Best Ontario Poker Sites — Poker Online with Real Money 2023
Best Online Poker Sites in Ontario October 2023
Play poker for real money at these top-rated casinos!
Rank
Top Features
Payments
Secure Link
- Classic slots
- Live Casino
- Safe Casino
- 1000 Games
- 24/7 Support
- Large selection of slots
- 20+ years of experience
- Drops & Wins
- Great mobile app
- 20+ Years of Experience
- Progressive Jackpots
- Wide range of banking options
- 800 games
- 100% safe
- Trusted Banking Methods
- Large selection of slots
- Safe and Secure Withdrawals
- Top game developers
- Casino App
- Popular games
- Wide range of banking options
- 20+ Years of Experience
- 500+ Games
- Great mobile app
- Fast Withdrawals
- Quick Registration
- Sportsbook
- 2000+ Casino Games
- 24/7 Support
- Trusted and known brand
- Quality Casino Games
- Trusted Banking Methods
- 24/7 Support
- Poker
- Fast Withdrawals
- Trusted and known brand
- Live Dealer Games
- Quick Registration
- Sportsbook
- Live Stream Casino
- Safe Casino
- Megaways™ Slots
- Trusted and known brand
- Safe & secure
- Live Casino
- Huge Live Casino
- Easy site navigation
- 500+ Games
- Easy registration
- Instant Deposits
- Megaways™ Slots
- Classic slots
- Jackpot slots
- Fast payouts
- High Volatility Slots
- 24/7 Support
- Fast payouts
- sports & live betting
- Mega Jackpots
- Live Dealer Games
- Megaways™ Slots
- Instant Deposits
- Huge Live Casino
- 2000+ Casino Games
- Great mobile app
- Safe and Secure Withdrawals
- e-sports & casino
- Huge Live Casino
- 24/7 Support
- Trusted Banking Methods
- 24/7 Support
- Progressive Jackpots
- Jackpot slots
- Trusted and known brand
- Sportsbook
- +20 Payment Methods
- Safe & secure
- Sportsbook
Poker Origin and Evolution
Poker is a top-rated casino game. While poker’s roots date back hundreds of years, the modern version was introduced to North America in the early 1800s. When online casinos were first introduced in the mid-1990s, it was just a matter of time before online poker would rear its head. The first online poker site launched in January 1998 featured a $3/$6 Limit Hold’Em. Several other online poker sites soon followed, and the game offerings and limits quickly became much more diverse. Today, you can play a wide range of poker variants for pennies or big bucks. This makes online poker games suitable for all budgets. One aspect of poker that makes it different from most other casino games is that it requires a fair amount of skill. Even though luck plays a huge role, the skill factor separates the average recreational player from the pros.
Online Poker Variants
As you probably know, online poker is a game in which players compete for a common pot. They receive a starting hand and then try to build the strongest hand between betting rounds. After the last betting round, the remaining players reveal their hands, and the strongest one wins. Well, that’s not always true. As you will discover, the object of some poker games is to have the weakest or lowest hand. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular online poker variants.
Texas Hold’Em
Texas Hold’Em is hands-down the most popular and widely played version of poker. Each player receives two cards face-down, and then a betting round ensues. The dealer then puts three cards face up in the middle of the table. This is known as the “Flop.” These are community cards that each player can use. After another betting round, the dealer places another card face up. This process repeats itself one more time, leaving each player to make the best 5-card hand out of the five community cards and their two face-down cards.
Omaha
Omaha is very similar to Texas Hold’Em. The biggest difference is that each player starts with four face-down cards instead of two. There are betting rounds after the cards are dealt and then more betting rounds between the flop, the turn, and the river. Unlike Texas Hold’Em, in which you can use both, one, or none of your hole cards to make your hand, Omaha requires players to use exactly two of their hole cards and three community cards.
We should mention that one version of Omaha, known as Omaha Hi-Lo, involves a split pot. Half of the pot is awarded to the player with the lowest qualifying hand. If no such hand exists, then the player with the highest hand takes the entire pot.
