The Midwest has produced some of the best poker players from across the United States. The combination of the love of the game, the availability of live games, and the growth of online poker helped bring many players into the limelight in the 2000s.
The poker landscape in Missouri and across the U.S. is very different today than it was a few years ago. This page has been developed to give Missouri poker players a home base for information – where to play the game, the status of legislation in the state, and how to improve your game without spending a lot of money.
Online Poker in Missouri
The early 2000s saw a massive spike in the number of poker players in Missouri, and this is, of course, due to the introduction of online real money games to the landscape. Without leaving their homes or their state, players from Missouri could enter No-Limit Hold’em tournaments with million-dollar prize pools almost daily, and the number of players sitting in cash games was into the thousands at any time of day.
Unfortunately, despite all the growth and the increased love of the game, the poker world was shocked when the Department of Justice seized the domains of the largest offshore-based sites accepting American players in 2011. The result of that seizure was the closing of these sites to U.S. poker players, leaving a massive hole in the industry. To date, a handful of states have added online poker legislation, but Missouri residents are left wondering if they would ever be able to play real money online cash games and tournaments again. New discussions around legalizing sports betting have thrust online poker back onto the front burner in many states, and this could be just what the industry needs to get back on track in this country.
Land Based Poker in Missouri
Poker fans in Missouri who felt abandoned by the disappearance of online poker can at least find some solace in the fact there are a handful of live poker rooms spread across the state. These rooms are mainly situated in more populated regions, and they offer players a range of cash games from small stakes all the way to larger buy-in games. These rooms also offer scheduled tournaments, which give players the chance to put their money to work.
Although there are only a few real money poker rooms in Missouri, players should be happy they don’t live in other states that are shut out from poker entirely. Here are the poker rooms you will find in the state:
Ameristar Casino Kansas City (Kansas City, MO)
Ameristar Casino St. Charles (St. Charles, MO)
Century Casino Cape Girardeau (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Harrah’s Kansas City (Kansas City, MO)
Hollywood Casino St. Louis (Maryland Heights, MO)
Lumiere Place Casino (St. Louis, MO)
Social Poker in Missouri
When online poker became popular in the 2000s, it brought players from all walks of life together. However, there was a huge number of players in the ecosystem that were playing for fun and not for money at all. Those players were able to find new games pretty quickly with the introduction of social poker sites like Zynga Poker. These sites are more recognition-based, where players pass through levels and achievements as they earn chips and access to higher stakes. However, there is a way to skip ahead to the high-stakes games by buying chips in the store for real money. This is a great way to get right to the games that will have the highest skill level, which makes social poker a great option for players who want to keep their skills sharp.
Sweepstakes Poker in Missouri
For those who love real money poker and aren’t all that interested in playing for nothing in the social poker model, there is another option – sweepstakes poker. These games have found a loophole in sweepstakes law, allowing players to play for prizes in tournaments that resemble that of the real money industry. Sites like Global Poker are doing very well and have thousands of players fighting for the grand prizes they are offering in each event.
Learning Poker in Missouri
While there are some land-based real money games and some alternative online poker options for players in Missouri, one thing that remains constant is a desire to learn the game and the tools available to players of all skill levels. It starts with a basic understanding of the rules and gameplay of all the different poker variants, and our site has Poker Game Guides, which explain exactly that. There is a lot more to poker than just No-Limit Hold’em, and without guides, you can learn how to play games like Omaha, Short Deck, and many other games!
These days, there are loads of free poker apps available for your smartphone or tablet, and you can use the information you learn from our game guides to practice at these tables until you are feeling comfortable enough to try a game for real money at your local poker room!
Online Poker in Missouri FAQ
Are there any real money sites I can access from Missouri?
There are still a couple of sites that accept American players even though the rest of the industry left the market. These sites operate in constant fear of being shut down, however, and that impacts the quality of your experience. Making deposits and withdrawals at these sites is often very difficult, and the fact that they could be out of business at any time without legal challenge means there is an added layer of risk to players. We don’t recommend you try to play with these sites.
What about traveling to another state? Can I play poker then?
If you travel to one of the states that offer regulated online poker, then you will be able to register for an account and make a deposit. You do not need to be a resident of a state to play online poker, but you will need to be within the state borders to be able to access your account. If you leave the state, don’t panic -your account will still be there, but you may have some trouble accessing it to make any payment requests.
