Oklahoma Poker
In total, you’ll find 8 poker rooms in Oklahoma across the
state. Poker is quite popular here and is like other states
outside of major gaming hubs like Nevada. At one point the state
boasted over 20 poker rooms. In recent times, though, and in
line with black Friday and the implosion of online poker in the
US, many of these poker rooms have now closed as popularity has
waned. This is also due to the newer players being driven out of
the game by a more experienced and skilled middle class of
players.
In short, no; private home poker games are illegal in Oklahoma. When we are looking at home games in this state, there are two kinds of crimes being committed. First, the owner of the home is guilty of.
Irrespective of this poker is alive and well in Oklahoma
overall and it isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. Like all hobbies
and sports poker will have its peaks and troughs and undoubtedly
once the legislative issues around online poker are solved this
will translate to more popular live poker rooms.
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Casinos are limited to native American lands in Oklahoma and
every casino is owned and run by native Americans. You can find
some restricted forms of gambling at race tracks, but you’ll
only find poker in the casinos. Interestingly, you can gamble in
Oklahoma and play poker once you’re 18 years of age and most
casinos will allow you to play poker. Some still have a 21 years
of age restriction. We assume this is because of alcohol service
and licensing.
Choctaw Casino Durant
- Location: Durant, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 30
- Games: Tournament players will find up to three no limit
Texas holdem events each day with by in’s ranging from $65
up to $240. On top of this the Choctaw Casino Durant poker
room also holds poker night in America and World Series of
Poker circuit events. If you are after cash games, then
you’ll find no limit tables ranging from $1 / $2 up to $5 /
$10. They also run pot limit Omaha hi games ranging from $1
/ $2 to $10 / $25. - Ambience: Located on the second level of the casino this
poker room is quite large and has an open and spacious feel
about it. Smoking isn’t permitted in the room which means a
more comfortable environment for players. Tables and chairs
are comfortable and well maintained. - Hospitality: You’ll get decent service in this poker
room and you must pay for it. The food and drink comes at a
cost and aren’t comped while you are playing. You can earn
comp dollars at the rate of $1 per hour which can be put
towards drinks and food though so you get a little bit back
there. - Players: Most players in this poker room will be
experienced and tough. They often run major events here
which attract good players from across America. They do
serve alcohol now which means you’ll come across inebriated
players which may provide some more value for you. During
peak times, you’ll find softer tables and outside of this
you’ll more likely come across tougher players and regulars.
Choctaw Casino Grant
- Location: Grant, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 3
- Games: Unfortunately for tournament players this poker
room doesn’t offer any games. For cash players, you’ll only
find $1 / $2 no limit Texas holdem. - Ambience: This is a small poker room with basic tables
and chairs. It’s nice to play at and good enough for what is
considered a smaller Choctaw casino. - Hospitality: You can get basic drinks and purchase
alcohol here while you play. Comps wise you can earn $1 per
hour played at the table. - Players: Generally, the players at this poker room will
be tough regulars. On weekends, more players make the
commute up from Texas to play meaning you’ll find some
juicer games during that time. If you are in the area it’s
well worth a visit and play, particularly during the busier
periods.
FireLake Casino
- Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, daily
- Tables: 2
- Games: You’ll only find $3 / $6 limit Texas holdem in
this poker room. They don’t run tournaments at all. - Ambience: This is just two tables placed in the casino
for poker play. You won’t find anything special associated
with this poker room and the tables and chairs are quite
basic. - Hospitality: You can order food and drink from the table
in the FireLake casino poker room. On top of this you’ll
earn comps while you play. They also offer daily promotions
including the $30 splash pot prize. - Players: It’s hit and miss when it comes to players in
this kind of poker room. You’ll come across seasoned
regulars who are grinding it out in the limit game. On top
of this you’ll most likely see the odd slower and older
player who is in it just to pass the time.
Grand Casino
- Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 19
- Games: This large poker room offers up two to three no
limit holdem tournaments a day ranging from a $35 buy in up
to $350. It depends on the day of the week and the time of
the year in respect to what tournaments will be running so
be sure to check the schedule prior to your visit. From time
to time they also run Omaha tournaments. For cash game
players, you’ll always find $1 / $2 no limit holdem and $3 /
$6 limit holdem running. During busier times, they will
sometimes open $2 / $5 no limit, $4 / $8 HORSE and $4 / $8
limit Omaha games. This is purely based on player demand. - Ambience: This is a great poker room which is spacious,
open, and completely smoke free inside and near the
entrance. This makes it a very comfortable playing
environment. Lots of TV’s are available for watching sports
and the tables and chairs are well maintained. The room used
to be a restaurant which is a little strange however it
works well nonetheless. - Hospitality: You’ll get good drink service here and it’s
all available table side. You can earn comp points while
playing also. You’ll need to pay for alcoholic drinks. - Players: Saturday nights are pumping in this poker room.
