Running Aces Poker Room – The Crown Jewel of Poker in Minnesota

running aces poker room

9 minutes

Last Updated: March 18, 2024

If you are active in the poker social media spheres such as twoplustwo or r/poker, then you would have seen many a post asking where should in play poker in XYZ.

Well if you’re looking to play in Minnesota, then there’s only one real answer – Running Aces Poker Room

Twenty minutes from downtown and located in Forest Lake, Running Aces Poker Room is easily one of the best in the state and one of the most prestigious destinations for poker players in Minnesota.

So if you’ve got a trip to the Columbus, Minnesota area coming up or looking for poker pastures new, then by the end of this article, you’ll have all the info you will ever need to know.

Running Aces Poker Room – Where the fun never stops

There’s nothing worse than venturing to the casino looking to play some poker and then being told there’s a long wait for a seat at a table.

It can be mood-killing, annoying, and frustrating. Your fingers are twitching to play with some chips, and you’re gasping to run that big bluff against someone who stacked you in your previous session.

Well, luckily for you, the Running Aces Poker Room is enormous.

The room is home to 20 tables where you can play poker games that we have all grown to love. You will also love that the poker room, even in a COVID-19 world, is open all hours, and for those who aren’t 21 yet, you’ll be pleased to know that the Running Aces Poker Room is an 18+ establishment.

So if you’re shy of your 21st birthday by a few days or even years, you’ll be welcomed with open arms (providing you’re 18 and over).

Running Aces Poker Cash Games

Now, if it is a variety that you are after, then look no further than the Mecca for mixed games that is the Running Aces Poker room.

If you’re a fan of Stud, Limit Hold’Em, Spread Limit Hold’em, and the like, then the Running Aces Poker Room has you in mind.

With the varying stakes and games, Running Aces attracts a wide variety of poker players, and that’s a good way to gauge how good a poker room is.

If there’s a vibrant and brilliant mix of people, you know people from all over have specifically traveled to play at Running Aces.

poker cheat sheet NEW

And with games running 24/7 in:

  • $4/$8 Limit Hold’em
  • $2/$100 Spread Limit Hold’em
  • $4/$8 Spread Limit Omaha Hi

You can understand why. And if that doesn’t tickle your poker taste buds, then the following cash games run when there is a demand for it, will:

  • $2/$4 Stud
  • $5/$100 Spread Limit Hold’em
  • $2/$4 Limit Hold’m
  • $3/£6 Limit Hold’em

You might be surprised that you do not see No-Limit Texas Holdem or PLO Omaha on the list, but there is a good reason for that.

Minnesota laws restrict no-limit games and any bets higher than $100 for that matter.

So you have to adjust to this situation, but apart from that, whatever your skillset, bankroll, or a game of choice, there is something for any poker aficionado.

Also, you can get a fine table side dinner or visit a restaurant and fully enjoy the food, so hunger is not going to be a problem.

running aces poker room food dining

The icing on the cake as well is that multiple jackpots are running in the Running Aces Poker Room simultaneously, giving everyone a chance of striking it lucky., and you can always track up to date information on their website.

Running Aces Poker Tournaments

The Running Aces poker room does not disappoint when it comes to tournaments either., and you can always find some poker hands to play on a daily basis.

The room is offering the opportunity for players with whatever size bankroll to play the daily tournaments with buy-ins vary from $30 to $150.

The Running Aces Poker room is also home to many poker tournament series.

These events often have buy-ins larger than there daily MTTs, but you won’t mind as they produce some mouth-watering guarantees such as the $100,000 Midwest Poker Classic.

Running Aces Poker Room tournaments

Here’s a full list of the higher buy-in events the Running Aces Poker Room is home to:

  • Feb: For the Love of Money, $350 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • March: Pot O’Gold Tournament, £280 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • April: Spring Poker Classic, $500 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • May: Mayhem in May, $280 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • June: Easy Money Tournament, $350 buy-in – $50,000 gtd
  • July: Anniversary Tournament, $280 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • August: Great MN Poker Tournament, $150 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • Sept: Midwest Poker Classic, $500 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • Oct: Hallow-Scream Tournament, $280 buy-in – $100,000 gtd
  • Nov: Big Turkey Tourney, $500 buy-in – $50,000 gtd

So regardless of what month you’re in the vicinity to Running Aces, you know that there will be a game running for you.

Be that a variety of mixed games or your standard daily poker tournament, you now know that the Running Aces Poker Room is the place to be.

