The Best Casinos Near Chicago For Playing Live Poker

Poker-playing gamblers in the vicinity of Chicago have an abundance of excellent choices. Several casinos offering live games are conveniently located near the Windy City.

Online casinos have not been established in Illinois as of now, hence for playing poker, your optimal choice is to visit a poker room in person. Fortunately, there are several options available in both Illinois and Indiana.

Chicago Poker at Rivers Casino Des Plaines

Rivers Des Plaines is one of the top choices for poker players in Chicago.

The casino is conveniently situated close to O’Hare Airport, ensuring gamblers have a short distance to travel for their gaming needs. For exact directions, the casino’s address is 3000 S. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018.

Playing at Des Plaines is an enjoyable experience because everything you interact with is new. In fact, the casino’s poker room only opened in April, further enhancing its appeal.

The property underwent an $87 million expansion which included the poker room.

With an area of about 5,600 square feet and 22 different poker tables available, gamblers have ample room to play without the concern of securing a seat.

The poker room in Des Plaines offers Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and several variations of Stud Poker, providing a wide array of options for gamblers from Chicago.

Horseshoe Hammond Poker Near Chicago

For Chicago residents, another excellent poker option is just across the Indiana border.

Horseshoe Hammond, despite being a riverboat casino, boasts one of the most notable poker rooms in the Chicagoland area. Until online poker is accessible in Illinois, poker rooms remain your optimum choice for gameplay.

With 34 different live tables, Hammond has the largest poker room in Indiana.

The casino, renowned for its regular poker tournaments, holds these competitions every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Horseshoe Hammond, situated at 777 Casino Center Dr, Hammond, IN 46320, is as near to Chicago as it could be without actually being within the city’s boundaries. This makes it a highly convenient choice for gamblers from the Windy City who are interested in live poker.

Poker Room at Grand Victoria Casino

Switching back to Illinois, the poker room at Grand Victoria is just a brief drive from downtown Chicago.

Despite being a bit further west than Des Plaines, the casino in Chicago is still about an hour’s drive for gamblers. The riverboat is located at 250 S Grove Ave, Elgin, IL 60120.

The poker room of the casino provides Hold’em and Omaha games at its 14 tables.

Please be aware that the poker area is closed every Monday and Tuesday before you decide to make the drive.

In terms of tournaments, regular no-limit competitions are available on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Grand Victoria’s poker room is scheduled to be a stop on the 2022-2023 World Series of Poker Circuit. The event is set to occur from Nov. 10-21 later this year.

Hollywood Casino Aurora Poker Room

The Hollywood Casino in Aurora also boasts its own poker room, although it may be the least attractive choice for some Chicago gamblers on this list.

Hollywood Casino, similar to Grand Victoria, is approximately an hour’s distance from Chicago. With its 13 live tables, its poker room is roughly the same size as that of Grand Victoria.

Moreover, the operating hours of Hollywood and Grand Victoria’s poker areas are quite similar, with both being closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Why should you choose to visit one casino over another when their offerings are so similar?

If you’re a player who enjoys tournament action, Grand Victoria may be a better choice for you. Despite having a similar number of tables, Hollywood casino doesn’t frequently host any poker tournaments.

If tournaments aren’t your preference, then Hollywood and Grand Victoria are essentially interchangeable as poker playing spots.

Nevertheless, if you reside in Chicago, both Des Plaines and Hammond are better choices. Each casino is closer than Hollywood and Grand Victoria, and they provide a larger number of tables.

Nonetheless, Hollywood remains a pleasing alternative if you’re seeking a change. Ultimately, it boils down to individual preference, and fortunately, gamblers in Chicago have an array of options to select from.