Dublin

HOW TO GET THERE

Ryanair run regular flights and for a return trip expect to pay between £30 and £60 depending on when you are travelling and how early you book. There are also ferries leaving from a number of ports, but stick to the planes.

GETTING AROUND

Central Dublin is small enough that you can walk most places. But for any of the longer trips – or if you’re simply a lazy sod – there is an excellent transportation system with regular bus and tram services. A flexi ticket is valid on both, costs 6.50 and lasts for 24 hours.

CARD ROOMS

There are plenty of poker venues in Dublin, but the main two are The Jackpot (www. thejackpot.ie) and The Fitzwilliam Club (www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com). The official host of the EPT Dublin is the Merrion Casino, but while it is being refurbished the action has switched to The Jackpot.

It hosts daily no-limit hold’em tournaments ranging from 10 re-buys up to a once- monthly 300 freezeout. Every evening there are Omaha and hold’em cash games with blinds starting at 0.25/ 0.50 and all games pot-limit.

The Fitzwilliam card room is another popular venue. The club has pot-limit, no-limit and limit hold’em cash games available nightly with blinds ranging from 0.25/ 0.50 up to 2/ 5. There are daily tournaments in a variety of games, including pot-limit Omaha, no-limit hold’em and five-card draw. Buy-ins range from 15 rebuys to 75 freezeouts.

EAT, SLEEP, AND DRINK DUBLIN

Fitzwilliam’s is one of Ireland’s top rated hotels. Expect to pay between 150 and 200 for a double room. If you win big while you are in town, maybe you could try a night at The Clarence. This luxurious five-star hotel is owned by U2 and boasts fantastic views over the city. With over 700 pubs you won’t be short of a place to drink, but Temple Bar is as good a place as any. Only a short walk away is Dame Street, where you will find a variety of more upmarket bars and restaurants. If you’re looking for live music, O’Donoghue’s holds nightly sessions from about 8.30pm and draws considerable crowds.

EPT DUBLIN

Dublin is one of the only cities to host two major poker events in the year. The first is the 8,000 buy-in EPT Dublin, which takes place on 30 October at the Royal Dublin Society.

There are a number of smaller side events taking place at the RDS, including a 1,000 no-limit hold’em freezeout and 500 pot-limit Omaha re-buy. In terms of popularity, the Paddy Power Irish Open follows closely behind the EPT event.

This tournament takes place every April and boasts a 4,200 buy-in. The field has grown from 339 in 2006 to an estimated 1,000 for next year, largely due to the tournament’s party-like atmosphere.