7-Card Stud Poker
In 7-Card Stud Poker, a round begins with each player receiving two cards face-down and one card face up. After a round of betting, each player gets another face-up card. This repeats until the remaining players each have two hole cards and four face-up cards. After the betting round, each player gets one last card face-down. After the final bets are placed, it goes to the showdown, and the strongest hand wins.
If you play at the best Ontario poker sites, then you will probably come across 5-Card Stud. This is the same as the 7-card version, except players wind up with three-hole cards and two face-up cards. Some online poker sites even offer a hi-lo version of the 7-Card Stud.
Short-Deck Poker
Short Deck Poker is a relatively new poker variant quickly becoming very popular. This is essentially Texas Hold’Em, but there is a fun twist. All 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s have been removed from the deck. This modification leaves us with 36 cards. It also results in some pretty big hands.
2-7 Triple Draw Poker
As mentioned earlier, the object of some poker variants is to get the lowest hand. 2-7 Triple Draw is one such game. Each player receives 5 cards and then three draws with betting rounds in between. In this game, aces are always high. Also, flushes and straights do not count as low hands. The best hand would be 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, while an ace, 2, 3, 4, and 5, would count as an ace-high.
Video Poker
Video Poker generally follows the same concept as regular Poker in that the goal is to make the strongest hand possible. Instead of competing against other players to take down a common pot, video poker involves playing against a machine. A pay table determines the amount you win. For instance, Jacks or Better video poker online requires players to have at least a pair of jacks to qualify for a win.
There are several video poker variants, each with different qualifying hands and payout structures. Aces and Eights video poker pays 250-1 if you nail a Royal Flush with a 1 unit wager. The same Royal Flush pays 4,000-1 for a maximum 5 coin bet. Meanwhile, a natural Royal Flush in Deuces Wild pays 800-1 regardless of wager size.
Some of the most popular video poker titles include:
- Bonus Poker
- Double Bonus Poker
- Pick’em Poker
- Joker’s Wild
- Tens or Better
It’s important to understand that not all video poker games have the same payout structures or average RTP. Therefore, you need to consider the odds and realize that some video poker games are better suited for bigger bettors who play poker for real money. If you want to try video poker, it’s a good idea to visit one of our Ontario poker sites and play a few rounds for free in demo mode. This way, you can learn the game without risking any money.
Different Poker Games
Not all online casinos feature an online poker vertical, but you’ll find that they all offer a range of casino poker games. With these games, you go head-to-head against a dealer as opposed to playing against the other players at the table and play poker for real money. In most cases, you place your opening wager and then receive your starting hand. You can then make another bet or fold your hand. The number of betting rounds and draws differs from game to game. Like video poker, payouts are based on a pay table. Let’s take a quick look at a few online casino poker variants.
Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud is perhaps the simplest casino poker game to play. A round begins with each player placing their antes. The dealer then gives each player 5 cards face-down. The dealer also gives himself five cards, but one of them will be face up so that all players can see it. Each player must then decide whether they want to bet and play out the hand or fold. The game then goes into the showdown.
Here’s the thing to pay close attention to; the dealer’s hand must be an Ace-King or higher. If it isn’t, and the player made the additional bet, the player receives 1-1 on their ante, and the extra bet is a push. However, if the dealer’s hand does qualify, and you beat it, you receive a payout of 1-1 on the ante plus a payout for the additional bet. That payout is determined by the pay table. Of course, if the dealer beats you, then you lose your ante and the bet.
Let It Ride
If you haven’t come across Let It Ride at a land-based casino, then you’ve probably seen this popular variant at one of the best Ontario poker sites. One of the unique aspects of this game is that you aren’t competing against the dealer or anyone else. Instead, the goal is to end up with a pair of tens or better.
A round starts with each player staking three equal bets. The dealer then gives each player three face-down cards, which the player can look at. Two cards are then dealt face-down in front of the dealer.
