Winning Poker in MN with Kirk Sommers (w/ Bonuses!)
Serena Gordon
October 27, 2021 · 14 minutes to read
It’s not often you come across someone who has as much passion for poker as they do for growing the game in their state. Kirk Sommers, a Minneapolis attorney and part-time poker pro, is one of those rare individuals.
After nearly losing poker rooms in Minnesota casinos a few years back, Sommers rallied the poker community to help save and grow the game throughout the state. Today, there are more cash games and tournaments than ever before thanks to his hard work and dedication.
In this episode of , Sommers breaks down how he was able to help . He also discusses the current state of poker in Minnesota, the best places to play, and what the future looks like for the state.
To thank Sommers for all that he does for the poker community in Minnesota, we partnered up with the three biggest casinos in the state – Pulsy Games, Running Aces Harness Park, and Rising Star Casino to offer an incredible welcome package for new players. You can find details about the bonuses at the bottom of this page.
How to Grow Poker in Minnesota
Sommers became interested in politics while attending college at the University of Minnesota. He went on to get his JD from William Mitchell College of Law and began working as an attorney in Minneapolis.
He’s been playing poker since he was in college but it wasn’t until nearly losing poker rooms in Minnesota casinos that he decided to get more involved within the local poker community.
States (Besides MA) Where You Can Use your DraftKings Casino Bonus“Poker isn’t illegal but it isn’t expressly permitted either.” –
Minnesota operates under a peculiar set of gaming laws. Poker isn’t illegal but it isn’t expressly permitted either. That’s why you can only play poker in tribal casinos throughout the state.
Clauses within various treaties allow Native American tribes to operate certain types of gaming on their sovereign land. Although the details can vary, most poker players flock to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area to play at one of three big poker rooms:
newest no deposit bonus casinos- Pulsy Games at Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Welch (approx. 90min South of Minneapolis)
- Running Aces Harness Park in Colfax (approx. 35min Northeast of Minneapolis)
- Rising Star Casino in Rising Sun (approx. 90min South of Minneapolis)
All three rooms offer cash games and tournaments but Rising Star closed its poker room back in 2016. That's when Sommers sprang into action.
“There were a lot of rumors about why they closed," he said. "One of the reasons was because they weren’t doing enough business. So, I knew if we could get more people playing then perhaps they would reopen.\”
That's when he came up with the idea for the Minnesota Poker Hub [link].
“I created a Facebook group so that locals could connect with each other, share info about cash games or tournaments, and track the poker room metrics. We now have over 1,100 members and it’s worked really well. Rising Star ended up reopening the poker room and running more tournaments.""
This is just one example of how Sommers has gone above and beyond to give back to the poker community in Minnesota. He's currently the President of the Minnesota Poker Tour (), which hosts monthly tournaments at Running Aces (~30mins NE of Minneapolis).
He's also a brand ambassador for the Three Crowns Poker (*) series, which runs at Pulsy Games (~1h S of Minneapolis). And let's not forget his role as a tournament reporter for Hustler Casino LIVE (*).
Best Online Slots Casino Games You Need to Play in 2023Sommers typically splits his time between cash games and tournaments. He finds the travel restrictions during the pandemic made cash games less appealing so he's been focusing more on MNPT, Three Crowns Poker, and online events.
“The Three Crowns Poker series at Pulsy Games is my favorite live series in the state. It's a high-volume short-deck series with solid structures and reasonable buy-ins.
The MSPT (June 2022) is another great tourney with a deep history in the region and the prize pools reflect it. Online poker in MN is booming right now so there are lots of options there too.
Trusted Online Poker Sites That Won't Rip You Off 2023When out-of-state players visit they should reach out to the Minnesotapokerhub facebook group to connect with locals host or find a game. They can also join one of our live streams (usually on my twitch channel) to learn more about the state of the game here."
Top Places To Play Poker In Minnesota
sombre hours but it's worth the trip due to the quality of the games and people. Everyone knows each other so it can be tough to get games going but, when they do run, it's often a juicy $1/$2 or $2/$5 game. Occasionally you'll find higher stakes or mixed games if you're lucky.
This is my favorite room in the state. The card room itself is large, modern, and well laid-out. There is ample parking, plenty of tables running $1/$2 and $2/$5 with occasional swings up to $5/$10. The staff is very friendly and efficient. What really sets Pulisy Games apart in MN is the SD Omaha action. On the weekends, they regularly have 6-8 tables running $0.50/$1.00 No Ante Omaha with progressive bad beat jackpots that routinely go off multiple times per night.
