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California has a long and twisted history with the game of Texas Holdem that may be confusing to the beginner player. Despite the state’s proximity to Texas, it seems that Texas Holdem didn’t make its way across the border until the early 1980s. At this time in history, California had legal gambling saloon where individuals could play traditional varieties of poker, for example seven card stud or three card draw. However, the California legislature immediately banned Texas Hold’em along with a version of poker called stud horse.

In 1988, some concerned citizens petitioned for Texas Hold’em to be considered legally distinct from stud horse. After the court battle of Tibbetts v. Van De Kamp, 271 Cal. Rptr. 792 , the state of California officially ruled that stud horse and Texas Hold’em were different versions of poker.

The current legality of Texas Hold’em in California is further complicated by the presence of casino on Native American reservations. Reservations are considered a legal entity separate from the jurisdiction of the state of California, so the state’s rules about gambling do not apply to the casinos on tribal land. The more prominent Native American casinos feature Texas Holdem as one of their more popular table games. The popularity of Texas Hold’em is fueled mainly by mainstream media representations of the game as cool, hip, and glamorous. While Texas Hold’em is popular at the places where it can be played in California, it is not necessarily legal to play Texas Hold’em outside of designated areas.