Explore Arkansas Poker: Events, Venues, and Gambling Laws

The Southern state of Arkansas, nicknamed “The Land of Opportunity”, thankfully does have legal land based gambling. However, since it was legalized only recently, they only have 4 state licenced casinos, which is not a great ratio for a population of over 3 million people.

Even this scarce selection is something given that in 1874, the state’s constitution included a ban on lotteries. It seems that intent was to stop all gambling, but luckily the wording was specific enough for other games of chance to be able to be played. Among them, horse race betting quickly became the most popular one. The most prominent race track in the 1890’s was Sportsman’s Park in Hot Springs, AR.

At these tracks, they did more than just betting on animal racing. Dice and card games were also running simultaneously.

The state constitutional ban on lotteries was repealed by an amendment in 2006. As for casino gaming, it finally became legal in the state in 2018.

Alas, they’ve yet to become the land of opportunity for poker players. According to Pokeratlas.com, only one poker operates in the entire state of Arkansas. It’s the Saracen Casino Resort in the fittingly named town of Pine Bluff, AR. Thankfully, neighboring Oklahoma has loads of great card rooms with plenty of poker action.

Famous Arkansan Poker Players

Currently, Daniel Lowery from Peter Pender, AR tops the Arkansas all time money list on Hendon with $2.043 million in live cashes.

He has won an outstanding 9 WSOP Circuit rings. He’s just 5 victories shy of the record holder Maurice Hawkins with 14 rings. Lowery’s biggest live cash is also from a WSOP Circuit title. In November 2017, he took down the $1,675 NLHE Main Event at WSOPC Choctaw in Durant, OK. He pocketed no less than $258,784.

Second on the Arkansas money list is MIchael Lech from Alma, AR. He has $1.416 million in live tournament earnings. In July 2016, he came in 2nd in the $888 No Limit Hold’em Crazy Eights 8-Handed event at the World Series of Poker for $401,888. That is the biggest single live tournament cash of his career to date.

Legendary gambler Amarillo Slim was actually born in Johnson, AR. However, since he got his pseudonym from the Texas town he grew up in, Amarillo, most people associate him with the Lone Star State. He is a 4-time WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won the WSOP Main Event in 1972. Between 1979 and 1991, he ran the tournament series Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker, which was second in prestige, only behind the World Series.