Destinations

But where should you go? You could try the old “spin a globe” or “throw a dart at a map” trick, but why do that when you can get expert insight into the best poker destinations in the world?

Depending on your location, some of these may be slightly beyond your bankroll, but there are plenty of places to play around the world, so we’re sure that you’ll find somewhere within your reach. The top destinations recognized around the world for their affinity for poker are:

• Las Vegas, Nevada – United States
• Macau – China
• Monte Carlo – Monaco
• Rozvadov & Prague – Czech Republic
• United Kingdom

Las Vegas, Nevada – United States

To the surprise of absolutely no one, the first destination on our list is the fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. Home of the World Series of Poker, Las Vegas is considered a holy city amongst gamblers, and every poker player must make a pilgrimage to the famous city at least once in their life.

Located in the state of Nevada in the southwest of the United States, it’s a top vacation destination for poker players with dozens of poker rooms to enjoy. There are a number of hotels located on and off the Strip, with many casinos hosting their own poker room – allowing you to stay in the comforts of your hotel.

If you want to stretch your legs and look elsewhere, many players recommend the Golden Nugget or the Aria as two of the best poker rooms in the city.

Vegas is busy all year round, so no matter what time of the year you visit, you’ll be sure to find plenty of action. The World Series of Poker runs in the heart of Las Vegas every summer, so if you want the best chance of rubbing elbows with your poker heroes, we’d recommend taking a trip during the Series.

Macau – China

Once described as the next Las Vegas, Macau has arguably become the gambling capital of the world, with millions of people flocking to it every year. It receives a large number of visitors from mainland China, where the laws around gambling are much stricter than those of Macau.

Those of you who have been to Vegas will find a lot of the hotels in Macau to be familiar, as they have their own Venetian Hotel, MGM Hotel, Wynn Hotel, and Rio Hotel! If you’re looking for the best place to play poker, we’d recommend either the City of Dreams, The Wynn, or The Venetian, as they’re the casinos best known for their poker rooms.

However, if you’re going to play poker in Macau, make sure you bring plenty of cash, as the lowest stakes in many casinos are $25/$50HKD, which is around $3/$6USD.

This is definitely a destination for the big spenders amongst you.

Monte Carlo – Monaco

Another location popular with high rollers is the principality of Monaco. Seen by many as one of the most glamorous places on Earth, you’ll be surrounded by expensive yachts and high-end supercars, but the destination has a considerable amount of history to enjoy as well.

The iconic Monte Carlo Casino was founded in the mid-19th century by Monaco royalty. While the casino has gone through a number of redesigns and relocations over the years, the end result is absolutely stunning, with the renowned architect of the Paris Opera House designing the world-famous architecture.

While many of you will know the Monte Carlo Casino as one of James Bond’s favorite destinations, it’s also home to the Grand Final of the European Poker Tour, with thousands of players from across Europe descending on the principality every year.

Despite being best known as a tax haven for millionaires, there’s a surprising number of low-stakes games, making it the perfect destination for people of all bankroll sizes.

Rozvadov & Prague – Czech Republic

The small town of Rozvadov on the Czech border may not seem like a likely destination at first glance, but it’s home to the biggest poker casino in Europe with over 200 tables! King’s Casino Rozvadov has been built-up by well-known businessman and high-stakes poker player Leon Tsoukernik – a regular player in some of the biggest televised games in the world.

The casino is host to a number of poker festivals throughout the year, and over the last few years has played host to WSOP Europe, as well as multiple partypoker, WPT, and Eureka Poker Tour events. If tournaments aren’t your thing, then don’t worry, as there are dozens of cash game tables available every day, with tables for all bankrolls.

There’s even a four-star hotel on-site, giving you the perfect place to relax after a hard day’s grinding.

However, if you want a little more vacation mixed into your poker vacation, then Prague might be more your speed. Located just a couple of hours from Rozvadov, the Czech capital has a thriving poker scene, with a number of hotels hosting regular poker games. Prague is also home to the second biggest EPT event of the year (behind Barcelona), and is a great location for players of all stake levels.

United Kingdom

With so many fantastic poker venues available across the UK, it’s hard to pin down an exact location to visit! Of course, London has a bustling poker scene, with plenty of casinos within walking/Uber-ing distance of each other in the heart of the capital. The Hippodrome Casino is one of the best-looking casinos around and is a great place to play cash games, and just up the road, you have The Empire Casino, another place with plenty of cash game action.

There’s no shortage of places to play in London, with the Grosvenor Victoria Casino (locally known as The Vic), Aspers Casino, and Genting Casino all hosting dozens of cash game tables as well as a number of low-stakes tournaments.

If you want to travel somewhere a little cheaper than London, we’d recommend Nottingham – a small city around three hours north of London and home to the Dusk Till Dawn poker room. Owned and operated by Rob Yong, Dusk Till Dawn is the ultimate UK destination for poker players with hundreds of tables available. They offer a variety of cash games and tournaments each day and regularly host large events with huge prizes on offer.

Speaking of huge prizes, every year The Goliath poker tournament runs at the G Casino in Coventry – for £150, you get a shot to win a share of an over £1 million prize pool. Over the course of a week, the Goliath Poker Festival offers the biggest like poker tournament outside of Vegas, as well as a number of other tournaments and plenty of cash games for low-stakes players and high rollers.

There’s always something happening in the UK, so no matter what time of the year you come over, there’ll be a game waiting for you.

Summary

One of the great things about poker is that it’s enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. While these are some of the top poker destinations, there are thousands of other places around the world where you can enjoy this fantastic game. So, the next time you feel the grind of your regular poker room getting you down, consider taking a poker vacation!