Play Your Cards Right – Canada’s Ultimate Guide to Poker

The game might be called Texas hold ‘em, but there’s no doubt that Canadians have been a big part of poker’s past and present (and likely future). Whether it’s Daniel Negreanu calling out his opponents’ hands or Jonathan Duhamel taking home the biggest bracelet of them all, Canadians seem to have poker in their blood.

If you’re looking to join the ranks of the Great White North’s top pros, you’re in the right place. Below, we’ll cover tips and strategies for newbies and experienced poker players alike, while also revealing the best places to play the game online in Canada.

Navigating the world of Canadian online poker can feel about as intimidating as taking a seat in an Old West card room. There are so many places to play and games to explore. Picking the right online poker rooms and tables can seem like an impossible task.

That’s where we come in. Our team of Canadian poker experts has spent countless hours on the virtual felt, playing everything from low-stakes limit hold ‘em to nosebleed pot-limit Omaha. We love poker, and we believe it’s our mission to protect it by shining a light on the best poker casinos that do the game justice.

Every bit of information you’ll find in our guides is built on hard-won experience, not from some automated survey of the Canadian poker scene. We’ve seen and done it all, and we’re committed to helping you avoid the pitfalls that sideline so many enthusiastic new players.

Poker may have started as an American game, but if we have anything to say about it, the future will be all Canadian.

Poker is the ultimate casino card game. A thrilling mix of skill, strategy, and chance, it’s built for drama, which is why it’s as fun to watch as it is to play. The modern game took root in 19th-century America and found its permanent home in Las Vegas in the 1950s.

There were many popular forms of the game early on, but Texas hold ‘em became the dominant variant in the 1970s when it was used to determine the winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event. Today, thanks to the internet, you can play just about any type of poker you like at any time. Still, the basic objectives remain the same: to win as many chips as possible by making the best hand or simply convincing your opponent that you did.

The legal status of online poker in Canada is a little complex. In certain provinces (like Ontario), there are regulated markets featuring licensed poker sites. It’s legal to play online poker in these places, provided you meet all the necessary legal requirements of the province.

But what about the provinces that don’t offer regulated online poker casinos? The good news is that you can safely play in those locations as well. Many offshore poker sites are licensed by reputable global gambling regulators, such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. These sites are safe, reputable, and a ton of fun, making them a great choice for Canadian card sharks.

They’re also available to players across the country. Wherever you are in Canada (or visiting),  you’ll be eligible to take a seat at their virtual card tables, ensuring you can always get a game, any time, any place.

There are quite a few different types of poker, with new ones being thought up by bored card players all the time. At their core, however, almost all poker games share the same basic principles. Most use the same hand rankings, the same actions, and the same betting rounds. Let’s take a look at each of these concepts now.

Your possible actions are always the same, no matter what game you’re playing. When it’s your turn, you can:

Check, which means give up your turn without betting. You can only do this if you’re not facing a bet.

Bet, if no one has bet before you. How much you can bet will be determined by the game. In some games, your bet size will be limited to a certain amount or the size of the pot, whereas in no-limit games, you can bet as much as you like at any time (provided it’s at least equal to the table minimum, which is usually the big blind).

Call if someone has bet before you. Calling matches the other player’s bet amount and ends your turn.

Raise, if someone has bet before you. Raising increases the amount of the bet by a certain amount, increasing the cost of staying in the hand for all players left to act.

Fold, if you want to forfeit your hand and any chips you’ve committed to the pot. You can’t win the hand if you fold — but you can’t lose any more money in it, either.

In poker, the aim is to make the best five-card hand. Most poker games follow the same basic hand rankings, which are as follows (from best to worst):

• Royal Flush (e.g., 10♠️ J♠️ Q♠️ K♠️ A♠️)
• Straight Flush (4♠️ 5♠️ 6♠️ 7♠️ 8♠️)
• Four of a Kind (A♠️ A♥️ A♣️ A♦️K♦️)
• Full House (A♠️ A♥️ A♣️ K♠️ K♦️)
• Flush (A♦️ J♦️ 9♦️ 5♦️ 2♦️)

• Straight (6♦️ 7♣️ 8♠️ 9♦️ 10♣️)
• Three of a Kind (A♠️ A♦️ A♣️ 7♥️ 2♠️)
• Two Pair (A♥️ A♠️ K♦️ K♠️ 7♥️)
• One Pair (A♦️ A♠️ 7♥️ 5♣️ 2♦️)
• High Card (A♠️ J♦️ 9♠️ 7♥️ 2♣️)

It should also be noted that there are some games, like razz or short-deck hold ‘em, that might have different hand rankings. That’s why it’s always good to learn the rules of the game before playing (especially if you’re playing for real money).

