Is Online Poker Legal in Texas in 2023? you're damned straight it is!

Can I play online poker in Texas? The answer is yes!

Is it legal to play online poker in Texas? The answer to this is also yes!

Texas is one of the largest states in the United States by both land mass and population, and many of its residents are interested in Texas online poker. One thing it's not known for though is its gambling despite a long and distinguished history of cowboys and outlaw behavior as well as the fact that the most popular version of poker, Texas Hold'em, gets its name directly from this state. The current political climate of the state makes the distinct legalization of online poker in Texas a longshot at this time.

The citizens of Texas shouldn’t fret about having access to internet poker or other forms of internet gambling, however, as there are a plethora of legitimate offshore poker sites offering their real money services to this great state. Not only do these sites offer internet poker, but many of them also offer sports betting, casinos, and racebooks.

You're not breaking any TX laws by engaging in poker playing online. Indeed, the very tough anti-gambling statutes in effect within Texas have specific exemptions for gambling taking place in a private place (like on your computer at home) as long as you're not deriving any income from the activity other than as a player.

The hope of regulated online poker and gambling is not the only solution, and offshore sites are here to show you that. Below is a list of the great online sites available to those in the state and the thrilling games they have to offer. If you are from Texas, there is no need to worry about the unfavorable political climate of your state because there's nothing preventing you from playing today!

There are many online gaming choices for Texas players, but not all of them are up to par. We've gone to the trouble of winnowing them down to only those sites that are reputable and competent. When you choose to partake in online poker in Texas at one of our recommended rooms, you'll get to savor exciting gameplay, fair card distributions, and rapid payments of your winnings. Read the information we've presented below, and then pick a site and sign up.

1

IGNITION

BONUS:

150% up to $1,500

★★★★★

4.5 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE WITH THE MOST TRAFFIC

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO

MORE INFO

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The Ignition anonymized poker room heads our list of TX offshore card parlors because it has more ring games running simultaneously than any other site. You have your choice of NL Hold'em or PL Omaha as high as $10/$20. Ignition boasts fast-fold poker too, which it calls Zone, and some tables of Limit Hold'em. As far as tournaments go, you have a full complement of SNGs up to the $200 level as well as a comprehensive array of multi-table tourneys. Stay alert for special MTT series worth millions in guaranteed prizes.

It's possible to download and play at Ignition on your Windows or Mac OS machine. In addition, you can access the site on mobile and compete in the full menu of games that desktop users enjoy. You'll get a 100% up to $1,000 poker match bonus (150% up to $1,500 with Bitcoin) on your first deposit along with $1,000 to use on casino games.

VISIT IGNITION POKER NOW

2

SB POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BAD BEAT JACKPOT

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

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Sportsbetting Poker boasts NLHE and PLO (Hi and Hi-Lo) up to $5/$10. Furthermore, there's Boost fast-fold poker and 6+ Hold'em though traffic is lighter in these two formats. In certain NL games, you can attempt to hit a Bad Beat Jackpot that has climbed into the seven figures before. Tournaments here have been growing lately, and the current Sunday Major hands out $60,000+ in prizes every week. Also, check out the weekly leaderboards and contests to pick up some free dough.

SB Poker works with Macs and PCs through a downloadable poker client, and iOS and Android compatibility is ensured via dedicated apps. The poker welcome bonus is a 100% up to $1,000 deal.

VISIT SB POKER NOW

3

BOVADA

BONUS:

100% up to $500

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR SPORTS & CASINO

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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Bovada is part of the same poker network as Ignition. This means it uses the same software and features identical games and traffic. The advantage to signing up with Bovada, however, is that it has a sportsbook and racebook, which Ignition lacks. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer – you can wager on them all here and a goodly number of other sports as well. The racebook meanwhile accepts your straight wagers and exotics on horse races at more than 100 tracks.

Bovada works just fine on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android hardware. There's a 100% up to $500 poker bonus and a total of $3,250 in bonuses for sports and casino. This increases to $4,500 in free casino + sports money for Bitcoin users.

