Florida Poker Games
Poker is possibly the most classic form of gambling, and it’s been played in the Sunshine State for as long as Florida’s been on the map. However, formal FL poker rooms are a more modern phenomenon, and they’ve made the game more accessible than ever. Legal Florida poker games are routinely offered by all gambling venues in the state, from huge Class III casino poker rooms to tiny cardrooms and clubs. You can even legally play online poker games in Florida!
For us, online is the best option. While there are dozens of places to play poker in FL, they still require you to get out and about. But online poker lets you play anywhere, anytime. The caveat: To play online poker games within state borders, you have to join an international betting site. As of 2024, poker rooms operating inside state lines can’t legally host Internet-based games. Of course, online poker does lack the social aspect of playing in person, which is why brick-and-mortar poker rooms and cardrooms remain a popular option.
Best Florida Online Poker Sites For Real-Money Games And Tournaments
| Poker Site | Bonus Offer | Rating | USA | Play Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada Poker | 100% Max $500 | 4.9 | Yes | Play Now |
| Ignition Poker | 100% Max $2,000 | 4.8 | Yes | Play Now |
| Betonline Poker | 100% Max $1,000 | 4.4 | Yes | Play Now |
Are Poker Games Legal In Florida?
Yes! If you live in Florida, poker games are legally available. You can gamble at Class II and Class III Indian casinos in the state, all of which have poker rooms with multiple tables and host regular FL poker tournaments. You can also play poker games in card rooms found in the state, which are more conveniently distributed throughout the Sunshine State. The minimum age to play poker in FL is 18+ at all these venues.
Now, there are differences between the types of poker available at casinos vs. card rooms. These differences are mostly irrelevant to the player, but the legal status of the venue carries weight when it comes to the types of FL poker games on hand. Our legal Florida poker guide discusses these differences further down the page.
Are Online Poker Games Legal In Florida?
Yes, you can legally play online poker games in Florida for real money. While domestic venues can’t offer real-money online poker, the state’s poker laws (and gambling laws in general) do not criminalize participation at international online poker rooms. As with local options, the minimum gambling age is just 18 and up at these sites.
The online poker sites we list here all accept players in Florida, are all operating legitimately within a legal gambling jurisdiction, and are 100% safe to use. That said, there are lots of online poker scams out there, so always mind the “big blind,” keep your eyes open, and only play with the most reputable operators. If the poker site you choose is established and recognized within the industry, you’re good to go all in!
The “Big Three” Poker Games
Generally, Florida poker players – whether playing at online cash tables or in big poker tournaments – are going to play one of the three main types of poker games. If you know anything at all about poker, you already know the trio we’re talking about, since they’re the most popular poker variants in casinos the world over: Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi-Lo.
Florida Texas Hold’em Poker Games
Texas Hold’em – aka “Texas Holdem” or simply “Holdem” – is the biggest and most played of all poker game types. As the flagship poker game, you’ll find numerous tables hosting the pastime at any online poker site listed on this page, as well as any local casinos or card rooms. Additionally, Texas Holdem tournaments online and offline are the most commonly held poker events, making it even more important as the game to focus on.
Regardless of the many different poker rooms in Florida, Texas Hold’em rules are universal:
- Ante: Each player antes up and is dealt two (2) hole cards, face down. There are four betting rounds, and the goal is to build the best five-card hand using any combination of hole cards and community cards.
- Pre-Flop Betting Round: Each player bets or folds before the first three community cards are revealed.
- The Flop: The dealer draws three cards off the top of the deck and places them face up in the middle of the table. These first three community cards are together known as “the flop.”
- Flop Betting Round: Each player bets or folds before the next community card is revealed.
- The Turn: The dealer draws a single card off the top of the deck and adds it to the community cards. A total of four community cards are now visible.
- Turn Betting Round: Each player bets or folds before the final community card is revealed.
