Online Poker
This game is one of the most popular online card games in Canada & an absolute classic among casino games. This famous card game was played in its original form in the early 19th century. Online Poker has become very popular & can now be played in countless providers.
Plenty Online Casinos who make poker available online are listed in our overview. If you have not yet familiarized yourself with poker hands & different rules or strategies? We have put together a practical overview of popular poker hands.
Game Rules & Online Strategies
Poker rules in general, are not difficult to understand, just like the Blackjack . Depending on which version you choose, they may vary. For this reason, you should always pay close attention to which version you choose so that there are no misunderstandings.
How does poker work? The basic rules are often very similar, but can differ greatly from each other. In most game variations, the two players to the left of the dealer must place their bets before the game begins. These are fixed amounts, which are usually Small Blind & Big Blind cards. However, in some versions, so-called antes must be set.
The amount that must be bet per small blind & big blind usually gets higher and higher as the game progresses. In addition, the blinds move further to the left in each subsequent round, so sooner or later this fixed bet will have to pay.
Once the blinds have been set, the players receive their cards. In most versions, these are 2 playing cards, but in some cases also 3, 4 or 5. Subsequently, all players in turn have the opportunity to place their bets or suspend the round. The different options are:
- Bet: Place a bet.
- Call: The poker player has placed a bet, you can place the same bet. This is called a call.
- Check: If you have already placed the current bet & it has not been increased by anyone, you can "check", that is, continue without increasing the bet.
- Raise: With Raise you can increase the current bet.
- Fold: With Fold you discard your cards and leave the current round.
- All-in: When a player bets all his chips, this is called all-in.
The most important aspect is therefore to weigh the chances that you have a better hand than your fellow players.
As soon as the first round of betting is over, the so-called flop is placed on the table. These are three community cards that can be used by all players. In the following round, another card is added to the flop, which is called a turn. Once the round is over, the so-called river is the last community card.
With the help of your playing hand and the community cards, you have the opportunity to form a poker hand. This means that you can combine your playing hand with the community cards. For example, if you hold a king & another king appears in the flop, turn or river, you automatically have a pair. Of course, you must always keep in mind that the community cards are available to all other players.
All poker hands at a glance
How is poker? Before you start playing, you should first learn the rules. As with all other card games, different combinations are possible. It is important to know what combinations are available, but also where they stand in the poker hand ranking. To make it easier for you to keep track, we have summarized all poker hands in ascending order for you.
- High Card: If no combination is formed, the so-called highest value wins.
- A pair: Two cards with the same value.
- Two Pairs: A combination of two pairs.
- Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value.
- Straight: Five consecutive cards, the amount of the card values does not matter here.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit (spades, diamonds, hearts or clubs). The card values do not matter here & do not have to result in any order.
- Full House: Combination of a pair & a treble.
- Four of a kind: Four cards (same value).
- Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards with the same suit.
- Royal Flush: Ten, Jack, Queen, King & Ace of the same suit.
The most famous poker hands
How to play poker? Since the invention, new variations have been developed that influence the rules & the game. The most famous & popular of them are divided into three different categories: Draw, Hold'em & Stud. Here you can find out everything about how the different hands differ and how they are played.
Hold'em
Hold'em games include poker variants where you are dealt face-down cards that only you can see. The number of hands each player receives may vary. Depending on which version of Holdem it is. In addition to the hole cards, there are community cards, although the number may vary here. In most variations of Hold'em, however, there are a total of five community cards. The different versions of Hold'em include, among others:
- Texas Hold'em: This is probably the most well-known version of Hold'em and is played with two face-down cards and five community cards, with the help of which you as a player can form your poker hand.
- Omaha Hold'em: In this variant, each player receives four hands, but only two of them may be used to make a good hand. Here, too, there are five community cards, but as a player you may only use three of them. The poker hands must be formed from two cards and three community cards. A special feature of Omaha Hold'em is the high / low split, which is not always used, but quite often. The winnings are divided between the players with best and the worst combination.
