Poker tournaments in Berlin

In Berlin, poker for money may only be run by the state-licensed casino, Spielbank Berlin. Bars, betting shops and gaming halls do not deal it legally, so ignore any that call themselves a casino.

The main room is the poker floor at Casino am Potsdamer Platz, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 1 in Tiergarten. The casino opens daily from 11:00 to 03:00 and the poker floor from 18:00. Take the U2, or buses M41, M48 or M85.

Tournaments run every evening: No-Limit Hold'em on most nights, one Pot-Limit Omaha night midweek, and a bounty event as the biggest of the week. Buy-ins run from about €80 to €220 including the fee, most with one or two re-entries. Tickets go on sale the same day from 17:30 on the 2nd floor, and a tournament still running at 02:45 can be continued the next day. Daily tournaments are dropped during festival weeks such as the July Summer Cup and on some special dates, so check the casino's news page before you travel.

Cash games start at €1/€1 blinds. Rake is taken from the pot with a cap, and there is no rake on hands that end before the flop ("no flop, no drop").

Two smaller rooms also deal poker: Casino am Fernsehturm (Panoramastraße 1, at the TV tower) from 18:00, and Casino Ellipse Spandau (Altstädter Ring 1, by Rathaus Spandau) from 18:00 to 02:30, with cash games from €1/€1. The Ku'damm casino has no poker.

Entry: €2 ticket, age 18 or over, and a valid passport or national ID card. Driving licences and student cards are not accepted. Every guest is checked against the national gambling exclusion register.

What to bring: your passport or ID card and €2 for the door.