- The River: The dealer draws a single card off the top of the deck and adds it to the community cards. A total of five community cards are now visible.
- The River Betting Round: This is the final betting round. Each player bets or folds. The highest hand wins the pot.
Florida Omaha Poker Games
Omaha (aka “Omaha Holdem”) is less popular than Texas Holdem in FL, but the game is similar enough – with just enough variation – to make it a staple in all legitimate poker sites and card rooms. The game is like Texas Hold’em in that players are tasked with making the best possible five-card hand using their hole cards and community cards.
Online and at all the poker venues in Florida, Omaha poker rules are the same. There are four betting rounds (Pre-Flop, Flop, Turn, River), with the gameplay varying from Texas Holdem as follows:
- Each player gets four hole cards instead of two.
- Each player must make the best possible hand using exactly two of their hole cards and exactly three of the five community cards.
This twist on classic Texas Hold’em makes Omaha the second most popular casino poker game in FL. However, for poker beginners, Omaha may be more difficult to learn given its extra restrictions. On the other hand, some beginners actually prefer FL Omaha poker because those restrictions equate to fewer variables and surprises.
Florida Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Games
The third most common game among FL players is Omaha Hi-Lo. Also called “Omaha 8” or “Omaha Eight or Better,” Omaha Hi-Lo is a “split pot” game. That is, both the highest hand and the lowest hand win, splitting the pot.
The rules are otherwise identical to regular Omaha: four hole cards and five community cards with hands composed using exactly two hole cards and three community cards. The betting rounds are also identical to standard Omaha. The special Omaha Hi-Lo rules to keep in mind are this:
- All cards in a qualifying low hand must have face values lower than eight. (This is where the game’s alternate names come from.)
- If no qualifying low hand exists, the high hand takes the whole pot.
One quirk of the Omaha Hi-Lo poker game is that in certain circumstances, the same player can win both the high hand and the low hand. This is called “scooping,” and it’s a thrill unique to this game type. Because there are two winners for (almost) every pot, we recommend Omaha Hi-Lo to all new Florida poker players. It’s the best and fastest way to learn hand rankings and basic poker strategies.
Legal State-Regulated Poker Games In Florida
Depending on which venue you choose from your trusty Florida poker rooms map, you’ll be able to play house-banked or player-banked poker games, video poker games, and poker-themed lottery games. Class III FL Indian casinos offer the full gamut, while Class II casinos and cardrooms are more limited in the kinds of legal poker games they’re able to host.
Note: We discuss the legal distinctions between house-banked poker games and player-banked poker games further below, but these differences are mostly irrelevant to typical players.
Types Of Legal FL Poker Games
The best Florida poker casinos and card rooms have a wide selection of poker games available. The caveat here is that only Class III FL casinos can offer real video poker games of the normal type in addition to their standard live poker tables.
In Class II casinos and commercial cardrooms in the state, you may find electronic poker games, but these aren’t “real” video poker games in the typical sense. Instead, these are poker-themed lottery games classified as electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and/or video lottery terminals (VLTs). They’re closer to slot machines than actual poker.
Many of the non-“Big Three” poker variants at the region’s brick-and-mortar casinos are available at live tables, while just about all kinds of poker games are available electronically. The following list is representative each poker game you’ll find at the state’s six Seminole casino venues, in both live table and electronic formats:
- Texas Hold ‘Em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi-Lo
- Omaha High
- Big “O”
- Big “O” Eight Or Better
- Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em
- Alligator One Card Poker
- Alligator Open-Face Pai Gow Poker
- Alligator Suits
- Casino War
- Crazy Pineapple
- Criss Cross Poker
- Double Draw Poker
- Limit Draw
- Mississippi Stud
- No-Limit Draw
- Pineapple
- Pot Limit Draw
- Seven Card Razz Stud Low
- Seven Card Stud High
- Seven Card Stud High-Low Split
- Three Card Poker
- + More
Legal Online Florida Poker Games
Gambling in person is fun. But for most poker players, online poker in Florida is where the action is. The best FL online poker games are available exclusively at the international casinos we recommend here. These sites have most (if not all) of the same poker-based card games you’re familiar with, from the “Big Three” on down to dozens of unique casino one-offs.
