Goa, The Las Vegas of India is a destination where every Indian wants to go once for sure. Famous as a party destination, Goa has everything to offer, from beaches to breathtaking natural views, restaurants, water sports and of course poker. Goa is one of the most visited states too not only by Indian tourists but also by international tourists.
Goa is also famous for its off shore casinos and gambling culture, because of casinos Goa has its own charm and differentiates itself from other travel poker destinations. Poker adds just the right reason to visit Goa if you love playing it. In a very short span of time it has emerged as a favourite poker holiday destination. With rise of poker in India this state has witnessed exponential growth in number of poker players visiting here.
Goa is fast becoming the centre point of Indian poker industry However live player to player poker in Goa is only played in the floating casinos, so if you are looking to try some poker this season then Goa is for you. But which are the best casinos in Goa to visit? We help you out, here is the list –
GRIND IN GOA
- Deltin Royale: Goa’s best and largest casino, it has 4 floors, 40,000 Sq. Ft floor area and 120+ gaming tables. Casino also takes care of your food with a luxurious restaurant. Deltin Royale is the only casino with dedicated poker room and Teen Patti room. Cash games run daily here and poker tournaments are also organized on regular basis. Casino also takes care of your love for whisky with a premium lounge where you can enjoy single malts and Cigars. If you are looking for VIP treatment then also Deltin Royale won’t disappoint you. It has VIP gaming section as well where you play as well as enjoy luxurious stay. Entry package starts from Rs. 2,000/person on weekdays and Rs. 3,000/person on weekends, however package prices may change depending upon season and casinos rules. In this starting package you can enjoy food, drinks and poker as well. Casino runs for 24×7 and 7 days a week. Here you can play Texas Hold’em poker, 5 Card Poker, 3 Card Poker, Blackjack, Money wheel, Roulette, Casino War etc.
- Casino Pride: Part of Pride Group Casinos it offers most of the games which other casinos offer in Goa. But this casino is famous among Teen Patti lovers and especially high rollers. It is also famous for Bollywood theme live acts. Spread across 30000 Sq. Ft this casino has 40+ gaming tables, slot machines, special kids zone and computer games zone to keep children busy. Entry packages offered here vary from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 with play coupons of Rs. 1000
- Casino Pride 2 :A small but still a happening casino of Goa,It was famous by name of Casino Carnival before it was sold in Feb 2014. Casino Pride welcomes poker enthusiasts with 25+ gaming tables, amnesties spread across couple of floors and VIP gaming room. Packages start from Rs. 1500/person for weekdays and on weekend it can go up to Rs. 2000-2500/person. You can play Roulette, Blackjack, Texas Hold’em, Flush, Paplu, Andar Bahar etc. Casino is open for 24 Hrs and 7 days a week.
- Deltin Jaqk: Third in the list is Casino Royal which is known as Deltin Jaqk now days. Casino got its new name in 2013 after takeover. Deltin Jaqk has 3 shinning floors, 50+ gaming tables, around 30 slot machines and area of 12000 sq ft. Famous among beginner level poker players it has special tables for them. Packages here start from Rs. 2,000 which has play coupon of Rs. 1500 and on weekends entry is with same package but play coupon is of Rs. 1000 only. Casino welcomes you 24×7 and 7 days a week. Games which can be enjoyed here are – Texas Hold’em, Blackjack, Roulette, 3 & 5 Card Poker, Mini Flush etc.
Apart from these there are many other small casinos which operate in Goa. in the 5 start casinos. But all of them support electronic gaming and poker players tend to prefer real gaming on the offshore casinos with real players.
Poker in Goa is an integral part of its gaming culture and night life. Goa hosts poker tournaments on regular basis and some of them are organised by Poker Leagues in India. Some of the prominent leagues that have taken place in Goa casinos in the past include–
a) Indian Poker Championship
b) India Poker Series
c) Deltin Royale Cup
d) Golden Aces Poker League
UNWIND IN GOA
Being a popular tourist destination, Goa has many hotels to suit all budgets. Some of the popular beaches that have many beach resorts include Candolim Beach, Anjana Beach, Calangute and Baga Beach. Each of these is dotted with popular eateries/shacks which turn into clubbing haunts in the night. Some of the popular beach resorts hotels include-
- Taj Fort Aguada
- The Leela Kempinski
- The Park Hyatt
But since the Casinos are located in the River Mandovi thus poker players who come solely to grind they prefer some of the hotels in Panjim. Some of the most popular ones include-
- Vivanta by Taj
- Goa Marriott Resorts and Hotel
- Park Plaza Hotel
How to Reach Goa: Goa is not only famous for its beaches, parties, night life, casinos and poker but also for easy accessibility of this place from many parts of the country. Goa is well connected with most of the cities with almost all modes of transports.
By Air: If you wish to reach Goa by air then closest airport is at Dabolim which is 29 KMs away from Panaji. This airport is well connected by regular flights with all domestic cities as well international cities of UK and Germany.
By Road: Goa can be reached by all time running bus services from different cities of India, nearest bus station is Kadamba. Goa also has its own bus service which connects it from all major cities of India.
By Train: Madgaon is the nearest major railway station of Goa and is connected with all major railways stations of India. From Delhi you can reach Madgaon by 7 to 8 train options running different days of week. Goa Samprk K Exp, Mangla Lakd Exp, Kerla S Kranti are some the trains which you can opt for.
Goa has emerged as Mecca of poker in India and has been centre of poker events in recent past. Number of poker players’ visiting Goa has also increased significantly in recent past, From Indian poker community Amit Ajwani, Shashank Sidharth and Rajesh Goyal are few renowned names which can be spotted here regularly. So if you have love for poker and planning for a holiday, Goa is the perfect place to visit.