Things get a little murkier here, as the betting rounds can vary dramatically in different games. In most  hold ‘em based games (such as Texas hold ‘em and Omaha), there are four betting rounds. These are:

Pre-flop betting, which is based on your two-hole cards and occurs before any community cards are dealt,

Flop betting, which happens after the first three community cards are dealt,

Turn betting, which occurs after the fourth community card is dealt, and

River betting, which happens after the last card is dealt. Once the river betting is complete, players must show their hands if they hope to win the pot.

Before each hand, the dealer will place a “button,” which marks which player will act last after the flop. Post-flop betting always starts with the active player closest to the button’s left and moves in a clockwise fashion (preflop betting is based on the location of the blinds).

In stud-based games, there are no blinds or buttons. Each player antes before the hand begins, and action is determined by the strength of their exposed hand. Even so, action still moves in a clockwise fashion.

There are many different poker variants you can try, and it’s worth giving all of them a chance to see which one you like best. Here are a few that are currently popular among Canadian players:

Omaha

Eventually, most Texas hold ‘em players find themselves sitting at an Omaha table. The two games are very similar, with one key difference: in Omaha, you get four down cards instead of two. You must use exactly two of the cards in your hand and three of the cards on the board to make your hand.

The two extra cards make a massive difference in how this game plays. It’s easier to make a big hand, which leads to bigger pots (and bigger bluffs) as a result. Omaha is the ultimate action game, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Often played at pot-limit stakes, the swings here can be massive.

Texas Hold ‘Em

The gold standard for well over 50 years now, Texas hold ‘em remains the most popular poker game both in Canada and the rest of the world.

Each player receives two down cards, which they can then combine with five community cards to create the best five-card hand possible. It’s a simple game that you can pick up in a matter of minutes, but the betting and bluffing opportunities make it endlessly complex.

Short Deck / 6+ Hold ‘Em

No matter what you call it, this game is like Texas hold ‘em on steroids. The gameplay is the same, except all cards between 2 and 5 have been removed from the deck, creating much bigger hands. This has made the game massively popular in a short time, and it’s a favorite of action junkies across Canada.

Be careful, though, as many of these games have slightly different rules than you’re used to; for example, at many 6+ hold ‘em tables, straights beat flushes, so be sure you know what you’re betting on before you let the chips fly.

Seven-Card Stud

Once one of the most popular poker games in the world, seven-card stud is now more of a niche option, often found as part of mixed games rather than offered as a standalone game.

Players ante instead of posting blinds, and everyone receives seven cards total (four up, three down) with no community cards. This makes each hand unique and slows down the action considerably. Having more information (but also more hidden cards) makes this game incredibly complex, but dealing all those cards also slows down the action.

Video Poker

If you love poker but hate playing against other people, video poker is a fantastic alternative. These machines are incredibly popular in casinos, as they’re fun, easy to play, and have one of the lowest house edges of any casino game.

There are many different varieties of video poker, but the aim is always the same: make the best hand you can from the cards you’re dealt.

If it’s your first time playing poker, getting started can be intimidating. Fortunately, the whole process is quite simple once you get the hang of it.

The first thing you need to do is decide what kind of poker you want to play. For most players, Texas hold ‘em is a great starting point, as it’s fairly simple to learn, and you’ll find the most action at all levels for this game.

This also affects your buy-in, or how much money you initially bring to the table. For example, a $0.50/$1 Texas hold ‘em game will probably require a $100 buy-in, while you might bring thousands of dollars to a $5/$10 game.

It’s also important to learn the hand rankings before you start; after all, there’s no sense chasing a straight if your opponent already holds a flush. Feel free to print out a chart showing the hand rankings or keep them up on the screen next to the table.

Given how complex poker can be (and how fast the games can move), it’s usually a good idea to play with free chips until you get the hang of things.

While free games won’t always give you a sense of how real money tables work (players are much more willing to gamble when it doesn’t hurt, for example), they’re a great way to learn the basic flow of the game.

When evaluating top online poker sites, our team looks at various factors. These include things like game options, limits, poker bonuses, mobile access, and level of competition. Of course, security is also paramount, which is why we only recommend casino sites that are properly licensed and have sterling reputations. Here are the best ones we’ve found: 

If you’re just starting out, you might be trying to decide whether you should play for free or for real money. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks.

Free money games let you get the hang of how to play, as well as provide a primer on how the action works. After a few rounds of a free money game, you should understand the blinds/antes, how the game moves, and what options are available to you at any given moment. However, free games are also known for having unrealistic gameplay. Many players are willing to go all-in with any two cards, simply because it doesn’t hurt when they lose.

Real money online poker games don’t have that problem; people tend to be more careful when they have skin in the game. If you’re looking for the most skillful action, nothing will challenge you like a real-money poker game. Of course, if you haven’t yet developed any skills, learning the ropes can get expensive quickly when you’re playing for real cash.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of how confident you are in your skills and your tolerance for risk that will determine whether you should play for free or real money. When starting out playing poker online, free tables should be mastered before graduating to cash games.