In most cases, you’ll also find many additional options that the typical selections of state-regulated Florida card games don’t include. Between live online poker and electronic video poker, legal online poker games in FL are a “royal flush” compared to the measly “full house” you’ll get playing in person.
Types Of Legal Online FL Poker Games
Live Online Multiplayer Poker Games
The following are the live multiplayer poker games you can play at legit online poker rooms. All real-time cash table games, Zone Poker games, Sit-N-Go poker games, and big-money online poker tournaments feature these – and only these – “Big Three” variants:
- Texas Hold ‘Em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi-Lo
Legal Florida Poker Apps – Play Mobile Poker Games On The Go
It’s no secret that we prefer online poker to the in-person game. Florida poker rooms are great fun – in moderation. Most of the time, we just want to play for a few minutes here and there. For that kind of daily play, there’s no better option than mobile poker games.
Now, if you search for an online poker app, state gambling law disallows these to be offered by domestic operators. As such, popular mobile storefronts like the App Store and Google Play store don’t have real-money poker apps you can download or install. Whatever poker apps you find in these stores are mere poker simulations (aka poker sims). That is, they’re poker video games, not real-money poker apps. You can buy more virtual poker chips to get extended play times, but you can never win actual cash or prizes.
Fortunately, to play real FL mobile poker games for real money, you don’t need to download an app at all. The best sites featured in this guide all make their live poker games (and video poker games) available right through any up-to-date mobile web browser.
Note: Desktop PC and Mac users do have the option to download online poker software to play these same games in a dedicated application. But this is never required, and we never recommend installing any software you don’t need to.
Types Of Poker Games In FL – House-Banked Vs. Player-Banked
In this guide to real Florida poker games, we make a distinction between the kinds of poker available in the state. If you didn’t know, there are effectively two types of poker games in FL: those at casino poker rooms, which can be house-banked or player-banked; and those at non-casino “cardrooms,” which can only be player-banked.
In simple terms, house-banked poker allows the house to have a stake, permits the dealer to play hands on behalf of the house, and lets the house take a cut of the pot. With player-banked games, the players themselves are the only staked participants – the house cannot take a cut of any pot nor charge a fee for hosting any games.
For players, the only real difference between house-banked casino poker games and player-banked card room poker games is how big a given pot can reliably get. If you want to win a few thousand dollars at most, a FL cardroom is just fine. If you want to win tens of thousands of dollars or more, a proper poker game or tournament at a real Florida casino is the answer.
2024 Update: As part of the now-defunct 2021 Seminole gaming compact with the state of Florida, the tribe would have been authorized to established house-banked poker games at “satellite” locations. This would have effectively converted many FL card rooms into proper casino poker venues. This initiative is likely to be revisited in the future.
Where To Play Poker Games In Florida
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Brick-And-Mortar Florida Poker Rooms
Because real casino poker can be both player-banked and house-banked, these kinds of FL poker games are only available in Class III Florida Indian casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe. (Remember, you can play any poker game in FL outside these venues by visiting a legit cardroom.)
If you want to know where to play real-money casino poker in FL, there are six venues up and running as of 2024:
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel And Casino Hollywood (Hollywood)
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel And Casino Tampa (Tampa)
- Seminole Casino Brighton (Brighton)
- Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Coconut Creek)
- Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee (Immokalee)
- Seminole Classic Casino (Hollywood)
- Miccosukee Resort And Gaming Center* (Miami)
*As a Class II casino, Miccosukee Resort And Gaming does not offer house-banked poker. Still, the Miccosukee poker room promises to have the highest-limit player-banked poker games in the state. This venue should mirror the experience of playing FL poker games at Class III Seminole casinos, even though it’s technically a “card room.”