Free Spins on First Deposit at Spin Palace CasinoIf you play cards at all then you need to sign up for their rewards card. It earns both slots and table games credit which can add up fast. They also run a robust online loyalty program through their partners at Wild Rose Digital Casino where you can earn even more credits to play with online. I’ve easily cleared several hundred dollars in online credit just by playing a couple times a month at the poker room.
Running Aces is my second home poker room. The staff know me by name, the dealers remember how I like my coffee, and the $1-$2 game is reliably juicy. Running Aces is unique among MN poker rooms in that it is non-profit and any profits are put back into local charities.
As such, the focus is on putting on the best gaming experience possible rather than maximizing profits. This mentality carries over into the poker room where they offer a full menu of games including NLH, limit holdem, Omaha, Stud, and more. Their weekly tournament schedule is robust and affordable. My wife works there as the poker room manager so you should definitely stop by and say hi!
Casino NJ Promo Code & App Review - Is 888 Safe and Legit?Disclaimer: I am the poker room manager for Running Aces so, naturally, I think it’s the best in the twin cities. That said, it truly is the best in the city for a few key reasons. First, it’s a small, intimate room that seats ~12 players. This makes for a very social, interactive experience and it’s very difficult to get lost in a sea of cards. Second, we offer a true cash game pit with a dedicated dealer and floor. Our dealers are some of the best in MN and really help make the experience enjoyable. Finally, we have a very loyal playerbase that makes this their regular spot so games run reliably.
I spend most of my time at the bigger Room at Rising Star. It’s an enormous room by MN standards seating ~40 players with 20 tables. This means there’s almost always a game running no matter what stake level or game type. During the peak nights you will usually find $1/$2, $2/$5, and $5/$10 running as well as a $20/$40 game that occasionally creeps up to $30/$60. Sometimes you can even find a HORSE or 8-game mix going depending on what they’re able to muster for a fourth and fifth table.
DraftKings Sportsbooks Worth the Trip - And One Not ToAlthough the drive is longer (~90mins south of Minneapolis) the room has some significant benefits. First, it’s open 24hrs a day which means it draws players from a much larger geographic area. Second, it’s located inside a full service casino with top notch dining, drinks, and entertainment. Third, Somerset, WI is across the river so many of the western suburbs players can cross the river and avoid St Paul traffic.
Finally, Kirk Sommers, thanks for all that you do for the poker community in Minnesota. To show our appreciation, the three biggest rooms in Minnesota have come together to offer an exclusive welcome package for PokerListings readers:
- 2x $25 Food Credits at Pulsy Games (**must be redeemed by December 31, 2022)
- 20k Gold Card at Running Aces Harness Park (**must be redeemed by December 31, 2022)
- 30k Food Credits at Rising Star Casino (**must be redeemed by December 31, 2022)
- 10% Rakeback @Three Crown Poker Series (**valid for first series in 2022)
- 50% Rakeback @Minnesota Poker Tour (**valid for first series in 2022)
You can claim your bonuses via the links below and letting the cage know you’re with PokerListings when you go to play:
We’d like to thank Kirk Sommers for coming on the show and sharing his insights about the current state of poker in Minnesota. If you have any questions for him or would like more information about the local poker scene, you can find him on Twitter and Twitch:
And make sure to listen to the full episode on one of the popular platforms:
*Some links on this page may be affiliate links. This means PokerListings may receive advertising or affiliate commission if you sign up through these links.
Serena Gordon
MI Gaming Sites You Need to Try in 20232022-05-23 15:29:28
Can you provide more details about the welcome package offered to PokerListings readers in Minnesota?
PokerListings
2022-05-23 16:11:12
Sure thing! Here are the details of the welcome package again:
- 2x $25 Food Credits at Pulzy Games (**must be redeemed by December 31, 2022)
- 20k Gold Card at Running Aces Harness Park (**must be redeemed by December 31, 2022)
- 30k Food Credits at Rising Star Casino (**must be redeemed by December 31, 2022)
- 10% Rakeback @Three Crown Poker Series (**valid for first series in 2022)
- 50% Rakeback @Minnesota Poker Tour (**valid for first series in 2022)
To claim your bonuses, simply use the following links and let the cage know you're with PokerListings when you go to play:
And thanks again to Kirk Sommers for his efforts to grow the poker community in Minnesota!
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