The 100-room Riverwind Hotel offers a comfortable, restful stay in well-appointed rooms just minutes from the gaming action. I recommend Riverwind also for its impressive country music entertainment and comedy line-ups as well. If you find yourself in the Oklahoma City area, Riverwind is worth the 30-minute drive south down I-35 to Norman. Find the best Oklahoma poker tournaments with our comprehensive list of daily and weekly poker tournaments. Browse through our list of poker tournaments to find the times, days, buy-ins,. The Ultimate Guide to Oklahoma Poker Rooms Oklahoma is in the middle of its own little poker boom. The state’s casinos play host to eighteen live poker rooms, some of which are stuffed with dozens of tables, operating all hours of the day and night.
While not quite on the same level as Las Vegas, Oklahoma has become quite the gaming destination since casinos were legalized in 2004.
With no fewer than 134 casinos to choose from, including the largest casino in the United States, Oklahoma comes in second only to Nevada when it comes to choices of venue.
Located exclusively on Native American tribal lands across the state, you’ll find plenty of quality entertainment to choose from, including:
Dice and roulette wheels have only recently been legalized and regulated, so they’re still hard to find.
Ready to test your skills and discover if fortune awaits? Here’s my list of the seven best casinos for gambling in Oklahoma.
1 – The Winstar World Casino
Sleepy Thackerville, Oklahoma is home to the largest casino in the U.S.—the WinStar World Casino. In operation since gaming was legalized by the State in 2004, Winstar offers more than 500,000 square feet dedicated to the largest collection of electronic games in the world.
The poker room is spacious and has become famous over the years for providing solid gaming action any time of the day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
If you’re bringing your family along or are looking for more of a true vacation experience, you can take advantage of their 1,500 rooms located in 3 tower hotels and the many other attractions, including:
- 36 holes of golf
- Live entertainment
- Spa and fitness center
- Pool and cabanas
- Shopping areas
- Restaurants and bars
If you’re passing through on a roadtrip across the Southwest, an RV park containing 160 spaces might be more your style.
If you’re looking for a single, one-off Oklahoma casino experience, I recommend the Winstar World Casino as your obvious destination.
2 – Choctaw Casinos & Resorts—Durant
Choctaw Casino & Resort—Durant is one of seven properties that are owned and operated by the Choctaw Nation.
The second-largest casino in the state behind only the Winstar World Casino, Choctaw Casino & Resorts—Durant hosts a vibrant gaming scene, no matter what your game of choice may be.
4,300 slot machines are ready for you to test your fortune, including your classic favorites as well as the latest in electronic gaming developments. Progressive, high-stakes, and penny slots are all made available for your gaming enjoyment.
The dedicated poker room has 26 tables that range from low-stakes friendly games to high-stakes for serious poker players looking to test their skills. I recommend this particular venue for poker aficionados because it’s located on a separate floor from the main casino and is well-suited to concentration. Their excellent service staff works hard to make sure you have an exciting experience.
A racebook (horse racing wagers for 18 seperate tracks located across the country) and a wide range of table games complete the outstanding gaming experience.
As a resort, the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts—Durant offers 8 restaurants, approximately 775 hotel rooms, an RV park with 75 spaces, as well as excellent amenities and entertainment in addition to gaming that make it a great place for a vacation or conference, including:
Poker Rooms Oklahoma City Casinos
- Live entertainment
- Shopping
- Video game arcade
- Bowling
- Spa and pool facilities
- Gymnasium and batting cages
Its location in southwest Oklahoma makes it a convenient choice for gaming enthusiasts from Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
3 – Riverwind Casino
Riverwind Casino, located in Norman, OK, is the largest casino in close proximity to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
The Riverwind offers a High Stakes venue that makes it a favorite among those looking for more serious wagers and bigger payouts.
If Texas Hold ’Em or Pot Limit Omaha are your games of choice, the poker room at Riverwind Casino has 17 tables and 153 seats. They also host daily tournaments and promotions designed to increase the excitement of your poker experience, and the payoffs attract players ranging from the casually interested to the most serious around.
The poker room has limited hours, though more than adequate for most players. The poker room is open 9 AM to 3:30 AM Sunday through Thursday, and 9 AM to 4:30 AM Friday and Saturday.
