Home poker games are illegal in Mississippi. The current laws, as they were written in 1972, are somewhat disconcerting in fact, when you read them over. All forms of illegal gambling and wagering are listed, stating each unlawful activity, followed by the sole exception of “other than a fight or fighting match between dogs”. This appears more than once in the documentation. Apparently it is better to place wagers on the life of two or more traditionally domesticated animals than to play a quiet game of poker among friends in the comfort of your own home.

[Reference: http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/97/033/0001.htm]