Top 10 favorite US poker rooms outside Las Vegas
Sin City is certainly the world's capital of poker, but that doesn't mean it's the only place you can play poker in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. is one of the few countries where players from all parts of the country can enjoy a good amount of poker action without traveling too far.
If you live in the U.S. or will be visiting it in the near future, here is a list of the top 10 poker rooms you should look at outside Las Vegas, especially now that COVID-19 restrictions are fading away!.
10. Ameristar Black Hawk Poker Room
Located in the state of Colorado, on Native American land, the Ameristar Black Hawk is one of the leading poker rooms in the Centennial State.
Operating with 22 tables, this poker room fades in comparison to some of the others on our list, but considering its location, it is probably the best place to play poker if you live in Denver or close to it.
The games running here are generally No Limit Hold’em, with $1/$3 and $2/$5 being the most popular ones spread. Daily poker tournaments are also normally available, with affordable buy-ins and a reasonable number of players each day. The rake at the Ameristar Black Hawk is capped at $3, which is quite a bit lower than the standard $5 that you would find in most other casinos. This alone could be a reason for a savvy grinder to give this place a visit if the juicy action wasn't enough.
9. Wind Creek Bethlehem Poker Room
Located on the outskirts of Philadelphia, the Wind Creek poker room is one of the top places to play poker in Pennsylvania.
The poker room is a part of a larger casino and resort, which means players who come to play here get to visit the sites of Philly, wine and dine at the resort, and ultimately play some poker. The Wind Creek poker room offers 26 poker tables and runs cash games ranging from $1/$2 to $10/$25 when the action is really hot.
Daily poker tournaments are also available, with buy-ins in the $100-$250 range, which is acceptable to most players, making the fields both large and juicy to play in.
8. Silks Poker Room
Tampa Bay, Florida, is another popular location to play poker at, and the Silks poker room at Tampa Bay Downs is the best place to do it in the area.
With 23 poker tables and cash games running non-stop, Silks is a great place to go and get into some action at any time of the day. The cash games spread in the room include low-stakes NLH games ($1/$2 and $1/$3) and some slightly higher games such as $5/$5 and $5/$10 on the weekends and evenings.
The Silks poker room also hosts multiple poker tournaments daily, with events in the $55 - $110 range and occasional higher buy-ins available. While the rake at Silks may be a bit high for the lower games, the number of promotions the room runs is insane, with something extra to be won every day.
The action is always wild, thanks to people trying to make high hands or win special jackpots, which will add to your hourly win rate as well as the entertainment factor.
Talking Stick poker room (photo by Talking Stick Resort)
If you visit the Phoenix area, the Talking Stick poker room, located in Scottsdale, is one of the best places for you to go and play poker.
Unlike the rest of the country, where NLH is the absolute most popular game, the Talking Stick throws quite a few LHE games at stakes ranging from $3/$6 to as high as $40/$80. Of course, the no-limit and spread limit games are all still available and played on a daily basis, along with the limit option.
On top of the regular cash games, this Arizona poker room also hosts daily tournaments, with buy-ins usually in the $100 - $200 range, which are exclusively No Limit Hold’em. This poker room may not be one of the most famous in the U.S., but it is one of the top options for Phoenix residents and visitors.
6. Derby Lane Poker Room
Located in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Derby Lane poker room is another attractive place to play poker in the Sunshine State.
Compared to some of the other poker rooms across America, Derby Lane is actually pretty big, with a total of 51 tables, split into a tournament and a cash game section.
The action at the Derby Lane poker room can get pretty wild, especially at the lower stakes, with the $1/$2 and $1/$3 action going on non-stop, with multiple tables running at all times.
The visitors of this poker room can expect to enjoy the standard NLH games and some Limit Hold’em or 7 Card Stud action on occasion, which is not the norm in other places. If you play at Derby Lane on a regular basis, you should be ready to receive some kickbacks and promotions every now and then, as the room does run many different valuable promos.
The drinks at the tables are free, food can be earned by playing for a number of hours, and the general atmosphere is friendly and fun at all times.
