Our guide to the best poker destinations in the World

Crown Casino - Australia

If you are on lookout for the most luxurious casino facilities in the southern hemisphere, one that has the most dazzling array of gambling options, then it is to the southern bank of Melbourne's Yarra River that you must travel. The gambling paradise called Crown, where unsurpassed luxury, relaxed style, warm service and non-stop excitement will be yours for the taking. Prepare to be bedazzled by the Casino's main gaming floor that stretches for more than half a kilometer and is interspersed with a series of smaller themed rooms, each carefully personalized to cater to the individual playing style of every guest. There is the Mahogany Room with its air of exclusivity, the sophisticated Teak Room, the glitzy Las Vegas Room and myriad other rooms each delivering their own brand of unparalleled entertainment.

It is in the arena of table games that Crown Casino scores the most. Gambling aficionados will find the experience utterly sophisticated, exciting and totally captivating. With over 300 table games to choose from you can play popular favorites like Blackjack, Roulette or Craps, discover the excitement of Pai Gow and Sic Bo or enjoy the international sophistication of Baccarat. Being part of the big crowd that gathers around the Big Wheel, cheering as the wheel spins is an experience by itself. If you are a technology buff then you might decide to opt for the thrill of interactive touch screens that allow you to play games like Rapid Roulette, Rapid Sic Bo and Rapid Big Wheel. You can play poker to your hearts content and practice the art of bluffing or try Caribbean Stud and be in the running to win massive jackpots.

With its range of high profile hotels, a stay at a Crown hotel is bound to be enjoyable and thrilling. There is the Melbourne's Crown Promenade Hotel, which has 465 guest rooms and incorporates a luxurious leisure centre with a 25-meter infinity pool, spa, gymnasium, sauna, two outdoor terraces and a lounge area. Food and beverage facilities include the fabulous Mesh restaurant and the stunning Tonic Bar. Then there is the opulent Crown Towers Hotel that prides itself in offering an impeccable standard of customer service. This Hotel's 482 luxuriously appointed oversized guest rooms have spectacular views to the city or Port Phillip Bay and feature a truly unique level of comfort and finish. At the Crown Towers by reserving a Crystal Club room or suite, guests can enjoy the luxury and privacy of the exclusive Crystal Club lounge with magnificent views from the 29th floor.

Entertainment options are seemingly limitless. For all year round Crown offers live entertainment in the form of theatre Shows, Concerts & Events. There are myriad interactive games, a King Pin Bowling Lounge, Village Cinema, etc. But it is Crown's reputation for state of the art gambling that proves to be the most irresistible magnet for guests. You can avail exciting benefits and privileges from Crown Table Rewards by choosing to gamble at Crown Tables using your Crown Club card. So the next time you are in Crown playing Poker, or Baccarat or participating in the great Aussie games of Two Up or Pontoon Pandemonium don't forget to flash your Crown Club card to the dealer. Why miss out on the exciting rewards?

Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City

For those whose motto is to live life to its limits this is really the place to explore how exciting the limits are going to be. Come and let yourself be enchanted by the gleaming slots and the super gaming tables. Bask in the sheer unadulterated thrill of knowing that anything can happen at any time. You may end up winning a fantastic amount running into thousands of dollars! And if your prefer poker above anything else Borgata Hotel and Casino is the place to be on America’s east coast. This is the ultimate world of high-octane entertainment!

The hotel boasts of more than 2000 comfortable guest rooms and suites, 11 restaurants, spa, salon and barbershop. There are facilities for an excellent shopping experience, all kinds of entertainment and a vibrant nightlife. The comfortable and spacious casino has provisions for rapid pay, so you can say goodbye to those heavy slot cups and lines. At the tables you can easily stretch out, make yourself comfortable. The chairs are plush and have footrests. In fact, to ensure patrons are comfortable at the Blackjack tables, Borgata has six luxurious seats rather than the traditional seven.

Whatever your poker preferences are, Borgata has it for you. Whether you enjoy Spanish 21, Caribbean Stud Poker, Let it Ride, 3-Card Poker, 4-Card Poker, Texas Hold'em, or a wide variety of Asian games, Borgata has it. The only downside is that sometimes there can be over an hour wait to play. On weekends and holidays it’s best to get there early and make sure you bring your “A” game.

