The Best Casinos Near Chicago For Playing Live Poker

Gamblers near Chicago have plenty of great options for playing Poker. There are a handful of casinos near the Windy City that offer live games.

There are no online casinos in Illinois yet, so visiting a poker room in person is your best option for playing. Luckily, there are a few spots to choose from in both Illinois and Indiana.

Chicago Poker at Rivers Casino Des Plaines

One of the best options for poker players in Chicago is Rivers Des Plaines.

The casino is located nearby O’Hare Airport, so gamblers don’t have to travel far to get some games in. If you’re looking for specifics, you can find the casino at 3000 S. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018.

One of the best parts of playing at Des Plaines is that everything you’re interacting with is new. The casino’s poker room just opened back in April.

The poker room was part of an $87 million expansion at the property.

The area is about 5,600 square feet and there are 22 different poker tables to play at. That gives gamblers plenty of space to play without having to worry about finding a seat.

Des Plaines’ poker room features Texas Hold’em, Omaha and a few variations of Stud Poker, which gives gamblers from Chicago plenty of options to pick from.

Horseshoe Hammond Poker Near Chicago

Another one of the best poker options for Chicago residents is right on the other side of the Indiana border.

Horseshoe Hammond is a riverboat casino, but it still features one of the more prominent poker rooms in the Chicagoland area. Poker rooms are your best bet for playing until Illinois online poker becomes available.

Hammond features 34 different live tables, making it the largest poker room in Indiana.

The casino is known for its frequent poker tournaments. Those competitions take place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Located at 777 Casino Center Dr, Hammond, IN 46320, Horseshoe Hammond is about as close to Chicago as it could possibly be without technically being inside the city limits. That makes it an incredibly convenient option for Windy City gamblers looking to play live poker.

Poker Room at Grand Victoria Casino

Flipping back over to Illinois, Grand Victoria’s poker room is only a short drive away from downtown Chicago.

Although it’s a bit further west than Des Plaines, Chicago gamblers can still reach the casino in about an hour. You can find the riverboat at 250 S Grove Ave, Elgin, IL 60120.

The casino’s poker room offers Hold’em and Omaha games at its 14 tables.

However, before you make the drive, just be aware that the poker area is closed every Monday and Tuesday.

As far as tournaments go, you can catch regular no-limit competitions on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Grand Victoria’s poker room is even a stop on the 2022-2023 World Series of Poker Circuit. That action will be taking place from Nov. 10-21 later this year.

Hollywood Casino Aurora Poker Room

Hollywood Casino in Aurora also has a poker room of its own, although it might be the least appealing option on this list for some Chicago gamblers.

Much like Grand Victoria, Hollywood Casino is also about an hour away from Chicago. Its 13 live tables also put it at a similar size to Grand Victoria’s poker room.

Furthermore, Hollywood and Grand Victoria’s hours are also very similar, with both poker areas closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Since the offerings are so close to each other, why should you visit one casino over the other?

For players that prefer tournament action, Grand Victoria is likely the better option. Hollywood might offer a similar number of tables, but the casino doesn’t regularly offer any poker tournaments.

If you don’t personally care for tournaments, then Hollywood and Grand Victoria are more or less exchangeable as far as spots to play poker go.

However, Des Plaines and Hammond are both superior options if you live in Chicago. Each casino is a shorter drive than Hollywood and Grand Victoria, and they both have much more to offer in terms of the number of tables available.

Regardless, Hollywood is still a nice option if you’re looking to mix things up. It’s all about personal preference at the end of the day, so thankfully Chicago gamblers have a few different options to pick from.