I lived in Washington, DC for two periods, in the mid-80s, and also the years 1992 yo 2001.
In fact, contrary to widespread reporting that the poker boom has faded, the live version of the game has actually never been as popular with as many people as right now in the Northeast. Meanwhile, other states are considering the prospect. Online poker is now even legal in two states - New Jersey and Delaware. On many nights and most weekends, waiting lists are common. Most new casinos have constructed huge poker rooms which are often packed to full capacity. Poker will also expand significantly throughout New York State, as seven new casinos have been approved. Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia will have poker within a year (at nearby MGM National Harbor, actually in Maryland). Poker will be coming soon to Massachusetts. Today, casinos spread poker games just about everywhere - including Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It wasn’t so long ago that every Hold’em player on the East Coast knew each other.ĭifficult as it may be to imagine now, 25 years ago there wasn’t a casino in the American Northeast that had poker games, nor were there any legal full-time poker rooms. Poker’s legalization in Atlantic City changed many lives, including mine. The Early Years of the Atlantic City Poker Scene
