Making a living from poker is a tough ask, but it is doable if you live in the right state. Poker and casino games have varying regulations across the state, and even the local tax laws can impact whether your poker winnings will be enough to sustain your lifestyle. You will also need the right set of skills, tenacity, and discipline—no matter where you live—to make a success of your poker career.
1. Nevada
It should come as no surprise that Nevada tops the list as the best state to live if you want to make poker your full-time career. Nevada has more than 430 land-based casinos where you can take on the toughest opponents to win big, most located within Las Vegas. This city also frequently hosts international tournaments where poker players can win millions of dollars.
Online poker is also legal in Nevada, making it the perfect state to get your poker career started. By playing online, you can test your strategy against players from across the world, learning different tells and how to bluff.
Nevada tax regulations do require residents to report gambling winnings as part of their income tax return, which means you will have to pay taxes on all the poker pots that you take home.
2. Pennsylvania
The poker scene is thriving in Pennsylvania, both at brick-and-mortar establishments and online. There are 17 casinos in the state, as well as 10 poker rooms. Eastern Pennsylvania is the best location for professional poker players as they can find lucrative games at Presque Isle Downs and Rivers Casino. Poker players have won big in the past, with one player taking home more than $540,000 after playing a round at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in November 2024.
Online gambling was legalized in the state in 2017, and licensensed platforms have rapidly become a favorite income generator for poker players. There are dozens of reputable operators in Pennsylvania offering live dealer games that pay out enough for a player to make a living.
3. Florida
Florida seems an unlikely candidate, but many professional poker players reside here because of the tribal casinos that offer high-stakes poker games. Historically, there were limits played on buy-ins and bets, but almost all these caps were removed in 2009, making Florida a top destination for card players.
Professional players have flocked to the state to take on some of the largest tournaments. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has paid out $586 million, with big poker names like Brian Altman and Alex Foxen winning millions in Florida tournaments.
Online poker in Florida remains illegal despite many attempts to legalize casino platforms, but there are plenty of reputable offshore sites that residents can access from within the state, giving them the option to play against opponents from outside Florida and the US.
Florida has 27 registered cardrooms and seven tribal casinos, giving resident poker players plenty of opportunities to earn their income.
4. New Jersey
New Jersey has garnered a lot of attention as a gambling and card game hotspot since the state legalized online gambling in 2013. Twelve years from this legalization, the state his home to many successful poker players who make a living playing online as well as at the nine casinos and many smaller licensed card rooms that offer frequent poker competitions.
Hard Rock Atlantic City saw a Criss Cross Poker player take home $500,000 in February 2025, while another player won just shy of $600,000 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City playing four-card poker in 2023.
5. Michigan
Michigan is host to daily poker tournaments as well as high-roller games that pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to the winner. Gambling was legalized in Michigan in the 1980s and today there are 26 brick-and-and mortar casinos.
Online gambling was legalized in the state in December 2019, giving professional players even more opportunities to win big.
The poker leaderboards for Michigan casinos reflect just how possible it is to make a living here, with Dash Dudley, Brad Sailor, and Christopher Moon all winning more than $400K at local casinos. The FireKeepers Casino has paid out more than $26 million as a result of poker tournaments.
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