Kansas Texas Holdem

If you live in Kansas your options in respect to live Texas holdem poker are somewhat limited. While many surrounding states offer a larger number of rooms, you’ll only find three in Kansas, with one in Kansas City, one in Mulvane, and one in Dodge City.

Just over the border in Kansas City, Missouri you’ll find poker rooms at the Ameristar Casino and Harrah’s. These rooms are much larger than the three you find in Kansas, and have a much more vibrant poker community supporting them.

The main game in Kansas is no limit Texas holdem with two of the casinos offering only cash games, while only Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway offering some tournaments throughout the week. You can also find some limit holdem and pot limit Omaha being played in these poker rooms during the peak periods and when there’s player demand for it.

If you have a decent game you should be able to do quite well in Kansas. The standard of play is pretty consistent with other smaller states and you certainly won’t come up against a large professional player pool like you can in Florida or California. That being said, the standard is still quite good and you’ll notice a lot of the same faces at the tables in all three poker rooms if you frequent them enough.

Similarly to many other states in the US you’ll receive cocktail service, and have to pay for drinks, while you play. Kansas Star casino also provides food service at the table. You can earn comps in cash games at varying rates, so make sure you sign up to the players club before you commence your session.

Gambling in Kansas is permitted on Indian reservations and in state owned and operated casinos. These state owned casinos are those which have poker rooms and are listed below. Since 2007 most forms of gambling are legal in Kansas, including charity games and lottery.

The state has taken a somewhat logical and sensible approach to gambling by legalising it and offering state run casinos in order to receive the benefits in respect to tax revenue. If they didn’t offer casinos and poker, players would simply drive to another state resulting in a loss of potential revenue. Some other states in the US should follow suit in this respect.

The poker scene in Kansas is quite small in comparison to other larger states, however you’ll still find a lot of poker being played and there are options in neighbouring states such as Missouri as well.

If you’re a keen player you should be able to get your fill at one of the three poker rooms in the state, as they are geographically spread out enough so you’ll never need to travel too far. The game has hit its peak in the state and they don’t seem to be moving towards legalising online poker any time soon, so you’ll need to stick to live play.

If more states start regulating online poker Kansas may follow suit, but that will still be some time off. Once New York and Florida regulate online play larger states will follow, and then only after this will we see it become the norm with smaller states. In the meantime enjoy your time playing in Kansas and be sure to hone your skills in the soft low limit games before you move up in stakes.

List of Kansas Poker Rooms

Here is our compiled list of all the poker rooms you can find in the state of Iowa:

Boot Hill Casino

• Location: Dodge City, Kansas
• Hours: Monday to Thursday from 5pm until 12am, Friday from 12pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11am.
• Tables: 5
• Games: Only cash games are offered in this poker room with $2 / $5 no limit holdem being the main game most of the time.
• Ambience: This poker room features light brown felt tables and black chairs amongst a white and beige decor on hardwood floors. Plenty of native Indian decorations are placed across the walls, along with TVs to keep you entertained while you play. The room is complete no smoking for your comfort.
• Hospitality: Comps can be earned while you play through the Real Rewards program and you’ll also be provided with cocktail service while you play so you need never miss a hand.
• Players: You’ll come across mostly local regulars in this poker room and the play will be of a decent standard. Dealers are knowledgeable and friendly and the poker room staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome. All in all it’s a nice place to play some recreational poker.

Hollywood Casino Kansas Speedway

• Location: Kansas City, Kansas
• Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
• Tables: 12
• Games: This poker room spreads $1 / $3, $2 / $5 and $5 / $10 no limit holdem, $2 / $5 pot limit Omaha high, $2 / $4 and $20 / $40 limit holdem and $10 / $25 mixed tables. If you are looking for tournament play you will find no limit holdem events on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The buy in for these tournaments ranges from $65 up to $235.
• Ambience: Red felt tables sit against a brown and gold decor in this well designed and modern poker room. The chairs are comfortable and the room is separate from the main casino floor and completely no smoking for your comfort. You’ll also find TVs across the walls to keep you entertained between hands.
• Hospitality: While playing in a cash game you can earn comps at 75 cents per hour through the Marquee Rewards program. On top of this they provide cocktail service to players at the table and run a monthly free-roll, bad beat jackpot and hourly high hand prizes.
• Players: This room is considered one of the best in Kansas City and you’ll quickly realise why once you enter. The room is designed well and is much more like a Las Vegas style poker arena. The play is generally quite lively and you’ll find plenty of action to keep you going for hours on end. The room features a good mix of local regulars and strong amateurs, which is always a nice thing as you want players to be thinking about moves more than just always gambling. Dealers and staff are welcoming and friendly and will ensure you are looked after when you play here.

Diamond Jo Casino Northwood

• Location: Kansas Star Casino
• Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
• Tables: 13
• Games: Only cash games are available to players in this poker room. You will find $1 / $3 and $2 / $5 no limit holdem and $1 / $2 pot limit Omaha high.
• Ambience: The Diamond Jo poker room at Kansas Star casino features bright yellow felt tables and red chairs against a colorful carpet which is enticing for the senses. The dark walls ensure that the lighting is soft in the room which is ideal for a long session. TVs are placed around the room so you can stay entertained between hands and the room is entirely no-smoking.
• Hospitality: Comps can be earned in cash games at a rate of 50 cents per hour through the Lucky Star Players Club. On top of this you’ll receive food and cocktail service at the table so you will never miss a hand. All cash players are also in the running for the progressive bad beat jackpot.
• Players: You will come across a good mix of players here with the skill level being a few levels above average. Play will loosen up on evening weekends so visit then if you want more of an edge. We’ve had some reports that management is quite unprofessional here which is a real shame. Hopefully senior management in the casino sorts this out quickly as the poker room is otherwise great.

Conclusion

While Kansas doesn’t offer as many options for Texas holdem players as many states, they do have three legal poker rooms. If you live close enough to the state line you might be closer to a larger poker room out of state, or you can try to find a private game.