This series will bring you paired guides to the world?s true poker capitals, a high roller and low roller guide, providing the full spread of low-downs on how to ball it poker-style, be it high or lowball. We?ll start the series with a low roller guide to London.
LONDON LOW ROLLER GUIDE
London, freaking expensive European capital of stinking wealth. You really have to watch your wallet here if you?re not rolling in cash ?cause this city will eat your money without pausing for breath. It?s a beautiful, rich, dirty capital of capital and it?s up to you to survive in it and enjoy it. Even the locals complain about the prices, in a city where cheap drinks will cost you twice what they do an hour?s ride out of town. It gets away with it all by being a hell of a lot of fun.
The games
A great selection of games exist for the small to midstakes player. Cash games a-plenty can be found from ?1 ? ?1 at?The Vic?, the Victoria Grosvenor Casino. The Empire in Leicester Square, reputedly host to the softest cash games in the capital, also runs cash games through the night starting at ?1 ? ?2 with a ?50 minimum.
Many casinos and poker rooms exist across London, and sites such as The London Poker Guide can be of help in sifting through your options, or indeed in picking a tournament to take part in last minute.
I say last minute, while in fact you must be careful in London to pre-register with ID at many poker venues some time before attending, often 24 hours before. Just phone up before fixing your plans, to find out whether a particular casino or poker room requires this.
If you fancy trying to satellite into a live event running in the capital, London is host to its own leg of the EPT, to the GUKPT, the WPT and the UKIPT (United Kingdom and Ireland Poker Tour) Grand Final each year.
To eat
There are some amazing options in London that won?t kill your roll. I?ll give you the lowdown on a few of them here.
If you?re after cuisine with a kick, and want something authentic, try Mestizo for a great Mexican experience. Just a little north of the centre, three minutes walk from the nearest underground station and it?s the real deal.
Dishoom will provide you with some premium Indian cuisine in the heart of central London, Covent Garden. As spicy as its Mexican counterpart but from the other side of the world, both these cuisines are immensely popular across the UK.
Forget those chain fast food outlets, Patty and Bun in Bond Street is where it?s at for burgers in London. You?ll mind the queues less once you bite into one.
If you?re on a serious budget, you can move it a big notch down and focus on the food for a fiver approach. Some pubs offer very decent offers on certain days of the week, and Chinatown, right next to Leicester Square, is beautifully cheap and full of buffets (some of which are all you can eat!).
Talking of budget food, be sure to try out some of the numerous all day breakfasts available in London on literally every corner. Some are divine, some hideous. It all depends on the quality of meat used, and other ingredients.
In case you?re unfamiliar, the standard fare in a full English breakfast includes sausages, bacon, mushrooms, beans, toast, tomatoes and frequently chips, black pudding (basically dried blood ? avoid if not hugely carnivorous!) and hash browns. You won?t need lunch after one of these!
Going out
If clubbing?s your thing, you?re going to like London. One club which gets a lot of press in London is Fabric, a large venue running three rooms of beats throughout the night. Trips to Fabric tend to be marathon affairs so be prepared for an all-nighter.
The Ministry of Sound, a legendary institution, also runs its own club in London. You can get a taste of this club without even attending, as they run a ?live from the club? radio on the website.
Shamelessly stealing its name from an enlightened being, funkybuddha is a very hip venue doing well in central London and worth a look.
If you?d rather navigate your own way through the capital, TimeOut London, probably the most popular information hub on the capital, can provide excellent guidance.
To stay
For some serious value for money, check out some of these options.
With a very central location, great ratings and rooms from ?50 a night, the Ridgemount hotel is a fine option. Her Majesty Hotel prides itself on providing top notch accommodation, in particular to business travellers, and is priced in the same range.
For something a little extravagant without the price tag, lastminute.com offers an interesting service. They will provide you with a room in a five star hotel, but the hotel itself and location (within London) will remain a mystery until the day of your check in. Known as the ?secret hotel? service, this proves a real winner with those who don?t mind too much about which part of the city they bed down in, and you pay amazingly low rates for five star accommodation.
To relax
I?m not talking about sight-seeing. Sight-seeing is not relaxing, whether it?s crammed into a tour bus or rushing around the bridges of central London with a million other malcontents. I?m talking about peace, however contradictory that might sound in London.
?**** Take a walk in one of the massive parks of the capital, totally free of charge. I recommend Hyde Park, Regent?s Park and Green Park as fine options.
?**** If you want to go further into nature in the city, take a visit to Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. Host to thousands of species of plant, this is really a very special place. It?s not free, but it?s well worth the entry fee of ?14.50.
?**** Go relax in one of London?s many spas.
This series is written by Luke Haward. Luke is a writer, editor, MTT grinder and poker coach based in Oxford, UK and Guadalajara, Mexico. His interests include game design, charity, ecology and philosophy. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeHaward.
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