Black Hawk Colorado Casino Poker Tournaments

The Golden Gates offers players 273 slot games, eight quality table games, and 18 live poker tables; it is definitely one of the largest rooms found in Black Hawk. Golden Gates Casino is known for hosting big poker tournaments, including the Heartland Poker Tour and the Colorado Poker Championship. Find the best tournament in town with our real-time list of all upcoming poker tournaments in the Colorado area, including Colorado Springs, Denver & Black Hawk, and Greater Colorado. To customize your search, you can filter this list by game type, buy-in, day, starting time and location.

The poker scene in Colorado has significantly improved since gambling was legalized in 1991. Casinos in the state host frequent tournaments, from casual daily walk-in games to high-profile events like the Colorado Poker Championship.

The poker rooms themselves have also improved, finally becoming larger and more elegant, and offering higher stakes. Most nights of the week you can find action at a wide assortment of poker rooms around Colorado.

Black Hawk Poker Rooms & Tournament Information

Carved into Gregory Gulch about 40 miles outside of downtown Denver, the historic former mining town of Black Hawk features 15 casinos and more than 1,000 hotel rooms. Black Hawk is home to some of the largest and most active poker rooms in Colorado.

Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour Promotions

COVID-19 Restrictions/Changes: Six player maximum per table, mandatory face masks.

The Golden Gates Casino & Poker Parlour in Black Hawk features live poker 24 hours a day, seven days a week at up to 17 poker tables. Poker is available in a variety of limit games, as well as three-spread limit games. Golden Gates Casino features a number of tournaments, including the annual Colorado Poker Championship held in May, as well as a monthly freeroll and other events, including $340 monthly Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo tournament.

Ameristar Poker Room

COVID-19 Restrictions/Changes: Only 9 tables open instead of the usual 22. Six player maximum per table, mandatory face masks.

Ameristar Casino’s poker room is one of the largest in Colorado. It offers 21 poker tables featuring games ranging from $1/$3 limit to $50/$100 and several spread limit games:

Ameristar Spread Games

• $1-3-100 Spread Hold
• $2-5-100 Spread Hold
• $2-5-100 Spread Big-O
• $30-60 Limit Hold‘em
• $50-100 Limit Hold’em

The poker room at Ameristar features a bad beat jackpot that pays whenever quad 8’s or better are beaten. To win, both players must have at least two cards that play in their hands, and there must be at least $30 in the pot. Ameristar players earn $1 per hour in comps on all play in the poker room.

Ameristar is a cash-only poker room and doesn’t host any poker tournaments.

The Isle of Capri Casino

COVID-19 Restrictions/Changes: Six player maximum per table, mandatory face masks, tournament play suspended.

Located on the second floor of the Isle of Capri Casino in Black Hawk, the Isle’s recently renovated poker room offers hold’em games and occasionally Omaha games, 24 hours a day. The poker room features tableside drink service and 10 flatscreen TVs on the wall. The main game at the Isle is 1-2-100 spread, however, 4-8 and many other options are often available on any one of the casinos 11 poker tables.

In addition to larger buy-in events, the Isle hosts tournaments every Friday and Saturday.

The Isle also features Aces Cracked bonuses. The first five players each day to have aces cracked win $100.

Cripple Creek Poker Rooms & Tournament Information

Until recently, Cripple Creek’s spot for live poker was the Midnight Rose, but the pandemic waylaid those plans. The poker room at the Rose is going to be closed until sometime next year.

Central City Poker Rooms & Tournament Information

As of this writing, Central City does not offer live poker.

Colorado Sweepstakes & Online Poker

Online casinos aren’t legal in Colorado, but there are still options for Colorado card sharks who want to play some poker on the go.

Sweepstakes poker is a legal option for online poker in Colorado, and Global Poker is the premier destination to play online. Global Poker’s format gives players the chance to win cash prizes by competing in poker games and touraments.

Players can purchase packages of gold coins that include sweeps coins as a bonus. While gold coins provide no monetary value, sweeps coins give players access to tournament play and other events where cash prizes go to those who finish among the top players.

Black Hawk Colorado Casino Poker Tournaments Tournament

Colorado Poker FAQ

Yes. Colorado casinos have poker rooms with live dealers, many open 24 hours a day.

For now, only Black Hawk offers live poker. There are 3 casinos in the mountain town where you can find a game:

• Ameristar
• Isle Casino
• Golden Gates Casino

Sort of. Online gambling is still illegal in Colorado, but sweeps casinos, like Global Poker, give CO card sharks a chance to scratch their poker itch along with the chance to win cash prizes.