If you are looking for the best games, then visit during
this time. The poker room is large and attracts a good range
of players so you’ll find some decent tables from time to
time, and some soft and juicy ones on the weekend. The
regulars are friendly and welcoming so this is a great place
to visit and get some play in.
Lucky Star Casino Concho
- Location: El Reno, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 5
- Games: Unfortunately, this poker room doesn’t offer any
tournaments. They offer pot limit Omaha cash games and no
limit Texas holdem from time to time. Stakes will usually be
low at $1 / $2. - Ambience: This casino is quite old and basic, pretty
much like a local’s casino. You’ll find comfortable
furnishings but nothing lavish. Remember this is in El Reno
in Oklahoma; it’s not the Bellagio on the Las Vegas strip. - Hospitality: You can order food at the table and will
also receive cocktail service at the Lucy Star poker room.
On top of this you can also earn comp dollars for every hour
that you play through their rewards program. - Players: It’s all about regulars and randoms at this
poker room, which doesn’t help you much but it does mean
you’ll have a different poker experience every time that you
play. The regulars are tougher and play tight aggressive
style poker here. It’s all about patience in these types of
poker rooms if you want to have a winning session.
Riverwind Casino
- Location: Norman, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 17
- Games: Riverwind casino poker room offers a daily no
limit holdem tournament with a buy in of $50. This is run at
1pm or 7pm depending on the day of the week. They also offer
several cash games including $1 / $2 and $2 / $5 no limit
holdem tables. On weekends, they sometimes open up Omaha and
limit holdem games if there is sufficient demand from
players. - Ambience: This poker room is only separated from the
main casino by a standard rail. You’ll experience all the
noise and smell from the main are of the casino. The tables
are adorned with bright green felt and they are comfortable
and well maintained. This is a decent enough poker room to
play in. - Hospitality: You can earn $1 per hour in comps while
playing at the Riverwind poker room. Food and drinks are
also available for purchase from the table. - Players: The players you’ll come across here will be
quite standard for a mid-sized poker room. The play isn’t
that great however you’ll come across the odd tough regular
from time to time. During the busier periods the play will
be a lot looser.
Win Star World Casino
- Location: Thackerville, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 46
- Games: Win Star world casino poker room offers two no
limit Texas holdem tournaments a day with buy in’s ranging
from $65 to $120. You’ll also have plenty of choice when it
comes to cash games. They run $1 / $2, $1 / $3 and $2 / $5
no limit holdem and $4 / $8 limit holdem tables all the
time. On weekends and when it’s busier they will also run $1
/ $2 mixed, $4 / $8 limit holdem, and $4 / $8 limit Omaha 8s
or better. They sometimes run special events in this poker
room such as the river poker series. - Ambience: A smoke free poker room is always a good thing
and this one certainly is. It’s well separated from the rest
of the casino which means you won’t get much smoke or noise
pollution from there either. The walls in the poker room are
plastered with flat screen TV’s which mean you can follow
your favorite sports while you play. Black table felt
contrasts well against the golds, yellows, and browns of the
walls and carpet. All in all, this is a nice poker room. - Hospitality: You’ll have access to a self-service
beverage station here and alcohol and food can be ordered
from cocktail servers. On top of this you can earn $1 in
comps per hour played at the table. The floor staff and
tournament directors are excellent here and they know how to
run a good and solid poker game. Every room and state has
slightly different rules so be sure to check on these before
playing so you avoid disputes later. These always seem to be
happening in this poker room for some reason; however that
doesn’t take away from the overall experience. - Players: You’ll find a good mix of players here with
mostly young grinding players and older regular ABC poker
players. You should be able to pick the best tables and
easily work out who the gamblers are and who the real poker
players are. This means you’ll find plenty of value in this
poker room, particularly during the busy periods when more
people cross the border from Texas. The vibe in this poker
room is great and it’s always a welcoming and friendly place
to play.
Conclusion
While Oklahoma isn’t the home to the same number of poker
rooms as Nevada, it still offers poker players a wide range of
rooms, tables, and play. Use this handy guide to help you plan
your poker pay on your next trip to Oklahoma.
The laws relating to the playing of poker for real money do require some inspection, as is often the case with state enacted gambling laws. In order to work our way through this, let us start with how “bet” is defined in the Oklahoma gambling statutes:
“A “bet” is a bargain in which the parties agree that, dependent upon chance, or in which one of the parties to the transaction has valid reason to believe that it is dependent upon chance, one stands to win or lose something of value specified in the agreement.” (1)
So does playing poker for money constitute a bet? Well this in itself is a bit problematic, as it involves how we are to determine “dependent upon chance.” This could mean the bet is wholly dependent upon chance, or it could involve only an element of chance.
