Holland vs. Canada: Which Offers the Best Online Poker Experience?

Online poker has gained widespread popularity over the years. Millions of people from all corners of the globe enjoy this fun pastime whether for pure enjoyment or to make a profit. The game’s popularity online can be attributed to a number of factors, including the convenience of being able to play from anywhere at any time, the availability of a wide range of games and stakes, and the ability to play against people from all over the world.

The growth of online poker has also been fueled by publicized online and offline poker tournaments. Major online tournaments like the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the World Poker Tour (WPT) have huge prizes and attract some of the world’s best players.

When it comes to Holland and Canada, however, which offers the best experience?

Online Poker in Holland

Holland’s online gambling market is regulated with various licensed online poker sites. The Dutch Gaming Authority (called Kansspelutoriteit) oversees the industry and ensures operators comply with regulations to keep players safe.

Until recently, the Dutch market was closed to international operators, so options were limited. However, the Remote Gambling Act came into force in October 2021, which meant that international operators could enter the market and give players more choices. You can take a look here.

More about Dutch Poker

More and more people are getting into poker in land-based and online casinos. For a small country, the Netherlands does well. There are 14 brick-and-mortar casinos and 1,982 ranked players, of which 61 are female.

The top Dutch poker players are David Hu, Zhong Chen, and Johannes Straver. These players rank 244, 236, and 444 on the GPI (the Global Poker Index).

Several tournaments take place in Holland each year. For 2023, the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) will take place in Venlo, Netherlands in May. Other tournaments include the Holland Casino Breda Pinkster Event, the Enschede Poker Series, and the Leeuwarden Poker Series.

Online Poker in Canada

Canada has recently started opening up its own online poker market like Holland. Until relatively recently, Canadians had to rely on offshore operators to play poker. Gambling was always a gray area, and players could access offshore casinos, but there were no efforts by the government to make it legal officially.

However, individual provinces can now set up their own regulators and licensing. For example, in 2022, Ontario started regulating gambling through the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). If you’re looking for the best fast withdrawal casino Canada has to offer, there are many great ones as lots of provinces are now opening there doors to online gambling more and more.

More about Canadian Poker

Being larger than the Netherlands, Canada has more physical casinos with 53. It also has 7,406 ranked players, of which 625 are female.

The top-ranked players are Michael “SirWatts” Watson, Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu (who plays on the GG Poker team), and Daniel Dvoress. Internationally, they rank at 20, 25, and 63 respectively, showing that Canadian players are better than Dutch. The highest-ranking female player is Kristen “Kirssyb24” Foxen who plays on the PartyPoker team. She ranks and number 5 in Canada and at no. 103 in the GPI rankings, putting her ahead of all the top Dutch players.

As for tournaments, Canada has plenty. In April 2023, there was the Playground PG500 in Kahnawake, QC. There are also two tournaments in May, the WSOP International Circuit in Calgary and the May Millions in Kahnawake. In July, there’s also the Pure Poker Tour.

Holland Vs. Canada – which one is the best for playing online poker?

It’s a tough one to call. Both Holland and Canada now have strong player communities. Bettors can easily find various poker games and stakes to suit their preferences. Whether people want to play for fun, low stakes, or are high rollers, there’s something for everyone in both countries. However, in the rankings, Canada certainly has higher-rated players in the international circuits so Canada is certainly the best in that regard!

That said, Holland’s market it much better established and so players can expect a greater range of options and a higher level of protection and security on licensed sites compared to Canada, which is still in its online poker infancy.
In terms of online poker specifically, poker players are renowned for their risk evaluation so it’s probable that any experienced poker player will have a great gambling experience in both Holland and Canada.

Ultimately, deciding which country provides the best online poker experience depends on personal preferences and priorities. Arguably, Canadians will find Canadian sites more suitable, and Dutch people will find sites in Holland more suitable.