Absolutely. The Golden Gates hosts No Limit Hold’em tournaments, with buy-ins ranging from $60 to about $200, nearly every day. The Isle used to host tournaments, but they’ve been suspended because of the pandemic. The Golden Gates is also home of the Colorado Poker Championship.

Yes. Colorado poker rooms are sticking closely to state law. Only 6 hands are allowed at a table at any given time, and some casinos have a limited number of tables open, so check with the casino’s poker room before you head out. Just like elsewhere in the casinos, face masks are required for all players.

For now, the maximum bet allowed by law in any Colorado casino is $100. That same limit applies to poker tables for cash games.

The Golden Gates Casino is located in the heart of downtown Black Hawk. It is in close proximity to two sister gaming establishments: Golden Gulch Casino and Mardi Gras Casino. The trio of casinos is owned and operated by Twin River Management Group, which acquired the properties from Affinity Gaming in 2019.

In addition to its poker room, Golden Gates Casino offers a variety of table games and slots and boasts a 700-spot parking garage complete with free valet parking. In addition to its centrally located Gold Bar handling patrons’ beverage needs, the Full House Cafe offers fast-casual food service within full view of the poker room.

Online Sports Betting At The Golden Gates Casino

Golden Gates Casino Online Sportsbook: Golden Gates Casino’s parent company is partnered with both DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook. Both apps are up and running for Colorado sports bettors.

Sportsbook Bonuses: Both FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook offer generous bonuses to sports bettors in CO.

• DraftKings Sportsbook offers a $500 risk-free bet, plus a 20% bonus up to $500 upon deposit. You can access this offer through our exclusive link above.
• FanDuel Sportsbook also offers a $500 risk-free bet to new accounts. Access their offer right here.

Golden Gates Casino Retail Sportsbook: Golden Gates Casino does not currently have in-person sports betting.

Golden Gates Casino Fact Table

History of the Golden Gates Casino

The Golden Gates Casino was one of the first gaming establishments to open its doors in Black Hawk when Colorado legalized casino gambling in 1991. Golden Gates and its sister properties Golden Gulch and Mardi Gras have changed hands several times since then. Golden Gaming acquired the casinos in 2005, which operated them until 2011, when they were sold to Affinity Gaming. In early 2019, Affinity Gaming sold the Golden Gates, Golden Gulch and Mardi Gras casinos to Twin River Management Group for $51 million.

Golden Gates is perhaps best known for its active poker scene, operating one of the largest poker rooms in Black Hawk with nearly 20 tables offering Hold’em, Omaha and more. The Golden Gates Casino hosts frequent poker tournaments, and is home to the Colorado Poker Championship and the Heartland Poker Tour, two events with an approximate combined prize pool of nearly $1.25 million.

Twin River Management Group’s other properties include the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi, Miss., Dover Downs in Dover, Del. and the Twin River Casino Hotel in Lincoln, R.I.

Golden Gates Casino Loyalty Program (in flux)

With the ownership change of Golden Gates Casino still underway, it was not immediately known if they had already switched over to the new owner’s loyalty program.

Under Affinity Gaming’s ownership, Golden Gates Casino used the A-Play Club Rewards program. Gamers could accumulate points for play at all Affinity-owned properties. This includes not only Black Hawk properties like Golden Gates, Golden Gulch and Mardi Gras, but also Affinity properties in Nevada, Missouri, and Iowa.

The loyalty program uses a four-tier system, including Red, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Depending on your tier, which is determined by your amount of play, perks could include everything from comped hotel rooms, dining and show tickets to free slot play and invite-only special events.

Twin River has its own loyalty program, the Twin River Players Club, which can be used at any of its properties in Rhode Island, Mississippi, Delaware or Colorado. It’s a three-tier program, starting with Premier at the bottom level, followed by Elite and Club 100. Each tier offers different perks, but include VIP lounge access, retail store discounts, and even a butler suite with food and beverage included on some properties for the highest tier.

Golden Gates Casino FAQ

Yes. The Golden Gates Casino is open to players 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Yes. The Golden Gates Casino has one of the largest free parking garages in Black Hawk, with around 700 spots. The casino also offers free valet parking.

Soon. Legal sports betting in Colorado kicks off on May 1, 2020. Twin River Management Group, the new owner of Golden Gates Casino, has struck deals with FanDuel and DraftKings to bring their sportsbooks to the Colorado market, both online and in land casinos.

Golden Gates Casino is 35 miles from downtown, about a 50-minute drive.

Black Hawk Colorado Casino Poker Tournaments 2019

No. But there are several options for lodging a short walk from Golden Gates Casino.