vary from State to State, so I don't knoe if it's a correct statement to say that it is illegal to play poker at home in most states. I believe it is allowed in many states (how many I don't know). Some, like the State of New York, allow it if the house does not profit by hosting the game (in other words if the owner is a mere equal participant in the game), others allow games with limits on the stakes. If I had the time to research it, I would suspect that some form of home-based poker games are legal in a large number of States. That is just a guess.

Michael Siskin