Poker in Macau is nothing like poker in Las Vegas and the
United States. You’ll struggle to find Texas holdem poker rooms
at most Macau casinos, although they still do exist in some
parts. The experience on the whole will be a lot different to
the United States and you’ll need to adjust your expectations
when looking for a game.
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The high-stakes cash games in Macau that featured many of poker’s biggest names have apparently wrapped up for the time being, and now questions are swirling around the final results. Poker cash games in Macau. Do you want to play poker for money in Macau? We provide with all the necessary information for the comfortable game search. Below is the info about the stakes available for play, minimal and maximal buy-in amounts for entering the table. Now it is easy to find cash poker games in Macau. The game with the most played games is HK $50/$100 (about $7.50/$15). This usually gets 2-4 games alongside 1 HK $25/50 game and a couple of bigger games ranging from HK $100/$200 up to HK.
The main casino operators in Macau are SJM Holdings, Galaxy Entertainment and Las Vegas Sands with respective revenues of 9.7, 4.8, and 4.2 billion in 2011. A wide range of games are available, including.
First and foremost, the waiting lists for cash games in Macau
are crazy. It’s not unheard of to wait up to 6 hours for a spot
at the table. Even though most poker rooms only have a few
tables open, they let lists accumulate up to 60 or 70 people and
won’t even open more tables. Poker is a bit of a spectacle here
and isn’t treated like a table game that should be offered for
players on demand. It’s treated more like a service or amenity
that the casino and hotel offers, much like they offer a valet
service or room service. On top of all of this, the number of
table games a casino offers is strictly regulated by the Chinese
government and the fact is poker just doesn’t make as much money
as a baccarat or blackjack table.
The one exception to this is the Pokerstars Live room in
Macau. This is more of a player’s poker room and is the closest
you’ll find to a United States or Europe style poker room.
Closely following this room is the Wynn and Venetian poker
rooms; they obviously run great poker rooms in Las Vegas.
They’ve had to slightly change it up for the different market
though.
In general, the poker play in Macau is quite tough. When
poker arrived on the scene here in the mid-to-late 2000’s the
games were very juicy. Since then the newcomers to poker have
returned to other games and the players that persevered have
become much more skilled and harder to beat. You can still
certainly find good games at a wide variety of stakes; however,
you won’t get the baccarat players basically giving away their
hard earned cash at the table like you did in 2008.
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List of Macau Poker Rooms
Here is our compiled list of all the poker rooms you can find
in the state of Macau:
Pokerstars Live Macau Poker Room
- Location: Level 2, City of Dreams, Macau
- Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Tables: 13
- Games: You’ll find a good mix of cash games and
tournament play at the Pokerstars Live Macau poker room. At
any given time, you’ll be able to find a no limit Texas
holdem cash game running, usually with stakes of HK$25 / $50
and HK$100 / $200 and higher when there’s demand from
players. In US dollars this is about $3 / $6 and $13 / $26.
These limits are quite high although everything is like that
in Macau when it comes to gaming. For the tournament players
out there you’ll find some major events taking place in this
poker room including Macau Poker Cup “Red Dragon” series,
Macau Millions, the PokerStars Championship PSC Macau and
Asia Championship of Poker ACOP. On top of this they usually
run a major tournament on Saturday’s and Sunday’s with
satellite entry tournaments to these running all through the
week. The standard weekly tournaments range from HK$1000
US$130 buy in up to HK$4000 US$515. Most tournaments are no
limit Texas holdem with the odd Omaha one running from time
to time. - Ambience: It’s all about the red and black of Pokerstars
here. The room is huge, open and airy and provides a great
playing experience. The tables are covered with black felt
and the black leather chairs clash nicely with the red
carpet. The room is connected to the rest of the casino so
some noise and smoke will get through, although it’s pretty
well ventilated. This is a great place to play poker which
is no surprise considering Pokerstars is involved. - Hospitality: You’ll need to request service while
playing poker in this room, although water, tea and coffee
will be provided most of the time free of charge. Alcohol
wise you will struggle to get complimentary drinks here
although some report when they asked they did receive beer.
