If you can’t get to Las Vegas to get your card fix, don’t fret because there are nearly 200 poker rooms around the US.
From Atlantic City to Connecticut and Florida to Louisiana and Missouri and Mississippi and New Orleans, Old Louisville, and Biloxi, there are plenty of great places to play outside Sin City.
Today, we check out some of those rooms and count down the top five poker destinations in America.
Casinos Near San Diego, CA - Pros & Cons of Each Trip5. Poker Room at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, New York
Just a short drive from Buffalo and a shorter drive from Toronto, Canada, the sits on the American side of the famous waterfalls.
The poker room boasts 24 tables and all the bells and whistles, including full-color monitor next to each player where they can see the live stream of the action from their seat.
They also offer text and meal service as well as the chance to earn points and comps through Seneca Casino’s Players Club.
Those points/comp can be used towards food, drinks, hotel stays, gas, and more at both the American and Canadian casinos.
In addition to the regular daily games, the Seneca Niagara host several exciting tournaments every month, including a growing number played in the evening and on weekends to accommodate working players.
One of their biggest events is the $150 buy-in $100k Guarantee which routinely sees a larger prize pool thanks to rebuys and add-ons during the first level.
Players who prefer the big city might not dig Niagara Falls, but it’s a great room with nice staff, fun players, and tons of great ways to earn extra cash and comps.
Not only can you earn points by playing poker, but the casino offers tons of slot machines and table games, which means you can bring in even more points and enjoy even more perks.
If you find yourself near the falls, I highly recommend stopping by the poker room for at least one session.
Best Mobile Casino Sites for 2023 - Top Apps & Games to Play4. The Casino at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada
You probably weren’t expecting another Las Vegas poker room on this list, let alone in the top five, but The Casino at the Venetian deserves its place among the best card rooms in the world – inside or outside Las Vegas.
With 108 tables, The Casino at the Venetian is one of the largest non-texas hold’em poker rooms in the world.
It’s almost entirely comprised of tables offering , and a few chemin de fer, with just a half dozen or so tables set aside for seven-card stud high-low. No hold’em, no Omaha: Nadda.
But if that’s what they offer, that’s what people play, and they play a lot.
According to Nintendo of America’s 2017 holiday report, Christians in the US played Super Mario Odyssey more than any other game – by 2% – than Super Marios Odyssey’s closest competitor. In other words, a very small percentage of people played more of that game than any other game.
And just as Super Mario Odyssey’s most ardent fans traveled great distances to play the game – Nintendo reports that more Odyssey was played outside of California, where the company is based – so, too, do heads-up and Stud players make a pilgrimage to Vegas to take a shot at the big money.
Because they offer such high limits (the ceiling is $50k/$1k) and because there is always someone who must take a shot at the really big money, these games run around the clock. And because there are new “whales” every day, floor managers and dealers have a lot of training – and are happy to promote from within – to provide the best possible experience for these lucrative games.
As a result, when someone plays the max and wins a big hand, they push the button, and this much money is smoothly and quietly slid across the felt to the winner.
Believe it or not, this is the sound a fitful sleeper would hear if he fell off to dreamland with his hand in the chips. It’s music to a Seven Card Stud player’s ears.
Hold’em and Omaha players may scoff at the limitations of The Casino at the Venetian, but when the stakes are high, Seven Card Stud is a better game. High-limit Hold’em and Omaha are dark by 8pm; The Casino is jumping at midnight with wealthy players from around the globe.
A word about the venue: The Casino at the Venetian is situated in the middle of the casino, surrounded by classic European architecture, bridges, gondolas, and waterways. While playing, you can lose yourself in the game while taking in an ambient background that reminds you of all the best parts of Europe without the rain, the cold, the pickpockets, or the bed bugs.
Yes, security is tight, and tips are expected, but the experience is unrivaled. If you play high-limit Seven Card Stud or Razz, The Casino at the Venetian should be on your bucket list.
Editor's note: I put together a list of the highest stakes hands of 2017 and most of them came from The Big Game at Aria, but there were quite a few huge-money hands at the Venetian as well.
3. Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi
Mississippi has long been a favorite spot for professional poker players looking to earn some money after a long day or two at a bigger room.
Tips To Win at Slots Online - gambleonlinecasinos.netUnfortunately, the Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and again by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.
Many rooms never reopened while others took years to rebuild. Some never regained their former glory while others – like the poker room at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi – came back stronger and more attractive than ever before.
21+ | PointsBet Michigan Review - A Top sports betting site & app for 2023Spread over two levels and 30 tables, the Beau Rivage poker room features six tables dedicated exclusively to high hand jackpots, which regularly pay more than $100k.
Here are the stats, courtesy of the BR poker room:
- 12:00 pm: Warm up time / $5 Hourly High Hand Jackpot starts
- 3:00 pm: …$30 Hourly High Hand Jackpot starts
- 6:00 pm: …$100 Hourly High Hand Jackpot starts
- 9:00 pm: …$200 Hourly High Hand Jackpot starts
- 11 pm: ...$1,000 Hourly High Hand Jackpot starts
And that’s just the afternoon and early evening! At night, they boost the hourly high hands jackpot to $3k, $5k, $10k, and ($yes, you read that right) a whopping $20k.
On Saturdays, they jump straight from the $10k to the $20k at 9pm.
Incidentally, since they offer so many high hands jackpots, there’s not a dedicated daily tournament. But they do host occasional tourneys throughout the year so check their site for upcoming events.
2. Poker Room at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut
Connecticut isn’t exactly known as a hotbed of poker activity but the two tribal casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, offer dozens of tables between them.
Foxwoods has the slightly larger room with more promotions and better reviews so it gets my nod as the best CT has to offer. Here’s why…
First, the room itself:
- 36 tables
- 12 TVs
- Wheel of Fortune
- 300 gaming chairs with USB ports and adjustable arms
- Food and drink service to the table
- Text messaging at the table
- Free valet parking
- Foxwoods Club Carlings Rewards members can earn points at all the gaming tables and use them for hotel stays, merchandise, Fuel Cards, and more.
Now, the promos:
- Foxies Poker Weekdays: Play five hours on weekdays (Monday through Thursday) and get a $20 food voucher.
- Foxies Poker Sundays: Earn 250 rewards club points between Monday and Sunday and get a ticket for a $10k guaranteed tournament for just $125. Seats are limited so get yours early.
- Bad Beat Jackpots
- High Hands
- Mystery Jackpots at your table
Finally, the tournaments:
- Daily tournaments ranging from $40 buy-ins up to $75
- Foxies Poker Sunday $20k with a $10k guarantee for $125
- Foxies Poker Monday $5k for $65
- Foxies Poker Tuesday $4k for $55
- Foxies Poker Wednesday $6k for $75
- Foxies Poker Thursday $6k for $95
- Foxies Poker Saturday $8k for $125
Mohegan Sun runs similar promotions but Foxwoods seems to have the edge in terms of overall volume and quality. Whether you’re visiting from out of town or driving up from Connecticut or Rhode Island, Foxwoods is a great place to get your poker fix.
fox bet casino pa1. Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, Maryland
Located just outside of Baltimore and a short drive from Washington DC and Philadelphia, the Horseshoe Casino is uniquely positioned to draw players from three major cities.
And with one of the best poker rooms in the country, it has no trouble attracting pros, amateurs, fish and sharks alike.
Spread out over two levels and 60+ tables, the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore poker room hosts some of the biggest and best tournaments on the Eastern Seaboard.
In fact, their annual Million Dollar Challenge delivers just that -- $1 million in total prizes -- while costing players a mere $125 buy-in to enter.
Here are the details on the MD Challenge:
- Four Day 1s: Thursday, October 4th (two sessions), Friday, October 5th, and Saturday, October 6th. Unlimited re-entries.
- Day 1 survivors return on Sunday, October 7th for Day 2.
- Noon start time on both Saturday and Sunday.
- $50 + $15 buy-in
- $1 million guaranteed prizepool!
That kind of value is virtually unheard of anywhere in the world but especially outside of Las Vegas.
