If you live in Canada and are looking for somewhere to play online poker then the good news is that you have plenty of places to choose from. Most of the major poker sites, and indeed the majority of all sites, welcome Canadian players at their tables. With so much choice you stand a much better chance of finding a poker room that is ideal for your own personal needs. In fact, you have so many options that it can be something of a challenge to decide which one you should be playing at.
It is fair to say that most poker websites are of a perfectly good standard and, as long as you avoid the small percentage of pretty bad sites, you will probably have a positive experience wherever you play. However, it is also true that there are a handful of poker rooms that really stand out as being particularly high quality and these are the type of places that you should ideally be playing at. Below you will see a list of the best Canadian poker sites that have the most to offer and we can happily recommend any one of them. They are ranked according to a number of different factors, and we have explained more about exactly how we go about ranking them further down this page.
Ranking Factors for Canadian Poker Sites
The above list represents what we believe to be the very best places for Canadians to play online poker. Ultimately, of course, this could be considered a matter of opinion, but we do genuinely believe that these are the top sites around. We have lots of online poker experience and we know what most of the poker sites have to offer. As we’ve already pointed out, most places you can play are decent enough and there are very few truly bad sites out there. We just feel that the rooms we have listed here are particularly player friendly and are the best places to play.
When it comes to determining which sites we should list here, and in what order we should rank them, we take a look at a wide range of different factors. Some of these are obviously important, while others may seem less so, but they all have an impact on the quality of the site. By comparing our own experiences and carrying out additional research, we can measure how each site performs in all these areas and then decide which ones should be ranked the highest.
One of the key factors that we look at is the quality of the software. Poker software has come on in leaps and bounds since the early days of online poker and the overall standard has improved dramatically. Sites that keep up with all the advances and ensure that they regularly upgrade their software to keep it at the highest possible level are clearly a better option than those that continue to use outdated software that lacks functionality. Top quality software greatly improves the online playing experience which is why it is such an important ranking factor for us.
Also important are the variety of games on offer and the range of available stakes. Texas Holdem very much remains the most commonly played format but other games, such as Omaha for example, are becoming increasingly popular. Playing different games is a great way to broaden your poker playing skills and can provide additional opportunities for making money, which is why we prefer sites that have a varied selection of games. We also believe that a wide range of stakes is important so that players of all standards and budgets are catered for.
The level of traffic at a poker room is very significant too. One of the biggest advantages of playing poker online is the ability to play a game whenever you feel like it. This is only really possible if you are playing somewhere that has a lot of traffic with plenty of active tables. It can be very frustrating to log in looking forward to playing, only to find that there are hardly any other players and you cannot find any action at your preferred game and stakes. The top sites are very busy during peak times and typically have a good number of players online right around the clock.
Other ranking factors we look at include the range of deposit options available, processing times for withdrawals, the quality of the customer service and the value of any bonuses and rewards offered. There are more too, but the ones that we have mentioned carry the most weight when it comes to our rankings. We should also point out that we only ever recommend sites that have good track records and have proved themselves to be reliable and trustworthy.
Playing Online Poker in Canada
The legality of playing online poker is not as clear as it might be in some parts of the world, and this can often put players off wanting to play. The United States is a great example of this, and indeed many poker sites do not accept players from the US. This is largely due to confusion about the relevant legislation.
While things are not as clear cut as they could be in Canada, as there is not actually a specific law that states online poker is legal, there does seem to be a general consensus that Canadians are absolutely fine to play poker online. This is somewhat reflected in the fact that Canadian players are welcomed at the vast majority of the top poker sites.