Brick-And-Mortar Florida Card Rooms
Unlike the games at Class III poker rooms, the games at Florida cardrooms – typically found at former greyhound tracks and similar Class II-style commercial gaming centers – are always player-banked. That is, the house cannot charge any fees, contribute to any pots, or take any cuts thereof.
(FL “poker clubs” may charge membership fees, but these legally cannot be used for pots or prizes of the poker games themselves.)
Unless you’re after the biggest pots possible, these venues should suit your needs:
- Big Easy Casino (Hallandale Beach)
- Calder Casino & Race Course (Miami Gardens)
- Casino Miami Jai-Alai (Miami)
- Creek Entertainment Gretna (Gretna)
- Dania Jai-Alai (Dania Beach)
- Daytona Beach Racing and Card Club (Daytona Beach)
- Derby Lane (St. Petersburg)
- Ebro Greyhound Track (Ebro)
- Flagler Dog Track and Magic City Casino (Miami)
- Fort Pierce Jai-Alai & Poker (Fort Pierce)
- Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino (Hallandale Beach)
- Hialeah Park Race Track (Hialeah)
- Jacksonville Kennel Club (Orange Park)
- Jefferson County Kennel Club (Monticello)
- Melbourne Greyhound Park (Melbourne)
- Naples/Fort Myers Greyhound Track (Bonita Springs)
- Ocala Poker & Jai-Alai (Ocala)
- Orange City Racing and Card Club (Orange City)
- Orange Park Kennel Club (Orange Park)
- Oxford Downs (Summerfield)
- Palm Beach Kennel Club (West Palm Beach)
- Pensacola Greyhound Track (Pensacola)
- Pompano Park (Pompano Beach)
- Sarasota Kennel Club (Sarasota)
- Tampa Bay Downs (Tampa)
- Tampa Greyhound Track (Tampa)
- Victory Casino Cruises (Cape Canaveral)
Note: FL card room locations tend to come and go with more frequency. The above list is current as of 2024, with the caveat that it may not be 100% complete. Still, wherever you are in the state, there is sure to be at least one Florida poker room or cardroom within 50-100 miles of you.
Florida Online Poker Rooms
While most FL residents have poker rooms and cardrooms within reasonable driving distance, not everyone wants to make a costly trip just to enjoy a few hands of their favorite games. Luckily, you aren’t restricted to in-person poker games near Orlando, live poker games near Miami, North Florida poker tournaments, South Florida poker tournaments, etc.
When you play poker online, you can play real-money cash games and tourneys from anywhere in the state.
That being said, it remains important that you exercise some discretion in choosing the best online poker sites in Florida. Provided you play your hand only with the reputable, trusted operators recommended here, you’ll be able to count on the cards – even if you don’t know how to count cards!
FAQs
Can you play poker games in Florida?
Yes! There are several ways to play legal FL poker games.
If you live in the Sunshine State, you can play at local Class III casinos, Class II casinos, FL cardrooms, and poker clubs. Social poker games (aka private poker games) are also permitted.
You can even play online poker, though these Internet-based games must be hosted by non-US brands operating internationally.
Are poker games legal in Florida?
Poker games are absolutely legal in Florida, and residents have multiple safe ways to participate.
The only kind of illegal poker in the state takes place in “black market” card rooms that aren’t licensed or in private poker club venues that operate as gambling houses and take a cut of the action.
Additionally, domestic online poker rooms aren’t yet legal in the state (though we know of no black-market online FL poker sites currently in operation).
Outside of these few exceptions, you can play every kind of real-money poker game in just about any way you wish. Best of all, no matter how or where you play, the minimum poker age in FL is just 18 and up.
Can you play online poker games in Florida?
Yes! You can legally play online poker in Florida. There are no FL gambling laws criminalizing the activity, and online poker has never been illegal in the state.
