Virginia Texas Holdem Poker Room Reviews

At this point no live Teas holdem poker action is available in Virginia because of the state’s restrictive legislation in relation to most forms of gambling.

The state doesn’t allow any gambling except for lottery, pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, and games that are run for charitable purposes by not for profit organizations. On top of this they also don’t allow casinos to be operated on native Indian reservations like some other states in the US do.

What this means for you as a poker player is that you’ll need to be a little bit creative to find a game, and you’ll have to put in some travel time to play in a live cash game or tournament at a casino.

Charitable Gambling

Charitable gambling is permitted in this state of Virginia. This is heavily regulated though and only registered not for profit organizations will be able to hold games and events.

The most common game played is bingo and you should be able to find a game in community organizations or churches quite regularly throughout the state.

After bingo, the most common form of charitable gambling is in the form of raffles. Again, these are quite commonplace and you should be able to find a raffle without going too far.

From time to time you may also come across a poker or casino game night to raise money for charities. These won’t be anything like sitting down in a real casino to play though and usually involve non-cash prizes and various entry fees where all proceeds go towards the charity in question. So, unfortunately you won’t be able to sit down at a $2 / $3 no limit holdem cash table in the name of charity.

Pari-Mutuel Betting

Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is also permitted in Virginia. At least five venues are scattered throughout the state including in Richmond. These venues simulcast horse racing from around the country and world so you should be able to find bets and races that suit you.

Strangely, greyhound racing betting isn’t permitted at all in the state. This is probably because of the discrepancies between the law in relation to the skill vs luck legislation and how it’s applied to horse racing.

Lottery

Finally, you can also bet on the lottery in Virginia. The lottery is owned, operated, and strongly regulated by the state and as such all profits from the lottery go towards education. Specifically, the money goes to public schools to allow for more schools to be built, better facilities, and scholarships and allowances for students who are disadvantaged.

This allows them to attend school and get an education which is a great way for money to be spent from lottery proceeds. The major national lotteries including Powerball and Mega Millions are available to residents, as well as some smaller state based lotteries and instant win scratch card and pull tab games. This is pretty much the norm for most state run lotteries in the United States.

Poker

As you can see from the above you have some options to get your gambling fix, but that doesn’t really help with that Texas holdem poker itch. If you do want to play poker you’ll be able to set up a home game without any troubles from the authorities.

This is because wagering on a chance outcome in the state of Virginia is permitted within a private residence. The residence becomes commercial if the person who owns the residence in question begins to make a profit from any kind of gambling that’s taking place within. So, if you wish to run a home game with your friends that’s fine, just make sure you don’t start charging a commission or rake. This would be poor to do to your buddies in any case.

The online world is a bit murkier when it comes to understanding the law and whether as a player you won’t get in any trouble if you play online poker or other games at an online casino. You’ll be able to find poker sites that accept US players online, but they certainly won’t be the big names like Pokerstars and Full Tilt.

Generally, they’re based off shore and will be smaller and less reputable. It’s a bit of a different story for online casinos as some US casinos do exist and they welcome players from certain US states.

You’ll also have access to several offshore online casinos that welcome all US players and on these you can play your favorite luck based games like slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps. At this point in time it’s not illegal to play on these sites, nor is it legal. The state just hasn’t really added anything to legislation to address the online environment. If you decided that you wanted to run an online poker site or casino that’s when you would be in a lot of trouble with the authorities.

If you’re willing to put in a little bit of travel you’ll be able to find some fantastic poker rooms in surrounding states. To the north Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania all offer some great poker options within a reasonable driving distance.

West Virginia also offers some great poker action if you’re in the north or the west of the state. To the south your options will be a little bit more limited as North Carolina only has one poker room at the Harrah’s in Cherokee. So it’s quite a drive from the south of Virginia to this poker room.

If you live in Virginia you won’t have to go to too much effort to find some good Texas holdem poker action, and it’s a lot better than many other states across the country.

Conclusion

It remains unclear if Virginia will change its tune in relation to gambling and poker. They’ve taken a hard stance so far even with pressure from surrounding states so the argument that tax dollars are being missed out on mustn’t hold much weight with lawmakers and the authorities.

In any case, the people have the power in this respect and if a big enough movement takes place to bring in casino gambling and poker then it will eventually happen. It’s unlikely that this will be any time soon though so you’re probably better off moving to another state if you wish to take up poker full time.

Many people play poker in Virginia and there are a variety of ways you can do so legally. The only thing that the state lacks is live poker in a casino or card room environment.

This is a real shame and this is how poker should be played and what we all love about the game. Given that some gambling is allowed in the state you’ll be able to participate in a bit of action, but if you love your poker like we do you know this won’t satisfy the need to take to the felt. So, jump in that car and head over to Maryland Live!