I simply bought again from my annual journey to Japan for my spouse’s work. Every year I take a unique facet journey from there to play poker (since there’s no authorized poker – for cash – in Japan). Final yr I went to Vietnam and had a good time taking part in poker in Hanoi. This yr I made a decision to go to and play poker in Cambodia.
Journey From Japan to Cambodia
I wrote an article about poker heaven as soon as. After contemplating many doable situations, I dismissed the concept, concluding that poker paradise didn’t exist after we died, however was in all probability proper right here on earth. I now suppose I could have discovered the precise spot. It’s in Cambodia!
Cambodia is a small nation, with solely about 17.5 million folks and about 70,000 sq. miles of space. That makes its inhabitants about 1/twentieth of the US, in regards to the dimension of the US state of Missouri (or about eight instances the scale of Israel).
I flew from Tokyo to Cambodia’s capital metropolis, Phnom Penh, a metropolis of two million. It took me about 11 hours, with a switch in Beijing. Sadly, there aren’t any direct flights.
After staying, strolling round, and taking part in poker in Phnom Penh for a few days, I then took a bus to the Cambodian coastal metropolis identified now as Sihanoukville, however historically referred to as Kampong Som. It’s a small metropolis of about 100,000, with a whopping 16 poker rooms!
(One observe in regards to the poker in Cambodia. There may be cigarette smoking in the entire rooms. The air filtration methods had been fairly good at protecting it from being overwhelming. Nonetheless, if secondary smoke bothers you enormously, then it’s one thing to think about.)
Poker in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh is a rare place, price a go to in its personal proper. It has a brand-new airport, KTI, that’s a few 35-minute drive from downtown. I booked a non-public trip from the airport to my on line casino resort, Nagaworld. (I used the wonderful web site 12go.com to guide my driver prematurely. I like to recommend it extremely.) The trip price $25. There may be additionally a public bus, for a buck or so, that takes 75 minutes, however it stops working within the late night. I used to be going to take it, however my flight arrived too late. There are additionally dozens of cab drivers ready for you as you exit customs on the airport. Negotiate a worth with them earlier than you permit. They’re pleasant, communicate English, settle for {dollars}, and usually are not going to tear you off.
English and greenback pleasant although Cambodia is, if you’re arriving from the US or any non-Asian nation, you’ll need a visa to enter the nation along with your passport. No worries, although. In the event you didn’t get one prematurely, chances are you’ll buy one for $30 on arrival.
Phnom Penh is a thriving city space, present process speedy modernization, crammed with tuk-tuks, motor bikes, vehicles, carts, pedestrians carrying wares on their head, and a really busy port. There are various building websites. It has dozens if not lots of of temples, shrines, and gilded pagoda-like constructions and golden buddhas. As I walked the streets, I had continuous alternatives for attention-grabbing pictures. It’s also teaming with cheap eating places, therapeutic massage retailers, and avenue distributors. I had a mediocre therapeutic massage for $3 and a very good haircut for a similar worth.
Phnom Penh additionally has a significant, full-service, 24/7 on line casino, Nagaworld, with a poker site, proper within the coronary heart of its downtown. It’s the place I stayed and performed poker in Cambodia’s capital for 2 days and nights.
Nagaworld is a top-end, luxurious on line casino resort with each amenity. Have been it in a significant western metropolis, positioned as it’s within the coronary heart of downtown, it will simply price $400 to $1,000 for the grand room I used to be given. They’ve a pleasant perk for poker gamers. Play for eight hours and the room is comped! Because it was, I paid about $140 complete, together with all charges, taxes, and additional costs. It included an enormous, lavish, brunch buffet. Such an incredible deal!
I performed there 3 times throughout my keep, late at evening, early within the morning, and mid-morning. There have been 11 tables within the Nagaworld poker site, three in motion more often than not I used to be there: two $1/3 video games, one $2/5. They unfold PLO once in a while as effectively, and generally have a $5/5 sport.
The video games had a combination of regulars and guests from China. I noticed just one different non-Asian within the room. The extent of play was blended. Usually, over the six or so hours that I performed, there have been two or three of us making an attempt to nurse quick stacks. They gave virtually no motion, walked a lot of the time, and I think they had been there only for the room comp. Two or three gamers had been clearly large gamblers – and donors to the sport. And two or three gamers had been good – in all probability making an attempt to grind out a meager hourly wage. I performed each $1/3 and $2/5, with the $2/5 sport way more aggressive, with many extra 3- and 4- bets than the comparatively sedate $1/3 sport. The rake was, by non-US requirements, cheap: 5% with a $15 most.
The home supplied free gentle drinks – together with soda and connoisseur espresso drinks. There’s a moderately priced poker menu, with a extremely rated kitchen on the premises. There are a selection of high-end eating places on the premises. I sampled some wonderful noodle soup whereas I used to be there, that price about $10; and I had a surprisingly good latte as effectively. The breakfast/brunch buffet was unbelievable – and I ate sufficient to final me till dinner. It could have price $35-50 in a US resort.
Must you select to go away the premises, as I did and advocate you do, you’ll discover all types of Asian-themed retailers, playing cards, and eating places – all inside at 10-minute stroll of Nagaworld. Meals in Phnom Penh may be very low-cost. A hearty dinner for 2 may run you $12 or $15 in the event you ordered alcohol; although if you’re on a good price range you may get by for $2 to $3 a meal. I’d additionally advocate spending no less than a day or so touring town.
There are various museums, plenty of artwork, a good looking and busy port, and miles and miles of teeming metropolis avenue motion to view. I loved spending three hours on the Nationwide Museum. It homes artwork from all of Cambodia’s many centuries of historical past, together with many distinctive spiritual objects. It’s a worthy solution to spend time away from the poker tables.
