There are few counties on the British Isles that can measure up to Yorkshire in terms of culture and natural beauty, which makes it the perfect place for a Staycation. There are the beautiful, sandy coasts of the east coast to enjoy in the summer.
The rugged wilderness of the moors to admire on a windswept day and the winding alleyways of York to explore on a lazy Sunday afternoon. What you might not know though, is that Yorkshire isn’t just a county full of natural beauty but that it is also a great place to play poker.
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If you’re a lover of the classic card game, read on to find out about the best places to play poker in the White Rose County.
Victoria Gate Casino, Eastgate, Leeds
Leeds is by far the biggest and busiest city in Yorkshire and in recent years it has been undergoing somewhat of a facelift. As investment has poured into the city a flurry of upmarket retail brands have battled it out for shop space in the city centre.
When plans for the Victoria Gate shopping centre were first announced, a plethora of notable gambling companies applied to the council to open a casino in the centre. Global Gambling won the battle, eventually opening this 4,645 square foot, 1,400 capacity casinos.
As the third largest casino in the country, it is by far the best venue in Yorkshire to enjoy the thrills and spills of poker. However, beware of the seasoned card sharks and aspiring pros that frequent the venue’s many prestigious tournaments. If you’re hoping to take them on you might want to brush up on the rules of poker so you don’t make any basic errors at the table.
Away from these regular, high-stakes tournaments the casino also operates daily cash tables where more casual players can enjoy themselves without the fear of coming up against wily operators.
This venue also suits those who are looking to enjoy themselves as much away from the poker table as on it. There is a live sports bar to unwind and relax in along with a cocktail bar and the great V Restaurant which serves a wide range of tasty foods.
Napoleon’s Casino, Bolton Road, Bradford
The old textile city of Bradford rarely gets a mention when it comes to Yorkshire tourism beyond the mention of the National Science and Media Museum, which is a shame as it has so much to offer to visitors.
Whether it be the natural beauty on the outskirts of the city or the city’s proud heritage of Asian cuisine, Bradford has something to offer for everyone. Casino lovers in particular will feel well at home at Napoleon’s Casino on Bolton Road.
This traditional British casino comes with its own 120-seater restaurant serving the best of British cuisine and offering an exciting and eye-watering list of great global wines. Aside from the refreshments, Napoleon’s is great for classic gambling fans.
The venue offers some real old school glamour with the fixtures and fittings contributing to the feel that you’re spinning the reels in a 1950s casino. The player base offers a good mix of battle-hardened poker players and beginners looking to make it big at the tables.
For casual, old school poker there really is nowhere better in Yorkshire than Napoleon’s Bradford.
Genting Club, Arundel Gate, Sheffield
The Steel City is one of the best places to visit in Yorkshire and is a city steeped in sporting heritage. Every weekend thousands of fans pack themselves into Bramall Lane and Hillsborough to cheer on the city’s two football clubs – Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.
It’s not just football that Sheffield is famous for either, the city has a long cricketing history and is home to the current England Captain Joe Root. Then there is The Crucible, which plays host to the prestigious World Snooker Championship every year.
After spending the day drinking in all of the sporting landmarks that the city has to offer you can head down to Genting Club on Arundel Gate to enjoy a night of thrills and spills at the poker table.
This venue perfectly blends the modernity of Victoria Gate in Leeds with the traditional feel of Napoleon’s in Bradford. You might want to take your autograph book with you too as the casino has been known to host a string of famous faces including sports and film & TV stars.
Opera House Casino, St. Thomas Street, Scarborough
Known by the locals as ‘Scarbados’ this North Yorkshire seaside town is the perfect place to relax and unwind in the warm summer months. The Opera House casino is a real treat for visitors even those who don’t have too much of an affinity with gambling, thanks to its long and storied history.
The site was originally home to a wooden circus building which was erected in 1877 to entertain the thousands of tourists that holidayed in Scarborough at the time. When the allure of the circus waned in Edwardian times, local architect Frank Tugwell redesigned the site as a music hall.
Over the next century the main purpose of the building shifted and changed with it gaining the status of a Grade II listed building in 1972. In 2002 it was bought by a gambling company and transformed into The Opera House Casino.
Since then it has been captivating tourists and locals alike with its great range of table games and regular tournaments. The interior décor is the absolute antithesis of the exterior of the building as history gives way to modernity.
In terms of uniqueness, there really is no place like the Opera House Casino in the UK, let alone in Yorkshire.
In Summary
Yorkshire is a fantastic place for a staycation with a host of cities and towns capable of catering for every want and need. If gambling is your thing, the county doesn’t let itself down on that front either.
There are a number of great casinos and poker halls beyond the ones mentioned in this article, all of which are there waiting for you to explore.
