RTP for these games is still high, but doesn’t quite reach the same heights as Deuces Wild.

Bonus/Double Bonus Poker

This version is a basic poker variant like Jacks or Better, except it adds bonuses anytime you reach certain hands (usually four of a kind or better). Quad aces is usually the best hand and pays out significantly better than other four-of-a-kind hands.

Double Bonus Poker games play identically to regular Bonus Poker games, except the bonuses are considerably higher. You may see payouts of 160:1 for four aces (as opposed to 25:1 in many other games). This boosts the game’s RTP significantly…in the long run. In the short term, this is a high-variance game, so expect long dry stretches punctuated by the occasional big payout.

Double Double Bonus Poker

You can probably guess what this variant is by now, but it’s basically Double Bonus Poker…with even bigger bonuses. Here, you’ll get better payouts depending on what your kicker is (the kicker is the fifth card in your hand, so if you have four aces and a 2, the 2 is the kicker). Payouts can reach as high as 400:1 in some cases.

These games are extremely volatile. You won’t win very often at all, but when you do, it will be worth your while. As a result, they’re best-suited for experienced players with larger bankrolls that can handle extended downswings.

Below, we’ve assembled a paytable showing all the possible hands in Jacks or Better, their payouts, and the likelihood of hitting each one.

It’s important to note that this is just a guideline, and actual payouts can change from game to game (and depend on how much you wagered before the hand). Also, some games (like those with wild cards) can create special hands not shown here.

The exact payout amount you can expect will depend on the game you’re playing; always check the paytable before sitting down so you know what’s in store.

Many games will have different numbers listed on the paytable. These represent the payouts for each hand based on how many coins you wager; as your risk increases, so do your potential rewards. Max bets often come with the best possible payouts.

For example, a royal flush on many games pays out at 250:1, but if you use the max bet function, the payout jumps up to 800:1. If your bankroll can handle it, betting the max should significantly increase your RTP in the long run.

Not all games use the same house edge, either. There are “full pay” and “short pay” games, which are also called “9/6” or “8/5” games, respectively.

As you can probably guess, full pay (9/6) games are better for your bottom line. Playing at short pay tables can drop the RTP by several percentage points; a full pay Jacks or Better game has a 99.54% RTP, while a short pay version has a mere 97.30% RTP. If you pick your game wisely and play it well, you can expect an RTP north of 99% for most video poker games, making it the smartest game to play in most casinos.

Choosing to play video poker over slot machines or most table games is a smart decision. You can keep the smart decisions coming by using an optimal strategy in each hand. Here’s how to do just that:

Basic Video Poker Strategy

The first thing to do is read the paytable carefully. Make sure you’re playing at a full pay table and learn which hands are worth pursuing and which aren’t. It’s hard to make winning hands if you don’t know what you’re chasing, after all.

If you can afford it, you should always bet the maximum number of coins on each spin. This makes you eligible for bigger bonuses, which in turn boosts your RTP. You may have bigger swings in the short term, but it’s a much better deal over time. However, you should always gamble responsibly with money you can afford to lose.

As for playing your actual hands, you should usually aim to make the best hand possible. That means holding onto cards that make strong potential draws, such as three to a royal flush. This gives you multiple ways to win (you could make a regular flush or a high pair, even if you don’t make your royal flush) and has a high expected value in the long run.

The decisions you’ll need to make can sometimes get complex from a mathematical standpoint, so don’t be afraid to have a strategy guide handy while you play.

Advanced Video Poker Strategy

Once you get the hang of playing video poker, you can start using more advanced tactics and strategies to boost your bottom line.

Most of the time, you’ll stick to the basic strategies outlined above, but situations will occasionally arise when you’ll need to think more deeply about a given hand. This could mean breaking up a made hand (like a pair of jacks) for a shot at a better hand. This isn’t always the best play, however, which is why we recommend studying optimal play charts.

You should also experiment with different games to see which ones offer the highest RTP. Track your results carefully, so you can rely on actual data rather than just your own feelings about the sessions.

Speaking of which, video poker is a math-based game. Your decisions should be made using math and logic, not your gut; keep your emotions out of your choices and rely on the charts instead of your hunches.

While video poker could accurately be described as the love child of poker and slot machines, there are key differences between video poker and those other two games.

Unlike slots, video poker has elements of strategy involved. Your decisions affect your outcomes in a concrete way; you’re not just dropping in some coins and taking your chances. This means your long-term prospects are higher as well, so long as you make sound decisions. The house edge is much lower on video poker games than it is on slots, and in fact, the video poker RTP is higher than almost any other casino game.

While video poker involves strategy and decision-making, it’s less complex than regular poker. The decisions stay the same, no matter what; the games don’t adapt to your strategy the way that human players might. You also don’t have to worry about things like bluffing in video poker.

When picking the best place to play video poker, it’s essential to find sites that offer a wide variety of safe, rewarding games. Our team of experts has evaluated dozens of top online Canadian casinos to find options that you can trust. We evaluate each casino based on its gaming library, bonus offers, mobile compatibility, and more. Here are the top five video poker casinos we’ve found:

We’ve repeatedly stressed the fact that video poker has one of the highest RTPs of any casino game, but only if played properly. Here are some tips for playing the game in a way that will make it more likely you come out ahead:

Check Paytables Before Playing

You need to know how much certain hands pay out before you start playing, as this will affect your strategy. The paytable can affect everything from how much you bet to whether you break up a pair to chase a flush. You can’t make the proper decisions if you don’t know how much you stand to gain if you’re successful.

Use Free Games for Practice

Video poker is an easy game to learn, but some of the decisions can become complex, especially if you’re playing games with bonuses or wild cards. Luckily, you can usually play games for free before you risk any actual cash. This lets you get a feel for the mechanics of the game, as well as understand how certain decisions affect your chances of winning.

Free games will function exactly like the regular versions, with the same RTPs, odds, and bonuses. The only difference is that you can’t win or lose real money. The best free video poker games are perfect for learning new variants and honing your skills.

Always Play the Max Bet

Betting the max on each hand will make you eligible for bigger bonuses and enhanced payouts if you hit certain hands. It may not seem like much, but these can boost your RTP by 1-2% in the long run. If you can’t afford to bet the max, it may be worthwhile to drop down in stakes.

Stick to “Full Pay” Games

When it comes to payouts, there are two basic kinds of video poker games: full pay and short pay. Short pay games have worse odds and a bigger house edge, so they should be avoided if possible.

Full pay games are also called 9/6 games; this is because full houses pay out at 9:1 and flushes pay out at 6:1. Short pay games, on the other hand, pay out at 8:1 or 7:1 for full houses and 5:1 for flushes. These reduced payouts will eat away at your bankroll over time, so it’s worth spending a few minutes seeking out full pay games and playing them exclusively.

Manage Your Bankroll Carefully

Video poker has a high RTP, but remember that this figure is an average calculated over thousands, if not millions, of rounds. In the short term, you may experience a lot of variance, especially if you play highly volatile games like Double Double Bonus Poker. These games have generous payouts, but you can also endure long stretches without winning anything at all.

Be sure you have enough of a bankroll to endure the downswings so that you can take advantage of hot streaks. If not, don’t be afraid to drop down in stakes to build your bankroll back up to proper levels.