Poker is a popular recreational and casino game, with various rule-sets played and enjoyed all over the world. Being a card game, Poker is the perfect type of casino game to translate to an online experience. You can enjoy online casino Poker in Canada at the leading sites, each offering their own flavor of the world’s favorite card game.

Playing Poker at an Online Casino

If you’re going to play Poker online you will have to decide exactly which type of Poker you want to play. All Poker games follow the same general principles. The goal is always to score a hand that beats your opponents or in some cases the dealer. All variations of 5 card Poker use the same hands, which you will find below. The hands are listed by rank, with a Single Pair being the lowest scoring hand, and a Royal Flush being the highest.

  • A Single Pair is made up of any two cards of the same rank.
  • Two pair is when you have two sets of single pairs.
  • Three of a Kind consists of three cards of the same rank, e.g. three Kings.
  • A Straight is any set of five cards running in consecutive rank, e.g., 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
  • A Flush is when you have five cards that are all of the same suit.
  • A Full House is when your hand is made up of a Single Pair and Three of a Kind.
  • Four of a Kind consists of four cards of the same rank.
  • A Straight Flush is when you have a straight made up of cards from the same suit.
  • A Royal Flush is a straight flush made up of the highest ranking cards, 10, J, Q, K, A.

Texas Hold’em: The Most Common Online Poker Game

Different online casinos in Canada focus on different versions of the game, but there is one particularly popular variation that you will find at most casinos. This is Texas Hold’em.

Playing the Game

This popular form of Poker is the most common used for official Poker tournaments. Leading Poker gaming site PokerStars is a popular place to play this version of Poker.

In Texas Hold’em online Poker you will try to create the best 5 card hand from two of your own cards, and five cards that are shared with the other players on the table. The shared cards are revealed in the middle of the table, and you can combine these with your own two cards to form the strongest hand.

There are five rounds in a game of Hold’em.

  • The first round is the Pre-Flop. All players will be dealt their two cards, and may immediately look at them. Other players at the table won’t see individual player cards. The first bets can be placed now, or if players aren’t happy with their cards they can fold.
  • Next comes the flop. At this point three of the shared, or community cards, will be laid face up on the table. Everyone can see these, and start formulating their 5 card hand with the community cards and their own private cards. Betting resumes for this round.
  • After the flop is the Turn, and then the River. Like the Flop, each of these rounds reveals a community card and betting continues. One card is laid for each round.
  • The fifth and final round is the showdown. At this stage all of the community cards are down, and all players would have made their bets. Players now reveal their hands to determine the winner.

Texas Hold’em is a simple game to follow, and it also relies on an element of bluffing and deception. With online Poker you can use the size of your bets to try and mislead other players in to folding against you.

Other Types of Online Poker

Other popular variations of online Poker include Five Card Draw, Caribbean Stud Poker, Seven Card Stud, and more. Make sure that you try out some free games before placing real money on a Poker game, and read up on the rules if you’re unfamiliar with the game type.

Online casinos offer high stakes and low stakes Poker games, allowing for players of all skill levels to enjoy a classic game of Poker.

Experience the World’s Most Popular Card Game

Online Poker is the perfect game to bet on because it’s simple, yet challenging, and involves a social aspect with text and sometimes voice chat built in to a number of online casinos. There are themed Poker games with custom graphics and music, and you can even enter a Poker tournament with a winner takes all, or progressive jackpot.

Poker only takes a short time to learn, and will offer you years of rewarding and exciting play at Canada’s online casinos.