As the Ontario market continues to grow, online poker players are presented with an increasing number of chances to play. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a newbie to online poker or you’ve been participating in poker tournaments since forever, there’s something for everyone.
What Are the Best Online Poker Casinos in Ontario?
Here at OntarioCasinos, we want players to know everything about online poker and where to play it. So, here’s where we think you should start looking to play online poker.
Is playing Poker online legal in Ontario?
Playing online poker in Ontario is perfectly legal. Every online casino game in the province is regulated and legalized by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (IGO) to ensure the safety of all players.
Is Poker Online rigged?
No, online poker is not rigged. In fact, game providers make sure to implement systems like RNG (Random Number Generators) to help ensure the fairness of each game. If you’re playing live poker, the live dealer ensure the games are fair.
There are also third-party agencies, like eCOGRA, that regularly assess online poker games at different online casinos to see if they are up to the necessary standards. If not, these games are removed.
Why play Poker online?
If you’re new to playing online poker, you may be asking why should you even play it. We’re here to tell you that playing online poker is not only convenient because you can play from wherever you want and whenever you want, but you have the experience to look forward to as well.Â
Playing online means that you can choose to play between playing in a poker room, an RNG poker game or a live casino poker game.
Online poker with friends
One great thing about online poker is that you don’t necessarily have to play by yourself. You can play privately with your friends if you want to! PokerStars and BetMGM are great online casinos for that.
You could do this by joining a poker room and participate in online poker games and tournaments.
Are Online Poker and Live Poker different?
Both online poker and live poker have great pros going on for them. It all depends on what you prefer when you’re playing online poker. If you’re not sure which one to go for, we suggest playing both and see what you like about them from there. In the meantime, here are the main things you need to know.
| Online Poker | Online Live poker | |
|---|---|---|
| Play from your home | You can play online poker from your home, or anywhere you’re at. Access your favourite games from your mobile casino, and you can start playing. | Live poker can be played from any location and at any time. All you need to do is make sure you have a comfortable environment that allows you to follow the game and communicate with the other players. |
| Experience | The only experience you’ll get playing online poker is the one where you play against a computer. If you prefer playing alone, online poker is the game for you. | Live poker lets you play with your friends or other players. If you prefer playing with others, live poker is a good fit for you. |
| Did you know? |
|---|
| The main difference between online poker and live poker is that with online poker, you’re playing against a computer and in live poker, you’re playing against the dealer. |
Live poker tournaments
Poker tournaments provide a chance for experienced players to compete with others and potentially win. These poker tournaments are usually held weekly, but if you want to play in a smaller tournament to sharpen your skills, you can try playing in the daily tournaments that are usually held.
3 important tips to know before playing Online Poker real money
Don’t walk in playing the game blind. It’s always better to learn more about the game before you actually play using real money. Here are some tips we recommend learning and using when playing online poker.
1. Master the rules, positions, and poker hands
You need to know the game before you start playing. Familiarize yourself with the general poker rules, best hands in poker and understand table positions such as big blind and small blind. Knowing these rules will help you up your game and maximize your chances of winning.
2. Understand the key concepts of a Poker Strategy
Poker Strategy is important and personal to each player. You need to learn different strategies to find what works best for you and your game. Learn as much as you can about them because every game is different. Here are some of the top strategies that you need to know about:
- Bluff – A player pretends to have a better hand than they actually do in order to convince other players to fold.
- Fold – A player forfeits their turn and their wagers in the pot.
- Check – This is an action a player is free to use to not place a wager when it’s their turn. This can only be done if no wagers or raises were placed in the round.
- Call – A player matches the last wager that’s made.
- Raise – A player increases the previous wager.
- Limp – A player calls the minimum wager to play.
3. Choose the best Online Poker Variants for you
Online poker is just one game. You’ll come across many variants you can play, and the best thing to do is try them all in demo play if the option is available. This is how you’ll figure out which one you like the best! Some popular variants you should consider are:
- Texas Hold’em
- Omaha
- 7-Card Stud
- Five Card Draw
How to improve your game
Improving your game is key. So, we thought we’d share a few tips and tricks you can use to start shaping your game and making it better. You can also check out our Youtube channel, where we’re currently teaching our viewers everything there is to know about poker in our Basic Poker School:
1. Play when you feel like it
It’s useless playing for just the sake of it. Make sure you’re playing when you’re actually in the mood to play.
2. Learn & Understand the concept of Game Theory Optimal (GTO)
GTO is where players can optimize every single play they make. This takes a while to get used to, but as the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
3. Play less hands and play them aggressively
New players tend to be shy and careful when playing at first. While it’s good to be conservative when playing, try playing less hands and play more confidently. Learning a good hand opening can definitely help.
4. Be patient!
Just because we’re saying play more confidently and aggressively, that doesn’t mean we’re saying waste all your chips away on every single hand. Keep in mind, it’s all about waiting for the right time.
5. Analyze your opponents
Try to figure out who’s the weakest player at the table. If you can’t see who that is, it’s probably because it’s you. We recommend looking for another table where you’re stronger.
6. Practice for free
Try practising for free to improve your online poker skills. This gives you enough time to develop your skills on your own time.
Playing Online Poker on your mobile
The best thing about playing online poker is that you can play it from anywhere. That means all you need to do is access your favourite online casino and play your favourite games on your mobile.
Through playing on your mobile phone, sometimes there are some additional features that players can use while playing like, Chat, Auto-bet, and check/fold.
Conclusion
While online poker is not the most popular online casino game in Ontario, players who want to play online poker can do so at some of the best online casinos in the province. As the market continues to grow, we expect to see more online casinos that have poker rooms to show up.
To remain updated on all things online poker, bookmark this page!
Frequently Asked Questions
