Poker in Colorado – Full 2024 Guide

Poker in Colorado

Colorado, renowned for being a trailblazer in legalizing marijuana for adult use, also has a relatively relaxed approach to gambling, especially compared to the strict regulations in places like Vermont. In Colorado, gambling is permitted in licensed brick-and-mortar casinos, but online gambling remains illegal.

The state has a long history with gambling, dating back to its days as a territory in the mid-19th century when it was a popular pastime among the predominantly male frontier population. Therefore, the outlook for poker in Colorado is generally favorable, as long as it’s within the confines of licensed physical casinos.

In fact, “Poker Alice” Ivers, one of the earliest infamous card sharks, got her start in the 1880s saloons of Leadville, Colorado. After the loss of her first husband, she turned to competitive card playing as a means of financial support.

More recently, in 1991, the state legislature authorized casino gambling. It’s still only available in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. About 40 legal casinos can be found in these three cities, most of which are in Black Hawk. Worldcasinodirectory.com reports that 36% of their listed casinos offer poker.

The World Series of Poker Circuit, the Mid-Stakes Poker Tour, and the Colorado Poker Championship is just a few of the poker tournaments held in Colorado in recent years (CPC).

Quick Summary

• 5.759 Million People
• Denver, Colorado
• Funds in U.S. Dollars ($)
• Local Time in UTC+7
• Colorado is abbreviated as CO.

Where You Can Play Poker in New York Casinos:

Poker Stars from the Centennial State

Denver, the state capital, is where Chance Kornuth entered the world. He has won more than $8 million in live tournaments and has two gold bracelets from the World Series of Poker. In 2020, he challenged Phil Galfond to a high-stakes online heads-up PLO match and lost.

Words like “high roller” Colorado Springs native Steve O’Dwyer has amassed a staggering $30.476 million in live tournament earnings. He is not only the all-time money winner on Hendon in Colorado, but also one of the top 10 in the United States.

O’Dwyer won $1.873 million at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $100,000 NLHE Super High Roller in January 2015. His previous best cash at a live tournament was that amount. In addition, he has won more than $7.2 million from online MTTs.

In-Person Poker in Colorado

Colorado’s In-Person Poker Laws

The state of Colorado’s penal code addresses gambling under sections 18-10-101 et seq., and sections 12-60-101 deals specifically with horse racing. The Colorado Limited Gaming Act of 1991 legalized casinos in the state.

The term “Limited Gaming” refers to the fact that gambling in the state is restricted to only a few select cities, a small number of games, and a high betting limit of $100 per wager. Poker, thankfully, is one of the legal options.

The Gaming Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue is responsible for issuing casino licenses and enforcing gambling laws.

Locations in Colorado to Play Live Poker

Cash games and tournaments are both available in the poker room at Bally’s Black Hawk in Black Hawk, Colorado.

There are $5/$10 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8-or-Better, $2/$100 Spread Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8-or-Better, and $2/$100 Spread Limit Hold ’em cash games available. In terms of tournaments, they are the official host of the Colorado Poker Championship. The tournament series takes place twice yearly (in the winter and the summer) and features a Main Event with a buy-in of $1,100, a High Roller with a buy-in of $2,500, and several smaller events with buy-ins ranging from $100 to $2,000.

They have their own Black Hawk Poker Open and have hosted tournaments for the Mid-Stakes Poker Tour and the Heartland Poker Tour.

Black Hawk is also home to the Ameristar Black Hawk Casino, Resort & Spa. There is also a poker room with a huge assortment of cash games available there. While the website’s language isn’t entirely clear, it seems safe to assume that “No Limit” games are No Limit Hold’em and “Pot Limit” games are Pot Limit Omaha. The stakes for the NLHE cash games range from $1/$3 to $2/$5 and $5/$10, while the same is true for the PLO cash games.

If you’re interested in poker, the nearby Monarch Casino Resort Spa also has a poker room you can try out.

Not even close to the level of poker action that can be found in Black Hawk can be found in other locations. The Midnight Rose Poker Room is located in Cripple Creek, Colorado, but if you are in Black Hawk or Central City, you can also play poker legally. Among the tournaments available are No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo. Unfortunately, video poker machines are the only option at Central City’s casinos, as no live poker games are offered.

Colorado Gambling Halls and Poker Clubs

Free Colorado Online Poker

Colorado is one of only a handful of states with legislation explicitly prohibiting online gambling. The frequently asked questions section of the Colorado Department of Revenue confirms that online gambling is illegal there as well.

That’s what it says in the text:

There are federal and state laws that make it illegal to gamble online. The dissemination of gambling information in Colorado is illegal. The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission forbids casino licensees and related businesses from conducting business with online gaming sites (for example, Pokerrrr2 clubs to join) accessible by Coloradans.