If you are a Canada based online poker player who has been using the services of Skrill the online web wallet which formerly went by the name of Moneybookers, then we have some very important news to pass on to you!

As of January of 2014 you will no longer be able to use the services of Skrill if you are a resident of Canada, and as such if you have any funds tied up in your Skrill online web wallet then you really should be pulling them out right now!

There have been no reasons given for why Skrill have opted to cease servicing all Canada based customers, however, do not be too alarmed if you are from any other countries that Skrill offers their web wallet services to for they are not going to be going out of business any time soon and are very well run and operated and in fact have recently been given the green light by US Gambling Regulators to provide their services to the recently regulated online gambling sites licensed in jurisdictions such as Las Vegas.

You do of course have a number of other online money transfer services available to you if you are an online poker player living or residing in Canada, so if you are going to be affected by Skrill pulling out of Canada then you really should start immediately looking around for another way and method of moving your online poker playing budget to and from online poker sites.

The most cost effective way for online poker players living in Canada to send money into and receive winning payouts from any online poker site is by using a Bank Transfer, however with many players preferring to keep their poker playing bankrolls separate and segregated from their day to day bank accounts then do consider using one of the other readily available web wallets that are on offer.

Should we find out the exact reason for Skrill opting to pull the plug on all of their many Canada based customers then we will of course keep you fully updated via our regular poker news and information updates!

There are plenty of online poker sites by the way that accept and allow Canada based poker players and as such it may pay dividends for you to contact the poker sites you frequent regularly and ask their customer support teams what other available banking options they would recommend you use.

While the online poker industry might be facing setbacks in the United States, there are a number of other countries who encourage the online poker industry. Due to the large amounts being won online and the amount of online media coverage that online poker gets, the online poker industry has grown exponentially during the last few years.

However, even as the online poker industry has expanded, there has also been a rise in the number of frauds and threats to the online poker industry. Once such threat is an online virus that is known as the i2Ninja.

This is a relatively new but destructive malware product that comes from Russia and is used specifically to hit the online poker industry.

This malware leverage’s the I2P shadow internet to permit peer to peer communication (P2P) and then goes on to gain entry into users’ privately stored information. The malware is so well disguised that the creators of the virus even con the user into thinking that they will provide them with help desk support.

InfoSecurity Magazine recently addressed the issues being posed by this malware and stated:

While some malware offerings have offered an interface with a support team in the past (Citadel and Neosploit to name two), i2Ninja’s 24/7 secure help desk channel is a first.

The creators of the virus have obviously been exposed to online poker and know how to gain access. Based on information circulating on a Russian cybercrime forum, this malware permits buyers to collect information from forms and emails, especially “PokerGrabber”. This is significant because “PokerGrabber” is used by some of the most popular clients in the world. Some of these include the likes of Full Tilt Poker, Party Poker, PokerStars, Cake Poker, Titan Poker and 888poker.

One of the easiest ways to protect your system from this harmful malware is to ascertain the ways in which it gains entry and then take the necessary precautions. Dmitry Tarakanov, a malware researcher from Kaspersky Lab recently made a statement where he said that the malware would use some of the most common methods for gaining access. Tarakanov said that malware will make use of “usual methods” including

spam emails, drive-by-download attacks launched from websites infected with exploit kits and by direct installation through existing botnets.

Online poker players can take precautions by using a dedicated system, making sure their anti-virus is upto date and regularly running their anti-virus software to make sure that their computers are free from all malware and threats.

U.S. stocks today opened low with the investor sector mirrored in the stock values. The movement could take another shift with the data that is yet to be released today from the U.S. service sector. The bond purchasing in the U.S is causing a huge rift of doubt and uncertainty.

However, the stocks in Europe had a huge crash today, in other words they dropped really hard. The fall of stocks was triggered after the European Commission completely separated itself from the euro zone growth. Also, possible rate cuts by the European Central Bank (ECB) didn’t bother the investors concerns.

