Jon Shoreham used to be the man for this, he'd organise the games for the Vic If I remember rightly. He runs this magazine, http://www.pokerineurope.com/frontpage/index.php

Not heard much about it for a while though.

Hey everyone. I've tried skimming a few pages but I can't find anything relevant, so I'll just ask. Apologies if it's asked a lot, and thanks to anyone who responds.

Where is the best place to play low stakes (£100NL/£200NL) HE on a Saturday between say 11am and 3pm? I'll be in London tomorrow.

At that time, the Grosvenor Victoria on Edgware Road or The Empire in Leicester Square.

Thanks!

How often do 5/10NL games get going in London, and where? And any sort of limit mixed games 50/100 + ?

5/10, The Vic & Palm Beach. Mixed, not sure but I would say the Vic is the most likely, a skim of the thread will probably reveal more.

For anyone wondering, I played 1/1 at the Vic. I was able to play almost perfect poker, because everyone was playing with their hands face up. I still finished down for the session, but I lost far less than I might otherwise have. A lot of the players were loss-chasing from the night before, so were entering their 15th hour of playing (at 1/1 lol).

Three of the best hands I saw:

1)The board read JJ663. Two deep players get into a raising war on the river, and one guy shoves. The other insta-calls, triumphantly flips over a 6, and then smacks the table and looks shocked when his opponent turns over a J.

2)The board reads AQJT8. Similar situation to the last hand, only the caller has a 9, and looks disgusted when the other shows a K. There were a few similar hands to this, where people stacked off with terrible straights (i.e. holding a 3 on a 4567 board).

3)I'd had no hands for the first hour (and I figured that I didn't need to be creative to win, I'd just have to get good cards and play them well), so I hadn't raised yet. I looked down at QQ on the button, and raised to £10 over five limpers. All but a massive businessman whale UTG folded. The flop came down JJ3. He checked, I bet £20 into £25, and he instantly raised to £40. He'd raised a few times, but always with big hands on the river, so I pretty much knew he had a J here (and he definitely wasn't slow playing AA or KK because he'd flatted twice pre when given the chance). I folded, and he said "good fold" and showed the J. I thanked him very much.

I'd only started the hand with £80, and if he'd have called instead of raising, there would have been £70 in the pot and I'd have had £50 behind, and would have certainly shoved the turn. How do you get to be a businessman with enough money to play terrible poker, if you have logical gaps that big?

guys can i ask a question on venues. i have played at the vic and the empire and the vic is optimal for me as someone building a stack and looking for a lower variance game. I realise the empire is much softer and fishier but that comes with higher variance that i could do without at this stage. I wanted to check about the International - i passed by the other day and it seemed closed. What i didnt like is that it looks from outside like a dodgy place on a bit of a side road - not sure how safe it would be or feel leaving there late night or early morning with a lot of cash and how easy it is to get to a cab which is not that easy in that street i would say. Just wanted to get views from people who played there on the game and saftey of area really.

First, the standard of play is pretty much the same at all of them. Sometimes you get a good table, sometimes you don't.

Second, the worse the players, the lower the variance. This is because the higher your win rate is, the lower the variance is over a few thousand hands.

Third, I'd not really consider the streets by the International to be any dodgier than the ones by the Vic. And the only place I've heard of to have had crime problems was the Empire when a few people got mugged walking out the side entrance.

i meant to say looser not necessarily worst. The vic is by far a better place to play poker with a much wider table selection imo and a million times better atmosphere i guess u pay for the higher rake but i feel much better at the vic.

I'd go to the Vic every time if they didn't have the regulars freeroll

but then your doing it exactly wrong.
if you go to the vic every time you get into the reg freeroll

Well I only play live once a month if that

I play at the vic loads and I never make the freeroll!

really? its like if you play 12+ days (esp the sundays) your in...

hi all, looking for a few brits to chat poker with. seems like a good place to start. hit me up. im going to making a run at a few of the GUKPT stops and genting festival this year. always looking for good HE and PLO cash games. i play 1/2...2/5 mainly. thanks all.

If you're worried about transport, call a minicab, they'll come right to the door and are cheaper than black cabs.

I go about 2 or 3 times a week usually but long sessions. They do it per day not time.

Make one of your sessions each week a Sunday and you will qualify every time

the international is going down hill, they stopped day time comps, due to poor attendance, and cant sell alcohol as they lost there licence, so best avoid the place.

the vic and empire are great value, tuesday nite at the vic is good, they do a £80 comp, with no reg fee, and it means the cash games are filled up.

as far as money is concerned your right. but cabbies just know every place, so if you dont know where youre going exactly, its way better to get a black cab.
and its quicker if theres a lot of traffic since they might know some shortcuts/alternative route

I think i will play online during the week and head to the vic on weekends i just find the atmosphere there to be the best and the table selection is amazing even though its quite a tight game but on weekends you do find fish so overall i will play online during the week just to strengthen my overall game and play more hands and then do live on the weekends.

Totally agree. I do often find myself frustrated with minicab drivers and their mindless following of GPS systems.

I find they're a decent chunk more expensive for pretty short journeys (the Int to Euston is £12 in a black cab and £18 with different minicab firms) but you're definitely right for longer journeys.

You can generally negotiate with minicab firms when you know what the black cab cost would be. It also really helps to know what route you want to take. They're not going to mess around with you then.