Running Aces Poker Room Parking

If you’re like me and will do anything to save a few bucks, you’ll be pleased to know that Running Aces has plenty of free parking available.

They’re also strong believers in park & ride schemes, so this opens the opportunity, if you’re a solo traveler, to share a ride and meet new people along the way. And to top it off, you’re saving the planet by using less energy. Look at you go, you little Greta Thurnberg!

Running Aces Casino Games

Running Aces casino games

If you’re a fan of Vegas, which most of us are, Running Aces Casino provides you with pulsating action from its LasVegas-style games. So if you’re a fan of the following:

Then you’re in luck, as Running Aces provides all the above table games for you to enjoy.

As a little bonus, Running Aces Casino offers Minnesota’s most player-friendly games.

What I mean by this is that on the above list, you won’t have to pay any commission or any antes, meaning you can better track your wins and losses, so you know when to leave when you’re up and know when to call it a day when you’re down.

And if you’re up for a little something extra, Running Aces Casino are soon to be offering Blackjack tournaments (crikey, do they still exist?).

Running Aces casino blackjack tournaments

Also, if you’re a veteran in playing in the pit, it is quite likely you’ll manage to enter these tournaments for free, what’s not to love about that!

Running Aces Casino – What to Know

Running Aces is way more than just a casino and poker room.

The full title of the establishment is Running Aces Casino, Hotel, and Racetrack, so that should give some insight on what else is available to you during your stay.

Firstly, let's discuss the hotel itself. Now when I think of Minnesota snow and log cabins spring to mind, and if you’re after that ‘Up North’ ambiance, then that is what you will get.

running aces hotel and casino

Modern architecture with that log cabin coziness you are certainly in for a treat during your time at Running Aces.

The raison d’etre for staying, though, is the horse racetrack.

Running Aces Poker Room, Casino, Hotel, and Racetrack

At this moment in time, entry to the racetrack is free. However, it is limited to 250 persons per state law, for the time being.

Tickets will be required, you can’t just casually stroll in, but that’s no problem as you can book these easily online.

The Race Book at running Aces is also a sight to behold. The recently refurbished room has over 20 new HDTV’s and two gargantuan 80-inch feature screens so you can watch all the racing action as it unfolds.

It has a picture-perfect view of the finish line for their own racetrack too, and at the cost $20, that’s a small price to pay for an exceptional experience.

Running Aces Casino – Keeping Guests Safe Against COVID19

With the world slowly starting to awake from its lockdown slumber, you will be pleased to know that the Running Aces Casino and Poker Room is open for you to enjoy.

Of course, to make sure all players and staff stay safe, some precautions are being implemented to reduce the chance of coronavirus spreading. So I’ll quickly run these down for you, so you know what to expect and not be caught out by any surprises.

Once you arrive at Running Aces Casino, you will go through a non-touch temperature check, and then you will make your way through to the table check-in area.

One piece of advice, you can ring 651 925 4596 and register for a seat at one of the many gaming tables that Running Aces offer.

Why am I telling you this? Well, if you book ahead, this helps reduce footfall and congestion on the gaming floor.

running aces poker room safety

There are some new health and safety measures Running Aces are taking such as;

  • Facemasks are mandatory for all guests and members of staff. If this upsets you, then so be it. If you really want to play poker that bad, having to wear a bit of cloth over your mouth isn’t the end of the world.
  • Call ahead seating for all table games
  • They are reducing the number of players on casino games tables.
  • There will be plexiglass barriers on the gaming tables between the players and dealers. There will also be plexiglass partitions to divide players.
  • All gaming chips will be deep cleaned daily.
  • The playing card decks will be changed at an increased frequency – hopefully, this will stop you from getting burned by an ice-cold deck.

Of course, this isn’t ideal, but the Running Aces Casino and Poker Room really do care about your health and wellbeing demonstrated above. You know you’re going to be looked after, and any fears or anxieties you may have should be alleviated relatively quickly.

Just a quick note, Running Aces Poker Room is not currently running poker tournaments, only cash games are on offer. Keep checking their website to see when their tournaments schedules are back to normal.

Final Thoughts About Running Aces Poker Room and Casino

As Running Aces say themselves, they ‘offer something for everyone: gamers, horse enthusiasts, travelers, and most of all local twin cities residents looking for a fun night or two of entertainment, and they are not wrong.

So when you next see on social media post asking where to play poker cash games, poker tournaments or stay in Minnesota, you know exactly where to point them.

After all, this is a great place to play poker and have some fun without the need for any poker tools or software that is required online, so you can relax and enjoy the games.

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