Although it sounds a bit bizarre to say so, I extremely advocate visiting the Genocide Museum, which memorializes the horrible killing by dictator Pol Pot and his whole Khmer Rouge regime. The museum doesn’t pull any punches, with a variety of extraordinarily graphic and troubling displays in regards to the torture of Cambodians by the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. I compelled myself to have a look at every little thing. It’s necessary to recollect what horrors occurred on this nation within the Nineteen Seventies. Tens of millions of individuals – simply common Cambodian folks – had been murdered – a lot of them tortured. We must always always remember.
I may have loved a full week’s trip in Phnom Penh, staying and taking part in at Nagaworld. It could have been pleasant and interesting to discover extra of this metropolis, and to take no less than a two-day facet journey to Angkor Wat, one thing I didn’t do. Angkor Wat is the chief vacation spot of most who go to Cambodia, and value no less than a couple of days of investigation. However I had poker video games to go to in Sihanoukville.
Poker in Sinhanoukville, Cambodia
I took the bus from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. It takes roughly three hours by automobile with out site visitors. Because it was, with the delays and modifications which are to be anticipated when reserving public journey in Cambodia, it was a five-hour journey. The trip price about $12 a method. You’ll be able to guide a non-public trip for $125, (or you’ll be able to keep at Queenco, and get a non-public trip totally free). I didn’t know in regards to the non-public trip on the time, so I took the bus.
The bus was annoying, however the journey was worthwhile as a result of it landed me in a virtually magical poker world.
With out being overly dramatic, I believe I’ve lastly discovered the particular spot of poker paradise right here on earth. In actual fact, it’s on the Queenco On line casino in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
The paradise is of two components: the poker and the setting for the sport.
The poker right here is excellent. No fewer than 16 locations have poker on this seaside metropolis (often known as Kampong Som). New locations are added weekly. Video games ranged from the smallest NLHE of $1/1 on the busiest room within the space, the 7Deuce room at DV On line casino; to a every day $1/3 NLHE and PLO sport at Queenco, to NLHE and PLO video games of $2/5, $5/5, $5/10, and $10/20 at among the different rooms within the space (the placement of the larger video games modifications repeatedly).
I first stayed on the luxurious and delightful Received Majestic On line casino within the coronary heart of downtown. Although they don’t have a poker site, they’re throughout the road from the DV On line casino, dwelling of the 7Deuce Poker Room. It’s the busiest poker site within the metropolis, and the one one which has a sport across the clock, seven days per week. It has each a $1/1 and a $1/2 no restrict Texas Maintain’em sport, and is raked on the lowest charge round, 10% as much as $5. Once I visited and performed within the room, on a Saturday evening till 3AM and 8AM Sunday morning, there have been as many as eight tables and no fewer than 5 tables going.
Enjoying (and profitable) on the 7Deuce Poker Room on the DV On line casino in Sihanoukville, Cambodia
My lodging on the Received Majestic had been excellent. I acquired a nook suite, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. It was spectacular and very spacious. I paid about $100 an evening for my two-night keep. It included an elaborate breakfast buffet, with all sorts of Asian and non-Asian breakfast and lunch meals, together with freshly made-to-order noodle soups (you choose the recent uncooked elements they usually whip up the soup), to eggs, waffles, bacon, sausage, cereal, pastries, salad, and an infinite collection of recent fruit. There even have an espresso espresso station that serves pleasant lattes, cappuccinos, mochaccinos and the like.
View of the Gulf of Thailand from my spacious nook suite on the Received Majestic On line casino Lodge.
Sihanoukville’s setting is among the many most lovely on the earth, with the beautiful Gulf of Thailand as backdrop. There are maybe essentially the most spectacular seashores on the earth an hour throughout the bay on the tropical island of Koh Rong – land of smiles. Put the 2 collectively and you’ve got an excellent place to play poker on trip.
However it’s poker paradise for one more motive. Poker gamers can reside right here year-round for virtually nothing!
Queenco On line casino, my favourite poker spot within the space, has an incredible deal for poker gamers. Play simply 5 hours of poker a day of their snug room, they usually gives you each a stunning free room and their magnificent breakfast/brunch buffet. When you are taking part in poker, you’ll be able to order from their poker menu totally free as effectively. They are going to even decide you up from KTI, Phnom Penh’s spanking model new airport – positioned a few 3-hour drive from the on line casino.
Have been I a single man, starting his poker profession, I’d do what 5 folks I met down right here did. They lived at Queenco, taking part in no less than 5 hours a day of $1/3 NLHE poker. I’d benefit from the great lodging, the good private providers of Queenco employees like Ken the concierge and Pakito, the most effective poker site supervisor I’ve encountered anyplace. I’d indulge within the breathtaking breakfast/brunch unfold every morning. And I’d have the good meals served to poker gamers (I had a superb spaghetti Bolognese, an enormous and scrumptious seafood pizza, in addition to a terrific fruit plate). I’d spend my non-poker taking part in time going to and having fun with Koh Rong and its superb seashores.
If I wished to play with completely different gamers or play greater than the $1/3 and occasional $2/5 sport at Queenco, I’d additionally play poker at any of the 15 different rooms within the space, together with 7Deuce, Honor, Lion King, Blue Bay (they’ve two rooms), Triumph, Lavogue, Tou Ji, Large Fish, Energy Lengthy, Aces, Atlantic, Polygraf, Di Hao, Jei Bei II, Acme, or any of the others rooms but to open. (New poker rooms open nearly each month).
Sure, it’s a good distance from the US and Europe, however for severe poker gamers, or adventurous poker vacationers, I’d say the prolonged journey could be price it. I do know I need to return – subsequent time with my non-poker taking part in spouse, who can benefit from the nice massages on the spa in addition to the attractive seaside and the good meals.
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