Colorado is known as an outdoor place. It is home to the scenic Rocky Mountains, the spectacular skiing resorts of Vail, Breckenridge, Telluride, and Aspen, and its nearly limitless hiking trails. It is also the fittest state in the union; a distinction it has held for over 10 years. With all of this healthy outdoor recreation, it may come as a big surprise that Colorado is also home to one of the premier spots for poker. Indeed, poker in Colorado is what we’ll be covering in depth in this article, but it wasn’t always this way. A little history is in order, to give you the full taste of the special place Colorado now has in the poker world.
Colorado Poker History
Colorado had no legal poker back before 1990. Sure, there were many private games – underground games that were technically illegal. And there were other forms of gambling that were legal, like horse and dog racing, bingo and the lottery. But you’d have to go back to the silver mining days of the 19th Century to find a public poker room in the state. The nearest place for legal poker was Las Vegas – a two-hour flight away.
That all changed in 1990, when the state passed a law to allow “limited gambling” in three former mining towns: Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. This enabling legislation was meant to bring in small, rustic, historic-looking gambling. In fact, this is exactly what happened in Central City and Cripple Creek – where small storefront casinos sprang up – places that would be called “sawdust joints” in Nevada. But both small local and large national operators took an interest in the former mining town of Black Hawk – which is now a full-service gambling town – with high rise casinos and 24/7 gambling. (For a very thorough history of Colorado gambling history, up to and including the 1990 legislation, I recommend Roger Walton’s book: COLORADO GAMBLING: A GUIDE.)
Limited gambling meant a $5 maximum bet in poker, with no gambling before 8am or after 2am. This limit was increased to $100 in 2008, and then removed entirely in 2020, when all forms of casino gambling, that may operate continuous, 7 days a week, were legalized as well.
Today, there are no fewer than 38 casinos in Colorado: 18 casinos operating in Black Hawk, six more just a mile up the road in Central City; 12 in Cripple Creek, 100 miles to the south of Black Hawk; and 2 on Indian reservations: Ute Mountain Casino in Towaoc and the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio. This makes Colorado, and especially Black Hawk, one of the top ten casino destinations in the United States!
Of those 38 casinos, 5 offer poker: the Ameristar, Bally’s, Horseshoe, and Monarch in Black Hawk; and the Midnight Rose in Cripple Creek.
I’ve played at all five (and many others that have closed over the last few years). They all have something to offer. I report on the Black Hawk poker rooms below.
Black Hawk, Colorado Poker Rooms
Black Hawk is located about a one hour’s drive, nearly due west, from Denver. Getting there may be frustratingly slow at times, as you are on a two-lane road and sometimes driving behind extremely slow-moving trucks. You are ascending a few thousand feet into the Rocky Mountains, making the drive wonderfully scenic, as you snake through mountain roads lined often with white water streams. Be careful though. It’s tempting to gawk at the gorgeous mountains. I saw no fewer than 5 rear-ender accidents as I drove back from Black Hawk to Denver International airport.
Black Hawk was a mining town. Today, it has shoulder to shoulder casinos. The largest casinos, and the only ones with poker, appear first as you come from the east. You might never go farther, as you settle in to your hotel near the poker rooms. But I recommend you walk the half mile or so beyond the Ameristar, taking in all of the other small casinos that populate Black Hawk. The exercise will do you good – as you’ll be sitting at a poker table much of the time. And the little casinos and surrounding shops will engage and charm you. I also suggest that if you’re in town Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you visit the Blackhawk Museum. It’s open 10a -5p. $20. $15 for seniors. Buy your tickets in advance if you can. They can be crowded, especially in summer months. The auto exhibit alone is worth the price of admission.
IN GENERAL:
The two largest casinos in Black Hawk are the Ameristar and the Monarch. They have the busiest poker rooms as well, with the most cash games. The Monarch is the only room that is consistently open around the clock, seven days a week. The Ameristar is a close second. The other rooms each have something to offer as well. I list the essentials – in alphabetical order. I enjoyed my time in each of them.
All of the rooms are on the Bravo system. Check it to see what games are running when you want to play.
Ameristar: 111 Richman Street, Black Hawk, CO, 720-946-4108
The Ameristar Casino is easily the most imposing structure in Black Hawk, with a massive 34 floor, 500+ room hotel. I stayed there. The room was beautiful, with a lovely view and all of the hallmarks of a luxury hotel. I paid close to $200 with the resort fee. I found out later that if I had played for 7 or more hours, I would have gotten the room comped (though I would still have had to pay the $25 resort fee).