Poker is a game of infinite strategy, so we can’t cover everything you need to know here. That being said, we’ve put together some tips for both beginners and advanced players alike that will hopefully help you start playing games more confidently.

You should spend your early days trying to master the fundamentals, not attempting wild, multi-layered bluffs against opponents who aren’t sophisticated enough to be fooled by them. Focus on things like:

Locking Down Your Starting Hand Selection

It’s a poker truism that the person who starts out with the best hand often ends up with the best hand as well. Focus on your discipline and only play hands that warrant an investment. This means pocket pairs, suited connectors, and Broadway cards for the most part. Your starting hand selection can vary depending on the game, but these will be your bread and butter.

Being Aware of Position

Players who act later in a hand have a sizable advantage because they have more information available. You’ll see how many players are in the hand (and how they acted), allowing you to gauge their hand strength before making a decision. A smart strategy for beginners is to play ultra-tight in the early position, while opening up your range a bit the closer you get to the button.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

There are a few leaks that are common for new players, like:

• Playing too many hands
• Bluffing too frequently
• Chasing draws when the odds aren’t there
• Playing on tilt
• Being too passive
• Playing out of position

While you might see some pros exhibiting some of these behaviours, they have thousands of hours of experience (and solid results) informing their play. Until you can say the same, it’s best to button up your game.

Being Disciplined with Your Bankroll

While poker is a game of skill, variance also plays a huge role in a player’s success. This means that even the best players have extended downswings where the cards just aren’t cooperating. The only way to weather such extended runs of bad luck is to manage your bankroll wisely. If you’re a winning player at a certain limit, you should still have at least 20-30 buy-ins for cash games (and even more for MTTs). Don’t play in games you can’t afford.

Once you have mastered the fundamentals, you can start focusing on more advanced tactics. These include:

Playing the Player, Not the Cards

What you’re holding doesn’t matter if you know what the other person has and how to get them to play their hand poorly. Learning to read players and spot tells can go a long way towards boosting your bottom line.

Reading players is more of an art than a science, and one that’s been misrepresented in popular culture. Don’t expect to become clairvoyant at the table. Instead of putting a player on an exact hand, focus on narrowing down their range and acting accordingly. If you can do that, you can compete in just about any game in the world, regardless of whether you play poker online or live.

Learning When (and How) to Bluff

Bluffing is one of the most misunderstood concepts in poker. Your play should have a healthy amount of both bluffs and semi-bluffs incorporated into it, and knowing when and how to use both separates intermediate players from true masters of the game.

This goes hand-in-hand with reading your opponents. Once you’re able to sense when your opponent is weak, you’ll be able to bluff more often and more successfully.

Mastering Pot and Implied Odds

Pot odds are the odds given to you by the money in the middle of the table; for example, if there’s $100 in the pot and it costs you $20 to call, you’re getting 5:1 odds. This information is always readily available to you and easy to calculate. You can use it to inform your decisions at the table.

Implied odds are much vaguer. Implied odds are odds based on how much money you think you can earn from your opponent if you hit your hand. Let’s say you’re a 4:1 dog to hit your flush, but there’s $100 in the pot, and it costs $30 to call. You’re getting pot odds of about 3:1, so calling wouldn’t be profitable.

However, if you feel that you can get your opponent to put in another $100 if you hit your flush, then suddenly your odds balloon to 7:1, and calling is massively profitable. The problem with this is you won’t always be correct in estimating your implied odds, and many players use them as an excuse to make weak calls. Once you have a sense of what your true implied odds are, though, a whole new world of profitable plays will open up to you.

Adjusting Your Play to Tournaments and Cash Games

While the fundamental game of poker doesn’t change depending on whether you’re in a cash game or MTT, how you play should change.

Chips are more precious in MTTs, as you can’t just buy them back in if you get busted. This means you should change how aggressively you play based on how many chips you have and how close you are to the money, whereas ring games reward a more constant level of aggression.

There has been a ton of literature written about how to profitably play in both types of games; we’d suggest picking one to focus on when starting out, then reading everything you can about that particular type of game before moving on to the other one.

No matter whether you’re just starting out or already have a lifetime of experience under your belt, there are a few things you should do at the table to ensure you always have a good time.

These include playing within your limits and not chasing losses; emotional regulation is as important as mastering the fundamentals, and you can’t be successful if you’re regularly sabotaging your bankroll due to playing on tilt.

You should also start at lower limits and climb the ranks slowly, spending time analyzing your game and studying between sessions. Finding and plugging leaks in your game will be a huge help as you try to move up in limits.

Don’t be ashamed to play free or low-limit games to hone your skills, either. These games can help get you acclimated to the real money poker world, which can save you a small fortune in the long run.

Most importantly, though, remember to have fun. Don’t get so focused on your bottom line that you forget to have a good time along the way.