Wynn Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

Built at a mind-boggling cost of $2.7 billion the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel Casino could easily classify as the most luxurious hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel boasts of an 18-hole golf course and its centerpiece is a 150-foot-tall mountain with a waterfall that cascades into a man-made lake. When it comes to location, Wynn Las Vegas, at 3201 Las Vegas Blvd South, finds itself at one of the most coveted patches of land in Las Vegas. It is next to the popular Venetian hotel resort casino, and close to the vast, upscale Las Vegas Fashion Show Mall, making it a perfect perch for passionate shoppers.

Sprawling across 192 acres, this mega hotel holds more than 2,700 guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. But the greatest attraction is the 110,000 square foot casino with several state of the art gambling areas. There is also the provision for larger-than-life entertainment offerings to keep attracting visitors. Wynn Las Vegas Hotel Casino holds two major theaters, one of which is a $70 million, 2,000-seat domed showroom with a circular stage. But when it comes to Wynn the greatest attraction is the casino. What adds to the casino’s charm is Steve Wynn’s idea of departing from the typical Vegas tradition by infusing natural light from a huge atrium. Myriad beige and gold lampshades keep the lighting from being too harsh. With a spate of gurgling slot machines the atrium is always full of excitement and thrill. Though it has to be said the place is not for any average Joe. Those on lookout for a $5 blackjack table are sure to be disappointed. At Wynn $10 bet is the lowest allowed so far. The cocktail waitresses come by every five minutes offering you new avenues to splurge.

Naturally for the privilege of basking in the top-notch luxury of the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel the guests are expected to pay through their nose. Everything here is top class and everything here is expensive. Not just the room tariffs, everything ranging from the casino to restaurants, to the entertainment options. Dinner at most of the restaurants will run you at least $75 per person, with some double that. The show is more than $120 per ticket. A drink at the bar is going to be $10 with tax and tip. Even the sundry store charges $7 for a bottle of water and $18 for a small container of lip balm.

Atlantis - Located on Paradise Island

The loftiness of Pluto’s vision of a patch of land packed with every imaginable luxury, and populated with denizens whose only goal in life is to wallow in happiness and luxury! The myth of the ancient Atlantis has now come true; all its luxuries are achievable for those who are ready to pass into its welcoming portals. And getting here is not difficult at all as there are numerous non-stop flights from all major U.S. cities, including regular and low-fare carriers. Amongst the delights that await you here are a truly world class casino spread across 50,000 square feet and the largest ballroom in The Bahamas and Caribbean.

A range of accommodation choices that is available is meant to satisfy every whim and fancy – Royal Towers, Coral Towers, Beach Tower and Harborside. The Royal Tower is the largest tower with 1,201 rooms and a sensuous lobby that offers a magnificent waterscape view. The Coral Towers have 656 deluxe rooms with a whole gamut of amenities. The rooms are decorated in a contemporary, relaxed style. In the Beach Tower there will be 423 rooms decorated in casual tropical décor. The Harborside is embellished with 392 one, two, and three-bedroom villas that can comfortably accommodate from 4 to 10 guests.

But the greatest attraction of Atlantis, the magnet that irresistibly attracts thousands of thrill seekers from around the world is the ambience of its super casinos. Spanning a seven-acre lagoon and linking the towers, myriad skylights and windows creating a veritable ambience of the outside, the Atlantis Casino is an innovation in casino design. Brilliant glass sculptures by artist Dale Chihuly infuse the casino with vibrant, colorful energy. The superb Crystal Gate that guards the entrance to the Atlantis Casino is mind boggling 30,000 pounds and is made out of 2,000 pieces.

At Atlantis you will find a world class gaming experience with 78 table games including Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat & Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Let It Ride and Caribbean Stud Poker. When it comes to slots there are over 800 machines and the denominations ranging from penny to $100. Every machine comes equipped with newest validators and ticketing technology. Atlantis has in its ensemble a vastly entertaining Pegasus Race & Sports Book, with five betting windows and nine individual playing terminals. With this facility guests can wager on all major sports events and features taking place in any of the US racetracks.

Dale Chihuly’s works of art, the Temple of the Moon and the Temple of the Sun, located on the casino floor, are each worth $1,000,000 USD. Just watching these works of art is an experience by itself. If gambling does not excite you there is also a nightclub located strategically close to the casino. Out here guests can dance the night away to The Bahamas’ most popular bands and sizzling DJ mixes.