Most US casinos have a dedicated poker room hosting daily cash games and tournaments. While it’s comfortable and fun to play at online poker sites, some live play elements can’t be easily replicated. It’s hard to match the feeling of pushing all-in on the river in a big live poker cash game or tournament and waiting for what your opponent will do.
It can be tricky to find up-to-date info and reviews on legal card rooms in your area as forums and blogs focus mostly on online play. It’s essential for a card player to know specific poker information about each casino, like opening times, number of poker tables, cash game stakes, and live MTT schedules. Above all, you want to know where to find the best action, games, and atmosphere! Let’s dive right into finding venues that can become the go-to place for your poker.
Card rooms near you in the US
While poker is not the most crucial product for live casinos, it’s certainly one of the casino games that gets ample media attention. Poker rooms with a good selection of tournaments and cash game variants attract wealthy players and big crowds to try their hand at poker. State-regulated online poker has created opportunities to cross-promote online and live games. A few states like New Jersey have already managed to link their land-based casinos to offer both online and live games to their clientele.
There can be significant differences in poker action between different states. It’s best to play at local card rooms that have plenty of new players joining the action. Partnerships with brands like WPT (World Poker Tour) or WSOP (World Series of Poker) are a proven way for poker rooms to make themselves known. The poker scene is very much alive at casinos like The Bike and Commerce Casino, both of which have benefited from partnerships with prestigious poker tours.
Regardless of whether you’re looking for poker tournaments or cash games, low stakes or high stakes, best high hand poker bonuses or comps, our guide to the best poker rooms in the US has got you covered. Let’s take a closer look at some of the largest poker states in the US.
Best Nevada poker rooms
There are two prominent destinations globally when it comes to cities with a big casino scene: Macau and Las Vegas. Besides casinos filled with luxury amenities, great table games, and slot machines, Las Vegas is famous for poker. It’s the home for the Annual World Series of Poker and high stakes cash games running round the clock. Most of the casinos offering poker games are on the Las Vegas Strip.
Poker options in Reno have become somewhat smaller from earlier years. With plenty of casinos at their reach, which place should players pick for poker in Nevada? That depends on your preferred stakes and game formats. You can find a detailed guide to the best poker rooms in Las Vegas.
Best California poker rooms
There’s no lack of poker action if you live in California. Their poker scene is versatile, with close to a hundred card rooms, including Indian casinos. The best games run regularly in the Los Angeles area as it has a dense population.
Our recommendation for go-to places in California? Definitely these two: The Bicycle Casino, also known as the Bike, and Commerce Casino. You might be familiar with the show Live at The Bike on YouTube, streaming live games from The Bike. The Bicycle Casino is all about poker, offering exotic variants like Mexican poker, Stud, and Mixed Games on top of Texas Hold ’em. The games often run deep-stacked, and their poker room has 185 tables in total. There are up to three MTTs per day with buy-ins between $30 and $125.
When entering Commerce, you’ll see one of the largest poker rooms in the world. With 270 tables, there’s plenty of Texas Hold ’em cash games & tourneys running. Other frequently played variants are Pot-Limit Omaha and Mixed Games. You’ll find plenty of $1/2 low stakes tables and higher stakes mixed & NLHE action as well. You can join their poker waiting list online within 2 miles of the casino.
How about poker players residing in northern parts of California? Viable poker options would be Bay 101 with 30 poker tables and a yearly WPT event, or Thunder Valley with a friendly & poker room.
Best Connecticut poker rooms
Connecticut might not be the first state to come to your mind when you think of live poker. While there are only two legal poker rooms, the player pool attending tables by a weekly basis is huge. You can thank Foxwoods Casino for poker’s popularity in Connecticut, as they run a famous card room with close to 150 tables. The other venue with live poker is called Mohegan Sun.
Both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are located at native Indian reservations. Whichever casino you decide to visit, you’ll be in for a glimpse of the Las Vegas experience with services like comps and free alcoholic drinks. Our editor’s choice here is clear: If you love playing poker, pay a visit to the Foxwoods Casino. With WPT & WSOP events and a large range of stakes in cash games, Foxwoods certainly matches up to any world-class poker venue.
