Hampton Falls Poker Room Review

UPDATE: Hampton Falls poker room was purchased by The Brook during the pandemic. The beautiful old Hampton Falls room has since closed. We are saddened, as Hampton Falls was our very favorite New Hampshire poker room. Despite promises of adopting Hampton Falls tournament structures, as of August 2022, The Brook has not fielded any tournaments whatsoever.

Hampton Falls Poker Room is the best poker experience in New Hampshire. For the player looking for a well-run room, quality dealers, and reasonably competitive play this is your spot. Want to match wits with tournament players who can actually fold correctly? Well, your chances here are far better than many of the other local rooms. We have played them all, from Seabrook to Chasers.

The cash games at Hampton Falls Poker Room can get fairly wild with loose aggressive play being a seeming badge of honor. But the tournament play is fabulous. We highly recommend Hampton Falls for those seeking tournament poker in southern New Hampshire.

Setting and Non-Poker Amenities

The Hampton Falls Poker Room is, as advertised, in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. Hampton Falls lies along the tiny 18 miles of New Hampshire coastline. In the summer, this can mean some heavy traffic when heading for the card room. However, it also means that you are a mere 10 minute drive to the beach. There are also a number of great beach restaurants close at hand. Another key feature of Hampton Falls’ location is that it is a 5 minute drive to Seabrook Poker. While Hampton Falls is our clear first choice for poker on the New Hampshire coast, I can’t say that one of us has never headed over to a Seabrook  tournament after knocking out of our favorite Hampton Falls 1:00.

Hampton Falls Poker Room Comfort

Hampton Falls is spread across two floors of a large building with an attractive log cabin design. Inside, the rooms are bright and airy with a high ceiling upstairs, and plenty of room between tables. At 30 tables, split fairly evenly between tournament and cash, Hampton Falls has one of the larger tournament rooms in the state. There’s plenty of light in the tournament room. The tables are clean with attractive felts, and the chips are kept in good condition. The room is also kept very cool. This is a boon in the summer. However, we recommend a sweater or jacket whenever you go. The chairs could be more comfortable, but that’s a small price to pay for the overall quality of the room.

One downside is that the food is fairly mediocre.  We have tried a few things on their menu, with the fried appetizers certainly solid, but nothing stands out.  We ordered a grilled chicken sandwich once and it was basically a protein delivery system at best: unseasoned breast slapped in a humble bun with wilted lettuce and a tomato slice keeping it company.  Generally the food and drink crew are well staffed; they circle frequently and are attentive, but we have seen some complaints of food taking a long time when things are bustling.

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Hampton Falls Poker Tournaments

Hampton Falls Poker Room has some of the best value tournaments in New England. the Friday and Saturday 1pm tournaments are our favorites: $90 entry fee with 30,000 chips, 30 minute blinds starting at 25-50, antes starting at level 4, and levels that increase gradually enough that the tournament does not become a shove-fest after hour 3.  In fact, if you plan to money in this one, set aside 10-11 hours of your day. This tournament typically draws 70 to 130 players.  Skill levels vary, but not many “bingo” players are chasing gut shots to the river.  However, there are plenty of solid, unspectacular players who can be exploited. Hampton Falls also features special monthly tournaments with higher buy-ins (e.g., $250) that tend to draw big crowds.

Hampton Falls Staff

Aside from tournament structure, the major differentiator between Hampton Falls and its local competitors is the quality of the dealers and floors.  Most dealers are fast, friendly, and knowledgeable.  There are a few weak spots, but dealer rotation is so regular that you are rarely saddled with a mediocre dealer for very long.  There are few issues, but when there are the floors maintain control and have the respect of the players. They know the rules and are able to articulate the logic behind their decisions clearly. Hampton Falls features the most professional staff we have encountered outside of a major casino or very large cardroom.

Overall Assessment of the Hampton Falls Poker Room

Hampton Falls Poker Room delivers the best poker experience in Northern New England. From an attractive space, to excellent staff, and the best tournament structures in New Hampshire, Hampton Falls is our number one choice for tournament poker in New England.

Update: See why we named Hampton Falls one of the best poker rooms in New England!