Around Asia stocks were mixed in today’s trading sessions. Most countries in Asia had low trading and only Australia kept its current rate which was a result of the decision undertaken by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Coca cola has proven to be a hot asset ever since its origin. Today, it is in the main focus as it is releasing its quarterly earnings. However, it should not create a stir as when the main brand results were issued late last month. It should portray some good movement which for binary options will be awesome.

When you are playing poker as opposed to virtually any other type of gambling game, you will be required to have certain player qualities that will ultimately determine just how good a player you become. This is where the old saying practice makes perfect truly comes into play.

You will be playing against all levels of poker player when you play online, and this means quite simply, if you do not have the necessary skills and knowledge of the poker variant you are playing, then quite quickly you will find you are up against a player who could simply make your bankroll vanish!

As a new online poker player in particular, you really do need to get as much practice and experience of playing poker as you can. The best way in which you can tone up your poker playing skills is to play for free, and all of our showcased poker sites will let you do exactly that.

Poker Playing Experience

Whilst you can read as many books on the subject as you can possibly find, when it comes to playing poker, either online or in a land based venue, then it is your playing experience that will matter.

You need to be able to know the value of your initial hand, and make snap decisions on whether that hand has any possibility of winning, whilst at the same time you will need to evaluate not only the community cards but each of your opponents who are still in the game.

So never be in a rush to play online poker for real money, sit down and play as many free play games as you can, plus be wary of freeroll poker tournaments, as due to the nature of these types of tournaments, where players are never risking any of their own money, then the strategy used by players will differ from live, real money poker games.

Playing online does have some benefits from playing in a land based venue, the one main difference is that you cannot see your opponent face to face, and as such any “tells” you may have are hidden behind the computer screen.

However an experienced online poker player will soon discover the playing strategy of weaker players, and will always try and use this to their best playing advantage. So when you finally do start to play for real money, keep the stake levels low and keep a level head!

If you are a Canadian resident and you have chosen to play poker online, then you should first make sure that you know how you are going to not only fund your poker account but also how you intend to make a withdrawal should you have had a winning session.

There are a huge number of different depositing and withdrawal options available at all online poker sites, however some of them may not be available to Canadian players. So it really is important for you to have a reliable set of banking options in mind which you intend to use, to make sure your online poker playing session is a hassle free experience.

Canadian Poker Player Banking Options

• Debit Cards – You should have no problems what so ever using your debit card as a means of funding your poker account if you are a Canadian player, all of the sites we list offer totally secure cashier interfaces so your personal banking details are always keep safe.
• Credit Cards – It can often be a case of try them and see, in regards to using your credit cards as a way of funding your poker account, some poker sites can readily accept both Visa and MasterCard deposits, whilst some should be able to refund your winnings onto your Visa card. But be aware refunding winnings to a MasterCard is rarely an option, so another withdrawal option needs to be found when you have deposited using a MasterCard.
• Web Wallet – You will find lots of different types of web wallets readily available should you live in Canada and want to fund your poker account using such a method. However one word of caution, and that is to shop around as the fees charged by some of these web wallets can be huge, and lots of value can be had by finding the lower fee charging ones!
• Pre Paid Cards – There are a growing number of different prepaid cards and prepaid voucher companies offering their service to Canadian poker players, these cards and vouchers usually have no additional fees attached to them, however you cannot usually withdraw winnings to such cards and vouchers. So make sure you check what withdrawal options are available to you should you use either method.
• Bank Transfers – This is the most popular deposit and withdrawal option available to Canadian poker players, and this method lets you safely and securely send money instantly from your bank account into an online poker site. You can then also choose to have your winnings sent back using this method.

One part of playing poker online that can often be a complete minefield is in regards to poker bonuses, new players will of course have a wide choice of sign up bonuses whilst regular players will get showered with ongoing and reload bonuses, all of which need some investigating to determine whether they are as generous as they may first appear.

Below we have put together a basic poker bonus type guide, which should enlighten you to the many different poker bonuses you are going to come across, and we will take a closer look at each one to see if they are worth your while.

However always be aware than you are never under any obligation to accept a poker bonus, and should one appear in your poker account, at any poker site, then you can request it be removed, however you can only request its removal if you haven’t started playing with the bonus funds!

