Bluff or Bet: Which Cities Deal the Best & Worst Hands to Poker Players?

Last updated on June 23rd, 2025

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Some U.S. cities offer a clear edge for people who play poker regularly, while others make it harder for players to succeed.

Our team of experts ranked the 50 most populated U.S. cities using nine factors, including access to casinos and online play, housing costs, taxes, safety, and healthcare. The results reveal which cities help their residents thrive at the tables, and which cities deal gamblers a bad hand.

Key Findings

Las Vegas, Nevada tops the list with 229 casinos & 570 poker tables statewide.
Oklahoma surprises with two cities in the top 5, thanks to strong live poker access and an affordable cost of living.
Only three cities in the top 10 offer legal online poker: Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and Detroit.
Texas cities ranked low, with two of the bottom three spots held by Arlington and El Paso.

The Top 10 Cities for Poker Players to Live in

Which U.S. cities give poker players the best conditions to live and play? According to our experts' research, these ten cities stood out. Las Vegas ranking first is no surprise, but other, more unexpected cities offer more than meets the eye.

List of top 10 cities to live for poker players

10. Phoenix, Arizona – 41.51 / 100

Phoenix, Arizona lands in the top 10 largely due to a strong appetite for tournaments and steady live poker action.

✅ Strong tournament interest: 2,040 annual searches (3rd highest overall).
✅ Large live poker scene: 142 poker tables across Arizona.
✅ Moderate average home price: $416,728.
✅ Lowest income tax in the top 10: just 2.5%.

⚠️ No online poker: Live poker only.

9. Baltimore, Maryland – 41.90 / 100

Baltimore, Maryland delivers low housing costs and decent tournament interest, but has the smallest live poker scene among the top 10 cities.

✅ Mid-level tournament interest: 790 annual searches.
✅ Affordable housing: Average home price of $186,508.
✅ Moderate income tax: 5.75% top state rate.

⚠️ Smallest live poker scene in the top 10: just 6 casinos and 117 poker tables.
⚠️ No online poker: Live poker only.

8. Sacramento, California – 42.08 / 100

Sacramento benefits from California’s massive poker ecosystem, but players must handle high living costs.

✅ Huge poker scene: 1,140 poker tables statewide.
✅ Strong tournament interest: 1,330 annual searches.
✅ High cost of living: Average home price of $485,641.

⚠️ Highest income tax in the top 10: 13.3%.
⚠️ No online poker: Live poker only.

7. Indianapolis, Indiana – 43.49 / 100

Indianapolis, Indiana offers an affordable and steady poker scene, with strong player interest despite having fewer casinos than most cities on the list.

✅ Strong tournament interest: 1,250 annual searches.
✅ Affordable cost of living: $227,557 average home price.
✅ Low taxes: Flat 3% income tax.

⚠️ No online poker: Live poker only.
⚠️ Smaller poker network: 13 casinos and 166 tables across Indiana.

6. Oakland, California – 43.76 / 100

Oakland connects players to California’s deep poker market, but demands a serious bankroll for living expenses.

✅ Huge poker scene: Access to 1,140 poker tables and 86 casinos across California.
✅ Steady tournament interest: 440 annual searches.

⚠️ Highest cost of living: $751,605 average home price.
⚠️ Highest income tax in the top 10: 13.3%.
⚠️ No online poker: Live poker only.

5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – 46.59 / 100

Oklahoma City combines a large live poker scene with affordable living, ideal for players who prefer steady in-person action.

✅ Moderate tournament interest: 350 annual searches.
✅ 143 casinos and 209 poker tables statewide: the second highest table count in the top 10.
✅ Affordable housing: $201,647 average home price — 4th lowest in the top 10.
✅ Moderate income tax: 4.75%.

⚠️ No online poker: Live poker only.

4. Tulsa, Oklahoma – 46.95 / 100

Tulsa edges just ahead of Oklahoma City by offering slightly better affordability, but otherwise mirrors OKC’s strong live poker access and middle-range tax rate.

✅ Moderate tournament interest: 230 annual searches.
✅ Huge live poker access: 143 casinos and 209 poker tables statewide.
✅ Affordable housing: $205,014 average home price — 5th most affordable in the top 10.
✅ Moderate income tax: 4.75%.

⚠️ No online poker: Live poker only.

3. Detroit, Michigan – 50.46 / 100

For affordability and access, Detroit is hard to beat. It’s the most affordable city in the top 10, with home prices averaging a low $76,686. Michigan players enjoy legal online poker, 111 poker tables, and 1,320 tournament searches annually. It’s a strong option for players wanting flexibility and low living costs without sacrificing access to both digital and live action.

What Players Say About Poker in Detroit:

Source: Reddit

2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 56.26 / 100

Philadelphia offers one of the strongest live poker environments in the country, with 263 poker tables and 2,170 annual tournament searches — the second highest in the top 10. Combined with legal online poker and a low 3.07% income tax, it’s a well-rounded choice for players who want both access and flexibility in Pennsylvania.

What Players Say About Poker in Philadelphia

Source: Reddit

1. Las Vegas, Nevada – 58.38 / 100

Las Vegas leads in every major poker stat: 229 casinos, 570 poker tables, and 9,190 tournament searches per year (the highest in the country!). To top it off, online poker is legal in Nevada. Home prices aren’t exactly low at $431,505, but the world-class poker scene still makes Vegas the ultimate city for players.

Fun Fact: Every year, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) fills Las Vegas with players from all over the world, pushing the city’s poker competition to another level.

What Players Say About Poker in Vegas:

Source: Reddit

Worst Cities for Poker Players

Despite being the birthplace of Texas Hold 'Em, two of the bottom three cities for poker players are located in Texas. Arlington ranks dead last with a score of 9.56, offering almost no poker infrastructure. Long Beach, California follows closely with a score of 20.59, dragged down by sky-high housing costs and steep taxes despite the state's 1,140 poker tables. El Paso rounds out the bottom three with a score of 21.34, offering little beyond affordable housing and limited live poker access.

Methodology

We ranked the 50 most populated U.S. cities based on how livable they are for poker players, using nine factors across three categories: poker access, cost of living & lifestyle factors including access to healthcare & safety. Each factor was normalized to a score between 0 and 1, with missing data assigned a score of 0. Final scores were combined and scaled out of 100, with higher scores indicating a stronger environment for poker players.

Factors & Sources:

Population Data: CityPopulation.de
Casino Count: American Gaming Association
Poker Tables: World Casino Directory
Poker Tournament Searches: Google Ads Keyword Planner
Legal Online Poker: Legal U.S. Poker Sites
Income Tax Rates: Tax Foundation
House Values: Zillow
Cost of Living, Safety, Healthcare Scores: Numbeo

Poker-Friendly Cities: The Final Verdict

This ranking offers valuable insights for poker players considering relocation, casino operators tracking player trends, and media covering the U.S. poker scene. It also highlights an important reality: the best cities for poker players aren’t always the flashiest.

While Vegas still holds the crown, places like Detroit, Philadelphia, and Tulsa prove that affordability and access can be just as valuable. Meanwhile, Texas might be the birthplace of Hold ’Em, but its biggest cities are folding hard when it comes to supporting players.

Did your city make the list? Think we missed a hidden gem? Join the conversation on X & YouTube. #PokerLife #BluffOrBet