This seems to be hit and miss and the service certainly
won’t be anything like you would get in Las Vegas. - Players: The players are quite good and competition
tough in this poker room. The game has certainly reached a
maturity point where the remaining regulars are of a higher
skill than in the boom day in the late 2000s. You can still
find the odd soft table here and there and during major
tournaments you’ll find a lot of good action. Generally
speaking the players in Macau will be friendly. We’ve heard
reports they have been welcoming and the table and room has
had a generally fun atmosphere.
Poker King Club Macao
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- Location: Venetia Casino, Macau
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 10
- Games: Both cash games and tournaments are offers in
this poker room. Cash game wise you will find no limit Texas
holdem games running almost always. Stakes offered are HK$25
/ $50, $50 / $100, $100 / $200, $200 / $400, $500 / $1000.
For tournament players you’ll find a wide range on offer
usually with buy in’s at the higher stakes. They run Asia
Poker Tour events here and some World Poker Tour affiliated
events. They once offered a big game tournament which had a
prize of $50 million, which is crazy high. It’s safe to say
this hasn’t happened again and probably won’t anytime soon. - Ambience: The Venetian is a wonderful casino with bright
beige filled rooms which are well ventilated and welcoming.
The poker room is new and is smoke free, which is a major
bonus considering smoking is almost always permitted in
poker rooms in this city. The bright blue felt of the table
contrast well with the beige fittings and plush carpets. The
chairs in this poker room are leather and comfortable. You
will also be able to view a TV from most seats at the
tables, as well as charge your phone via USB charging ports. - Hospitality: You’ll get around the clock table side food
and beverage service in the Poker King Club at the Venetian
casino. This is another rarity in Macau, as poker is almost
the second class citizen to other more favorable games. - Players: The players here will be quite tough and the
games usually at the higher limits. Because of casino
regulations in China they really need to make some bang for
their buck and that’s why most limits are a little bit
higher than you would expect to find in poker rooms in the
United States. You’ll still be able to find juicy tables in
the Poker King Club during peak times.
Wynn Macau Casino
- Location: Rua Cidade de Sintra, Macao
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 11
- Games: The Wynn poker room in Macau offers cash games
and tournament play. For the ring game players, you will
find no limit Texas holdem at medium and high stakes as well
as pot limit Omaha. Stakes range from HK$25 / $50 up to $500
/ $1000. Remember you get about HK$8 for each US$1. The Wynn
poker room won’t offer many tournaments. However, they do
run special events on occasion with a range of buy in’s. - Ambience: The Wynn in Macau is very similar to the Wynn
in Las Vegas. Steve Wynn won’t allow his brand to diminish
in value or integrity at all and as such the poker room here
is very nice with great décor and well maintained seats and
tables. - Hospitality: Tea, coffee and water will be free for
players here. If you want alcohol you may be able to get a
free beer while you pay, but most drinks must be ordered
from the menu and will attract a charge. You can also order
food and eat at the table while you play. - Players: This is a wildly popular poker room and as a
result you will sometimes have to wait hours for a table.
Book a seat many hours before you plan on playing and you
shouldn’t have a problem. Because of this, the poker is
tough and you’ll need to be playing very solid poker to do
well. The vibe is quite serious due to this but also a lot
of fun at times, particularly on weekend evenings.
Macau Billionaire Poker Room
- Location: Babylon Casino, Macau
- Hours: 24 hours, 7 days
- Tables: 5
- Games: This poker room currently offers no limit holdem
cash games at various stakes. While they are aiming to offer
higher stakes you will most likely be able to find HK$50 /
$100 and $100 / $200 games running more frequently. They run
tournaments on occasion including their Jade series which
features a HK$2000 buy in event. - Ambience: This is a nice poker room which features gold
and beige colors on the wall with ruby and gold carpet. It’s
a nice place although it is near and on the casino floor so
can be quite smoky at times. The blue felt tables are basic
with gold wrapped simple seating. Regardless it’s still a
decent poker room. - Hospitality: You will get basic drinks provided
including water, tea and coffee. If you want anything
further you will need to request for a server to come and
take you order and you’ll usually be paying full price off
the menu. - Players: The quality of play in this poker room will
usually be quite good. This is because it’s such a niche
market now in Macau and as such you won’t get as many
amateur players trying out poker. That’s not to say you
can’t do well if you put in a few solid sessions playing
decent and straight forward poker.
