Florida has slowly and steadily developed into a prominent poker destination, with players all over the country looking for a slice of the action. The state has an even distribution of poker rooms, and Floridians have many live-action games to choose from.
The best poker rooms in Florida in 2023 include:
- Bestbet Poker
- Hialeah Park Poker Room
- Hollywood Hard Rock Poker Room
- Oxford Downs
- Derby Lane
- Ebro Greyhound
- Palm Beach Kennel Club Poker Room
- Isle Pompano Park Poker Room
In this article, I’ll provide a brief look at each of these poker rooms, the kind of stakes they offer, and why they’re worth visiting.
1. Bestbet Poker, Jacksonville
Bestbet is Florida’s favorite poker room, boasting over seventy tables running several variants throughout the day.
This poker room offers both Limit and No-Limit games with daily tournaments and cash games, and they’re known for running four tournaments per day on the weekends. Most tournaments at Bestbet are Texas Hold ’em and ideal for both beginners and pros.
Aside from this variant, you can play Omaha and Seven Card Stud, the two most popular games after Hold ’em.
The best part about Bestbet is that you’re sure to find a table that suits your budget, as they have a lot of different stakes going on. And the room’s ideal location in Jacksonville ensures that players from other states turn up for games as well.
So whether you’re a beginner looking for experience, or a pro looking to steamroll your table, Bestbet has it all.
2. Hialeah Park Poker Room
The Hialeah Park Casino is a part of the historic racetrack located in this region, and it’s known for its distinctive architecture. The Spanish influence is quite visible in the surroundings, and the poker room is elegantly set up, with sufficient space to host hundreds of people comfortably.
The crowd is generally friendly, and you’ll hear a lot of Spanish being spoken here, which creates an exciting and fresh atmosphere for the game.
Another advantage of playing at Hialeah is that most cash games allow you to run it twice if you’re worried about bad beats or aggressive betters.
3. Hollywood Hard Rock Poker Room
By far the most popular (or should I say populated?) poker rooms, Hollywood Hard Rock is located near the expensive areas of Florida — Boca Raton and Palm Beach. So, you’re sure to find a lot of big fish in this room with an excess amount of money to spend.
Luckily, most of them also play poker for the thrill of it, and if you’re patient and willing to play slow, you can strike gold within a few games. The big fish tend to play a lot of poker hands, so sit tight and let the money come to you.
Of course, if you don’t enjoy cash games, you can always play their tournaments that come with a generous prize pool and low rakes.
Additionally, in true Hard Rock fashion, everything, including the ambiance, cocktail service, waiters, and dealers, is top-notch, and visiting this room is an experience in itself.
4. Oxford Downs
Oxford Downs is a smaller, more modest poker room compared to the first three on this list. They have high ceilings for better ventilation and a strict non-smoking policy that’s a relief to players who can’t stand the smoke at most smaller, dinghy poker rooms.
Located in Summerfield, Oxford Downs has twenty-four poker tables hosting Texas Hold ’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and classic Omaha. And while they’re selective about tournaments, you’ll find some of the liveliest cash games here.
5. Derby Lane
One of the state’s softest and more passive poker rooms, Derby Lane, is located in a touristy part of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Aside from Hold ’em and Omaha variations, this poker room hosts less popular games, like Mississippi Stud, Three-Card Poker, and Fortune Pai Gow. While they have the occasional tournament, most tables are dedicated to cash games, so prepare accordingly.
It’s worth mentioning here that most players who come to Derby Lane are generally from middle-class families with modest incomes. They’re playing recreationally more than for money, so it’s worth being a bit aggressive at these tables.
Just be sure to rein it in when you’ve got a marginal hand!
6. Ebro Greyhound Park
One of the more diverse poker rooms in Florida, the Ebro Poker Room offers a range of different games and stakes, ideal for professionals, beginners, and everyone in between.
This poker room is located in Ebro, Florida, and is usually open all year, nearly twenty-four hours a day. The space hosts twenty-five tables, and if you’re planning to stay a few days, you’ll find everything you need for a comfortable stay.
The Ebro offers a range of games as well, including Crazy Pineapple and Double-Hand poker, aside from the usual Omaha and Hold ’em
7. Palm Beach Kennel Club Poker Room
While it’s not the prettiest poker room in Florida, the Kennel Club sees more action at their tables than any other room in the state.
Aggressive maniacs frequent this facility with a lot of dollars to burn, so if you play your cards right (pun intended), you can walk away with quite a bit of money.
While playing at the Kennel Club, the trick is not to get cowed by abnormally large bets. If you’ve got a decent hand and an aggressive and loose player has raised you, consider calling because you may well have the winning You can find them streaming the tournaments often, one of those you can check on this link: https://youtu.be/N3-IYygnTJ4
8. Isle Pompano Park Poker Room
A poker room in a luxurious setting, where lots of marble and mahogany has been used to decorate the space. You’ll ascend an escalator to get to the area, and once you’re there, the view is unbelievable.
Like other gigantic poker rooms, this one runs a variety of games and tournaments and offers a $400 high hand.
The only drawback with this poker room is that it’s near the Hollywood Hard Rock, which tends to run plenty of hot tournaments. Thanks to this constant action at the Hard Rock, the Isle Pompano Poker Room sees a lot less action than it used to.
