Official language: Persian
Population: 70,472,846
Currency: Iranian Rial (IRR)

Current Exchange Rate
1 EUR = 14,358.9 IRR
1 GBP = 16,006.2 IRR
1 USD = 9,729.6 IRR

Poker in Iran
Poker is not a very popular game in Iran. People don't play the game at home or in casinos. There is a very simple explanation of the lack of this game in Iran – gambling is illegal there. The country has no casinos, no poker halls, no tournaments, and no home games. The ban on gambling in Iran comes from the Koran – Iran is a Muslim nation, and Islamic law states that all gambling is strictly forbidden. This lack of access to poker games in Iran is directly responsible for its low popularity – most people in the country have never played the game, even for fun. There is a limited underground poker community hosting games in some cities in Iran, but illegal gambling in Iran is not a very big problem.

Online Poker in Iran
Online poker in Iran is a fine alternative to land-based poker, and is the only way for players to enjoy live poker games and tournaments for real money. While the government of Iran does not allow companies to offer gambling services such as poker games over the internet form websites hosted in Iran, there are alternatives. Foreign online poker sites, hosted in countries where online gambling is legal and where the Iranian government has no power, cannot be prevented from offering their services to players in Iran. These sites have a range of games, including large-scale live tournaments, and many such sites allow players in Iran to create accounts and play online poker freely.