The 100-room Riverwind Hotel offers a comfortable, restful stay in well-appointed rooms just minutes from the gaming action.
I recommend Riverwind also for its impressive country music entertainment and comedy line-ups as well.
If you find yourself in the Oklahoma City area, Riverwind is worth the 30-minute drive south down I-35 to Norman.
4 – Newcastle Casino
A sister property of Riverwind Casino, the 112,000-square-foot Newcastle Casino is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation.
The town of Newcastle is within an hour’s drive of downtown Oklahoma City—it’s an excellent smaller venue for those more focused on the games and stakes, as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the larger resorts like the Winstar World Casino and the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts—Durant.
The 83,000-square-foot gaming floor is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing more than 3,000 electronic games for your wagering entertainment.
Its wide variety of table games include:
Poker Rooms Oklahoma City Ok
- Mississippi stud
- Blackjack
- Baccarat
- Roulette
- Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em
As advertised, the Newcastle provides skilled dealers and offers an authentic, no-frills poker and gaming experience in a relaxed and comfortable environment, catering to amateur and professional players alike.
Although the casino has no hotel offering rooms for extended stays on site, it offers a full-service bar and an 82-seat restaurant that serves a wide variety of Southern-style dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
5 – The Cherokee Casino Roland
Owned and operated by Cherokee Nation Entertainment, a division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, the 170,000-square-foot Cherokee Casino Roland is located near the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line, a 10-minute drive from Ft. Smith, AR on US Interstate 40.
Poker Rooms In Oklahoma City
Cherokee Casino Roland is home to an exciting slot selection of over 900 of the latest reel, video reel, and video poker games that offer impressive jackpots and progressive payouts.
Table games include:
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em Progressive
- Three Card Poker Progressive
- 21 Plus 3
One of the main draws for people who visit the Cherokee Casino Roland is the atmosphere. The establishment has a comfortable and enjoyable feel. The experienced dealers and staff that you’ll meet on the casino floor receive great reviews from visitors as well.
If you’re hoping to stay for a few days, the Cherokee Casino Roland has 120 comfortable, non-smoking rooms with a variety of amenities, and there are also 12 suites offering a higher level of luxury.
6 – Indigo Sky Casino
Opened in 2012, Indigo Sky Casino in Wyandotte, OK, is one of the newer casinos making a splash on the Oklahoma casino scene.
The hotel has 244 rooms, and the casino area hosts more than 1200 electronic games and 12 table games, including No-Limit Hold ‘Em, Omaha, Crazy Pineapple, and variations on classic favorites like Double Deck Pitch Blackjack, Six Deck Shoe Blackjack, WPT Heads Up Hold’em, Four Card Frenzy, and Three Card Prime progressives.
The eight-table poker room is somewhat small, but you’ll find that it’s always active and the atmosphere is enjoyable.
The Indigo Sky Casino also has a 520-seat bingo hall, which provides a sense of nostalgia for the days when bingo was the only form of gambling allowed in the state.
two restaurant-bars, a food court, and 244 comfortably-appointed rooms round out this excellent casino experience.
7 – River Spirit Casino Resort
Located in Tulsa,OK, the River Spirit Casino became home to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant in 2016.
Approximately 200,000 square feet of gaming space makes River Spirit Casino Resort one of the largest casinos in the state. Their wide selection of electronic games includes more than 3,100 of the most popular, state-of-the-art electronic games, ranging from progressives to electronic poker.
They have a large table game selection that includes:
- Blackjack
- Craps
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
- 21+3
- Free Bet Blackjack
- Bad Beat Mini-Baccarat
The poker room has 15 tables and a full-service, professional staff that is attentive and adds to the comfortable-yet-exciting atmosphere.
A variety of bars and restaurants are available to meet your needs, including the popular tropic-themed Margaritaville Restaurant.
Conclusion
Whatever your preferences may be, you’ll be able to find great casinos all over Oklahoma, each one providing its own unique blend of gaming, entertainment, and amenities.
Limiting this list to just seven of my favorites, I’ve no doubt left out places that provide excellent experiences. Feel free to let me know what I’m missing in the comment section.
In total, you’ll find 8 poker rooms in Oklahoma across the
state. Poker is quite popular here and is like other states
outside of major gaming hubs like Nevada. At one point the state
boasted over 20 poker rooms. In recent times, though, and in
line with black Friday and the implosion of online poker in the
US, many of these poker rooms have now closed as popularity has
waned. This is also due to the newer players being driven out of
the game by a more experienced and skilled middle class of
players.