VISIT BOVADA NOW

4

BETONLINE

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.3 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE SITE FOR MOBILE POKER

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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BetOnline is a sister and partner to SB Poker, therefore the poker offerings and promotions are essentially identical. BetOnline is well-respected throughout the industry for its exceptional compatibility across multiple platforms. You can download the poker client and play from any PC or Mac and there is an excellent mobile application for iOS and Android systems. You can also play using the instant-play browser-based software on any other modern device.

BetOnline offers new players a poker bonus equal to 100% of their first deposit up to $1,000. In addition, there are multiple bonuses available within the attached casino and sportsbook, so be sure to check those out and take advantage of the lucrative offers.

VISIT BETONLINE NOW

5

ACR POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $2,000

★★★★★

4.1 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE WITH FREE BANKROLL OFFER

NETWORK:

WINNING

FREE

$10

MORE INFO

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ACR Poker boasts the most tournament traffic and biggest guaranteed prize pools of any internet poker site available to Texans. The weekly major is the $215 Sunday Special, which guarantees $150,000. This is still a great room if you're into cash games or sit-n-gos, and in fact, there are weekly leaderboards that let you pick up thousands of dollars in extra cash if you can put in enough volume at ring games or single-table contests.

Windows and Mac users can download ACR Poker. Mobile poker is possible too, but the range of games offered is very restricted. Our exclusive ACR bonus code PRB10FREE grants you a $10 no deposit bonus. Then you can take advantage of the 100% up to $2,000 initial deposit bonus for extra free cash.

VISIT ACR POKER NOW

6

COIN POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $700

★★★★★

4.0 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR INNOVATION

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

33% RAKEBACK

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CoinPoker is a unique crypto poker site that has utilized several high-tech features that aren't available at most other sites. Decentralized shuffling, validation tools, and a proprietary cryptocurrency are just a few of its differentiated elements. It's a little early to decide that CoinPoker is taking the online poker industry by storm, but it seems to have a dedicated following and fairly solid traffic.

You can play at CoinPoker on any PC, Mac, iOS, or Android machine. You'll receive three different deposit bonuses here comprising a 100% bonus up to $700, a 100% bonus up to $300, and a 100% bonus up to $100. You can utilize all three bonuses in any order that you wish. In addition, you can receive 33% rakeback if you keep a balance of CHP, CoinPoker's unique crypto token.

VISIT COIN POKER NOW

7

EVERYGAME

BONUS:

200% up to $1,000

★★★★★

3.9 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR RAKEBACK

NETWORK:

HORIZON

EXTRAS

CASINOS, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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Although Everygame is quite a bit smaller than the sites discussed above, it makes up for this weakness in the sheer number and value of the promos it offers. 36% rakeback, weekly rake races, freerolls, reload bonuses, a Loyalty Levels program, and regular tournament overlays are just a few of the ways that you can pad your real money balance. There are tons of casino and sportsbook perks too.

Everygame Poker is only available for download to Windows PC systems, but there's an Instant Play version that works with Macs, Linux, and mobile hardware. Upon your first deposit, you'll qualify for a 200% up to $1,000 poker bonus and 25 free slot machine spins.

VISIT EVERYGAME NOW

8

JUICY STAKES

BONUS:

200% up to $1,000

★★★★★

3.8 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR PROMOTIONS

NETWORK:

HORIZON

EXTRAS

CASINO

MORE INFO

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Juicy Stakes is a partner site to Everygame, but it doesn't offer a sportsbook or a number of the casino games that the larger Everygame has. Regardless, Juicy Stakes provides multiple promotions for its players including reload bonuses, freerolls, overlay tournaments, and free slot spins in the casino. A loyalty tiers system exists here as well, which can reward you with free cash as you grind at the tables.

Juicy Stakes software is only available to download only on PCs, but you can use the instant play software to play in any web browser on any modern device. You'll receive a poker bonus worth 200% of your initial deposit up to $1,000 alongside 25 free slot spins in the attached casino.

VISIT JUICY STAKES NOW

9

BLACKCHIP POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $2,000

★★★★★

3.8 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR LARGE TOURNEYS

NETWORK:

WINNING

EXTRAS

27% RAKEBACK

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BlackChip Poker is a partner to ACR Poker on the Winning Poker Network, therefore the poker is largely the same and the player pool is combined into one. Many players choose to play at BCP because of its especially robust tournament selection which boasts a weekly tournament featuring a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool and Venom tournaments that award $5M or more several times per year.