When we make a bet in poker, we do allow for an element of chance in our decision making, unless you had the absolute nuts for instance, where there would be no element of chance in that decision. However we rarely have a hand like this, so there is always some element of chance, even when it comes down to the chance someone will fold where the cards may not have anything to do with the result.
So this definition isn’t particularly well written, but we do have some other resources to turn to, the way the actual prohibition against this reads. Here’s how the crime of “betting on or playing prohibited game” reads:
“Any person who bets or plays at any of said prohibited games, or who shall bet or play at any games whatsoever, for money, property, checks, credits or other representatives of value with cards, dice or any other device which may be adapted to or used in playing any game of chance or in which chance is a material element, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor…” (2)
How This Law Applies To Playing Poker For Real Money
So now we know that while poker may or may not involve betting under the definition the law provides, it certainly involves playing, and the inclusion of “any person who bets of plays” does clarify this. They also clarify the role of chance as to include not only games of chance but where chance is a material element, which is the case with poker.
So based upon this playing poker for money would constitute playing a prohibited game, as we can easily deduce that a prohibited game would involve one that involves a material element of chance.
It does also refer to “said prohibited games,” and that reference is to the previous section dealing with the more serious crime of running gambling games, where certain games have been specified as prohibited. So to drive the final nail in the coffin of poker, not that it is even needed, let’s look at how that reads:
“Except as provided in the Oklahoma Charity Games Act, every person who opens, or causes to be opened, or who conducts, whether for hire or not, or carries on either poker, roulette, craps or any banking or percentage, or any gambling game played with dice, cards or any device, for money, checks, credits, or any representatives of value, or who either as owner or employee, whether for hire or not, deals for those engaged in any such game, shall be guilty of a felony…” (3)
So there we have it, they mention poker specifically as a game that is illegal to operate, a prohibited game in other words, so that completely clears up the matter.
Playing Poker In Oklahoma
What about playing home poker games for money? While some states have provisions to allow for what’s termed social gambling or gaming, Oklahoma does not. Moreover, not only are the players subject to the misdemeanor charge of playing in such a game, the host is subject to being charged with a felony for operating the game.
The law against operating games is no doubt directed at commercial operators, but at least in theory it could be applied to a friendly game over beers among friends in someone’s kitchen if there is money being put into the pot.
Teddy Mitchell, of Oklahoma City, OK, was charged and convicted of running a gambling operation in 2014, and while the main charge was operating an offshore sports betting enterprise, one of the charges was running a high stakes poker game out of his home. (4) So while it probably wouldn’t be likely that Average Joe would be convicted of this in Oklahoma, the possibility does exist.
One of the things that Mr. Mitchell was charged with was using the internet to place bets for clients, he didn’t own a betting site he just placed bets as a player on behalf of these people, even though it did involve over $8 million of business and ended up attracting the interest of the FBI who busted him.
Oklahoma Poker Events
While this did involve sports betting and not poker, there’s nothing in the law to suggest poker playing for real stakes would not be illegal as other forms of non sanctioned poker would be. Obviously though the risk is near zero that you would ever get charged for something like this though, as long as you are playing privately, unlike the defendant in this case whose business was public.
Live and Online Poker in Oklahoma
Oklahoma does have a total of 18 live poker rooms, both tribal and non-tribally run, where you can partake in poker all you want without fear of the law. The largest of these is the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, boasting an impressive 46 tables, and there are a number of choices around the state as well of all sizes. (5)
As far as playing online goes, there isn’t any plans currently to regulate online poker in Oklahoma, but poker is particularly popular in this state, and that may end up happening down the road.
Oklahoma Poker Game
In the mean time, if you still wish to play online and live in Oklahoma, no one has ever been charged with playing online in this state or any other state in the country for that matter, and many players choose to play it in spite of what the law may say.
Should you choose to do the same, we have our top 2 recommendations for you, Ignition Poker and Americas Cardroom. Check them out by clicking on the links to the reviews on them we’ve done up for you.
References:
(1) 2006 Oklahoma Statutes, 21-981 (1)
(2) 2006 Oklahoma Statutes, 21-942
(3) 2006 Oklahoma Statutes, 21-941
Oklahoma Poker Tournament Schedule
(4) Teddy Mitchell Sentenced To 27 Months For Running An Illegal Offshore Gambling Operation
(5) All Live and Online Poker Rooms in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Poker Tournaments 2021
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