Irrespective of this poker is alive and well in Oklahoma
overall and it isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. Like all hobbies
and sports poker will have its peaks and troughs and undoubtedly
once the legislative issues around online poker are solved this
will translate to more popular live poker rooms.
Casinos are limited to native American lands in Oklahoma and
every casino is owned and run by native Americans. You can find
some restricted forms of gambling at race tracks, but you’ll
only find poker in the casinos. Interestingly, you can gamble in
Oklahoma and play poker once you’re 18 years of age and most
casinos will allow you to play poker. Some still have a 21 years
of age restriction. We assume this is because of alcohol service
and licensing.
Choctaw Casino Durant
- Location: Durant, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 30
- Games: Tournament players will find up to three no limit
Texas holdem events each day with by in’s ranging from $65
up to $240. On top of this the Choctaw Casino Durant poker
room also holds poker night in America and World Series of
Poker circuit events. If you are after cash games, then
you’ll find no limit tables ranging from $1 / $2 up to $5 /
$10. They also run pot limit Omaha hi games ranging from $1
/ $2 to $10 / $25. - Ambience: Located on the second level of the casino this
poker room is quite large and has an open and spacious feel
about it. Smoking isn’t permitted in the room which means a
more comfortable environment for players. Tables and chairs
are comfortable and well maintained. - Hospitality: You’ll get decent service in this poker
room and you must pay for it. The food and drink comes at a
cost and aren’t comped while you are playing. You can earn
comp dollars at the rate of $1 per hour which can be put
towards drinks and food though so you get a little bit back
there. - Players: Most players in this poker room will be
experienced and tough. They often run major events here
which attract good players from across America. They do
serve alcohol now which means you’ll come across inebriated
players which may provide some more value for you. During
peak times, you’ll find softer tables and outside of this
you’ll more likely come across tougher players and regulars.
Choctaw Casino Grant
- Location: Grant, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 3
- Games: Unfortunately for tournament players this poker
room doesn’t offer any games. For cash players, you’ll only
find $1 / $2 no limit Texas holdem. - Ambience: This is a small poker room with basic tables
and chairs. It’s nice to play at and good enough for what is
considered a smaller Choctaw casino. - Hospitality: You can get basic drinks and purchase
alcohol here while you play. Comps wise you can earn $1 per
hour played at the table. - Players: Generally, the players at this poker room will
be tough regulars. On weekends, more players make the
commute up from Texas to play meaning you’ll find some
juicer games during that time. If you are in the area it’s
well worth a visit and play, particularly during the busier
periods.
FireLake Casino
- Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, daily
- Tables: 2
- Games: You’ll only find $3 / $6 limit Texas holdem in
this poker room. They don’t run tournaments at all. - Ambience: This is just two tables placed in the casino
for poker play. You won’t find anything special associated
with this poker room and the tables and chairs are quite
basic. - Hospitality: You can order food and drink from the table
in the FireLake casino poker room. On top of this you’ll
earn comps while you play. They also offer daily promotions
including the $30 splash pot prize. - Players: It’s hit and miss when it comes to players in
this kind of poker room. You’ll come across seasoned
regulars who are grinding it out in the limit game. On top
of this you’ll most likely see the odd slower and older
player who is in it just to pass the time.
Grand Casino
- Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 19
- Games: This large poker room offers up two to three no
limit holdem tournaments a day ranging from a $35 buy in up
to $350. It depends on the day of the week and the time of
the year in respect to what tournaments will be running so
be sure to check the schedule prior to your visit. From time
to time they also run Omaha tournaments. For cash game
players, you’ll always find $1 / $2 no limit holdem and $3 /
$6 limit holdem running. During busier times, they will
sometimes open $2 / $5 no limit, $4 / $8 HORSE and $4 / $8
limit Omaha games. This is purely based on player demand. - Ambience: This is a great poker room which is spacious,
open, and completely smoke free inside and near the
entrance. This makes it a very comfortable playing
environment. Lots of TV’s are available for watching sports
and the tables and chairs are well maintained. The room used
to be a restaurant which is a little strange however it
works well nonetheless. - Hospitality: You’ll get good drink service here and it’s
all available table side. You can earn comp points while
playing also. You’ll need to pay for alcoholic drinks. - Players: Saturday nights are pumping in this poker room.
