Poker is the kind of game that can bring players together from all different walks of life. This was especially true in the real money online poker world in the United States, where players from states like Kansas could find themselves at tables with players from states they could only imagine traveling to themselves. The Kansas poker scene, while not robust, is dedicated to the game, and this page is here to help Kansas poker players understand what is available to play in their fine state.
Online Poker in Kansas
With a population spread out over a large geographical area, Kansas poker players were thrilled when the real money online poker sites launched in the early 2000s. Overnight, players were able to play in huge tournaments and multiple cash games on these sites, all from the comfort of their own homes. It was the perfect way for residents of the state to get their poker fix without having to travel to a land-based facility, which are few and far between.
Real money online poker in Kansas hit the skids in 2011 when the U.S. government indicted the operators running these sites. With the sites no longer accessible from any state, players across the country saw their dreams dashed, and although a decade later, the U.S. is now seeing a revolution in online sports betting, there is no sign of online poker returning to Kansas for real money anytime soon.
Land Based Poker in Kansas
In many states, land-based poker rooms were where the industry grew roots before the online boom. After the crash of that market, players were left with local poker rooms as their outlet for playing the game they loved. In some states, there are dozens of card rooms scattered across the landscape, but in Kansas, the choices are few. There are only three poker rooms open in the state, but in those rooms, you will find some low stakes cash games (mainly No-Limit Hold’em, but also some Stud and Omaha tables) and some tournaments that will allow you to practice your craft without spending a ton of money. There are a few poker rooms on the borders of neighboring states as well – check out all our state pages for locations that may be closer to you than the three we have listed here:
Boot Hill Casino (Dodge City, KS)
Hollywood Casino Kansas Speedway (Kansas City, KS)
Kansas Star Casino (Mulvane, KS)
Social Poker in Kansas
One major piece of the online poker boom in the United States in the 2000s was the play money action. At most of the sites, well over half the players were playing for free, for the love of the game as opposed to wanting to gamble real money. This was a major part of the ecosystem, as there were tens of thousands of players available day and night for people to practice with before taking on the real money games.
When the sites had to leave the market, there was a huge hole left where play money players used to be. Enter the social poker market -sites built on the back of Facebook, which allowed players to play the games they loved without having to spend any money. These sites offered a twist though – even though you could earn chips in play money games to climb leaderboards and gain access to larger buy-in games, you could also skip all that effort by simply purchasing chip stacks from the site’s store. Now, these chips cost real money, but the savings in time to have to accumulate all of them in lower-quality games was something that many players felt was worth the investment. Today, multiple social poker networks offer cash games and tournaments to players, and these sites continue to be a great place to put into practice things that you learn along your poker journey.
Subscription Poker in Kansas
For those of you looking to play with a little more on the line, the subscription-based poker platforms may be a better fit. These sites, led by Club WPT, offer you a membership for a monthly fee. Once you pay that fee, you are given access to a whole host of monthly tournaments for no additional charge (this allows the site to qualify under sweepstakes laws). These tournaments offer great gameplay, with skill levels better on the whole than the social poker sites. You are playing for prizes, not cash, but there are some great ones, including the chance to play at a live World Poker Tour Main Event. Check out these sites if you are willing to make the investment of the monthly fee to access great poker action.
Poker Training in Kansas
Even though the options are limited as far as where Kansas residents can play poker, nothing is holding you back from learning all you can about this great game. Many of you have likely only ever played No-Limit Hold’em, which is not surprising given its global popularity. However, if you dig into some of the other games like Omaha, Razz, and Chinese Poker, you may find a new love! We have a full section of Poker Game Guides, which give you the basics of the rules and gameplay for each poker variant. You can take that initial knowledge, add in some videos which are readily available online, and make your way to a play money poker app on your phone to start to put your information into action!
Online Poker in Kansas FAQ
If I am traveling to a state like Pennsylvania that allows online poker, am I eligible to play on those sites?
You do not need to be a resident of a state to take advantage of its online poker scene. The sites will be ringfenced by geography, which means that anyone situated inside the physical border of the state can access the games. However, this also means that when you leave the state, you may no longer be able to access your account, so if you have money you want to withdraw, you will want to do so before you cross the border.
A friend of mine still plays online for real money from Kansas – how is that possible?
Your friend is likely playing with one of the small offshore poker sites that continue to operate in the United States even after the other sites were all shut down. These sites continue to fly somewhat under the radar, but they do come with some risk. As the sites are unregulated, they could close their doors or shut your account at any time, and you don’t really have a leg to stand on from a legal perspective. We don’t recommend that you play with these sites, but we can definitely understand the temptation.