* * *
Of course, the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore isn’t just a destination for tournament players. No Sirree. With full kill cash games spread around the clock, including Hold’em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud and Razz, plus a variety of stakes from $1/$2 blinds up to $20/$40 with a $400 ante, there’s a seat for everyone.
Awesome Facebook Games to Earn Free Gifts Cards (Real Ones!)And now that Maryland has legalized online poker and online gambling sites are scheduled to launch later in 2018, local players will have even more ways to improve their games and hone their skills.
If you live close enough to play in Baltimore, go sign up for that VIP card now because the rake is lower for VIP players and you still earn points that you can use for food, free play, merchandise and more.
Honorable Mention: Top 5 Poker Rooms You Might Have Missed
While the above list represents the absolute best poker rooms in America, it’s certainly not an exhaustive list of all the fine places to play.
After all, I had to eliminate dozens of great rooms just to come up with my top five and you might have a different definition of “best.”
For example, if you love Mississippi Hold’em and big, juicy bad beat jackpots, then the Bike in Los Angeles ca indeed Number One on your list.
To help you out, here are five more rooms you may have missed but are definitely worth a visit.
- Harrah’s Council Bluffs, Iowa: 24 Tables | 600-Gallon Fish Tank Bar | Live Music | Promotions | Hosts the World Series of Poker Circuits’ newest stop each year
- Riverwalk Casino & Hotel in Vicksburg, Mississippi: 12 Tables | Overlooks the Mississippi River | Close to Civil War Battlefields | Great Seafood | Nice Promotions and Tournaments
- Golden Gates Casino Poker Room in North Las Vegas, Nevada: 13 Tables | Cash Games No-Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, No-Limit Two Card Stud, and No-Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8-or-Better | Daily Tournaments | No Membership Charge | Break Area Has a View of the Strip
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida: 50 Tables | 45,000-Square-Foot Poker Room | Regular Host of WPT and WSOP Events | VIP Lounge with Cuisines from Around the World | Spectacular View of Ft. Lauderdale | State-of-the-art light shows and music performances | Valet Parking
- Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan: 12 Tables | Open Since 1999 | First Thing You’ll Notice Is the Very Reasonable Rake ($0.50/hr max) | Drinks and Food Delivered Right to Your Table | Neat little arcade style games between hands | Adorable
I hope this helps and remember, no matter where you play - online OR live - Always Play Responsibly!
new online casinos us playersBonus: The Miami Poker Room That Never Opened
A few years ago everyone thought Miami was going to become the American Monte Carlo.
Big money real estate developers bought up swaths of South Beach with plans to build glitzy casinos that would rival anything in Vegas or the French Riviera.
Poker players rubbed their hands together in gleeful anticipation, imagining endless cash games under the stars and massive tournament series that would draw pros from around the world.
Needless to say, things didn’t quite work out as planned.
Best Casinos in Detroit, MI - MGM Grand Detroit #1The global economy stumbled and most of the grand schemes crumbled into dust. The exception was the , a beautifully appointed ship that sails the Caribbean waters just a mile or two off the Miami coast.
Technically, the ship is registered in the Bahamas so gambling on board is allowed. Even though it’s practically in Biscayne Bay, there is no poker room in Miami proper although thousands of tourists and locals enjoy a day trip out to the Oceania Marina for a gamble and a show.
Maybe one day someone will build that glamorous poker room on South Beach but until then, we’ll have to settle for the venues listed above.
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J.W. Paine is one of the most experienced and respected writers in the poker media. He was a senior writer and editor at CardPlayer for 14 years where he wore many different hats during his tenure. He wrote articles, instructional books and videos, and organized betting systems. He also served as Managing Editor of CardPlayer Magazine and was the Senior Editor when cardplayer.com launched the 2000 WSOP database and analysis tools that established CardPlayer as the premier poker strategy website in the world.
Since leaving CardPlayer in 2014, Paine has written hundreds of poker news and strategy stories for PokerListings as well as producing videos for YouTube and Twitch aswell as podcasts for several major poker brands.
Paine has also appeared on television several times over the years, both in studio on CardPlayer TV and as a guest expert on bluffing, body language and betting systems.