5. Maryland Live! Casino & Hotel Poker Room
Live poker was illegal in the state of Maryland before 2012, and once it finally became available, the Maryland Live! Poker room became the center of the poker world for the entire state.
The poker room is absolutely massive, even compared to some of the large poker rooms you would find in Las Vegas.
With over 50 tables, Maryland Live! can offer cash games along with multiple tournaments every day without making the place too packed to breathe.
For that reason, players can enjoy cash games at stakes ranging from $1/3 to $10/25, along with tournaments with sizable buy-ins. Even the daily events at Maryland Live! have buy-ins of over $100, and $1.100 events are quite common as well.
If you live in Baltimore or will be visiting the region soon, Maryland Live! is a poker room you will certainly want to visit. Just remember to bring enough cash to handle the swings.
4. Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Poker Room
Atlantic City is the go-to location for east coast gamblers of all types, and this includes poker players. While there are other places to play on the east coast as well, the Borgata poker room is one of the most famous and largest in the region.
Unlike many other poker rooms on this list, Borgata has a major place on the poker tournament schedule, hosting one of the key WPT stops every year.
The room has a total of 85 tables, which host both tournament and cash game poker all year long. The room can host massive tournaments, and lucrative daily events are the norm, with thousands of Atlantic City visitors flocking to Borgata for some poker action.
Not only is Borgata one of the largest poker rooms outside of Las Vegas, but it is also one of the most attractive ones to play in as many non-professional players find their way in there, and the MLife Rewards system offers much in terms of loyalty rewards for frequent visitors.
Foxwoods poker room.
While it may surprise many, the largest casino in the U.S. is not located in Las Vegas. It is, in fact, the Foxwoods Casino, which also hosts one of the largest poker rooms outside of Sin City.
At this time, the Foxwoods poker room has been changed due to the coronavirus restrictions, but when things are normal, it hosts about 150 poker tables in total, with both cash games and tournaments spread on a daily basis.
The Foxwoods poker room, located in Connecticut, is actually one of the iconic places in the U.S., where many of the game’s greats made their name, especially back in the day.
On regular days, Foxwoods hosts poker tournaments and cash games of all sizes, with NLH, PLO, and all types of mixed games available.
This poker room has been one of the most affected by the pandemic but is certain to be back to normal soon, and players from all over America will once again flock to one of the top poker destinations in the country.
2. The Commerce Poker Room
If you are looking for the ultimate poker experience that can match the one you see in Las Vegas during the WSOP, you need to visit The Commerce at any time of the year.
The Commerce poker room is one of the largest in the world, both in space and the number of available tables.
Not only are there 150 poker tables in The Commerce, but they are all usually busy, with an insane amount of cash game tables running at all times and daily tournaments attracting hundreds of poker players looking for some affordable action.
The stakes at The Commerce Poker Room at Commerce Casino in California vary greatly, with small stakes tables with a $100 buy-in, to high stakes action such as the $400/800 NLH tables.
Whether you want to play No Limit Hold’em, Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, or mixed games, all the games are available and running in some format at almost all times.
The Commerce is a famous poker room that gave birth to the careers of many of the poker's greats, and it's a place you should certainly visit if you have an interest in poker and are ever in the Los Angeles area.
1. The Bicycle Poker Room
Commonly known as "The Bike," this is California's top poker room and one of the best places to play poker in the U.S. and the world!
Even if you haven't been to The Bike, you have probably seen it on the popular "Live at the Bike" show, which has been airing for poker fans for many years.
The Bicycle Hotel & Casino is home to many professional poker players and grinders who have been plying their trade there for the longest time.
The Bike has 185 poker tables, which is massive for any poker room, anywhere! These tables are used to host all types of games, and aside from the ever-present NLH, California players typically enjoy LHE games, with stakes at The Bike reaching as high as $200/$400.
The Bike plays host to tournaments that are parts of various tournament series such as the CardPlayer Poker Tour, L.A. Poker Series, and Legends of Poker, along with daily tournaments of all stakes and structures.
One of the biggest poker rooms in the world, The Bike is a place that every player should visit at least once in their lifetime, even if only to check out the atmosphere and be able to say he sat at the tables of a room that is a major part of the poker folklore.