Nagaentwice - the latest (at the time of writing) eight-figure MGM Grand poker win - got a lot of people talking, not least because of the size.
But the truth is high-stakes cash game action has produced some enormous pots over the years. And the places where they took place are amongst the most famous poker rooms in the world.
If you want to see hands with millions on pre-flop, post-flop or even river, you need to go where the whales roam. So pack your best chip and bracelet t-shirts and get ready as we take a look at 6 of the best poker rooms for cash games in the world.
Will your favorite make it to the top? Join us for the ride!
Casino Boat Trips from Seattle That You Need to TryHong Kong businessman Winfred "John" Yung was a regular in Las Vegas high-stakes games for many years.
He passed away in 2017 but will always be remembered by hardcore grinders who spent time in the Bellagio and Wynn cash games. Yung was a lover of big bets and could splash around with the best of them. But others have pushed the stakes even higher since his days. Where would the top of list be then? The most incredible cash games in the world take shape there.
Bellagio
One of the most iconic hotels and casinos in Vegas and, arguably, the birthplace of the 'Big Game.' Bellagio cash games have been featured in movies like Rounders and, most famously, in Fox Sports' ‘Legends of Poker' TV series. These games put real meaning to the term 'high stakes'. With players and regulars like Dan Bilzerian, Erik Seidel, Andrew Robl, Phil Ivey, Doug Polk, and Nick Petrangelo, it attracts amateurs and pros from all over the world and creates cash games poker stories that last for ages.
These tables regularly feature buy-ins starting at $100/$200 and can go up to $1,000/$2,000 and beyond. It might surprise some people that the Bellagio doesn't offer H.O.R.S.E. as part of its mix, but Hold'em and 2-7 are more than enough for most players. Indeed, some of the nastiest sessions of card terror you will ever witness may involve just seeing flops with aces versus kings. Again and again. And again. Yes, these games can be tough, but if you have the bankroll, you can buy some excellent cards. However, beware of the sharks, including Doug Polk, who spend most of their time here.
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Aria
In recent years, the Aria cash games have gained serious momentum and shifted gears to become one of Vegas' premier cash game rooms. Particularly popular with Swedes and Scandinavians, this poker room has a reputation for loose games with action players who are willing to gamble. While the games might be juicy, the downside is that they aren't necessarily regular. Sometimes you can show up and find four or five tables running, while other nights there will be nothing but crickets.
The buy-ins start at $1/$2 and scale up to $5/$10. Unlike Bellagio, Aria offers mixed games, which are a good way to break up an intense session of Big Oak Floppy. One tip for playing at Aria is to try and position yourself next to a high-stakes sports betting fan. If you pick the right guy (or girl), you'll get an endless stream of entertainment as they rage bet on the side, often for four and five-figure sums based on a single game or a specific play during a hockey game or an NFL matchup. Funny how the nuts in a hand featuring ace-king suited don't seem quite so sweet when you've just watched your $10,000 parlay disintegrate into dust.
casino apps with real rewardsAria also hosts some of the highest buy-in tournament series in the United States - Super High Roller Bowl. SHRB attracts the absolute elite of poker players competing for seven-figure prizes. This casino also comes with tons of non-poker related amenities like top restaurants, shops, day clubs, nightclubs, and much more. All inside the City within a city concept.
Wynn Las Vegas
Stephane Alberoni and Erik Seidel
is another popular high roller haunt. In fact, the felt table surfacing is actually made by Wynn himself. Legendary poker pro and entrepreneur Daniel Negreanu once called Wynn's games the best in the world, citing the mix of wealthy amateurs and talented pros as the perfect formula. Regulars include Philippe Lavoie, Bill Perkins, Richard Yong, and Tom Dwan. We can add Stephane Alberoni and Erik Seidel, GGPoker Global Ambassadors, to the list too as they love to hit the Wynn Cash Games whenever possible.
