888 Poker Review

888 is one of the most iconic brands in online poker and internet gambling in general. Launched in 2002 as Pacific Poker, it has withstood the test of time to become an award-winning poker site. Most recently, 888 won the 2021 EGR Marketing and Innovation Award, and it is not a surprise that this brand is very popular among new players and beginners.

It also holds licenses in many jurisdictions and serves numerous countries, including Canada. The following review focuses on 888 Poker Canada, including its bonus, game variety, banking options and more.

888 Poker in Ontario

Before April 4, Ontario was an unregulated market where the majority of people used offshore casinos to play table games, slots and poker. However, with the market regulation that went live not long ago, people can finally enjoy numerous legal brands in the province.

888 Poker is among the brands that have acquired the license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. That makes the brand completely compliant with Ontario regulations. Therefore, players from the province can enjoy playing poker legally, knowing that the brand has passed all the rigorous requirements.

One of the notable features includes players being able to host their own games and play with their friends. When it comes to game selection, they can enjoy Omaha, Texas Hold’em, SNAP, BLAST and other poker games. Those who love playing tournaments will be spoilt for choice. They can enjoy Sit and Go, Progressive Knockout, Multi Flight and other tournament types.

Passionate Ontarians who love playing poker will find 888 Poker Ontario more than useful for their poker adventures.

888 is one of the few top online poker sites, especially for new players and beginners, that still offer a no deposit bonus these days. You get a bonus just for completing registration. This no deposit deal offers tournament tickets. You have 14 days after signing up to claim the no deposit deal.

888 also features a traditional welcome bonus which matches your first deposit. You must make a $10 minimum deposit and use the bonus code to qualify. Terms and conditions on this offer are as follows:

• You need to earn Poker Points to accumulate bonus funds.
• 888 awards the pending bonus in increments.
• All unearned portions of the bonus disappear within 90 days of your first deposit. 

Promotions Offered by 888 Poker

This online poker site offers several promotions at the time of this review. Below, you can see some of the promos that are available:

• Daily prizes bonuses
• Early registration bonus for 888 multi-table tournaments
• Compete in daily hand-related contests for a share of thousands of dollars.
• After depositing, you get two daily chances to win on the Winner Spinner wheel.

These promotions only represent a portion of what to expect at 888. You can also look forward to freeroll tickets, cash bonuses, tourney tickets and WSOP Main Event prize packages. You just need to check the website's promotions section or watch for 888's email newsletters.

How to Claim Bonus Offers at 888 Poker

To start claiming the no deposit bonus, you need to register for an account (discussed in the next section). After completing registration, you'll receive the no deposit funds within three waves. You get tournament tickets after registering.

As for the welcome deposit offer, you must make a deposit worth C$10 or more. You'll need to enter the 888 Poker promo code during the deposit process. You claim the deposit and no deposit bonuses by visiting your account area and activating the offers.

Registration at 888 Poker

You begin the 888 signup process by selecting the "Register Now" button on the homepage. Alternatively, you can download the desktop client or mobile app first and sign up.

After selecting Register Now, you'll visit a signup form that requests your name, email, date of birth and gender. You also need to verify that you're at least 18 years old.

Next, you must input your username, password, city, postal code and mobile phone number. After confirming your account details, you're set to start playing at 888. We found the signup process to be as straightforward as other quality poker operators.

Game Variety at 888 Poker 

888 is competitive with the poker world in terms of game selection. It features Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, Blast and Snap Poker. The latter two variations are what set 888 apart from any other poker site.

Blast consists of sit & go's with extremely fast blind structures. It also uses a random multiplier to determine the prize pool for a given table. This format is highly popular among recreational players.

Snap Poker takes you to a new table as soon as your action is finished in a hand. This fast-fold variation keeps you from having to wait on other poker players to make decisions.

888 also offers more freerolls than most other poker sites. It regularly runs promotions that give you an opportunity to play for free money.

As for stakes, the 888 cash game tables feature limits ranging from $0.01/$0.02 all the way up to $250/$500. Tournament players can buy into tourneys as cheaply as one cent.

