Los Angeles is a city that is renowned throughout the world for its nightlife. This is a place where many of the richest and most famous people live and they are a breed that likes to party hard.
One of the things that they enjoy doing in their downtime is playing poker. LA might not be celebrated for its gambling venues the way that Las Vegas is, but there are plenty of them.
In fact, some poker hounds find the scene in LA to be more congenial, due to the comparative lack of amateur tourist players. Then there is the online version of the game. Despite what you may have heard, it is not against either state or federal law to play online poker there. The activity is just not regulated at the state level.
This article will look at both real-world and online poker in LA, highlighting the key differences.
What Makes the LA Poker Scene Different?
Anyone who has ever played poker in and around LA will tell you that the scene has its own distinct vibe. A lot of that is down to the fact that it does not attract tourists the way that Las Vegas poker venues do.
Therefore the pool of players is smaller and more homogeneous. That can make it easier to get a handle on the abilities and playing styles of your opponents.
Another thing that is true of poker in LA is that there is a real difference between the morning and evening action offered at the casino poker rooms. The evening games draw the high stakes players, so that is the time to play if you are hoping to win big.
Many of the games at LA venues have very low buy-ins too – often just $40 minimum. In Las Vegas, you may have to lay down as much as $300 to get in on the action. The difference reflects things like the overall high cost of living in LA.
Despite the low buy-ins, there is usually no trouble getting a seat in a poker game though. You are unlikely to need to phone the casino in advance to book your place.
Live and Online Poker in LA
You will be able to play all of the main versions of the game at both real-world and online venues. Beyond that though, the two ways of playing poker are not the same.
For one thing, if you choose online poker, you can play from any location. That convenience is a big reason for the enormous popularity of playing it over the internet.
This is especially true in large cities like LA. Their size can mean that getting to a casino with a live poker room involves travelling a considerable distance.
Then there is the matter of the bonuses. One thing that you will notice the moment you sign up to an online poker site is that there is a lot of bonus offers available.
That is because the cost of running the sites is a lot lower than the overheads for a real-world casino. It enables the providers to put that spare cash into enticing bonuses, making for a real advantage in playing online.
None of this means that there are no arguments in favor of visiting an LA casino to play poker though. The play you will find at them is arguably better in some ways.
The main form of poker offered online is still video poker. That is a purely electronic version of the game where the player competes against algorithms rather than human opponents.
Some people prefer it because it is straightforward. In video poker, whether you win or not is solely a matter of the strength of your hand. Really good players dislike it because it leaves no space for the tactical and strategic play needed in a real-world casino poker room.
The Best LA Poker Rooms
- Hollywood Park Casino
This tribal casino is located within easy distance of downtown LA. It hosts No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments every day in its poker room. Other versions of the game that can be played at this venue include Omaha and Seven Card Stud.
- Commerce Casino & Hotel
A second great venue for playing poker in the city is the Commerce. Alongside Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud and Lowball games, its poker room also has Mexican Poker games. This casino hosts daily tournaments and is also used for the World Series of Poker.
- Hustler Casino
This casino has a quieter feel than some of the others, which is great for your concentration during poker games. You can play Pai Gow Poker here as well as Three Card and Texas Hold’em.
LA has some fine poker venues, but there are real benefits to playing online.
