Poker Clubs in The United Kingdom
As a true poker veteran, I’ve been playing poker for donkey’s years. You might think I would be bored by now. But, to be honest, there’s nothing like the real thing. Yes, an online casino scene is one thing and can certainly offer plenty of thrills. But live poker is a totally different kettle of fish.
It feels more real (because it is!) and nothing is going to beat the weight of the chips in your palm, the smell of the green felt, and looking across the table into the eyes of other players. That’s the proper buzz. And where can you find these live games? Well, the poker clubs in the UK are where the table game’s heart truly beats.
Here you can learn all the plays and strategies, laugh at your mistakes, and maybe win a few quid in a brilliant atmosphere. When it comes to poker, the UK live scene is thriving, with everything from glitzy casinos to intimate local spots. These aren’t just for gambling as they’re also social hubs where you meet all sorts of characters.
It’s a world away from the anonymous screen of an online casino. So if you’re moving from online play, exploring UK poker clubs is the next step. You’ll find a much richer experience with friendlier people sitting at each elbow. As a truly social game, the stories are better than any win screen. In many ways, it’s a proper British institution.
List of the best Poker Clubs and Their Photos
In the table below we’ve listed some of the best poker clubs UK.
| Casino | Address | Number of tables | Minimum stake | Membership | Phone Number |
| Empire | 5-6 Leicester St, West End, London WC2 | 5 – 10 | £1 | Yes | 0203 411 1895 |
| The Vic | 150 Edgware Road, London, England, W2 2DT | 35 | £1 | Yes | 0207 298 2411 |
| Hippodrome | Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2 | 5 | £1 | No | 020 7769 8888 |
| Alea Glasgow | Springfield Quay, Glasgow G5 8NP Scotland | 9 | £1 | No | 0141 555 6100. |
| Napoleons Sheffield | 17 Livesey Street, Sheffield, S6 2BL | 3 | £5 | Yes | 0114 285 5566 |
The Empire – Home of the WSOP outside the US, it offers players both cash games and daily tournaments. Buy-ins range from £25 at a £1/£2 table and go up to £78 with a tournament. Although the Empire has fewer rooms than some other poker clubs London Venues, it has a variety of different poker games.
The Vic – Hosting inside a busy Westfield shopping mall, the Vic is Aspers largest of its four UK casinos. Buy-ins start at just £40 with stakes as low as £1 for Hold’em and Omaha action. We suggest having a go at the £2/£5 five-card Omaha games as they’re some of the best in London.
The Hippodrome – Thanks to being run by PokerStars Live, you’ll find plenty of live tournaments, with weekend events like the London Poker Series attracting plenty of players with buy-ins starting at £250. Cash games start at just £1, though there’s also a selection of £5 games.
Alea Glasgow – Alea Glasgow is a member of Caesars Entertainment and offers poker players the largest cash games in Scotland, with stakes starting at just £1. In truth, the poker rooms have a similar vibe to the Empire in London.
Napoleon’s Sheffield – Situated in South Yorkshire, the casino has three-card poker and Texas Hold’em cash games with minimum bets of £5. On Sundays, there’s the Big Triple Tournament with a 5K stack. It’s also possible to book your own table to play with friends.
The History of Poker in the UK
In the past, poker wasn’t a big deal. For ages, it was a niche game, which few players were interested in and it was played in back rooms. As to the game’s history, some people believe that its ancestor, Poque, arrived on British shores sometime in the late 18th century.
However, it would be over a century later that poker had its day in the spotlight. We’d need to fast forward to the late 1990’s for this quiet pastime to become a national obsession. The popularity of poker was directly tied to television. In 1999, the program “Late Night Poker” first aired and it changed everything.
Before this time, you never saw the players’ cards. However, with under-the-table cameras, you could now see what the players were holding. For the first time, you could follow the bluffs and the drama.
As such it made for brilliant telly thanks to making the game accessible to millions of viewers. In doing so, it created a new generation of poker players. Thanks to television, poker was bought out of the shadows and into more exclusive private poker clubs, which saw a flood of new faces.
Why UK Poker Clubs are so Popular
Why go through the bother of getting out of the house in order to sit at a table with real people instead of playing a live dealer game at an online casino from the comfort of your sofa at home? The answer is simple. First off, there’s the social side. Poker is a people game and you can’t read someone’s bluffs through a webcam.
At a real live game, you’re watching body language, listening to their voice, and spotting that tiny eye twitch that gives the game away. In addition, the atmosphere in UK poker clubs is electric.
The cheers, the groans, the whole shared experience can’t be replicated online. If you’re a new player, it’s a great place to learn as you can ask the dealer questions, watch seasoned players, and pick up the etiquette. Plus, the food and drink are better than what’s in your fridge!
How to Start Playing Poker?
The majority of today’s gamers are playing poker, either as RNG games or at live dealer tables at online casinos. After all, nothing is quite as convenient as taking out your mobile phone and gambling with just a couple of finger swipes. However, it’s often a lonely adventure with little interaction from others.
So coming from the online world to live play at a real poker room can feel a bit scary. But it’s actually a piece of cake. You just need to get comfortable with the physical side. We suggest that you practice handling chips at home. Then learn the rules of Texas Hold’em inside out as you don’t be the one slowing the game because you don’t know when to post the big blind.
When you first go, always start small with low-stakes cash games or a cheap tournament. Keep in mind that the pace of online games vs real poker games is a key difference between them. Live poker is slower, which is a massive advantage for a beginner. Ask for a “seat open.” Most players are welcoming. My best experiences have been in friendly poker clubs in London where everyone was just happy to play.
Modern Poker Clubs in London
In the UK, it goes without saying that London is the “poker capital.” Here you’ll find a long history that’s led to the biggest games at the largest venues. For the best poker experience, we suggest that you head to the Big Smoke to discover legendary poker rooms like the Empire, the Vic, the Grosvener, or the Hippodrome.
All of these are the grand old dames of poker clubs in London and operate 24/7, with stakes for No Limit Texas Hold’em ranging from £1 to whatever you want to play as a high roller. Though the above mentioned poker rooms are some of the best known in London, there are also plenty of smaller venues that are more exclusive or simply more focused on poker, as opposed to other casino games.
These include Crown Aspinalls with its six private poker rooms, though you’ll need a considerable bankroll to get through the door. At the other end of the scale, there’s the Elthan Terrace Club. This is a members only establishment where bankrolls of all sizes are welcome. In truth, these smaller independent venues, whilst still feeling professional, tend to be more welcoming for all types of players, including those who are complete newbies.
Final Thoughts – Making the Switch to Real Games
Though it’s perfectly possible to have a great time playing live dealer poker at an online casino, nothing beats the experience of a brick-and-mortar poker establishment. There’s just no way a game on your phone screen can replicate the atmosphere of a live game.
Whether you begin at free poker clubs in a local pub or head for the bright lights of the London poker clubs, you’re guaranteed a treat. After all, you’ll find a welcoming community of like-minded people, along with all the ups and downs of a challenging game. It all adds up to an unforgettable experience.