- Casino Hold'em: Casino Hold'em, which is very widely used in Internet casinos, is a variation of Texas Hold'em, in which you play as a player against the bank and not against other players.
Stud
In stud, players receive a mixture of face down & face up hole cards. The number of hands depends on the respective variant. Unlike Hold'em, there are no community cards in stud. Among the most famous & popular versions of the stud are among others:
- Seven Card Stud: At the beginning, each player receives three cards, two of which are face down & one is face up. Then there are several betting rounds, after which the player receives one more open card each, until he has a total of six hole cards. Then each player receives one more face-down card, after which the last betting round begins. Finally, all poker hands are compared in the showdown to determine the winner.
- Razz: Razz is one of the most unusual poker variants, because here the lowest hand wins. The ace counts as the lowest value in Razz and there is no straight or royal flush. In terms of gameplay, Razz works just like Seven Card Stud.
- Caribbean Stud: Caribbean Stud, called Tropical or Oasis Stud, is very popular among players. In this variant, as in the casino, Hold'em is not played against other players, but against the bank. Both the player and the dealer are dealt 5 cards, with one of the dealer's cards being revealed. If the player decides to go along, the dealer's cards are revealed. If the dealer's poker hands are lower than an Ace & a King, all players will be paid twice the ante. However, if the hand is higher than Ace & King, it is compared with those of the players to determine the winner.
Online Poker Tips and Tricks
As a beginner, it can be hard to find a good start in poker. Often you are not sure when and if you should play a hand, what to look for or which actions are too risky. To help you a little on the jumps, we have summarized some basic tips for beginners here.
Don't be afraid to take a few risks
If you want to win, you have to take a risk from time to time. Of course, this does not mean that you should go all-in on every hand. However, if you have received a good starting hand, you should definitely try to take advantage of this. Dare to go along when another player increases the bet. Do you already have a good combination on hand with the flop or the river? Then you should not be afraid to increase the bet from time to time yourself, because only in this way can you ultimately get a chance for good winnings.
Poker Odds
Have patience and wait for a good hand
To go along with every hand & gamble on the fact that you still get the right winning combination with the next community card is very exciting, but ultimately not really lucrative. If you get a bad or mediocre starting hand, it is better to get out of the game round. If you call constantly just to see if the flop, river or turn still delivers the decisive card, you will only waste chips unnecessarily. Be patient and wait for a good hand with which you have a realistic chance of winning. Just like the
Roulette
it can sometimes take a long time for your
real money
Strategy is successful.
Take time to learn and gain experience
Although it depends to a certain extent on luck when playing, online poker games are often highly dependent on the experience of the players. The more you play, the better you will be able to assess which hand is worth it, which bet is justified and when you should fold. If you want to avoid major beginner losses, you also have the opportunity to try poker for free to gain more experience in a safe way (i.e. in the Free version). On our site you will find numerous casinos where you can try online poker without risk to improve your skills.
Online Poker FAQ
- 👏 Is it legal to play online poker in Canada?
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Online poker can be played for real money if it takes place in state-owned or EU-licensed casinos, and it can even be played on the Internet through EU-approved casinos. Home games are also allowed if the amounts are kept under control.
- ⚖️ Do you have to pay taxes on poker winnings in Canada?
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In Canada, small and one-time poker winnings are not taxed. Similar to lottery winnings, they do not have to be taxed. Only if a player earns a permanent income from poker, the state requires a tax levy on his poker earnings, no matter how many times he makes a profit.
- 💡 Is there fraud in online poker?
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Online poker providers ensure the security of their websites by guaranteeing their good reputation. An example of this is a unique software that ensures that no player can gain an unfair advantage over other players. For this reason, independent organizations such as eCOGRA and Gaming Labs have the task of checking the random number generators of the games and investigating the processes of the games systematically and over long periods of time.