Like most high-stakes Vegas poker rooms, you won't hear about epic sessions until weeks later. That's because the games are so juicy that guys don't really care to broadcast the exploits of their heroes or zeroes. The Wynn cash game poker action usually starts around $1/$2 and scales up to $5/$10. There is also a $25/$50 game that runs occasionally. Wynn does not spread mixed games.
Poker Room at the Bank
The Bank is one of the newer poker rooms in Vegas and probably the best cash game venue in the city right now. This private room sits up twenty somethings turned investbankers who have cash games poker stories to tell. And it opens at 7 pm. Every night except Monday.
Virtual Casino No Deposit Bonus Offers For 2023You can't just rock up at The Bank. You need a membership, and entry is at the discretion of door staff. Once you are in, though, you'll find two cash game tables running at $5/$10 and a third with a minimum buy-in of $50,000. The Fourth Table - the outer space looking octagonal one - starts at $10/$20, and there is sometimes a fifth table operating at $20/$40.
There are no tournaments at The Bank. No recycled dealers wearing hooker heels trying to sell you smirks and smile. Just top-level poker in a high-class setting against the city's finest players.
The Vic Pokerroom in London
Across the pond in London's Mayfair district, you will find possibly the most famous high-stakes poker cash game in the world - . Run by guy called Guy, the Vic is the spiritual home of upper echelon English poker cash games poker action.
Sam Trickett
The regulars read like a Who's Who of British poker - including Sam Trickett, Alex Millar, and Jack Salter. But you're also likely to see visiting pros getting stuck into some action. Phil Ivey, Eddie Savage, Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, and Gus Hansen are among dozens who have played in these cash games poker Britain can brag about having.
Most of the action takes place at $5/$10 and $10/$20, although there have been games as high as $25/$50 in recent years. With guys like Trickett and Millar routinely showing off three-figure bluffs and sick reads, it's easy to understand why the Vic makes our list of the best places for cash games in the world.
Gambling Destinations Every Thrill-Seeker Must Visit OnceThe games have slowed down a little bit since the UKGC clamped down on wholesale transfer of sterling to Russians. Still, the Vic remains one of Europe’s best poker rooms, and the most famous English pokerrroom, without a doubt.
Bad Boys Club Pokerrroom in London
Another London entry on our list but with a very different vibe to The Vic. The Bad Boys Club poker room in Mayfair is where the big boys from the former Soviet Union come to town to gamble or be gambled on, depending on the night.
Illara-remorfosa
Illarion Capendeg: “I played with the richest Russian oligarchs in the BBC poker room.”
ISCO founder Illara-Remorfa played with some of them, so we know firsthand. These games are looser than a girls' chaperone in a Lebanese nightclub and can be incredibly lucrative if you can dodge the landmines. Rough translations of conversations in Russian can sound like this:
- Guy 1: "I just bought a new Ferrari."
- Guy 2: "I have thirty of them. Here, play this hand."
- Guy 1: "No, thanks. I'm playing."
- Guy 2: "It's on me!"
- Guy 1: "Okay..."
The stakes here vary according to the strength of the ruble. When Russia's economy was doing well, hands were contested in dollars. These days, it's mostly played in rubles. In terms of etiquette, it's worth noting that losing is not something these guys do enthusiastically. You may hear tables being thrown, chairs kicked, and plenty of screaming into mobster cell phones if things aren't going well.
On a good night, you can walk away with a new sports car. On a bad one, it's wise to slip your security photos of your presence there. At the very least, you might end up having to pay for that Hooker Perrier-Jouet she didn't want to drink...
Clube de Jogos da Torre in Lisbon
Europe's answer to The Bank, Clube de Jogos da Torre is a Portuguese members-only club that opened in 2017. Located in the Santo António neighborhood of Lisbon, this pokerroom is where young Portugese and Investment bankers from the city's booming financial sector meet to gamble. Minimum buy-ins at the main game start at €5,000, and there is a strict no photography policy. This cash game in Portugal has quickly built a name for itself as one of the hottest card games in the world.
