Poker Tournaments England
The largest casino in London's card room was catapulted into poker limelight back in 2007 when it hosted the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe won by Annette Obrestad. Located in the very heart of London in Leicester Square, the Empire undoubtedly offers the softest cash games in England. The biggest jackpots can usually be found in online slots and especially with the progressive Live Poker Tournaments England jackpots. Numerous players have won serious six and seven figure sums of money playing and winning on the big progressive jackpot games.
A gambling nation, the UK has a plethora of live casino venues for punters and poker players across the country. If you're visiting Britain, there are several live venues you can't afford to miss, especially:
- Tournament heaven at Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham.
- A plethora of small limit to no limit options at Grosvenor Casinos.
- The centrally located Casino at the Empire, London.
- The many low stakes Hold'em alternatives at Aspers Casinos.
Note - all venues require membership, which is free and simply involves giving over some personal details. You will usually receive a membership card.
Dusk Till Dawn, Nottingham
- 45 tables
- Membership: Yes (Free)
- Cardroom
- Live Blackjack
- Live Roulette
- Electronic Gaming
- Cashier
- Internet Access
- Bar
- Smoking Enclosure
- Car Park
Opening hours
Everyday, 10.00am - Midnight
0044 0115 845 4300
support@dusktilldawnpoker.com
Doubtless the most famous and well-regarded card room in the UK, and possibly the whole of Europe, Dusk Till Dawn is a dedicated poker club that has surpassed competition and expectations time and time again.
Easily the best selection of small to high stakes tournaments on offer, with massive guarantees and excellent player service, every tournament player in the UK should go out of their way to visit Nottingham and this premier poker venue.
Cash game players can never be disappointed either with games running from £0.50/£1 all the way to £5/£10, plus an action-packed £5/£5 Omaha game. The capable staff are more than happy to accommodate other games and dealers' choice is always an option.
In short, whether you want to play a major UK event or simply enjoy a cash game at the closest poker experience to Las Vegas the country can offer, Dusk Till Dawn is the place to go.
Grosvenor Casinos
- 30+ tables
- Membership: Yes (Free)
- Gaming
- Poker Room
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Electronics
Opening hours
24/7
0044 020 7262 7777
The Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London contains arguably one of the most famous poker rooms in the UK. It has hosted countless major tournaments including the GUKPT Grand Final and EPT London. Though the other Grosvenors around the country don't boast such renown, they all promise the same quality and service for poker players.
You can claim a £40 bonus online for visiting a Grosvenor Casino in the flesh, but if you're a strictly brick 'n' mortar man then you won't be losing out. Grosvenor Casinos (or G Casinos) can be found throughout the UK with over 50 to choose from in England, Scotland, and Wales - suffice to say, if you're in the UK then you probably have a local Grosvenor Casino.
Poker players are quite spoiled for choice, too: cash games run around the clock from £1/£1 to £5/£10 (No Limit and Omaha), with the Big Game at 'The Vic' running to £50/£100 when enough high rollers are in town. What's more, Grosvenor boasts one of the best and most varied poker tournament schedules with low-to-medium stakes tournaments running all week, all year round at their casinos.
The Casino at the Empire, London
- 5 tables
- Membership: No
- Casino
- Poker Room
- Restaurants
- Bars
Opening hours
24/7
0044 020 3642 5732
The largest casino in London's card room was catapulted into poker limelight back in 2007 when it hosted the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe won by Annette Obrestad. Located in the very heart of London in Leicester Square, the Empire undoubtedly offers the softest cash games in England.
However, the size (or lack thereof) of the poker room lead the World Series to immigrate to France, and one can see why. Tournament players don't have much to write home about at The Empire, with a smattering of small stakes events run each week and a de facto player cap of a few tables.
That said, cash game players in London would be mad to avoid The Empire. Renowned for its soft games at stakes of £1/£2 and above (though Omaha aficionados are better off at Grosvenor), the location of The Empire in central London near Chinatown and the banking district attracts a slew of recreational players.
Aspers Casinos
- 30 tables
- Membership: Yes (Free)
- Casino
- Poker Room
- Restaurants
- Bars
Opening hours
24/7
0044 0208 536 5630
Aspers Casinos are far less prevalent than Grosvenors but their four casinos deliver when it comes to poker offerings. Their recent arrival atop Westfields shopping mall in Stratford has a vast poker room that accommodates such major tournaments as PKR Live.