BlackChip Poker is available to play on any PC or Mac. A mobile client also exists, but it offers a very limited array of poker. You can get a poker bonus equivalent to 100% of your first deposit up to $2,000. You'll also be able to earn 27% rakeback which you can redeem every day.

VISIT BLACKCHIP POKER NOW

10

TRUE POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $2,000

★★★★★

3.7 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR REWARDS PROGRAM

NETWORK:

WINNING

EXTRAS

ELITE BENEFITS VIP

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True Poker is a partner and sister of ACR Poker and BlackChip Poker, so the poker offerings and promotions are nearly identical across all three sites. True Poker is especially renowned for its Elite Benefits rewards program, which is aimed at rewarding players who put in serious volume at the tables. The most dedicated grinders can earn rewards equivalent to over 60% rakeback.

True Poker is available to download on Mac and PC systems. An instant-play web version that works with other platforms also exists, but only a few poker formats are available to enjoy. You can get a poker bonus worth 100% of your initial deposit up to $2,000.

VISIT TRUE POKER NOW

11

SWCPOKER

BONUS:

NONE

★★★★★

3.5 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR RARE POKER FORMATS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

FREEROLLS

MORE INFO

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SwCPoker is a crypto-exclusive poker destination that was formerly called Seals with Clubs. Cashier functions and all poker play here are restricted to Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. Besides the popular NL Hold'em and PLO, you'll also find Razz, HORSE, Open Face Chinese, and much more. Freerolls allow you to sample these formats prior to investing any of your own money.

SwCPoker offers a full downloadable poker client for Windows, Mac, and Android systems as well as an HTML5 version that runs on any other device you may wish to use. You won't get any deposit bonus here, but you can receive rakeback returns as you play via the Krill rewards program.

VISIT SWCPOKER

12

NITROBETTING

BONUS:

100% up to 25mBTC

★★★★★

3.3 / 5

BEST TX ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BITCOIN TABLES

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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Nitrobetting transacts in Bitcoin only for all deposits, withdrawals, and poker action. The Bitcoin-only cashier here makes for a smooth and straightforward user experience. There are a few poker variants available here including NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, 6+ Hold'em, and Crazy Pineapple. Regular freerolls cater to players willing to put in significant time at the tables each and every week.

The poker software here runs directly in any web browser, so it works with almost any computing system in use today. Nitrobetting offers a poker bonus equal to 100% of your first deposit up to 25mBTC. You can also receive rewards on an ongoing basis via the Nitro Rewards program.

VISIT NITROBETTING NOW

How to Choose the Best Texas Poker Site For Your Style of Play

We can't identify the unquestionably best poker room for your personal needs. You'll have to ponder their various advantages and drawbacks carefully to decide which one you think you would prefer. They each emphasize different things and are thus each appropriate for different kinds of players. There aren't any unbreakable commandments when attempting to choose an online poker room, but there are a few points that you'll want to keep in mind while you're thinking about where you want to play.

How Do I Receive Withdrawals and Payments?

You can expect to be able to fund your real-money account easily and receive fast cashouts. This is especially true if you opt for the digital currency Bitcoin. There are sometimes issues trying to deposit via credit card, and traditional means of processing withdrawals often come with significant fees attached. When you use bitcoins to move your money around, you won't be subject to these irritations. All of the sites we've discussed above support this crypto-currency, so you can use it to good effect no matter where you play. If you'd like to learn more about the very safe and very fast method of setting up Bitcoin for deposits and withdrawals, check out this guide.

Alternatives to Registering Your Poker Account in the State of Texas

Some folks who are lucky enough to have another address in a nearby state, whether it be a business address, summer home, second apartment, family home, etc, may have other online poker options available. Here is a list of the states that border Texas and Professional Rakeback's review of each of them: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. If you're looking for general info on the laws that pertain to poker in the United States and the sites that are available, then our U.S. poker players' guide may be right for you.

You likely have friends or relatives who are interested in poker but who are ignorant of their legal options for playing online. Please share this article with them so that we can spread knowledge about the game we enjoy so much.

Facts About the Texas Poker Industry

The sections below aim to address the legality of online poker, live gambling options and venues, state regulation, the history involving poker and gambling, and famous poker players from the great state of Texas.