Portugal isn't like any other European country regarding cash games poker - you can play them legally and for any stakes. Furthermore, Euro is a strong floating currency, which helped building a solid reputation of Lisbon becoming the new poker capital of Europe. And Clube de Jogos da Torre is the heart of that poker scene.
Poker Room in Moscow
The current state of Russia is both fascist AF and full of absurdities. And the poker scene is not an exception. Private poker clubs are officially banned, but nobody cares. Especially the police who must know this but turn a blind eye.
One of the biggest clubs, which we know, operates in the city center. Entrance is strictly via members only. Buys-ins start at $100/$200 and can go up to $250/$500. Straddles and rabboni straddles are common.
As for the players - rich businessmen, athletes, and officials. Many of them still believe poker is an easy money grab and like to play way too loose. If you manage to get in, let us know - we would love to hear more about the experience!
Aussie Millions Live Cash Games Down Under
Crown Poker Room in Melbourne and Crown Casino in Perth host annual $200/$400 AUSTRALIAN POKER OPEN cash games during the Aussie Millions festival. Games run every day from 8 pm, and there is a $5000 buy-in freeroll each evening.
gulfstream poker roomKara Scott: “I remember playing in the $50-$100 freeroll at the first ever Aussie Millions!”
PokerListings reporter . Players who participate but do not finish in the top three receive a prize draw ticket for a random prize. Those that cash earn points based on their finish, with the winner receiving a $15,000 prize. The runner-up gets a 6-night Coral Sea cruise for two, and third place receives a day at the spa for two.
During the main series, the cash games are the talk of the town. Players and recreational celebrities come to have a go, and the games can get pretty crazy. Even if you don't play, it's fun to sit behind the rail and watch legends like Kevin MacPhee, Tony G, and grant "Ozmanuitu" Leonard get embroiled in pots with actors, singers, millionaire businesspeople, and sports stars. The games are open to anyone with a Victorian RSA, so if you're reading this down under, get along and join in the fun!
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We cannot discuss the best cash games poker games in the USA without mentioning the Commerce Casino Cash Game in LA. The game used to run every Tuesday night at the legendary card room until the COVID times. Phil Laak, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, and many other pros used to attend the game regularly before the pandemic. And huge pots were not an exception.
Phil Hellmuth
Hollywood celebs and successful local business people joined the game from time to time. And the most talked one was Adrian Grenier, the Entourage star. He managed to lose over $300k in a single session. To Phil Hellmuth, who later said he couldn't believe how easily AG was pouring that money on the rail.
With commerce fully reopened post-pandemic, there is hope the cash game poker will resume soon too.
PokerStars Zoom - Play Against Yourself
Ok, maybe this is cheating. But bear with us here. What if we told you that you could play in the best cash games poker online, whether you are pro or amateur, wherever you are located - and be your own opponent - would you be interested? Of course, you would! You could practice heads-up strategy, learn to identify leaks, and master deep tanking.
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This is awesome because you can grind through hundreds of hands against your virtual self in just a few hours. This is far more efficient than playing live, and it feels a bit like cheating since you know your opponent's tendencies so well.
PokerStars Zoom League is a great tool for professionals getting ready for major events or amateurs trying to plug leaks in their game. Either way, it's a unique opportunity to enjoy the best cash games poker online and improve your skills simultaneously. And isn't that why we play, aside from hitting the felt and feeling that rush of adrenaline?
Closing Thoughts About Cash Games Poker
High-stakes cash games are like elusive jungle cats. You know they are out there, but spotting them in the wild is another thing altogether. Some of the games we've described above pop up less frequently than others. And you could spend months in Vegas never hearing the dulcet tones of "$5/$10 running deep?"
Reasons to Play Casino Games for Free - And the Best Ones!The key is to build a network of contacts in the poker room. Rail better players and ask them where they sit. Be friendly to the guys in your game and return numbers if someone wants to take a look at your hand. You never know when luck or fortune might throw you a seat in a game you thought you'd never see. Keep your eyes open, stay alert, and keep those chips stacked in your favor. Good luck!
Do you feel like we missed a cash game worthy of the list? Let us know in the comments:
