Poker’s History in Canada
According to the history books, poker was first played in Canada in the 19th century and was brought to the country by French colonials. People still play today, but thanks to modern technology and the internet, many players have switched to the more convenient option of playing poker on legally permitted websites, such as the official Comeon Ontario iGaming site, rather than in land-based venues.
A brief history of poker in Canada
The history of poker in Canada can be closely linked to its development and rise in popularity in the United States. After arriving in Canada, it quickly spread across the US throughout the 1800s and was mainly played by gentlemen, soldiers, and cowboys in saloons and various other establishments.
The earliest version of poker that was brought over by the French was called ‘poque,’ which looked slightly different to the main versions that we know today, although the fundamental rules have remained fairly similar. The game gradually evolved over the years into what we know today as modern poker.
The game continued to gain popularity in the 20th century, and in 1969, a more diverse poker landscape evolved thanks to the amendment of the Canadian Criminal Code, which allowed individual provinces to decide on the legality of gambling.
Some Canadian provinces took a more relaxed approach towards poker activities, which further contributed to the game’s popularity.
These days, there are many different poker variants, although they all derive from the same original version. People can still play offline poker at numerous legally permitted poker venues, where they can sit down at tables and play one-on-one poker against the dealer or cash game poker against other players.
They can also take part in poker tournaments (sit ‘n go tournaments or multi-table tournaments), or they can play competitive poker like this on a growing number of dedicated poker sites. Casino-style poker (computer-generated poker and highly sophisticated live dealer poker) is also widely available on a handful of fully licensed and regulated casino and sports betting sites.
Today, there is a range of stakes to suit all budgets, from low-stakes tables to high-stakes poker tables, and people can also find many online and offline video poker games where the aim is to just try and land the best poker hand without having to try and beat other players or the dealer.
Top poker games to play in 2025
It all depends on what you’re looking for because there are many poker games out there to suit all players. However, the most popular variants you can typically find online today are the following:
- Texas Hold ’em
- Omaha
- Five Card Draw
- Seven Card Stud
- 3 Card Poker
Many people these days who enjoy playing poker prefer the convenience, accessibility and portability that online poker provides, especially casino-style poker, where people can play as many or as few hands as possible at any time of the day and from almost any location using any decent-working PC or mobile device with a stable Wi-Fi/internet connection.
Live dealer poker streamed in real-time from award-winning software providers like Evolution Gaming has become extremely popular in modern times, and computer-generated online poker games from top-tier developers like NetEnt, Games Global, and Play’n GO are just as popular.
Final thoughts
Poker has changed dramatically since it was first introduced in Canada in the 19th century, and thanks to several key technological developments such as live streaming, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, 5G internet, and more powerful PCs and mobile devices, poker has been given a new lease of life.
Faster, more dynamic, intuitive, responsive, and user-friendly websites & web browsers have also helped make online poker more popular.
Over the coming years, experts predict that the game will continue to grow in popularity, especially with the emergence and widespread adoption of other cutting-edge technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality.