Poker in Boston: Live, Cashgames, Tournaments
Playing for real money in Boston in Massachusetts Massachusetts with 673.184 residents, is just legally in casinos or poker rooms.
Just in official casinos in Massachusetts Massachusetts are real money tournaments of Texas Hold'em allowed, because according to law in United States poker is a game of luck. On this page we show you all the different possibilities to play poker in Boston and show you the legal framework in Massachusetts Massachusetts.
Legal notice: Is it legal to play poker Boston ?
Poker Cash Games can meet in Massachusetts and therefore also in Boston the element of the offence of illegal gambling. Poker players can be punished based on these regulations if one helds public gambling or plays in it.
Is poker a game of luck or not?
The question of whether poker is a game of chance in the sense of the law has been a topic for decades and there have been countless studies on the subject. The law in United States and therefore also in Boston says however that poker is to be defined as a game of chance.The state casinos in United States have of course a permission.
Poker in bars in Boston
Attention pubs & hosts! There is the danger of losing the official permission to operate a restaurant in Boston if you make yourself liable to prosecution.
Summary
- Poker cash games are generally prohibited in United States and therefore also in Boston.
- The casinos in United States have a authorisation.
- Mostly it is very difficult for the authorities in Boston to evidence prohibited gambling.
- Tournaments are considered a game of skill, cash games a game of luck
Please note that the information provided does not constitute legal advice under the law and cannot replace legal advice, as such advice always requires knowledge of all individual circumstances, in particular of the specific individual case.
Cashgames: Real money poker games in Boston
In Boston you are unfortunately not permitted to play a real-money game in general. You must travel to one of the many casinos in the area. Please check out the paragraph on Home Games if you are looking for further alternatives.
Poker tournaments in Boston
There are many poker tournaments in Boston. Tournaments are allowed as long as no real cash is paid out, but the award is a non-cash prize. Furthermore, great poker tournaments are held regularly in Massachusetts Massachusetts! Current tournaments can be seen in the tournament calendar.
Poker Clubs: The best poker rooms in Boston
Other alternatives are available by the many poker clubs & poker rooms with poker events in and around Boston. The poker scene in Boston is organized in many clubs & rooms and every year live poker events come to the city. Here is a helpful selection:
Live poker in casinos near by Boston
In the heart of Boston you will currently not see a casino with poker floor. Massachusetts Massachusetts located its casinos usually in minor places and outside the city center. It is however easy to access them by car or public transport. Most have additional an own shuttle busses. If you decide to drive your own car, all casinos provide large park possibilities for poker players. Nowadays, every casino in United States routinely organizes real money poker tournaments. There are a lot of poker tournaments and events where you can participate. On this site you'll get a list, arranged by federal states, of the best places running poker with their precise schedule and all required information. In the area of Boston you will be able to reach a nice variety of casinos with poker tables with a reasonable travel time.
Best Poker Players from Boston
The following list shows you the Top 10 poker players with the highest tournament winnings from Boston.-
1. Avi Cohen
USD 779,336.00 -
2. Curt Kohlberg
USD 3,310,332.00 -
3. Mark Bramley
USD 423,666.00 -
4. Pavel Lubov
USD 49,959.00 -
5. Joshua Bergman
USD 1,235,779.00 -
6. Matthew Su
USD 965,215.00 -
7. Andrew Brokos
USD 859,760.00 -
8. Paul McAffrey
USD 806,920.00 -
9. Peter Mugar
USD 684,295.00 -
10. Aaron Kweskin
USD 685,333.00
Homegames: Pokern for real money in Boston in private locations
In Boston the legislation of the federal state Massachusetts Massachusetts applies. If you want to hold allowed poker home games in Boston, you must take care of these points.
Do you poker publicly?
The poker game needs to be hosted in public to establish criminal liability. A poker game is public after the jurisdiction in Massachusetts Massachusetts, if "it is made outwardly recognizably accessible to a not firmly closed circle of acquaintances". The best example of this is cash games in pubs in Boston that anyone could enter. Attention, this is forbidden!
How often does the homegame take place in Boston?
According to legislation in Massachusetts Massachusetts can: "However, a closed society in which a game of chance is customarily held is also considered public according to § 285 II StGB". If the poker round takes place regulardy, it is prohibited in private rooms in Boston as well as in public. For example, if money games are held for every week on the same day, it does not matter if it is a private room or public. Both are illegal.
The best Online Poker Rooms in comparison
Please be aware that online poker is regulated in most states. There are currently 4 states that offer legal online poker for real money in the United States – New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Pennsylvania became the latest to join this group when PokerStars went live in the state on Nov. 4, 2019.
- WSOP/888 US is currently the only poker site that shares online poker players between all three legal online poker states (NJ, Nevada & Delaware). It’s currently the #1 US online poker site by traffic.
- Poker Stars – New Jersey and Pennsylvania
- Party Poker – New Jersey only
- Pala Poker – New Jersey only
Non-regulated online poker sites in the United States are online poker platforms that operate without the oversight of a governmental regulatory body, such as a state's gaming commission. This means they do not have to adhere to the same rules and regulations that regulated sites do, which can sometimes pose significant risks for players. Important considerations for players on non-regulated sites include the potential for unfair games, lack of protection for player funds, and legal risk. Unfair games can occur if the site's software is not regularly audited for fairness. In terms of financial protection, non-regulated sites might not separate player funds from operational funds, which can pose a risk if the company goes bankrupt. Additionally, it is important to note that while playing online poker is not explicitly illegal at the federal level in the U.S., state laws vary widely and some states have laws against playing poker on non-regulated sites. Therefore, players should be well-informed about their state's specific laws before deciding to play on non-regulated sites.