The Legality of Playing Online Poker in Texas

Texas is known to look with disfavor upon gambling in general, and therefore it's pretty much standard to expect the state to have rather severe and comprehensive statutes against the practice. What many of our readers may not be aware of, though, is that these laws are so worded as to leave many exceptions and escape clauses through which online poker played in your own home comfortably fits. The codes that deal with gambling are contained in Title 10 - Offenses Against Public Health, Safety, and Morals, Chapter 47 - Gambling.

The main offense that online pokerists may be worried about committing is gambling, so let's look at how this crime is defined by the lawmakers in 47.02:

GAMBLING. (a) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) makes a bet on the partial or final result of a game or contest or on the performance of a participant in a game or contest;
(2) makes a bet on the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or on the degree of success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate; or
(3) plays and bets for money or other thing of value at any game played with cards, dice, balls, or any other gambling device.

The first two clauses are clearly irrelevant to partaking in card games over the internet, but the third may come into play depending on whether or not the images that appear on your screen are regarded as cards and whether or not a computer counts as a gambling device. In the definitions section of Chapter 47 (47.01), a few examples of gambling devices are given, including roulette, video poker, and keno, and it seems that this wording targets the kinds of machines one would encounter in a casino that are specifically manufactured for use in real money gaming. Your personal computer wouldn't count as a gambling device under this commonsense interpretation of the law; however, we can't say definitively that this is the way TX authorities would view the situation. Similarly, in our opinion, the word “cards” means actual pieces of cardboard or plastic that contain the familiar suit and rank symbols that we're all acquainted with, not virtual representations of those items. Again, it could be possible that local police have a different understanding of what cards are than we do.

Nevertheless, the drafters of the law have left you a way out even if we assume that all these unclear matters are construed in the worst possible way. Continuing on with the text of 47.02:

(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:
(1) the actor engaged in gambling in a private place;
(2) no person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings; and
(3) except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning were the same for all participants.

As long as you play at home, don't receive any financial gain other than as a player, and don't cheat, you aren't subject to any form of prosecution for playing poker online in Texas. Even if you screw up somehow and fail to adhere to these three rules, you won't get in much trouble. The law continues: “(d) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.” In the Lone Star State, a Class C misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of no more than $500, and there's no jail time involved.

It's different for those actually operating the poker rooms. They could face charges of Gambling Promotion and Communicating Gambling Information. If it's a brick-and-mortar illicit gambling enterprise, they could also be considered to be guilty of Keeping a Gambling Place and/or Possession of Gambling Device, Equipment, or Paraphernalia. Each of these offenses is a Class A misdemeanor, which incurs a fine of up to $4,000 and/or a jail sentence of no longer than one year.

Offshore poker sites have retained counsel to help them navigate the complexities of gambling laws in different jurisdictions, and hardly any of them decline to operate in Texas. This makes sense because there have never been any high-profile anti-online poker crusades in the state. The size of the population, at more than 27 million, is also an inducement for them to continue to run internet poker games that Texians can join.

Land-Based Gambling

Texas has not been the most open to traditional gambling, but they do seem to be OK with forms of land-based gambling that don’t really appear as much like gambling to the outside public. The state lottery, pari-mutuel betting, and horse tracks are the biggest gambling enterprises in the state and that is fairly standard for states in the US. Charitable games, like bingo, are also permitted under certain circumstances.

An unusual type of gambling machine allowed by the state is the 8-liner, a kind of video slot. People are allowed to maintain them on business premises as long as they pay out only in non-cash prizes and each prize is worth no more than $5. Abuse of the rules is commonplace, and a lot of police effort goes into shutting down operators who are violating the regulations.

Texas only has one tribal casino that offers poker, the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, which has 12 tables and runs NLHE and LHE cash games daily.

There are no commercial casinos, but a few cardrooms have sprung up that avoid the TX anti-gambling laws by charging membership and time fees rather than rake. We have reviewed several of these poker clubs in the Austin area:

• Texas Card House
• The Lodge
• Shuffle 512

If internet poker is regulated in the state of Texas, it will be interesting to see how it would end up playing out because Texas has a very large population but none of the traditional gambling institutions in place. So who would control that market and how it would relate to what is already in the state is still very unclear, and it could change how gambling (both live and online) is approached overall in the state.

