video gambling

Playing Through Monaco

When you think of the ultimate in gambling, you think of Monte-Carlo. This is the grand casino located in Monaco. Monaco is the center of the hedonist world, bounded by the French Riviera to the west and the Italian Riviera to the east. It is a fairy-tale land, ruled by a prince, whose family has been in power for 700 years. At three miles long by one-half mile wide, it is the second-smallest country in the world, and every inch of it revolves around Lady Luck.

The great Monte-Carlo Casino is the very heart of this country. Built in 1878 to save the principality from bankruptcy, it did its job superbly. Ornately spectacular inside and out, the casino welcomes you with an atrium covered in marble. Following it inside, you are taken to the auditorium of the opera, a breathtaking area decorated in regal red and gold and crammed with sculptures, frescos, and bas-reliefs.

Though you'd hardly believe it, this magnificent hall leads to the gaming rooms, a succession of numerous rooms resplendent in sculpture, paintings, and rococo decoration softly lit by bronze lamps and sunlight filtered through stained glass.

The casino is open every day. Persons under 18 are not admitted, and ID is obligatory. There is a jacket-and-tie dress code for men. The so-called European Rooms are where the slots, roulette, and trente et quarante are played. The private rooms house English and European roulette, chemin de fer, trente et quarante, craps, blackjack, and punto banco. Evening play at the English Club is blackjack and English roulette.

You'll find poker in Le Casino, but no poker tables, for poker is still considered more of an American game, the Old West, you know. But don't go away just yet. Addicts can find poker all around Monaco, even in Le Casino. Tose players with a flair for the dramatic can find lively games of stud poker at Monaco's "American Headquarters," the Sun Casino in the Monte-Carlo Hotel near the casino.

This beautiful hotel, which overlooks the sea, is paradise on earth for those looking for American games and slot machines. Taking a cue from its brasher cousin in Nevada, the hotel has recently been completely refurbished and decorated with a "circus" theme, but this is Monaco, after all, and so the extreme makeover was done with a dash of elegance. The casino is open daily, and admission is free (though persons under 18 are not admitted). In addition to stud, you'll find blackjack, craps, and what they call "American roulette" every day, starting in late afternoon. The slots get activated at 11 am.

As of now, when Monaco isn't hosting a tournament, stud poker at the Sun is the only live game in town. If you feel the ache for more poker, Monaco has felt your pain and installed video poker machines in three locations: two are the Sun Casino and and Le Casino. What's more monthly video tournaments that bring together players from all over the world.

The third venue for video poker is an attraction all its own. No trip to Monaco is complete without at least a drink at the Cafe de Paris, located just across from the casino. Like Times Square, everybody eventually comes here "to see and be seen." When you're not playing the machine, you can people-watch the always-fascinating parade of internationals as they stroll by or take up a table near you to nurse a drink or order from the international menu. Don't worry, you can't go wrong with any of the daily specials, but as suggested ask for the steak tartare and fresh oysters when they're in season.