Live! Casino Hotel Maryland Hosting Free Poker Class With Texas Hold’em Emphasis

Posted on: October 7, 2024, 01:28h. 

Last updated on: October 7, 2024, 02:01h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland is calling all people who want to learn how to play poker.

Live! Casino Maryland poker class
The bustling poker room at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland is seen in 2023 during the Maryland State Poker Championship. The casino’s poker room is offering a free poker class on Saturday, October 19. (Image: Maryland Daily Record)

The casino resort in Hanover near Baltimore-Washington International Airport has become a marquee destination for both poker pros and casual players alike. On Saturday, October 19, Live! Maryland’s poker room staff will be on hand to help novices learn the ins and outs of the popular card game.

Dubbed “How to Play Poker,” the casino’s first complimentary poker class will run from 10 a.m. until 12 noon that Saturday. Registered guests will participate in a group poker lesson “led by an expert poker team.” The course will primarily focus on Texas Hold’em, poker’s most popular format.

Poker is a complex game,” said Christopher Angelo, the director of poker at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. “This free lesson is a chance for novice or intermediate players to learn how to play Texas Hold’em in a casino setting, understand the basics, and gain confidence at the table without the pressure of a real poker game.”

The two-hour class will be held in the Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland Poker Room, a two-story, 50-table space offering a private bar and on-site masseuses for players.

Poker’s Popularity

The “poker boom” was ignited in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event after qualifying for the tournament through an online event. Before winning the $86 satellite qualifier and going on to outlast 839 entries that paid the $10K entry to win the first-place prize of $2.5 million, Moneymaker was a full-time accountant.

Moneymaker’s unlikely run through the 2003 WSOP Main Event prompted millions of casual poker players to begin playing for real money online and in-person at casinos and cardrooms. Buy-ins for the 2004 Main Event swelled 207% to 2,576 entries. Total entries rose to 5,619 in 2005 and to 8,773 entries for the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

Poker is once again on the rise after the COVID-19 pandemic. Though 2021 Main Event entries totaled just 6,650, participation returned to 8,663 in 2022, to 10,043 in 2023, and to 10,112 this year when Jonathan Tamayo won the $10 million first-place prize.

Live! Maryland’s Poker Room has consistently ranked among the top 10 poker rooms outside of Las Vegas. Live! Maryland has a regular poker tournament schedule with special themed events and promotions.

In October, the poker room is running Live! Pokerfest, a 23-event tournament with more than $700K in guarantees. The schedule runs through October 14.

Live! Poker Accommodations 

One of the largest poker rooms in the country, the Live! Casino & Hotel Poker Room has been a regular stop on the World Poker Tour.

The facility also hosts the Maryland State Poker Championship sponsored by PokerStars. The 2024 tournament was highlighted by the $2,200 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event that attracted 245 entries.

Live! Maryland remains the second-richest casino in the state in terms of gaming revenue.

Through August, Live! Maryland generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of approximately $491.6 million. Only MGM National Harbor at roughly $563.4 million won more.