Their Milton Keynes casino hosted the recent World Poker Tour National Series in its own 150-seat poker room, and the Stratford venue boasts similar capacity. You'll always get a game in these Aspers venues, from large-field tournaments to a myriad of cash games.
Stake and game selection is not as varied as some other venues, but for a low stakes Hold'em player these casinos are ideal.
Related Guides
The United Kingdom is a nation of gamblers, so is it any wonder that the small island boasts so many successful and popular poker tours? If you're looking for a live poker experience in Britain, then look no further than these delicious options:
- The PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour.
- The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour.
- The Genting Poker Series.
- The Amateur Poker Association and Tour.
- The PokerStars European Poker Tour London.
The PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT)
Since its launch in December 2009 the UKIPT has been the UK's biggest televised poker tournament and the most highly-attended tour in the country.
What is it: One of PokerStars' many successful local tours, and inarguably one of the most well-run and successful poker tours in the country. It comes with a higher-than-average reg-to-fish ratio than most but the big fields give natural good value.
Money talks: Last year the events carried a typical buy-in of £1,100, up from the £770 of 2012. However, many events carried a guarantee of at least £500,000/€500,000 with Galway hosting a €1m guaranteed event. In 2021 the tour guarantees almost £2.5 million across five confirmed stops.
Are there satellites: Since the tour is sponsored by the world's largest online poker room there are naturally more satellites than you can shake a stick at - players can qualify for as little as £5.
The Latest Winners
- Aug 31 – 4 Sep, 2016
- London
- 335
- Stian Knutsen
- £42,500
- Oct 5 – 9, 2016
- Birmingham
- 244
- Ted Jackson-Spivack
- £35,000
- Nov 19-22, 2015
- Edinburgh
- 337
- David Gomez Morante
- £49,660
- Apr 12-20, 2015
- Nottingham
- 1,026
- Sam Mitten-Lawrence
- £182,000
The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT)
What do Neil Channing, James Mitchell, Jeff Kimber, and Sam Trickett have in common? They're all very successful UK pros who have made podium finishes in a GUKPT event.
What is it: The Grosvenor UK Poker Tour is one of the oldest running poker tours in the UK, and definitely one of the most successful. Anyone who's anyone in UK poker has played their fair share of these tournaments.
Money talks: The typical buy-in is £1,100 but there are many events with £550 entries - the cheapest is the Goliath in Coventry, which has a £120 buy-in and aims to break the European tournament attendance record in its upcoming event.
Are there satellites: Online, satellites are available via GrosvenorCasinos.com As the GUKPT travels the country to various locations you can usually find live satellites running ahead of the stop in your local casino.
The Genting Poker Series (GPS)
Though The Genting Poker Series is only a few years old this fledgling tour has already impressed and attracted some of UK poker's biggest names to its tables.
What is it: A small yet very well-attended and well-regarded series of tournaments in the UK that boasts winners such as Julian Thew and finalists like Ross Boatman.
Money talks: The usual buy-in for a GPS Main Event is £400. Side events carry smaller buy-ins.
Are there satellites: There's satellites running online via Genting's own online poker room - you can qualify to their Main Events for as little as £5.50 for some poker loyalty points.
The Amateur Poker Association and Tour (APAT)
Poker Tournaments North West England
Founded in 2006, the APAT now boasts over 20,000 members and is Europe's largest club for recreational poker players.
What is it: The Tour part of the APAT name is when they take their show on the road, with affordable yet professional tournaments across the country. Last year's Main Event carried a buy-in of just £82 but generated a £10,000 prize pool.
Money talks: Easily the most affordable tour on this list because it caters to recreational players - buy-ins range from just £30 to £100.
Are there satellites: They're thin on the ground, owing to the cheapness of the events. APAT do run an online poker room, though, so satellites to some larger events are usually available.
The PokerStars European Poker Tour London (EPT)
The biggest and most prestigious tournament on this list is the European Poker Tour London Main Event. At £5,300 it's not for the short of cash, but satellites run on PokerStars so you can win your way there.
What is it: The aforementioned Main Event is just part of the annual EPT festivities in London, as the tour comes with dozens of side events in the £100 - £3,000 range.
Money talks: As mentioned, the EPT is not for those with a small bankroll. The buy in for Main Even is £5000. There are smaller events in beforehand, which run from £100 to £3000.
Are there satellites: To the Main Event, yes. Side events generally don't have satellites running, but some of them are relatively low buy-ins.