Gala Harbourside Bristol

There used to be three different casinos in Bristol where you could play tournament poker, however due to the credit crunch, or perhaps the success and size of the Gala Harbourside Casino that number reduced to just one.

Nestled down by the river in Bristol’s commercial district, the casino is another of those that is in close proximity to a myriad of attractions. There’s a gym, hotel, bar and Chinese restaurant within 20 paces of the exit and there’s also a car park right next to the casino.

For the last two years the casino has played host to the final of the Great British Poker Tour and will host the final leg of the Coral British Masters Poker Tour from October 23-25 this year.

The card room has also branched out and held its first stand alone festival that consisted of four events ranging in buy-in from £50 to £500. The cardroom itself is separated from the rest of the casino by a glass partition.

Most of the tournaments are sadly no longer dealer dealt and another long standing complaint of regulars is that the lighting within the poker room is too dim. ‘There’s no need for sunglasses’ commented one regular. Indeed on our last visit we tried out sunglasses at four different tables before ditching them due to the possible danger of mis-reading our hand. The tournaments themselves include a Wednesday night £50 double chance, £100 monthly deepstack (last Sunday of the month) and £10 freezeouts.

‘Thursday to Saturday is definitely the busiest period in the cardroom,’ said a card room supervisor. ‘We get a lot of regulars in our £30 and £50 tournaments but these regulars are supplemented by occasional, perhaps newer, players at the weekend when we run £10 and £20 tournaments.’

The card room also often sees three cash games running. ‘The  most popular is a £1/£2 round of each, closely followed by 25p/50p no-limit hold’em,’ said the supervisor. ‘We usually get about three cash games going on busier nights,’ he added.

Aside from the card room there is plenty to keep you busy in the casino. On the lower floor there is a 18° Below Ice Bar and last time we were there on the Saturday there was a chocolate fondue fountain attracting a big crowd.

On the upper floor, as well as the card room, there’s a large gaming pit offering the usual fare of roulette, blackjack and the like. There is also a cocktail and champagne bar, a stage for live entertainment (most Fridays and Saturdays) and a spacious restaurant.

Explore Lane in the centre of Bristol but just a stone’s throw from the river and minutes from the bustling Bristol nightlife.  

Beginning your night with a game of poker or ending it with a drink

From 25p/50p no-limit Hold’em to £1/£2 round of each

Daily with 13 in total each week. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday there are games at 7.30pm and 9.30pm, Saturday also has a 3pm tournament. Buy-ins range from £10 freezeout to the £100 tournament on the last Sunday of the month.

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www.galacasino.co.uk

0117 9069970

The Ibis is within stumbling distance and dirt cheap to boot

There’s a free self-serve soft drinks machine outside the card room