If you’re looking for a poker vacation guide that you can use as a casual player while traveling to your favorite getaway, you’ve come to the right place. Travel, enjoy the local attractions, have fun, and play poker… all during the same vacation.
Below are some of the best places in the world to spend your next poker vacation.
Who knows? You might find success at the poker tables that can help fund your next trip!
Best Poker Vacations: Las Vegas
Las Vegas tops my personal list, due to the massive amount of poker tables that still operate on and off the Strip. Even though the poker boom isn’t what it once was, you can still find more live poker action in Las Vegas than anywhere else in the world.
In all, there are 18 poker rooms in Las Vegas including eight that are located inside venues on The Strip.
The best places to play poker in Vegas depend on which stakes you can afford, and whether there is a live tournament series being held during the time of your stay. Live tournament grinders will naturally go wherever there’s a big “poker festival” in town, but low-stakes casual players will likely stick to familiar haunts like the South Point poker room.
Places ranging from South Point, to the Wynn, and the Horseshoe Casino all offer competitive card playing every day of the year, with the capacity to spread a wide variety of games. Of course, you can always mix your poker vacation with sightseeing when you’re in Sin City. If you’ve had your fill of themed casinos and need to step out into the desert sunshine, the Hoover Dam is a commute that takes less than an hour. Guided tours can be booked in advance, too.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Las Vegas during a Mixed Game Festival, you can enjoy low-stakes, fixed limit games such as Razz, 7 Card Stud, Badugi, Omaha 8, and more. Buy-ins to MGF cash games and tournaments generally range from $80 into low three-figures. You can get plenty of time at the live felts with just $200 or $300 when attending one of these exclusive festivals, and meet Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski while you’re there!
Best Poker Vacations: Poker in California
Southern California card rooms have made a name for themselves in the poker world, as venues such as Commerce Casino, the Bicycle Casino (the Bike), and Hustler Casino are some of the largest in the world. They host some of the most high profile (and high stakes) action you can find at a live poker table. For its part, the Northern California poker scene is comprised of dozens of card rooms where live poker is not only present, but forms part of the main attraction.
Lots of people in the United States are choosing to travel domestically when taking a vacation, and California has it all. There’s nothing quite like the blend of nightlife, scenic locations, and poker that you’ll find each time you visit the Golden State.
If you’re a sports fan, chances are one of the many professional teams that call CA their home will be hosting a game during your visit. California has professional sports teams for NFL football, NBA and WNBA basketball, MLB baseball, NHL ice hockey, and MLS soccer.
Best Poker Vacations: Poker in Aruba
Once upon a time, Aruba was a live poker tournament destination that drew more than 1,000 international contestants to major events. While that is less common these days, you can still find plenty of poker action every month of the year when visiting this tropical getaway.
Playing poker in Aruba means that you’ll want to stay at a venue that has its own dedicated room for in-person card playing. These can be found at places like the Riu Hotel, the Holiday Inn, Xanadu, and the Hilton.
As you might expect, the rooms are relatively small (usually 3-4 tables only) and offer No Limit Texas Hold’em as their main attraction. The stakes range from $1-$3 to $2-$5 NLHE. The poker rooms generally begin operations at 7:00pm local time Sunday through Thursday and close between 3:00am-4:00am.
However, these schedule times tend to broaden on Fridays and Saturdays, which means you can generally find live poker action in Aruba starting as early as 4:00pm on the weekends. Personally, I’ve played poker (and have covered live poker tournaments) at the Hilton in Aruba — which was known as the Radisson during that time.
The white sands of Aruba beaches are something to behold, plus you can enjoy beach-side dining at any number of open bars and grills that dot the coastline. Although Aruba is owned by the Netherlands, it almost borders the South American country of Venezuela.
Despite the tales local taxi drivers might relay in terms of Venezuelan nightlife, tourists are advised to stick to attractions that are actually located on the island of Aruba. The tropical paradise offers everything from daytime water skiing to a 24-hour bar scene if you’re into dancing the night away instead of spending it at a poker table.
Best Poker Vacations: Poker in Lisbon
On the surface, Portugal may not seem like an obvious choice for your next poker vacation. But poker in Lisbon is alive and well.
The place to go is the Casino Estoril, which spreads both Texas Hold’em and Omaha on Friday nights, when it’s the busiest.
Tourism is a main staple of the Portuguese economy, so chances are you’ll find an opportunity to compete against players that aren’t necessarily “pro-level” when sitting down to play poker in Lisbon.
If you’re at the casino on any other day except Friday, the only game you’ll be able to find is Texas Hold’em, with stakes ranging from $1-$2 up to $5-$10.
Lisbon’s mild winter climate makes the seaside port destination part of any tourist’s “bucket list.” If you’d rather stay indoors, you can sample the cuisine of various restaurants located inside the casino. Menus vary, but there’s always an option for western-style food if you’re not accustomed to Asian seasoning.
Best Poker Vacations: Poker in Japan
Japan is in a category of its own when it comes to enjoying a “gaming” environment. The country’s legacy of being on the cutting edge of technology is well deserved. From Nintendo to Sony, from Konami to Capcom, Japan is a global center for gaming and digital communications.
Poker in Japan starts in the metropolis of Tokyo, reaching into the red-light district of Kabukicho — which looks more like something you’d find in a Persona video game than an actual, real life neighborhood.
However, “gambling” is illegal in Japan, so don’t expect to sit down at a poker table and wager real money. The poker and in-person gaming scenes in Japan function much like a “kids-only” venue would in the Western world.
You buy chips with real money, but can only use them to exchange for novelty prizes within a facility’s property. If you really want to cash out these “for exchange only” chips, you’ll need to find a third party that will do so… but charge a hefty commission as part of the transaction.
There are plenty of reports that underground card rooms indeed exist in Japan. However, the associated commission fees may be exorbitant. Cashing out may still be an issue if the management decides it doesn’t want to “break the law” by giving you cash for chips that you have won.
Where to go on your next poker vacation?
These aren’t the only viable poker vacation destinations, especially if you’re looking to travel outside the United States.
The Philippines, the UK, Ireland, and Brazil all hold major poker tournament festivals at select venues. You’ll want to plan ahead and make sure one of the major tournaments is currently “in town” if you’re looking for a wide variety of poker options while visiting these countries.
Other than that, it simply comes down to where you’re located, and how convenient it is to travel to your eventual destination. Your next poker vacation awaits… and you can easily split your time between traditional tourist activities and the live felts to make the most of it!
