Poker in Pittsburgh: Live, Cashgames, Tournaments
If you want to play for real money poker tournaments in Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania with 303.625 citizens, you will need to enter a official casino or a poker room.
In Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, poker is considered a game of luck. Therefore, it is only permitted in casinos to play poker for real money. On this online site we show you all the various possibilities to play poker in Pittsburgh and clarify the legal framework in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania.
Legal notice: Is it legal to play poker Pittsburgh ?
Poker Cash Games can meet in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania and therefore also in Pittsburgh the criminal offence of illegal gambling. Punishment based on these regulations is if one helds a public game of chance or participates in it.
Is poker a game of chance?
The question of whether poker is a game of luck in the sense of the law has been a topic for many years and there have been many hearings on the matter. The jurisdiction in United States and therefore also in Pittsburgh says however that poker is to be rated as a game of chance. The difference is that state casinos in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania have a permission. Playing poker there is ok.
Poker in pubs in Pittsburgh
Especially for pubs the criminal side is very risky. There is possibility of losing the official permission to operate a restaurant in Pittsburgh if you make yourself liable to prosecution.
Summary
- Poker cash games are generally not allowed in United States and therefore also in Pittsburgh.
- The casinos in United States have a permission.
- Often it is very hard for the authorities in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh
Poker cash games are publicly prohibited in Pittsburgh. You must travel to one of the numerous casinos in the region of Pittsburgh. If you don't like to play in a casino but still don't want to give up poker cash games, you can think about Home Games, which are highly regulated.
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Rivers Casino Pittsburgh ( Website )
777 Casino Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA
+1 412-566-4606
$1/$3 No Limit Holdem - Buy-in: $100 to $300 Runs: Always
$1/$3/$6 No Limit Holdem - Buy-in: $200 to $600 Runs: One or two tables
$5/$10 No Limit Holdem - Buy-in: $500 to $1,000 Runs: During busier hours
$10/$20 No Limit Holdem - Buy-in: $1,000 to $5,000 Runs: During busier hours
$1/$3 Pot Limit Omaha Hi - Buy-in: $100 to $500 Runs: Occasionally
$5/$5 Pot Limit Omaha Hi - Buy-in: $1,000 to No Max Runs: Once per week
$4/$8 Limit Holdem - Buy-in: $80 to No Max Runs: Occasionally
$5/$10 Limit Omaha 8/b - Buy-in: $200 to No Max Runs: Weekends
Poker tournaments in Pittsburgh
There are a big number of poker tourneys in Pittsburgh. Tournaments are permitted as long as there are prizes and not real cash to be won. Furthermore, big poker tournaments are held regularly in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania! For an full overview of the upcoming tournaments in Pittsburgh, please check out our tournament schedule.
Poker Clubs: The best poker rooms in Pittsburgh
Other alternatives are offered by the various poker clubs & poker rooms with tournaments in and around Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh there is a colourful poker room scene with various tournaments with non-cash prizes. Here is a small overview:
Live poker in casinos near by Pittsburgh
In the city itself, there is no casino with poker offer. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania has its casinos mostly in little places and outside the heart of the city. It is certainly easy to visit them by car or public transport. The majority have even their own transfer facilities. In case you decide to use your own car, all casinos provide generous parking lots for poker players. Today, every casino in United States routinely offers real money poker tournaments. There are as well tournament series and Poker Events where you can play. At Poker-in.com you'll get a list, structured by federal states, of every casinos offering poker with their individual offering and all required infos. Around Pittsburgh you will get to minimum two casinos with decent travel times and attractive live poker offers.
Casinos, Poker Rooms & Venues offering Poker in Pittsburgh
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Rivers Casino Pittsburgh ( Website )
777 Casino Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA
Best Poker Players from Pittsburgh
The following list shows you the Top 10 poker players with the highest tournament winnings from Pittsburgh.-
1. Noam Cohen
USD 145,462.00 -
2. James Anderson
USD 2,366,582.00 -
3. Josh Brikis
USD 1,584,725.00 -
4. Jack Schanbacher
USD 1,425,194.00 -
5. Luke Staudenmaier
USD 891,160.00 -
6. William Durkee
USD 844,587.00 -
7. Keith Morrow
USD 787,665.00 -
8. H Michael Borovetz
USD 641,621.00 -
9. Chad Power
USD 610,094.00 -
10. Zachary Ryan
USD 611,774.00
Homegames: Pokern for real money in Pittsburgh in private locations
In Pittsburgh the judisdiction of the federal state Pennsylvania Pennsylvania applies. If you want to host legal poker home games in Pittsburgh, you must be aware of these facts.
Is the poker game in Pittsburgh public?
The poker game needs to be hosted in public to be criminal liable. A poker round is public after the jurisdiction in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, if "it is made outwardly recognizably accessible to a not firmly closed circle of acquaintances". An example of this is cash games in pubs in Pittsburgh that anyone could access. Attention, this is forbidden!
Does the homegame take place in Pittsburgh as usual?
Based on case law in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 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 not allowed in private rooms in Pittsburgh as well as in public. For example, if money games are played for every week on the same day, it does not matter if it is a private room or public. Both are prohibited.
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.