We calculate the costs involved, our predicted EV for the tournaments and cash games we will play, and then pick the most sensible, and most profitable tournaments to go to.
ORLY?
In all seriousness, the essence of these trips is very much "Work hard, play hard". We play a lot of poker on these trips, but supplement it with nights out, nice dinners, sightseeing, culture etc. The balance is pretty good and the ONE TIME somebody binks one of those damn tournaments...it'll be the greatest thing ever!
Since I started playing poker I've been to the following countries to play in various tournaments:
France (2), Spain (5), Italy (2), Austria, Czech Republic (4), Greece, Slovenia, Latvia (2), Ireland, Las Vegas (3) and Colombia.
In this blog I'll give you my TOP THREE spots on the tour.
San Remo and Monte Carlo
In the Spring, San Remo hosts the IPT Grand Final and the following week Monte Carlo hosts the EPT Grand Final. Now, I've never actually played the EPT Grand Final, but I've played the IPT for the last two years and visited Monte Carlo on my last trip there with Victoria.
It's just one of my favourite regions of the world. That French/Italian coast line, with all the boats, beaches, enormous wealth, incredible food, gorgeous streets and buildings - it's just so beautiful.
My trip with Victoria this year was one of the happiest times of my life, and experiencing Monte Carlo for the first time with her was incredible.
Now as a poker trip is concerned it's got to be up there with the best value stops around. The IPT Grand Final is a 2.2k euro buyin I believe, and I find it sick good value. I've made day two and built up stacks both years, but never got the rub of the green on day two so yet to have a score there but I'll keep trying! I imagine Monte Carlo attracts some pretty rich punters for the EPT Grand Final too, hopefully I'll get to play that this year...
Las Vegas
No surprise to see Vegas make the list, but it's not my number 1. I can't say much more about this place - if you've been you already know what I mean and if you haven't, my words can't do it justice. It's the nuts!
I've been 3 times now and booked my first winning trip this summer yay! It wasn't much, barely covered expenses but still I'm counting it! I played the Main Event for the first time this summer too, made day three but no good. That is one SICK tournament! Had I cashed I reckon Vegas would be number one!
It did leave me free to have the sickest night out I've ever had though. Full report here http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=51305.msg1809194;topicseen#msg1809194
Montage of this years trip here I made is pretty epic
Prague
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February 2011 was my first poker trip and it was to Prague. On the flight there we decided to pull 5% of all of our winnings from the main and spend it all on the last night. Keith won it for 60k so we had 3k to blow in one night between 5 of us. Good times!
We have been back three times since and it's always an absolute blast. The winter festival is about 3 weeks where the EPT stops, the WPT stops and the Eureka tour stops too. Last year there was GSOP too! It's absolutely nuts, sick tournaments every day, cash games, and of course, plenty of parties.
It's got a really special Christmas feel of the place as you visit the markets, walk the Charles bridge, or have mulled wine in the square by the tree. This year I even went to the Ballet! The nightlife in Prague is the nuts too. This is us out there last week.
So if I ever had to cut down on these "business trips", I'd make sure these were the last to go. Thoroughly recommend them all if you don't usually go to any of them, or are thinking about going on a poker trip.
We regularly go to Marbella as well which could've made the list, and the EPT Barcelona stop could be there because Barca is just the best city in the world. But that's all for now, maybe I'll do a slightly less glamorous UK top three next!
Good luck and Merry Christmas guys!
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