travel with poker

There are some incredible hotel poker venues throughout the state of New York and I have visited them as a result of listening to people who have come into my father’s pub. As I listened to these poker players talks about being in New York City and in Niagara Falls, I knew that I would have to visit these locations. In some instances, I was even bold enough to ask the poker players why they liked a certain venue.

The poker players never hid anything from me. They told me about why they liked playing at the venues and what I could expect if I ever wanted to visit across the pond. Some even gave me their number and told me to contact them when I landed in the States so that they could show me around the poker scene personally.

The Turning Stone Casino in Verona is beautiful and offers some incredible poker tournaments throughout the year. It seemed as though no matter when I traveled here, there would be a tournament going. It is also home to the East Coast Poker Championships, where it is possible to make a name for yourself in the poker world. Many of the big dogs that play the World Poker Tour circuit start out at this championship, so it was definitely a favourite locale of mine.

With Turning Stone, I was able to find luxurious accommodations, too. They have multiple options to choose from and as a newbie to the scene, I started off by staying in the motor lodge and progressively worked my way into staying in the tower that features nothing but suites. They pamper me in a way that I never thought was possible.

I love New York City and there are a few hotels with some underground poker play going on. Most of this has gotten shut down, but it’s possible to find some going on as long as you are well connected. I have found that I can stay at any of the stunning hotels throughout the year in New York City and then take advantage of the First European Cruises that goes out onto the water so that gambling is legal.

The poker events on the small gambling ships are great for when you don’t have a lot of money to play with. It gives you the chance to practice so that you gain the ability to sit in front of others to play and work on not showing a tell that you have developed. If you are used to playing online, this is what I recommend doing. The ships take care of you and when you need a break from the poker table, there’s a full bar on board as well as plenty of other games to keep you busy.

Finally, there is the Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Poker Room. This is located in West Seneca and not too far from Niagara Falls. You get the incredible view of the falls within a driving distance and some great poker play. I have run into an array of poker celebrities within the poker room here and many of them say that they come here just because of the view. Buffalo is nearby as well and that means that you have plenty of things to keep you busy in between poker play.

The hotel is absolutely gorgeous as well. The people who work the hotel know how to keep you happy and this is one of the most important things. They provide all that you could ask for in terms of service as well as food options, so you never have to leave the hotel and casino until you are ready to head home – or to the next spot on your poker tour.

The casino is particularly great for newbies because there are poker lessons provided in the mornings. Many then venture into the poker rooms and that’s where I’ll be waiting – ready to take their money. It’s a slower pace of play and great for those lazy mornings.

Hotel poker venues are found throughout New York, but not all of them are legal. If it is inside of a casino, a racetrack or on a gambling ship, then it is legal. If it is offered underground or in a locked hotel room, then it’s not – and you have to be careful of such things. I read about a big bust not too long ago and that caused a lot of stir around the poker scene – especially since there were so many celebrities taking advantage of the underground poker throughout Manhattan. I wish the whole state could legalize gambling, but it’s not the case, at least not yet. Nonetheless, it’s close to Atlantic City, so more poker opportunities are never too far away.