The Midwest is known for many things, one of which is alove of playing poker. Illinois is no exception to this, as the state has had along history of land-based games, both legal and illegal, over the decades. Onlinepoker was another big success in the state, but with changes in legislation,that part of the industry has faced its challenges.

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Having grown tired of the free poker games on the Internet, an Illinois player this week asks about switching to real money action on the computer. That changed in 2017, however. Several members of the Illinois House and Senate introduced a series of bills to address online poker, online casino games, land-based casinos, and daily fantasy sports.

To bring you up to speed on everything related to pokerin Illinois, we built this page. Our team of experts gives you all the latestnews or regulation and where you can play land-based cash games andtournaments. Our Poker Guide section can help new players as well as those whohave an idea of how to play the game.

Online Poker in Illinois

With a rabid poker player base in the state, it is notsurprising that Illinois was one of the states where online poker was the mostpopular when real money poker sites emerged in the 2000s. With so many playersfrom the state playing in real money cash games and tournaments, it was a real joltto many when the online games were stripped from the state (and the wholecountry) in 2011. Since then, players have been not-so-patiently waiting forthe game to come back. The good news is that several states, including nearbyMichigan, have passed comprehensive online gaming bills, including poker inthem. While the sports betting bill that passed in Illinois does not have pokerin the language, it is only an amendment away from being added once the sportsbetting sites are operational.

Land Based Poker in Illinois

Poker players across Illinois are very fortunate to notonly have poker rooms scattered across their own state but several locations onthe border of nearby states like Indiana and Wisconsin. You can check out orpages about those states to get more information on those rooms.

As far as land-based poker in Illinois goes, there is awide range of rooms offering both cash games and tournaments to residents andvisitors to the state. The state has hosted some large poker festivals as wellover the years, with the backing of brands like the World Poker Tour and theWorld Series of Poker.

If you are looking to stay in Illinois and play livepoker, you can choose from any of the following poker rooms:

Central Illinois Charitable Games (Tuscola, IL)
Chicago Charitable Games (La Grange, IL)
Chicagoland Charity Poker (Arlington Heights, IL)
Grand Victoria Casino (Elgin, IL)
Harrah’s Joliet (Joliet, IL)
Harrah’s Metropolis Casino (Metropolis, IL)
Hollywood Casino Aurora (Aurora, IL)
Jumer’s Casino (Rock Island, IL)
Par-a-Dice Casino (East Peoria, IL)
Windy City Poker Championship (Flossmoor, IL)

Social Poker in Illinois

Out of the ashes of the real money, online poker industryin the United States came the advent of social poker. In combination with thegrowth of social networks like Facebook and the displacement of millions ofpoker players in the U.S., social poker sites allowed players to get back to thefelt if only in a play money scenario. These games, which rely on a player’sdesire for recognition instead of winning money, grew to massive heights in theearly 2010s and continue to be very popular today. You can check out ourreviews of these sites to understand why we think they work very well astraining grounds for online poker players in Illinois.

Online Poker Real Money Illinois

Subscription Poker in Illinois

Illinois residents have another way to get to play onlinepoker that could win them lots of amazing prizes, and that is throughsubscription sites like Club WPT. These sites, which charge players a one-timemonthly membership fee to access dozens of monthly tournaments, fall undersweepstakes laws. While the tournaments don’t award cash, there are still somegreat prizes up for grabs like seats at land-based World Poker Tour events. Thegameplay is very strong, so this is another great way for Illinois pokerplayers to keep their skills sharp without having to leave the house.

Mobile Poker in Illinois

When the real money online poker sites left the U.S. in2011, playing poker from your mobile phone was not a realistic solution. In thedecade since, mobile technology has improved so much that it seems like it’sthe only way to play cards. Phones and tablets have displays large enough to beable to see cards and act easily, and many sites offer multi-tablingfunctionality as well.

While you are waiting for the real money sites to returnto Illinois, you can head to your device’s app store and comb through the playmoney apps that are currently available. These apps will give you a chance toget used to how the game looks on a mobile device, which will put you ahead ofthe curve when the regulated sites finally return to the state.

Online Poker in Illinois FAQ

Is it easy to learn games like Razz and Omaha?

Play Poker Online For Money Illinois

There are so many great poker games out there, and theyall basically work off the same principles, so yes, it is relatively easy tolearn how to play these games. Our Poker Game Guides give you the basis on therules and the gameplay – with that knowledge, you can make your way to a freeplay game and test out the theories for yourself! With so many poker training videos and booksout there, you can definitely learn to play these other games, which we believeare more fun at times that No-Limit Hold’em, which has become somewhatformulaic over the years.

I see some sites being advertised to Illinois playersthat offer real money games. Are they legit?

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Technically, that depends on your definition of “legit.” First,there is no law preventing you from playing at an offshore online poker site –you are safe there. It is not legal for these sites to operate in Illinois, butas they all operate from countries like Costa Rica, it is almost impossible tostop them from offering their games. These poker sites have had their fairshare of issues over the years, and the added risk that they could go out ofbusiness without any notice, taking your money with them, should be enough tokeep you away from them as an option for playing real money poker. Stick towhat is available in the state, and if you are traveling to a jurisdictionwhere online poker is legal, then you can jump into some real money actionthere.