For those looking to gamble in London, the Hippodrome casino offers a glamorous option that shouldn't cost too much money. The casino is located right in the heart of the city and fantastic food options abound both outside and inside the casino. And what does the Poker room look like once you're inside?
Introduction.
The building itself is massive. Once inside, I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of what didn't look like the biggest casino around. I was completely wrong. A large slots room and table games were on the first floor. But there were even more floors above that first area and I didn't even realize.
Toward the top were high stakes areas for those people who were really looking to gamble. In the lower level was a burlesque spot which I did not enter. And between those floors was the poker room itself.
Poker Room.
The poker room at the Hippodrome is pretty small. There are about 20 tables on the upper level and it took some time for my friends and I to be seated. There were a decent number of people there and the action was pretty solid. The rake at the Hippodrome is 5% with a maximum of 10 pounds per hand, slightly worse than the rake policy at Maryland Live. No more than two friends may sit together at the same table to prevent collusion in these games.
Atmosphere and Players.
I played in a 1/2 NL game with a full ring.
Because I only bought in for 75 pounds, it was tough to make any plays. Many of my hands turned into shove/fold situations because the table was so aggressive. I eventually lost my entire buyin when I went all in preflop with QQ against AJ. The flop was unfortunately AJJ. Even though I lost, the game was enjoyable. The players were friendly and the atmosphere was relatively good.
Unfortunately the players at my table were also generally pretty good. But, if you are simply looking for a fun time, the Hippodrome's poker room will not disappoint.
Final Commentary and Review.
Overall, the poker room at the Hippodrome is small but enjoyable. If you are looking to make money from playing poker, I can't recommend this casino. The rake is too high and the number of fish at the poker room is just too small. If you want to have fun playing some poker with a few friends in London, then this is an excellent spot.