State Regulation

There is a lot that would need to happen for Texas to regulate any kind of real money online gaming. It is a conservative state that hasn’t even warmed up to the idea of commercial land-based casinos, which are more likely to come first before the authorities feel comfortable expanding into the online arena. While all the bordering states do currently have casinos, there has been very little real movement on this from the State of Texas, and so regulated online gaming seems like it would be rather far down the road, if at all.

In 2013, State Senator Leticia Van de Putte and Representative John Kuempel introduced several bills for licensed online poker, but none of them made it past the committee stage. There hasn't been any other proposed legislation to establish a regulated internet poker regime in the state since.

History of Poker and Gambling in Texas

With the most popular form of poker taking its name from Texas, it's a given that the state has had a long and rich history of card playing. After flying both the French and Spanish flags during its early years as a colony, the area was transferred to Mexico after that nation's independence in 1821. Social attitudes toward gambling during this time were extremely liberal with the pastime being considered normal and acceptable for people from all walks of life. Revolutionaries declared independence from Mexico in 1836, and the independent Republic of Texas lasted until it was incorporated into the United States in 1845.

There wasn't much to do in some of the towns spread throughout the vast state, which may be why gambling saloons opened up in all but the smallest communities. Lawmen had much better things on their minds than worrying about illicit card games, and so these establishments were left alone unless they made a nuisance of themselves. With so much real-money action occurring throughout the state, professional gamblers found rich recompense traveling from camp to town to city and relieving the locals of their cash.

Doc Holliday
Dentist, Gambler, and Gunman

John Henry “Doc” Holliday was originally indeed a doctor, or dentist to be more precise, in Atlanta before taking up cards. He contracted tuberculosis and moved to Dallas in the early 1870s where it was felt that the climate would alleviate the symptoms of his condition. He opened up a practice, but business was indifferent at best, and Holliday soon discovered that he could make more at the card tables than he could wielding his dental implements.

He often got into conflicts with other players, many of whom were cheating, and this sometimes escalated into violence. It was one such incident that forced Doc to leave Dallas rather than being captured by the law. He later killed a man in a dispute at a poker table in Jacksboro and had to flee again in 1876.

Holliday spent most of his remaining years moving around and frequently getting into trouble with the law. He's most famous for participating in the showdown at the O.K. Corral in 1881. Doc Holliday ended up succumbing to tuberculosis in 1887.

Carlotta “Lottie Deno” Thompkins was a wealthy, redhead Kentucky heiress who lost her money through high living during a trip to Detroit in the 1860s. Her father had died as a soldier in the Civil War a few years earlier, but before that, he had taught her how to gamble at cards, and it was this skill that she used to earn her bread.

After some time spent on the Mississippi riverboats, Lottie settled in San Antonio in 1865 and married another gambler named Frank Thurmond. Frank killed a man with a knife during a card game, and he had to flee without notice. Carlotta started searching for him throughout West Texas, making stops in Fort Concho, Jacksboro, Fort Griffin, and other rough-and-tumble frontier towns.

She acquired the nicknames “Mystic Maud,” ”Queen of the Pasteboards” (pasteboards was another name for playing cards), “the Angel of San Antonio” and her most well-known moniker “Lottie Deno” during these voyages. By whatever name known, she was legendary for her prowess at the tables.

Carlotta eventually reunited with Frank Thurmond and they settled down to a respectable life in Deming, New Mexico in 1882. They both swore off gambling altogether with Frank becoming the vice president of a bank while Carlotta became active in church life. She died in 1934.

During the latter decades of the 19th century, such characters disappeared as larger, well-organized towns and cities passed formal ordinances against gambling, prostitution, and other activities that were seen to be socially undesirable. However, it was felt that banning such highly demanded services altogether was impossible and counterproductive. Instead, sections of town were designated as spots wherein such enterprises could flourish under the watchful eye of police and other officials. They thus could be taxed and regulated rather than operating completely in the shadows. These districts often had colorful names, such as:

• Hell's Half Acre in Fort Worth
• Happy Hollow in Houston
• The Sporting District in San Antonio
• Frogtown in Dallas
• Guy Town in Austin

Balinese Room in Galveston 2006

During Prohibition, one town became notorious for such trade. Galveston didn't just have a vice district; it pretty much was entirely a vice district and was jokingly called “The Free State of Galveston.” Long before Las Vegas, Galveston was where the casino action in the United States flourished.