That said, you can only participate in real-money poker online at offshore or international gambling sites.
Until the state’s voters allow for gambling expansion that includes domestic online poker, residents will have to limit themselves to the digital felts at the sites recommended here. Although, “limit” probably isn’t the right word.
“Pot limit” and “no limit” are more apt…
What poker sites can I play at in Florida?
You can play real-money online poker games at any of the sites featured on this page. Each of the operators we recommend are time-tested, reliable, safe, and trusted. They’re also 100% legal, as the state has no laws barring residents from playing legal online poker games at international betting sites.
What are the best FL online poker apps?
Remember, there are no domestic FL online poker applications. At least, not ones that let you bet or win real money. But also remember, you don’t need a dedicated iPhone poker app, iPad poker app, or Android poker app to play a real poker game in Florida!
Every top-rated FL online poker room is fully developed for mobile access on any device. These sites are dynamically designed to run perfectly on any make, model, or screen size of smartphone or tablet.
They’re also never “geofenced” (i.e. geographically restricted), so you can play any online poker game from anywhere inside or outside the state. Put another way, you can go all in even when you’re all out!
What is the difference between poker and video poker?
For decades now, there have been two main ways to enjoy poker: traditional poker and video poker.
Traditional Florida poker games – the kind played in-person at casinos and card rooms – are live games. They’re played at real tables, hosted by real dealers, and are competitive events. You play against other real people to win the pot (or a share of the pot).
Florida video poker games are poker simulations that mimic real table poker on a computer. At brick-and-mortar venues, these exist as kiosks or terminals, and they look just like electronic slot machines.
Video poker games can include the “Big Three” and other common live table poker games, but they’re usually special one-off games developed from the ground up to be electronically experienced.
You also don’t play video poker against other players; video poker games are always player vs. computer.
In general, video poker is considered a common casino game, while regular poker is classified as its own broad gambling category. And it goes without saying that if you want to maximize your winnings, you’ll need to settle for the real deal with a real dealer.
Can you play WSOP in Florida?
Yes! You can play official WSOP poker games in qualifying WSOP tournaments throughout the state. These contests are typically held at both real FL casino venues and various FL cardroom venues.
To learn where and when local WSOP games are being held, you can consult the official World Series of Poker website.
Can I play free poker games in Florida?
Yes, of course!
There are plenty of “free” poker apps in the various mobile storefronts. But most of these limit playtime and charge microtransactions to “unlock” more rounds, more online poker chips, etc.
Some video game consoles and Windows/Mac games even have free-to-play multiplayer poker (though in-app purchases and microtransactions tend to rear their ugly heads here, too). That said, you cannot play free online poker at the sites featured here.
Real online poker games take a lot of back-end work and require live servers and constant upkeep, all of which costs money. This added cost is why the majority of reputable online casinos still don’t host live poker rooms in 2024.
If you live in Florida, free poker games are only available at select sites that offer free versions of their general online casino gambling menus. These are video poker games, though, which is something to keep in mind.
Still, being able to play free online video poker is a great way for beginners to learn poker hand ranks and develop their best poker strategies. Even better, this know-how translates well to actual online poker tables.
Are social poker games legal in Florida?
Yes, social poker games are legal in Florida!
Florida home poker game laws allow for players to enjoy private poker games for real money provided these games meet a few basic conditions.
As in most other states, social poker games in FL require that the players themselves fund all the action and that no entity operates as a “house” or takes a cut of the pot. There are no age limits cited in FL home poker laws, but we recommend that all participants be 18 or older.
What is the Florida Poker Run?
If you win several poker games in a row, you could say you’re on a “poker run.”
Of course, if you’re talking about Florida Poker Runs, those don’t actually have anything to do with poker games at all.
Instead, these are events local to various FL vacation destinations, typically involving boating, biking, and similar fare. You can consult the Florida 2024 Poker Run calendar for specific events and dates near you.