Best Florida poker rooms
While Florida is famous mostly for its incredible sights, sunshine, and amazing beaches, it’s a great state to live in for poker enthusiasts. There are 28 poker rooms in Florida that you can find at the traditional casinos and greyhound tracks.
The biggest poker room in Florida is Bestbet Jacksonville, with 70 tables. Another trendy venue is Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Room, also known as the Poker Room. It’s the most active and professional run poker room you can find in that area.
“As of 2021, the Poker Scene in Florida is alive and well despite the pandemic. While Florida offers some great action at its several Seminole casinos, I have found that the best poker games are at the greyhound tracks scattered throughout the state. My favorite place to play would have to be Bestbet Jacksonville, as they have terrific high hand promotions which draw some great crowds – socially distanced crowds of course!😙”
-Dylan, Professional Poker Player & Vlogger from Florida
Best New Jersey poker rooms
If you live in New Jersey, the only city you can find regulated & legal live poker in is Atlantic City. Yet, the casinos built in Atlantic City are famous around the world. Online poker has clearly improved the live scene in NJ as well. You have Borgata in close partnership with partypoker, Resorts with PokerStars NJ, and Harrah’s with 888 Poker NJ.
The number one poker room in NJ is Borgata, with 85 tables. They have automatic card-shufflers at each table and a separate High Limit Room. The High Limit Room offers food service and mixed games action from $20/$40 up to $500/$1000. You can find the Borgata poker room a few miles from the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
Best Pennsylvania poker rooms
It’s fair to say that poker thrives well in Pennsylvania. Besides state-regulated online poker, Pennsylvania hosts several great choices for live poker venues. The most popular by far is the Parx Casino located in Bensalem, which is also our recommendation if you’re hungry for some serious live poker action.
At Parx Casino Poker Room, you can find a variety of games like No-Limit Hold ’em, Limit Hold ’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and PLO8. Their major tournament Parx Big Stax attracts many players to compete for the trophy. The 80-table poker room has stakes from $1/$2 up to $30/$60, so there’s plenty of options for every player.
Depending on where you live in Pennsylvania, other viable choices would be Hollywood Casino, Mount Airy, which has partnered up with PokerStars PA, Harrah’s, and Rivers.
Live Poker Rooms in the US FAQ
Where can you play live poker in the US?
Some of the top live USA poker rooms are Bellagio and Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas, Commerce in Los Angeles, Borgata Poker Room in Atlantic City, and Foxwoods in Ledyard.
What poker rooms are open in the USA?
For the most up-to-date poker information, like which poker rooms are open, you can check out reviews on PokerAtlas.com. Alternatively, check the status of your local card room directly on their site.
Where can you play live poker for high stakes in the USA?
The biggest casinos tend to have high stakes poker tables running the most. The most famous live poker rooms that regularly run high stakes games are Bobby's Room at the Bellagio casino and Table 1 at Aria Resort & Casino. Both of these poker rooms are in Vegas, your best destination for finding high stakes live poker games.
Who has poker in Vegas?
The most popular poker rooms in Vegas are Binion’s, Aria, Bellagio, The Wynn, and Caesar’s Palace. In total, there are 31 card rooms in the Las Vegas area.
How to find a live poker tournament?
You can find poker tournaments near you from sources like the PokerAtlas app, BravoPokerLive app, CardPlayer Tournament Directory, and TheHendonMob. Alternatively, you can check the upcoming events and poker tournament information from the website of your local casino.
What are the best states to make a living playing poker?
It's essential for a professional poker player to live in a state with the most poker action. The top choices for professional poker players are Nevada, New Jersey, Florida, California, and Pennsylvania. All of these states have regulated & legal cardrooms with limits ranging from low stakes to high stakes.
Author
Johannes Turunen
Johannes is the Editor in Chief at Beasts Of Poker and is an expert in both live & online poker. Johannes played online poker semi-professionally for 5 years while completing his Master’s Degree in Technology.