During one state investigation into gambling at the Balinese Room, a local sheriff was asked why he hadn't raided the establishment. The sheriff responded that it was a private club, and he was not a member. Even when state authorities decided to catch gamblers in action at the Balinese Room, they were thwarted because the walls contained secret compartments into which chips and cards could be hidden at a moment's notice.

These shenanigans were slowly ended in the '40s and '50s as the government became serious about cleaning up illegal gambling throughout Texas. Yet, this set the stage for a development in poker that we're still benefiting from today.

The Texan underground poker scene came into existence, and rounders like Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson, Thomas Austin “Amarillo Slim” Preston, and Bryan “Sailor” Roberts plied their trade by hitting the road and heading to wherever the juiciest games were rumored to be. The Poker Hall of Fame claims that one of these road gamblers, T. “Blondie” Forbes, was the inventor of Texas Hold'em. The Texas Legislature, on the other hand, passed a resolution declaring that Robstown, Texas, birthed the game in the early 1900s. Both of these stories have little historical documentation to back them up, and it's unlikely that either one of them is strictly accurate.

What's undoubtedly true is that the game came into its own in the Lone Star State. There's widespread consensus that it was first brought to Vegas by Texan Felton “Corky” McCorquodale in 1963. By the time of McCorquodale's death in 1968, it had spread to most of the rest of the country as explained in this Life Magazine article from that same year. Had the Texas crew opted to play Stud or Draw Lowball instead, perhaps it would have been one of these other variants that initiated the poker boom in the early 2000s, or maybe there would not have been any poker boom at all.

In 1996, the Kickapoo Tribe opened up a gaming facility that spreads poker, and this remains the only such casino poker venue in the State of Texas. However, beginning in 2015 or thereabouts, several membership card rooms began to conduct business. They charge daily, monthly, or annual membership fees and/or seat rental charges rather than rake, which they contend exempts them from the “economic benefit” clauses of the Texas anti-gambling statutes.

The Lodge in Round Rock Is One of the Membership Card Clubs That Have Arisen in Texas

Whether this line of reasoning will hold water in the long term is up for debate, but for now, they provide players in select cities around the state an additional way to play poker for real money. An attempt by crusading prosecutors to shut down two Houston poker clubs ended in embarrassing failure. It seems the authorities are taking a live-and-let-live approach to membership card clubs, so they are free to operate pending further legal happenings.

In order to summarize the complex and detailed history of poker and gambling in Texas, we have created a timeline covering every major gambling-related event. The completed timeline can be found below.

Famous Texas Poker Players

There may be more prominent poker players from Texas than from any other state. This is only to be expected when we consider the long Texan history with the game, which extends back to the frontier days.

Johnny Moss was a teenager in Dallas during the 1920s, well before the advent of televised tournaments and life-changing prize pools. He was surrounded by cards even from a young age, and he even got a job attempting to suss out cheaters in poker games run by a local saloon.

It wasn't long before Moss put the skills he learned observing the other players to good use, and he ended up becoming a “rounder,” traveling between Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana looking for the juiciest action to be had. It has been reported that he won more than a million dollars multiple times from poker sessions at the Metropolitan Hotel in Fort Worth.

In the late '40s or early '50s, Johnny may have participated in a months-long five-card stud battle against well-known gambler Nick “The Greek” Dandalos although some commentators suggest that the match never took place. After losing several million dollars to Johnny Moss, Dandalos reportedly departed the table, saying, “Mr. Moss, I have to let you go.”

That possibly apocryphal marathon of poker was allegedly the inspiration for the World Series of Poker, which started in 1970, though other events like public poker games at the Flamingo and the 1969 Texas Gamblers Reunion have also been credited as spawning the WSOP. Whatever its origins, Moss prevailed in the contest three times, taking home the inaugural trophy in 1970 following a vote of all the players and triumphing again in the Main Event freezeout tournaments in 1971 and 1974.