Conclusion
Macau is a different experience for players used to poker
rooms and casinos in the United States. But if you’re planning a
trip you can still find some good Teas holdem games. Just plan
well ahead and be prepared for extended wait times in some
rooms.
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November 28, 2016I’m typing this on the ferry heading to hong Kong after a week in Macau playing poker, taking my son swimming, eating far too many oily carbs and constantly being amazed at the wealth I’ve witnessed at the casinos in Macau.
I venture to Macau on a fair regularly basis to play Poker, although I haven’t been for a while since having my boy, I thought now is a great time to share what’s it’s like visiting Macau as a tourist, as a family and the main draw; the no limit hold’em cash games games.
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Getting to Macau
Getting to Macau couldn’t be easier. You can either fly into Macau’s international airport, get the Sky Shuttle Helicopter from Hong Kong or get a boat from one of the free ferry ports in Hong Kong; Kowloon, Sheung Wan or from Hong Kong’s international airport (If you opt for the later, don’t leave immigration as the ferry check-in is done from inside the airport terminal).
On this trip I opted for the boat ride from Kowloon in Hong Kong. The journey takes an hour and immigration at both ends is super fast and efficient, taking 5-10 minutes at each end max. There are 2 companies you can choose from; Cotai Water Jet and TurboJet. Both have regular departures and similar pricing.
If you opt to arrive in Macau by ferry, you’ll either end up at Macau Outer or Taipa. The difference is only 10 minute’s drive away so I wouldn’t fuss over this too much (I’d rather sit on a bus for 10 minutes than wait 50 minutes for a ferry going to the closest port).
If you plan to stay in a casino (which I’ll come to in a moment), you’ll most likely be able to catch one of the regular shuttle buses to and from each ferry port (and I assume the airport) to the hotel you’re staying at. They are free of charge and as mentioned above, either take 5 or 10 minutes depending on what port you arrive into and what part of Macau you are staying at.
Where to Stay
If you’re visiting Macau to play Poker, it’s hard to beat the Cotai Strip – which is a collection of hotels that are linked to each other via walkways, restaurants and shopping malls.
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What’s great about choosing one of the hotels on the strip is that you’ll be within walking distance to 2 of the 3 spots where you can play no limit texas hold’em in Macau; the Venetian and the Poker Stars room located at the City of Dreams.
On this recent trip I stayed at the Sheraton, simply as it’s on the strip (where I wanted to stay) and it looked like a great spot for a family to hang out. It was a good choice – the rooms were huge (especially compared to Hong Kong standards), the swimming pools great and the buffet breakfast was huge.
Poker in Macau
There are 3 spots in play Texas Hold’em in Macau:
1. The Wynn
The Wynn hotel and casino is generally considered the best spot in Macau for high-stakes cash games, and it’s also considered to have the best facilities, chairs and comfort. I played here on my previous trip but did not visit on this trip, but I hear the stakes are 50/100 with a minimum 50,000 buy-in (HKD). If you’re interested in playing high-stakes, The Wynn would be a great place to check out.
2. The Venetian
The Venetian has many cash games, from 25/50 with a buy-in between 2,000 and 15,000 to 100/200 if my memory serves corrected. The chairs here are especially comfortable, and it was mainly a Chinese/Asian crowd when I visited with about 6-8 tables in play.
3. The PokerStars Room
The Poker Stars Room is situated in the City of Dreams complex, a stone’s throw away from the St. Regis and the Hard Rock Cafe hotels. The starting rake here is also 25/50 with buy-ins from 2,000 to 5,000 – which I personally really liked. This is also the only spot where I had to queue, albeit only 20 minutes (I hear this can easily extend to 60 minutes).
It’s also worth noting there were many more tables in play (10-15 when I visited) compared to The Venetian and it had a much more of an international vibe. The Poker Stars Room is also the only spot in town who host daily tournaments, many of which are satellites to the Asian Poker Tour circuit.
Visiting Macau with a family
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This was my first time visiting Macau with a family and it was a breeze. The huge boulevard type walkways outside the hotels meant it was a pleasure walking outside to gett some fresh air, while the staff in the multiple hotels we visited and walked through we’re happy to greet and meet us. We also had no problems in dining at some of the best spots in town.