Top Five Poker Cities in Europe: London Leads

Context: STRATEGY article: top-five-poker-cities-in-europe

Bluff Europe magazine, in its July issue, published a ranking of the top five poker cities in Europe. According to the magazine's editor-in-chief, Michael Caselli, London's poker scene is unique. From televised major events such as the European Poker Tour to the luxurious poker room at the Empire Casino in Leicester Square, as well as home games, private clubs, pub tournaments, and the upcoming government-regulated online poker, the game is rapidly becoming one of the city's most popular forms of entertainment. Thanks to new UK laws, Las Vegas-style casinos are emerging, and later this year, the World Series of Poker Europe will also land in London.

Ranked second, Dublin benefits from the Irish Open, one of the oldest poker tournaments outside the WSOP. Additionally, Dublin resident Noel Furlong is one of only two non-American players to have won the WSOP Main Event (1999).

Estonia's capital, Tallinn, takes third place. The city is located near Scandinavia, which is the birthplace of many poker rising stars. Due to the lack of attractive poker venues in Scandinavia, players from Sweden, Norway, and Finland flock to Tallinn, which boasts numerous casinos with poker rooms and hosts events such as the Baltic Poker Open and the Swedish Poker Championship.

Barcelona ranks fourth. It is one of the stops on the European Poker Tour and, as of this year, has also become a stop on the World Poker Tour.

Monte Carlo comes in fifth. It hosts the EPT Grand Final every year and, since 2005, the Monte Carlo Millions.