It ain't Vegas: Gamblers won't find free cocktails or slot machines here. By California law, the state is allowed to run card houses, which allow poker and blackjack. No craps, no roulette: It's all in the cards.

It may not be "Poker Capital of the World," as it claims, but Commerce Casino's poker room fills what looks like an airport hangar with table upon table of games. Most of the crowd—clad in Members Only jackets, and not in a retro-chic way—comes for serious cardplay, often uttering profanity in a plethora of different languages. Those who want in should probably wait for someone to get up for a smoke break. (And no, smoking is not allowed indoors. Like we said, it ain't Vegas. But eating is allowed. Waiters will bring food directly to the table, so serious sharks can play with one hand and eat buffalo wings with the other.) Non-sharks can skip the cards and try karaoke (Sunday through Thursday) and dancing (Friday and Saturday). Thursday evenings, the casino hosts Joker Comedy Night with stand-up comedians offering a laugh to those whose chips are down. —Mai Dinh