Refuse found in poker

Author: Simon Dexter

The SFTW team arrived in Monaco last Sunday morning (tough gig, we know), ostensibly to undertake a recce prior to the EPT Grand Final, but as it happened, in plenty of time to take the French League match involving the local favourites and championship-cashing Bordeaux. As usual, Monaco were well supported by Prince Albert from his seat in the sort of director’s box that makes the one at Chelsea look like a tumbledown shed and from a good-sized crowd of well-heeled supporters. The atmosphere was fantastic and not a thug in sight.

Now you might imagine that given Monaco’s reputation as a tax haven, the cost of entry to Stade Louis II would be a little on the pricey side, something we were conscious of as we ambled up to the stadium an hour before kick off. Would the boss sign off these expenses we wondered?
We need not have feared: unlike our self-styled, self-important “most exciting league in the world” where fans are often treated like second-rate citizens and barely tolerated as they spend their hard-earned in over-priced club shops, Monaco offered a refreshing alternative. A seat behind the goal cost less than a tenner. Furthermore, when buying your match ticket, the very pleasant young lady behind the stadium counter gives you a match programme and another ticket providing free entry into one of three casinos located in Monte Carlo. This is all included in the ticket price!

After the match, we wandered off to the nearest casino where poker players are welcomed with open arms. “You’ve come from the UK to watch the match and play poker here? Well, we must bring champagne” insisted the casino manager. What followed was not the greatest-ever NLHE performance seen on foreign soil and the expenses claim will be boosted by the baddest of bad beats, but it was a marvellous experience. Monaco lost 6-0 too. Let’s hope both performances have improved by the time the EPT finale gets under way in April.

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