Though his lifetime tournament winnings are listed as just over $1.25 million, this doesn't include the many millions he must have scooped up in private games and tourneys held before poker results tracking was widespread. Moss passed away from a heart attack in 1995.

T.J. Cloutier was also a legendary Texas road gambler, but he was active a bit later than Johnny Moss was, having been born in 1939 and taking up the game only after stints as a pro football player, serviceman in the Army, and oil rig worker.

Cloutier has had amazing tournament success starting in the '80s and continuing until the present day. Indeed, T.J. tops the list of live poker tournament winners among people from Texas with more than $10 million to his name. One accomplishment that has eluded him, however, is victory in the Main Event of the World Series despite having finished in second place in 1985 and 2000.

Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson

The same can't be said of Doyle Brunson who won poker's Big Game twice: in 1976 and 1977. Amazingly, his hole cards were T2 in the final hands of both tournaments, leading to this combination being referred to ever since as the Doyle Brunson.

Doyle first took up poker in the '50s, and when he won more money in a single night of 7 card stud than his entire salary for a month, he quit his job and turned poker pro. After his two WSOP ME triumphs, Doyle authored the seminal book “Super/System,” originally entitled “How I Made Over $1,000,000 Playing Poker.”

Some authors of strategy books fear that exposing their secrets will cause their opponents to get a bead on their game and thus adversely affect their results, but this doesn't seem to have occurred in Brunson's case. He has collected 10 World Series of Poker Bracelets, tied for second place with Phil Ivey and Johnny Chan only behind Phil Hellmuth's 16. Doyle has had 37 cashes in WSOP events and has accumulated more than $6 million in tourney winnings.

Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson has become the Godfather of Poker, having been around since the inception of No Limit Texas Hold'em and continuing to play at a high level despite being more than 80 years old. Indeed, he has cashed in the WSOP Main Event in every decade of its existence from the '70s to the '10s. He doesn't exactly court controversy or engage in verbal feuds against opponents like some of his peers (*cough * Phil Hellmuth *cough* Mike Matusow); yet, EVERYONE in poker knows who Doyle is, and a good many outsiders have heard of him too.

These gentlemen are just three of the many Texan poker players who have left their mark on the game. An exhaustive list would be beyond the scope of this page, but here are the names of a few other notable poker players who have hailed from this state: Thomas Austin “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Bryan “Sailor” Roberts, David Williams, Ben Tollerene.

Other Types of Online Gambling

Although the major topic of discussion has been poker, there are plenty of other kinds of gambling available to players in Texas including slots, table games, video poker, and sports betting. We have researched the available options and below we will provide our recommendations for trusted online casinos and sportsbooks.

Online Casinos

Not only can you play poker over the internet from the Lone Star State, but casino gaming is certainly available too. Unfortunately, many of the names in this industry are saddled with unwholesome reputations. But Professional Rakeback has done the legwork to find you 3 online casinos that are fair and reputable:

1. Ignition Casino - $1,000 Welcome Bonus and Many Reloads

2. Bovada Casino - $3,000 in Casino Bonuses ($4,500 With BTC)

3. Sportsbetting Casino - Many Bonuses, Tournaments, Rebates

Learn more about the top-rated most trusted online casinos for USA players which are known to be Texas-friendly.

Online Sportsbooks

More than a dozen states have instituted legalized sports betting in the wake of the Supreme Court decision permitting them to do so. However, the strong anti-gambling legislative tradition in Texas means that it's unlikely to follow suit any time soon.

Yet, you still have ways of wagering on sporting matches because there are many international bookmakers who are only too happy to transact with Texas' citizens. We've taken a good look at these companies in order to give you our recommendations as to the best ones:

1. Bovada Sports - 50% bonus up to $250 (75% up to $750 for Bitcoiners)

2. Sportsbetting.ag - 100% to $1,000 Sports Bonus and Unlimited 25% Reloads

3. Everygame Sports - Choose From Multiple Sports and Casino Bonus Offers

Our list of top-rated sports-betting sites for Americans will improve your understanding of this entire topic.

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We strive to maintain this information and update it frequently with our research. However, we are not immune to making mistakes or omitting information that you, dear reader, may find of use. If you have any further questions not addressed in this guide or have noted any discrepancies or inaccuracies we urge you to contact us with your questions and concerns so that we may swiftly address them!