The Virginia poker industry, which is currently live, will experience a significant uplift as four Las Vegas-style casinos are set to open later this year in the state.
Virginia-based grinders are facing a challenging situation at the moment. The absence of a regulated online poker market and the considerable distance to the nearest cardroom make it extremely difficult to find a consistent game.
Nevertheless, their opportunity is just around the corner as Hard Rock Casino and Resort Bristol has plans to unveil a temporary gaming floor later this year. This historic moment will mark the first ever physical casino in Old Dominion.
Next year, three new properties will be opening in Virginia; Caesars Entertainment in Danville, Rush Street Gaming in Norfolk, and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe in Portsmouth.
Furthermore, the state might consider the possibility of adding a fifth casino in the future. However, the uncertainties surrounding the proposed Richmond casino must be resolved before any potential timeline can be determined.
The majority of these casinos are still over a year from opening, which means the plans for the live poker rooms are still uncertain. However, let’s examine what information we have and speculate on how live poker in the commonwealth will evolve in the upcoming months and years.
Live Virginia poker: Hard Rock Bristol up first?
To begin with, unfortunately, the initial VA casino opening will not feature a poker room.
PlayVirginia was informed by a representative from the public relations firm representing the Hard Rock Bristol that the facility will not include a poker room.
The situation is disheartening on various fronts. Firstly, all poker players in the state would prefer not to endure any delays before a poker room becomes available.
Furthermore, the Seminole Tribe, renowned for their acquisition of Hard Rock International at a cost of $965 million in 2006, is widely respected for their exceptional management of top-tier poker rooms.
The largest poker rooms in the Sunshine State can be found in Tampa and Hollywood, both owned by a Florida-based tribe. These locations are well-known for hosting major poker tournament stops. However, apart from their Florida casinos, only a few Hard Rock casinos offer a functional poker room.
Casinos with a poker room owned by the Seminole Tribe.
- Hard Rock Tampa
- Hard Rock Hollywood
- Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
- Hard Rock Cincinnati
- Hard Rock Tulsa
- Hard Rock Punta Cana
Casinos owned by the Seminole tribe that do not offer a poker room.
- Seminole Casino Immokalee
- Seminole Casino Brighton
- Hard Rock Atlantic City
- Hard Rock Vancouver
- Hard Rock Biloxi
- Hard Rock Sioux City
- Hard Rock Sacramento
- Rockford Casino (IL)
- Hard Rock Northern Indiana
Caesars Virginia poker room
After discussing the negative aspects, I have an exciting update regarding live Virginia poker. The remaining three casinos have officially confirmed that they will indeed offer poker at their establishments.
Caesars Casino Resort Danville officials have made an announcement stating that the resort in south-Virginia will feature a poker room branded with World Series of Poker. According to CardsChat, a news site dedicated to poker, the room will consist of 25 tables.
Despite our inability to obtain specific details from a Caesars representative, we can confirm that there will definitely be a room available at the location.
In contrast to Hard Rock, the majority of Caesars’ properties provide poker options for their guests. Moreover, Caesars holds ownership of the WSOP brand and organizes the prestigious WSOP tournament series annually. It is evident that the company is actively dedicated to poker and ensures a top-notch poker room experience.
I believe that Caesars will eventually bring a Circuit stop to Danville, considering that the lone poker room in North Carolina, situated in Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino, is consistently one of the biggest destinations on the WSOP Circuit schedule. The proximity of Danville, being just a 4.5-hour ride from Cherokee, makes it a likely candidate for hosting a Circuit stop.
I would also speculate that the daily cash game options are comparable to those offered by Caesars in Cherokee. Despite the 278-mile distance between the two cities, it is one of the nearest poker rooms to Danville.
If the prediction turns out to be accurate, you can expect to find regular $1-$2 no-limit Hold ’em and $2-$5 no-limit Hold ’em games available. Additionally, there may be larger games taking place on weekends, as well as a good number of small-stakes pot-limit Omaha games.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth poker room
The gaming license for Portsmouth has been granted to Rush Street Gaming, who will proceed to establish their fifth Rivers Casino within the city.
Tommy Bates, previously in charge of poker operations at Rivers Casino Philadelphia, has transitioned into the role of a poker/gaming consultant for Rush Street Gaming. He has verified with PlayVirginia that the forthcoming Rivers Portsmouth Casino Resort will indeed include a poker room.
Bates mentioned that the details of the room will be finalized in the upcoming weeks. Nevertheless, we can examine the poker rooms owned by Rivers to get an idea of what might be in store for Portsmouth.
Rivers possesses a casino in Illinois that lacks a poker room. However, the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia properties in Pennsylvania, along with the Albany, NY location, all feature a poker room.
You can anticipate a generous selection of small and mid-stakes no-limit Hold ’em, as per the usual offerings of those three rooms.
Both $1-$2 and $2-$5 no-limit Hold ’em games are consistently available in those rooms. However, it is possible that there might be a slight variation in the player pool, which could influence the selection of games offered.
In terms of tournaments, the World Poker Tour expanded its DeepStacks offering to Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and New York last year. If the WSOP Circuit makes its way to Danville, there’s a possibility that Rivers might also bring a WPT event to Virginia.
Headwaters Casino poker room
The HeadWaters Resort & Casino in Norfolk, owned by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, presents an unpredictable element in the world of poker.
According to a casino representative, the property will indeed feature a room. However, they have not disclosed any further details at this time. Unfortunately, unlike the other two rooms in the states, we lack any data to rely on.
Since the Pamunkey Indian Tribe does not possess a casino anywhere else in the country, making any prediction regarding the room would be purely speculative.
Last April, in an interview with a local ABC affiliate, Chief Robert Gray of the Pamunkey Tribe expressed his belief that the casino would become the preferred gaming destination in Virginia. Given his remarks and the substantial investment of $500 million in the project, one can infer that the establishment will exude an upscale atmosphere.
On the other hand, the specific genre of games to be offered remains unknown. Additionally, the level of competition it will pose against the nearby Rivers Casino, located merely three miles away in Norfolk, is yet to be determined.
Timeline for VA casinos
The following are the most recent schedules for the opening of casinos in Virginia:
| City | Casino | Projected Opening Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol | Hard Rock Casino and Resort Bristol | Mid-2022 (temporary casino), 2025 (full casino) |
| Danville | Caesars Casino Resort Danville | Q4, 2025 |
| Norfolk | HeadWaters Resort & Casino | Q4, 2025 |
| Portsmouth | Rivers Portsmouth Casino Resort | Early 2025 |
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