The Ameristar poker room has 11 tables. I played there on a Sunday night. There were four $1/3 games going. They also spread $2/5 and PLO, but those games were not going when I was there.
The $1/3 play was a mix of loose passive players and a couple of good aggressive players. The rake is $6 + $2 for the promotions that include high hands and bad beats.
In general, the room is well run, with clean if not spanking new cards, chips, chairs, and felt. It is well lighted. I felt comfortable there. It is listed as a 24/7 room, but the room had no games Monday morning at 8 am when I returned. Call in advance or check it out on the Bravo system. Food options are excellent; but there is no table-side food service. There is a great ramen restaurant one level down; and players may bring their food to the table. There are also self-service beverage bars throughout the facility that serve coffee and soda.
All in all, this is an excellently run and very comfortable room. I’d gladly return.
Bally’s: 261 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO; 303-582-2906
This is the old Golden Gates room, known chiefly for its many tournaments. I visited during one of their many poker series, the Colorado Poker Championship. There were at least three tournaments each day, including a mixed game tournament, a $1,200 Main event and a $2,500 high roller tournament. They advertise themselves as the premier room in Black Hawk. They aren’t (that distinction goes to the Monarch, right across the street). But they are surely the premier tournament room.
The play at my $1/3 game was extremely passive and tight – with some players playing with short stacks of $1 chips. There were just two cash games going when I was there on a Sunday evening – and one of the games broke during my first hour. But there were six tournament tables going. When I return to Black Hawk, I’ll play the tournaments here, but my cash games at Ameristar or Monarch.
This is the best place in the area for inexpensive dining. Anyone holding a Bally’s rewards card is eligible for a $4.99 breakfast and a $7.77 prime rib lunch or dinner. Just get a slip from one of the many rewards machines. The prime rib may not be the very best I’ve ever had, but it was damn good – and a steal for $7.77!
Horseshoe: 401 Main Street, Black Hawk, CO; 800-843-4753
This is the only room in town that spreads $2-10 spread limit. It does so on Thursdays and Sundays. I played on a Sunday. The game was fun, extremely loose, with laughing players who regularly ribbed each other. Some might find this annoying – with one younger player who would not shut up. I enjoy it. Though it is a bit of a distraction, it tends to loosen up the game. And I learned a new expression. Grampa John said “string tip” as he tossed in a $1 chip and then a second $1 chip. It got me laughing!
The room offers a nice promotion. Play 5 hours in a day and get a hotel room for $49. The rooms were reported to be “really nice” and “luxurious”. I can’t verify it personally, as I didn’t stay there. But if this room is like other Caesars properties, the descriptions would be apt.
Monarch Casino Resort Spa, 488 Main St. Black Hawk; 303-582-1000
This is the premiere spot for poker in Black Hawk. It is the only room that always has a game going (They had a table going at 7am Monday morning). They typically spread $1/3 and $2/5, with a $6 + $2 rake. The many promotions, including high hands and bad beats, are displayed for easy and quick reference.
The room has a high-class and very comfortable feel to it. It opened in November 2020. The chips and cards look and feel brand new. The chairs are really comfortable
Poker is located in a full-service casino that rivals the Ameristar for size. This was the Riviera, that went bankrupt and was sold in 2012. It expanded to its current size in 2020.
If you are a serious poker player in Colorado, this and the Ameristar would be your regular rooms.
Cripple Creek, Colorado Poker Rooms
Cripple Creek is a delightful old mining town, about two hours to the south of Denver. It is what the legislature envisioned when they started down the road of legalized small stakes gambling. There are small shops, a museum, and a handful of small storefront casinos. Imagine the saloons of the old west. It’s a bit like that.
There is only one casino with poker, the Midnight Rose.
Midnight Rose: 256 E. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, CO; 719-286-6060
This room has 6 tables, spreads $2-2 NLHE, and has a self-service beverage station. It is only open Thursday through Sunday, 10am to 1:30am on Thursdays and Sundays, and until 4:00am on Friday and Saturday nights. I haven’t been there lately, but they used to employ a few props to keep the games going. The props tended to be extremely tight and passive – protecting their stacks while earning their small wages from the casino.
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