Poker Tournaments

This online poker room offers an impressive selection of poker tournaments. Some of its highlight events include:

• Big Shot - The main event of the day with the largest prize pool.
• Classic - Freezeout tournament with a short late registration window.
• Dash - Turbo tourneys with fast blind structures.
• Mayhem - Fast-paced 6-max tournaments.
• Rumble - Bounty tourneys that deliver bounties when you knock out other players.
• Voyage - A deepstack tourney that provides more value for your buy-in.
• 888 also features plenty of other events running throughout the day. You can enjoy a nice mixture of low buy-in tournaments, mid-stakes tourneys and high rollers.

Cash Games

Like at many poker rooms, the Texas Hold'em tables make up most of the ring games here. However, you'll also find plenty of full tables in Omaha Hi-Lo. Snap Poker draws its fair share of grinders too. 888 also lets you play multiple tables simultaneously (a.k.a. multi-table) in hopes of boosting your hourly winnings.

Jackpot Sit & Go

Blast is the name for the jackpot sit & go's at 888. Again, it uses a multiplier to determine the available prize money. This multiplier can offer as much as 10,000x the buy-in.

Sit & Go Games

The most common 888 sit & go's are 6-max and 9-max tables. When looking across the entire site, though, SNG's can feature anywhere from 2–360 players. Common SNG buy-ins range from $1 to $100.

Live Poker

888 sponsors a live tournament series with many stops across the globe. Recent stops at the time of this 888 Poker review include Barcelona, Bucharest, London, Sochi and Tallinn. You can play in satellites to win seats for these events.

888 Poker Network Partners

888 runs on its own poker network. Out of roughly 65 networks worldwide, it ranks anywhere from 8th–10th in cash traffic on a daily basis. It's currently drawing 850 real-money cash players per hour, which puts it just behind Party Poker and iPoker.

Depositing and Withdrawing at 888 Poker

The minimum deposit to play at 888 is $10. This poker operator accepts many different deposit methods, including the following.

• Apple Pay
• AstroPay
• Bank transfer
• Interac
• Mastercard
• MuchBetter
• Neosurf
• Neteller
• PayPal
• Paysafecard
• PurplePlay
• Skrill
• Sofort
• Visa
• Wire transfer

The minimum cashout is also $10. Most of the deposit options above double as withdrawal methods. You can see the cashout options below:

• Apple Pay
• Bank transfer
• Interac
• Mastercard
• MuchBetter
• Neteller
• PayPal
• PurplePlay
• Skrill
• Visa
• Wire transfer

You need to use the same banking method for deposits and cashouts when possible. If you deposit using your PayPal account, for example, then you'll need to receive funds through PayPal too.

888 Poker Desktop & Mobile Experience

This poker room offers three ways to play:

1. Instant play
2. Downloadable software
3. App

The 888 Poker download begins with running the installation wizard. Afterwards, you'll need to download the client and agree to the terms.

You can access 888 Poker instant play on the homepage. This version lets you play poker directly through your browser—no download necessary.

The 888 Poker mobile app is available for Android and iOS devices. We tried using mobile instant play through an iPhone, however, it immediately took us to the App Store.

As for the desktop and mobile navigation, we didn't experience much trouble getting around the site or app. The drop-down menus under each major category can be overwhelming at first. We quickly adapted, though, and found the poker variants and game formats we were seeking.

888 Poker Canada Competition Level 

888 is an all-around gambling site that offers sports betting and casino games. Therefore, it draws many casual players who enjoy multiple types of gambling. Thanks to these recreational players, the competition at 888 is relatively soft. You can find plenty of fish in low-stakes games.

Due to its huge tourneys and higher stakes, 888 does attract some professional players. However, the number of pros isn't incredibly large compared to other popular networks.

888 Poker VIP Program

Besides the multiple promotions covered before, this site also features the 888 Club. This rewards program sees you earn bonus points while playing for real money. These points turn into Gold Tokens, which serve as freeroll entries.

Only freerolls are available through the 888 VIP program. However, they're a nice addition when compared with the first deposit bonus and many promos offered here.