If you are looking for the best games, then visit during
this time. The poker room is large and attracts a good range
of players so you’ll find some decent tables from time to
time, and some soft and juicy ones on the weekend. The
regulars are friendly and welcoming so this is a great place
to visit and get some play in.
Lucky Star Casino Concho
- Location: El Reno, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 5
- Games: Unfortunately, this poker room doesn’t offer any
tournaments. They offer pot limit Omaha cash games and no
limit Texas holdem from time to time. Stakes will usually be
low at $1 / $2. - Ambience: This casino is quite old and basic, pretty
much like a local’s casino. You’ll find comfortable
furnishings but nothing lavish. Remember this is in El Reno
in Oklahoma; it’s not the Bellagio on the Las Vegas strip. - Hospitality: You can order food at the table and will
also receive cocktail service at the Lucy Star poker room.
On top of this you can also earn comp dollars for every hour
that you play through their rewards program. - Players: It’s all about regulars and randoms at this
poker room, which doesn’t help you much but it does mean
you’ll have a different poker experience every time that you
play. The regulars are tougher and play tight aggressive
style poker here. It’s all about patience in these types of
poker rooms if you want to have a winning session.
Riverwind Casino
- Location: Norman, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 17
- Games: Riverwind casino poker room offers a daily no
limit holdem tournament with a buy in of $50. This is run at
1pm or 7pm depending on the day of the week. They also offer
several cash games including $1 / $2 and $2 / $5 no limit
holdem tables. On weekends, they sometimes open up Omaha and
limit holdem games if there is sufficient demand from
players. - Ambience: This poker room is only separated from the
main casino by a standard rail. You’ll experience all the
noise and smell from the main are of the casino. The tables
are adorned with bright green felt and they are comfortable
and well maintained. This is a decent enough poker room to
play in. - Hospitality: You can earn $1 per hour in comps while
playing at the Riverwind poker room. Food and drinks are
also available for purchase from the table. - Players: The players you’ll come across here will be
quite standard for a mid-sized poker room. The play isn’t
that great however you’ll come across the odd tough regular
from time to time. During the busier periods the play will
be a lot looser.
Win Star World Casino
- Location: Thackerville, Oklahoma
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 46
- Games: Win Star world casino poker room offers two no
limit Texas holdem tournaments a day with buy in’s ranging
from $65 to $120. You’ll also have plenty of choice when it
comes to cash games. They run $1 / $2, $1 / $3 and $2 / $5
no limit holdem and $4 / $8 limit holdem tables all the
time. On weekends and when it’s busier they will also run $1
/ $2 mixed, $4 / $8 limit holdem, and $4 / $8 limit Omaha 8s
or better. They sometimes run special events in this poker
room such as the river poker series. - Ambience: A smoke free poker room is always a good thing
and this one certainly is. It’s well separated from the rest
of the casino which means you won’t get much smoke or noise
pollution from there either. The walls in the poker room are
plastered with flat screen TV’s which mean you can follow
your favorite sports while you play. Black table felt
contrasts well against the golds, yellows, and browns of the
walls and carpet. All in all, this is a nice poker room. - Hospitality: You’ll have access to a self-service
beverage station here and alcohol and food can be ordered
from cocktail servers. On top of this you can earn $1 in
comps per hour played at the table. The floor staff and
tournament directors are excellent here and they know how to
run a good and solid poker game. Every room and state has
slightly different rules so be sure to check on these before
playing so you avoid disputes later. These always seem to be
happening in this poker room for some reason; however that
doesn’t take away from the overall experience. - Players: You’ll find a good mix of players here with
mostly young grinding players and older regular ABC poker
players. You should be able to pick the best tables and
easily work out who the gamblers are and who the real poker
players are. This means you’ll find plenty of value in this
poker room, particularly during the busy periods when more
people cross the border from Texas. The vibe in this poker
room is great and it’s always a welcoming and friendly place
to play.
Conclusion
While Oklahoma isn’t the home to the same number of poker
rooms as Nevada, it still offers poker players a wide range of
rooms, tables, and play. Use this handy guide to help you plan
your poker pay on your next trip to Oklahoma.