The US is the most poker-crazy country on Earth, and its arguably most famous state, California, is its central hub for card action. Though manly like to think of the Golden State mainly as the home to Hollywood and as a place that boasts stunning beaches, it also harbors the most poker rooms than any other state/province in North America. Of course, that includes neighboring Nevada, one of the world’s most gambling-active regions, where many locals venture off to test their card expertise in more luxurious gaming establishments.

California’s history with the card game that draws roots from the 17th-century French betting card pick Poque began in the mid-1850s, during the Gold Rush days, when over 300,000 people flocked to the west coast, following James W. Marshall’s gold discovery at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma. When most of these prospectors did not pan for gold, they liked to relax by playing Faro, a game of chance that featured easy-to-learn rules and decent odds. However, in the early-19th century, it got overtaken by poker popularity-wise, which quickly established itself as the preferred card game for most gamblers. Today, there are eighty-eight licensed card rooms in California, welcoming locals and poker enthusiasts from all over the nation. Californians can also enjoy casino variants like three-card poker games inside some of the state’s brick-and-mortar gaming locales or online.

Best California Poker Spots

As mentioned above, there is no shortage of card venues in California. Going by the latest count, more than eighteen hundred tables offering poker gambling are running in the US’ most populous state. Naturally, the most established version in all of these is no-limit Texas Holdem, followed by pot-limit Omaha, limit Holdem, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Seven-Card Stud. Nevertheless, it is not unusual for venues in the state to also offer Badugi, Two-Seven Triple Draw, and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo games.

According to virtually everyone, the best five locales with poker rooms in California are the Commerce Casino, The Bicycle Hotel, The Gardens Casino, Hollywood Park, and the Hustler Casino. Except for the Hustler Casino, the rest have a tradition of hosting WSP, WTP, and national tournaments. For example, Hollywood Park was the long-standing venue of the US National Championship of Poker. The Gardens Casino is the site of its WPT Gardens Poker Festival and WPT Gardens Poker Championship.

When it comes to the number of poker tables available inside a single California gambling establishment, the Commerce Casino is the undisputed king with two hundred and seventy. The Bicycle Hotel in Bell Gardens is a distant second with one hundred and eighty-five, and Gardens Casino is in third place with one hundred and ten. Poker rooms not located within a casino worth mentioning in California include the Turlock Poker Room, the Limelight in Sacramento, and the Kings Card Club in Stockton.

The Bay 101 in San Jose and the Thunder Valley Casino Resort are two more noteworthy spots where millions have paid out in poker winnings.

Famous Californian Poker Players

Given the propensity for high-level poker action in California, it stands to reason that it would be the birthplace of many famous card experts that have made a name for themselves in WSOP and WPT events throughout the last two decades. Phil Ivey, one of the game’s most massive names, a holder of ten WSOP bracelets, and a 2017 Poker Hall of Fame inductee, is from Riverside, though he started to ply his trade in Atlantic City.

Michael Matusow, nicknamed The Mouth, is an LA native, who took up poker at the start of the 1990s, has attained four WSOP bracelets, and even took home first place at the 2005 WSOP Tournament of Champions. Born in Burney, Erick Lindgren, AKA E-Dog, is another highly-recognizable Golden State player who has two WSOP bracelets and has made over ten million in live tournament winnings.

Despite California being the origin of many top-end players, it is also the place of residence for many who have decided to call it home. These include Irish sensation Phil Laak and Indonesian player John Juanda, winner of five WSOP bracelets.

Most Reputable Local Tournaments

Las Vegas may be the US’ game of chance epicenter. Yet, concerning ones involving card skills, Las Angeles reigns supreme. The LA Poker Classic has an extensive tradition in the LA card community, providing fifty straight days of poker action from the start of every year to the beginning of March. The series wraps with the Main Event Championships that have a million-dollar prize.

The WSOP and WPT run annual events from their circuits, at Thunder Valley and the Bicycle Casino, respectively. The Commerce Holdem Series also draws substantial player numbers via its no-limit Hold’em main prize of a cool million.

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