After looking at their cards, the players can decide to fold and have one of the wagers returned or let it ride. The dealer will flip one of their cards face up. Again, the players can either fold and retrieve one of the bets or continue. After the dealer reveals the second face-down card, the players reveal all of their cards. The dealer pays out the winnings based on the pay scale. A pair of 10s would be paid 1-1 while a Royal Flush pays out 1,000-1.
Mississippi Stud
The object of Mississippi Stud is to get a pair of 6s or better using 5 cards. The round begins with placing the ante, and then the dealer gives each player 2 cards face down. Three additional cards are placed face-down in front of the dealer.
At this point, players can either fold and lose their ante or place a 1x bet, 2x bet, or 3x bet. Then, the dealer will proceed to reveal one of the face-down cards. Once again, the player must decide whether to fold or wager 1x, 2x, or 3x. This process repeats itself until all dealer cards are revealed. If you finish with at least a pair of 6s, then you win.
Four-Card Poker
Four-Card Poker is another popular online poker variant commonly offered at the top Ontario poker sites. The game starts with each player placing two equal wagers. One wager is called the “Aces Up,” and the other is simply the ante. The player is then given five cards while the dealer gets six cards, with five being face-down cards and one face-up.
The player then makes the best 4-card poker hand possible.
If their hand contains a pair of aces or better, they win the Aces Up portion and get paid out according to the pay table. All that’s left to decide is whether your 4-card hand will beat the dealer’s best 4-card hand. If you don’t think it will, you can fold and forfeit the ante. If you believe your hand is strong enough, then you can 1x or 3x bet. If you beat the dealer’s hand, then you get your ante paid out at 1-1.
Pai Gow Poker
The object of Pai Gow Poker is to make two separate winning hands out of seven cards. The high hand is made using 5 cards, while the low hand is made using the other two cards. The important thing to understand with Pai Gow online poker is that the five-card hand must be stronger than the two-card hand.
The game starts with the player placing the ante. The player and dealer then each receive seven cards. The player and dealer both arrange their cards so that they each have a high five-card hand and a low two-card hand. If the player’s five-card hand beats the dealer’s five-card hand AND the player’s low hand beats the dealer’s low hand, then the player wins. If both of the player’s hands lose, then it’s a loss. However, if one hand wins and one hand loses, then it’s a push, and the player gets the ante returned.
Conclusion
Ontario poker sites have capitalized on the immense popularity of this classic table game. One of the great things about online poker is that there are a few different ways to play it. You can play online poker against other players, you can play poker against a dealer, or you can play against a machine. And don’t worry about the games being rigged. While the house does have an edge, a certified Random Number Generator ensures that all outcomes are 100% fair.
If you want to give poker a whirl, we suggest you go to one of our recommended online casino poker sites and play for free. This will let you learn the game’s intricacies without having to wager any real money. You will soon be confident to play your favourite poker games for real money.
Other Popular Casino Games
Ontario Poker Sites FAQs
Yes. Many of the best online poker sites allow players to learn the ropes by playing for free using play money. The best Ontario casinos online allow players to play video poker games and online casino poker games for free in demo mode. We suggest you take advantage of the free games to familiarise yourself with the various poker variants before playing for real money.
Yes. You can play online poker, video poker, or casino poker while on the go. You can download the site’s app or play the games in instant play mode using your mobile browser. This allows you to play poker from almost anywhere at any time.
No. While many poker games adhere to the standard hand rankings, some have different rankings. For instance, a straight is stronger than a flush in Three-Card Poker, while a flush beats a full-house in Short-Deck poker.
Yes. You should be able to find various casino poker games in live dealer casinos online. You will find many of the same online casino poker titles in the live dealer room as in the RNG casino.
Dominic is an experienced gambling industry professional of well over a decade across a variety of operational and product roles. He has launched retail sportsbooks and online wagering sites for gaming giants across Africa and Southeast Asia. Much of his content focuses on the North American iGaming scene, specifically the newly licensed Ontarian market, including casino & sportsbook reviews and local gambling laws.
