Europe's Best Poker Rooms

With the seemingly never-ending expansion of poker, there is no shortage of places to play and visit, with Europe housing the most vibrant and welcoming poker scene. Some of the most popular and busiest poker rooms are reviewed here.

The flag bearer for poker in Europe is the Concord Card Casino in Vienna. Located about a 10-minute cab ride from the city centre, it oozes with atmosphere. Established in 1993 by legendary Tournament Director Thomas Kremser, it is one of the few major poker venues that is dedicated solely to the green felt, and is the epitome of good organisation and friendliness. No roulette exists there, just a thriving poker room. The Concord claims at present to be Europe's largest cardroom, with 35 tables, is open 24 hours, and has a regular and popular tournament programme, in addition to an ever-active cash-game schedule of hold'em, Omaha, and stud, catering to all budgets. It hosts three major festivals throughout the year: the 10-day Spring Festival in March, the Austrian Masters in June, and the Austrian Classics in late September/early October. The highlight of the Classics festival is the €3,000 no-limit hold'em tournament, won last year by Rob Hollink.

Arguably the most famous poker venue in Europe is the Aviation Club de France. Home to the World Poker Tour and situated in the heart of the city on the Champs Elysees, close to the Arc de Triomphe, it's home to thriving cash games, with buy-ins from as low as a €100 up to €10,000 and more. It hosts a daily €30 no-limit hold'em freezeout competition, in addition to a varied mix of other tournaments throughout the week. The club decrees a strict, smart dress code, and is home to a fantastic restaurant. With the poker boom well and truly exploding in France, the homely and cultured venue is often full to capacity for the more popular tournaments. Similar to the Concord, you get that extra buzz when playing at the Aviation. It's a poker player's venue. The WPT event in June is the major event of the year in Paris. This year's tournament attracted a field of 232 players, an amazing feat in Europe for a €10,000 buy-in. Its other major festivals take place in January, June, and October. The forthcoming Hold'em series in October includes a main-event buy-in of €3,000, with other tournaments starting from €200. I'm sure all events will sell out this year.

The spiritual home of poker in Britain is the Grosvenor Victoria Casino, or the Vic, as is it commonly known. The cash-game activity is legendary, and many of the UK's top players learned their trade there - among them, the Hendon Mob and the Devilfish. There is always an active cash-game school; games start from as little as £1-£2 pot-limit hold'em up to high-stakes hold'em and dealer's choice games. Despite the poker boom, the Vic still retains its old-school feel, and although primarily a casino, the poker room is well-served and always busy. In September, the Vic plays host to the EPT event previously won in seasons one and two by Englishmen John Shipley and Mark Teltscher. Located close to Marble Arch in central London, there are plenty of places to stay, and there are various tournaments held on a daily basis.

London is also home to the Gutshot Club, which opened in January 2004 and has become a magnet to the new breed of players taking up the game. It's open around-the-clock. There are regular tournaments, the majority in the £10-£50 bracket, regular cash games at all levels, and a lively bar always stocked with all the latest poker literature. It's a haven for poker discussion, and possesses its own unique atmosphere. In its short existence, it's already developed a cult following; its online arm hosts a vibrant forum and the club has more than 15,000 members! Perhaps the club's greatest success story to date is WPT winner Roland De Wolfe. Roland started playing low-limit games when the club opened and developed into one of Europe's top players, going on to win the WPT event in Paris last year before winning more than $1 million in this year's WPT Championship and finishing third in the World Series of Poker $2,000 no-limit hold'em shootout.

Amsterdam is a short plane ride from London, and is home to the Holland Casino in the centre of the city and the prestigious Master Classics of Poker tournament, held every November. Last year's event, won by young Norwegian Thomas Middleton, created a prize pool in excess of €1.3 million, and this year promises to be even bigger. It really is a who's who of European poker, and a must-play for all regular players on the European circuit. Throughout the year, it hosts regular tournaments twice a week. On Tuesdays, there's a €60 no-limit hold'em rebuy event, and on Thursdays there's a limit competition for a similar buy-in. Cash games are held daily from 8 p.m. (4 p.m. on Sundays), and are mainly limit hold'em at various levels, but there is also some no-limit hold'em. This year's Master Classics festival will run Nov. 3-11. Fields are restricted to a maximum of 280 players, and all events will almost certainly be oversubscribed, including alternates.

All of these venues have their own unique character and ambience. But, they all possess a warm environment and understanding of poker players, and cater to their needs. Everybody will enjoy their poker experience at these magical venues.