Poker Bonuses Explained

• No Deposit Required Bonuses – A few online poker sites will flip you a completely free of charge bonus when you sign up and log into your poker account. Whilst these are a great way of testing out a new poker sites software features, they will often come with very strict rules that often is going to be very hard for you to cash out any actual winnings. So by all means utilize such bonuses, but always know the rules attached to them inside out!
• Deposit Bonuses – When you first become a member of a poker site or are a loyal, regular player, the poker site in question may offer you a deposit bonus. They will multiply your deposited amount by a certain percentage and this will appear in your account as bonus cash.

However with these kinds of bonuses you will often have to play through the bonus and/or the deposit a lot of times before you can cash out any winnings. Also be aware that sometimes you need to play and earn a certain amount of comp type points before the bonus is credited.

So with either a deposit or a reload bonus you really do need to read through the terms and conditions to see if that bonus is actually worth you taking, as often they are best left well alone! So take great care and do the maths before accepting any type of poker bonus.

The beauty of playing poker at any of the online poker sites listed within our website is that they all will offer what are known as freeroll poker tournaments.

This is a great way for all our Canadian based website visitors to play poker online, at no risk what so ever to their own funds, yet still have the very real chance of walking away with some real money winnings.

How a freeroll poker tournament works is relatively straight forward, however you will be required to be a member of the poker site at which the freeroll poker tournament is offered to take part in them.

So try and sign up to as many of our showcased Canadian poker sites as possible to get the best winning chances and opportunities.

How Freeroll Poker Tournaments Work

When you log into any of our showcased Canadian poker sites, then you will find a tournament tab or a tournament schedule, this is where that particular site will list all of their up and coming poker tournaments.

Scroll through this list until you come across the freeroll tournaments, and each one listed with have both a registration time frame along with details of when the poker tournament starts and ends.

You need to register to take part in these free rolls and you must do this within the time scale indicated. Once you have registered then you simply need to be online when the tournaments begins.

You will then be allocated a seat in the tournament and will also be issued with a stack of tournament chips. You can then start to play once the tournament has begun.

The idea of the tournament is to simply win your way onto one of the positions on the freeroll tournaments prize paying leader board, which is visible on the screen.

It is worth pointing out that only a small amount of players will win a cash prize, and there are often a huge number of fellow players taking part, so the odds of you winning may seem large, but these freeroll tournaments are a great way to play poker for free and still have a chance of winning real money.

So should you have a limited bankroll or have spent your current poker bankroll then seriously consider entering these freeroll poker tournaments, of which all of our showcased poker sites offer.

Everyone will have their own idea of how they wish to play poker online, obviously you will have your own poker playing strategy, and you will of course know how you intend to deposit and withdraw your money into and out of the poker site. However, when it comes to the software platform you are going to play at there are a huge number of possibilities.

There are of course many online poker software companies to choose from, and if you are based in Canada then you will of course be looking to play at one which accepts and allows Canadian based residents.

However in regards to whether you should play at a fully downloadable one or a flash powered, instant play one, then there are pros and cons associated with using either of them.

To give you an idea of what you can expect to find should you choose to play either on instant play poker platform or a fully downloadable one, below we have compiled an overview of each one, and hopefully once you have read through it you will be able to make an informed decision on which one is best for yourself.

Choosing a Software Platform

A flash powered, instant play poker platform, will give you instant access to a full range of poker games, with the main benefit being that you can play instantly and without the need to wait whilst the software downloads and installs onto your computer.

We are pleased to report that in recent years, thanks to the advancement of flash technology in general, then you will get a very smooth type of playing experience, and whilst the graphics and player options may not be as advanced as a fully downloadable poker platform, you should have no problems what so ever with a flash powered poker site.

Having said all of the above, it is true to say that a fully downloadable poker platform is the most popular way in which players tend to play poker online. The graphics, sounds and navigation of such a platform is spot on, and if you do have a choice then we would highly recommend you opt for this fully downloadable platform.

You will find a whole host of additional player adjustable options on a fully downloadable poker platform and will have a much better playing experience. However the choice is of course all yours, so why not put both ways of playing to the test and choose for yourself.