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While the United States, and Las Vegas in particular, is considered the spiritual home of poker there are many fantastic poker rooms in Europe. Some are iconic and historic and a few have emerged in recent years to vie for the attention of poker players around the world. Whether you combine a short break or business trip to one if these destinations with some poker, or decide to make it an integral part of your holiday plans, here are five of the current best poker rooms that Europe’s Casinos have to offer that any true poker aficionado should play in.
The Fitzwilliam Casino and Card Club, Dublin
Credit Image / Image Source: fitzwilliamcardclub.com
Universally known as “The Fitz” [2], this historic poker room has produced some of the legends of Irish poker over the years from Padraig Parkinson and “Gentleman” Liam Flood, to the newer crop of players who still test their mettle against some of the canniest poker players in the word in their local club before taking on the world.
The Fitzwilliam hosts daily affordable tournaments that are well attended generating a good prize pool with the lower buy-in tournaments typically lasting around five hours. The poker room is usually lively and busy particularly at the weekends so you are guaranteed plenty of action. If you want to sample the legendary hospitality and craic while you battle it out against a nation of natural born poker players then The Fitz is an unmissable destination.
For details on upcoming festivals click the link to their website and follow them on Twitter, @theFitzCasino, for information on games currently running.
Hippodrome Casino, London
Credit Image / Image Source: standard.co.uk
There are a large number of options for poker players in London but the hottest venue right now is, without any doubt, The Hippodrome [3]. Opened in July 2012 and situated in the heart of London’s Leicester Square within the former Hippodrome theatre, this is the largest casino in the UK and current holder of the Casino of the Year title.
It boasts four floors of gaming in a spectacular setting and offers a variety of entertainment and restaurants all under one roof. The Hippodrome is notably home to the UK’s only Pokerstars Live Deck [4], this well-appointed and well-run PokerStars - branded poker room runs 24 hours cash games, and as well as regular tournaments it hosts the UK & Ireland Poker Tour and Classic events.
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You will find a mix of regulars along with a large number of casual players and tourists due to its central location and numerous other onsite attractions. Follow them on Twitter, PSLive@TheHippodrome, and on Facebook for regularly updated information on upcoming tournaments and cash game availability.
Casino Barcelona, Spain
At the centre of the Olympic Port in the beautiful city of Barcelona the Casino Barcelona [6] casino offers a full range of casino games as well as a well-appointed and busy poker room. You will also find four award-winning restaurants from traditional Spanish fare to Teppan-Yaki, an attractive Japanese grill, as well as other nightly entertainment.
This modern casino is hugely popular and runs a wide variety of tournaments as well as playing host to a number of prestigious poker tours and festivals including The Spanish Championship, the World Poker Tour, and the [7]European Poker Tour [7].
Combine your trip with one of these and you will get as much action as you can handle. The regular games feature a good mix of locals, tourist and businessmen so you can expect some lively games all year round. The casino is right on the beach and has a number of cheaper dining options close by as well as a thriving popular nightlife scene.
Portomaso Casino, Malta
The beautiful island of Malta is home to a growing number of poker professionals these days for several very good reasons. As a holiday destination, this bustling seaside resort makes a wonderful alternative to a city break, and the cheaper cost of living makes it an ideal venue to combine a longer holiday with plenty of poker action.
If you have slightly deeper pockets and like to mix in some casino games with your poker then it is worth investigating their “Junkets” programme. Deposit the required amount with the casino and you can be reimbursed your travelling expenses as well as five-star hotel accommodation including food and drinks during your stay.
The poker room at the Portomaso Casino runs affordable daily tournaments and cash games, and with four separate poker areas which can accommodate over 100 tables, it is emerging as a destination of choice for a number of big poker festivals and tours including the European Poker Tour.
Concord Card Casino, Vienna
Vienna is an ideal city break destination, accessible and not too expensive. After a day exploring the stunning architecture, visiting the museums and sampling the famous coffee houses, why not finish the day off with a game of poker? There are several casinos in Vienna, and while Casino Wien may be largest and more traditional venue, for poker players the best place to head to is the Concord Card Casino [8].
The card room is dedicated to poker first and foremost and puts the emphasis on satisfying the needs of poker players. Whereas at a lot of casinos the focus is on other table games, here the poker player is put at the heart of the operation. They host a number of poker festivals as well as spreading a wide variety of cash game variants and regular affordable tournaments. This should be the destination of choice for more serious player who values the provision of poker above all else.
Some Additional Tips
Before visiting any of these great poker rooms, it is worth doing a little research.
All of the destinations here will provide a great poker experience but if you can combine your trip with a poker festival it will reach a whole new level of action and entertainment. Look out for yearly festivals that tie in with big events as you can often satellite into quite large field events for small initial outlay before you get there.
Some online sites will be offering entire travel packages to be won. The other bonus is that if there is a festival going on you can be sure there will be a vastly increased number of other side events and juicy cash games available. Most casinos are free to join but you will need to bring photo ID with you if you are not already a member.
The dress code is often fairly relaxed but it is always worth checking the venues requirements before you arrive. What do you think? Have you played at any of these venues and what was your experience like? What are your favourite poker rooms that didn’t make our list? Leave your comments below.