Poker in Grand Rapids:
Live, Cashgames, Tournaments

In Grand Rapids and throughout Michigan Michigan, poker is considered a game of luck. Therefore, it is solely allowed in casinos to play poker for real cash. On this page we present you all the available possibilities to play poker in Grand Rapids and show you the legal framework in Michigan Michigan.

Legal notice: Is it legal to play poker Grand Rapids ?

Poker Cash Games can fulfill in Michigan Michigan and therefore as well in Grand Rapids the criminal offence of illegal gambling. Players can be sentenced based on these laws if one helds public gambling or participates in it.

Is poker a game of chance or not?

The question of whether poker is a game of chance is still unanswered. The law in United States and therefore also in Grand Rapids says however that poker is to be classified as a game of luck. The difference is that state casinos in Michigan Michigan have a allowance. Playing poker there is ok.

Poker in pubs in Grand Rapids

Notably for restaurants the criminal side is very harmful. There is high risk of losing the official permission to operate a restaurant in Grand Rapids if you make yourself liable to prosecution.

Conclusion

• Poker cash games are generally not legal in United States and therefore also in Grand Rapids.
• The casinos in United States have a permission.
• Mostly it is very hard for the authorities in Grand Rapids to prove 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 Grand Rapids

Real-money games are in general forbidden in Grand Rapids. If plan to join poker games for cash in Grand Rapids, you will have to visit casinos & poker clubs and poker rooms in the local area. If you don't want to go to a casino but still don't want to give up poker cash games, you can evaluate Home Games, which are strongly regulated.

Poker tournaments in Grand Rapids

Poker tournaments in Grand Rapids are allowed under certain circumstances. These are permitted as long as there are prizes and not real cash to be won. In Grand Rapids and the surrounding area there are regular poker tournaments. Current tournaments can be found in the tournament schedule.

Poker Clubs: The best poker rooms in Grand Rapids

Additional alternatives are offered by the many poker clubs & poker rooms with tournaments in and around Grand Rapids. The poker landscape in Grand Rapids is organized in many clubs & rooms and every year live poker events come to the city. Here is a good list:

Live poker in casinos near by Grand Rapids

In the city center of Grand Rapids you will currently not see a casino with poker floor. Michigan Michigan has its casinos generally in little cities and outside the city center. It is though easy to get to them by car or public transport. Most have additional an own transfer facilities. If you decide to go by your own car, all casinos offer generous park possibilities for poker enthusiasts. Meanwhile, every casino in United States often plans real money poker tournaments. There are as well tournament series and Poker Events in which you can join. At Poker-in.com you'll find a summary, organized by federal states, of every casinos running poker with their precise offering and all required infos. In the area of Grand Rapids you will reach a good range of casinos with poker tables with a acceptable driving time.

Best Poker Players from Grand Rapids

• 1. Jamin Stokes
  USD 577,895.00
• 2. Jacob Baumgartner
  USD 510,687.00
• 3. Brek Schutten
  USD 384,387.00
• 4. Samuel Oberlin
  USD 245,537.00
• 5. Larry Sidebotham
  USD 227,253.00
• 6. Christopher Blik
  USD 197,519.00
• 7. Patrick Meeks
  USD 176,604.00
• 8. Ryan Dykhouse
  USD 175,385.00
• 9. Brent Courson
  USD 146,965.00
• 10. Lavonne Schaafsma
  USD 119,606.00

Homegames: Pokern for real money in Grand Rapids in private locations

In Grand Rapids the laws of the federal state Michigan Michigan applies. In order to play legal poker home games in Grand Rapids you must be aware of the following:

Do you poker publicly?

The poker game must be played in public to establish criminal liability. A poker round is public after the jurisdiction in Michigan Michigan, if "it is made outwardly recognizably accessible to a not firmly closed circle of acquaintances". A good example of this is cash games in pubs in Grand Rapids that anyone could join. This is illegal.

Does the homegame take place in Grand Rapids as usual?

Based on case law in Michigan Michigan 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 habitually, it is prohibited in private rooms in Grand Rapids as well as in public. For example, if money games are hosted 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