A good place to go in the evenings for live poker is Hotel Sea Cliff, although I have only visited a few times over weekends.
The have a non-smoking table on the ground floor and a smoking table on the first floor. The non-smoking table is most popular.
At 21h00 the smoking table gets going and the non-smoking has been going for quite some time. A free buffet is offered throughout the evening and night with very good Indian food on the first floor. Outside is also a very good Indian/Chinese restaurant.
The game is 1/2 and some players buy in deep or often. The people are all very friendly. Management is good and drinks are free (i.e. you ask for a beer and they'll bring you two).

What are the games like? I have recently moved to Zanzibar and I'm quite keen to go check out the tables in Dar. I'm hoping the games are full of travelling businessmen, it doesn't really strike me as a type of place with a thriving community of regs, or am I wrong?

Bump.

Any further info on poker in Tanzania?

Greatly appreciated!

Hi
There are decent games in Dar es Salaam especially at Palm Beach Hotel Casino , near Las Vegas casino where there are no games at all.

PBH casino is quite small and tight squeezed, but has 2 tables that start at $100 min buy in and $1/$2 blinds. Pretty loose goose game with 4 callers to a x10 preflop raise. Very cosmopolitan and good humoured players, offers to run boards many times seems to be quite standard. Most players sit "deepish", average buy in is about $200. Rake is 4% and capped at err err... cant remember, but its capped. Really cool food menu for players and drinks are free. A lot of East Asian players, Locals and international visitors.
All the usual casino games too and some cross over to poker from the high action baccarat tables. Theres a game every day starting at about 7/8pm and running till dawn most nights.

A $500 min buy in game happens a few nights a week and players typically buy in for grand minimum. Action is loose and long shot speculation is rife. There are some sharky types but generally its a loose aggro kinda game. The old stereotype of Chinese players not letting go of draws seems to hold up here at this game and if u can, kill it no later than the turn.

PBH casino has a deposit facility so as not to carry chunky cash around, the largest Tanzanian Shilling bank note is $5 equivalent. All games in local currency. $100 = TZs 220 000. Overall a great game in very comfy, but squeezed, surroundings.

I have played all over of Africa and will gladly report on the game in Africa if anyone asks.

I'd love to hear all about it. There is so little info out there on poker in Africa.


I'm assuming these are tourist locations, and you're playing against people who are in town to hunt, safari, etc?

More often than not there are very few tourists playing, i have found people seldom budget for gambling when going on holiday. Generally its local business folk and Asian players. Tanzania is the best environment i have played at in Africa - its safe, modern and easy to get winnings out of the country.

Nairobi in Kenya has had a bustling poker scene for many years, Accra in Ghana has a regular $5/10 game in safe casino surroundings as well much bigger games in some of the chinese casinos - particular in Kumasi. Dakar in Senegal has a good scene too, mainly at Terrou-Bi hotel - they have cash NLHE and PLO games as well as a very good tourny set up a few times a year.

I was a regular player in Liberia and Sierra Leone about 6 years back but have lost contact with that crowd although im sure games are still happening. Many new casinos have opened up there and with a steady influx of Chinese folk there is bound to be chunky action to be found. These countries are not very well developed and can be pretty intimidating for novice travelers, i would rather stick with Tanzania, Kenya, Senegal and Ghana for a first time poker rounder.

I can give more detailed info for each individual country if needed.

Thanks for great report!

Could you tell more about Ghana? Are casinos located in safe area in Accra and Kumasi? Is $5/$10 the main game? Does it run daily or on weekends? What about rake and exchange rate?

The $5/10 game happens at the Millionaires Casino casino inside the Golden Tulip Hotel. This is one of the best hotels in town and is a very safe environment to play. They usually play plo with 5 players or less and then nlhe when table gets fuller. Can be a very loose game and has a balance of ego-fish and sharky types. Email me and i can give a number for the guy that runs the game. They play in USD and the local currency, the Cedi (pronounced SEE-DEE), about 4.3 to the dollar.

stuzaza@gmail.com