As a hardened online poker player I rarely play live anymore but fancied a venture across to Scarborough to try the Thursday weekly tournament just for a change. To be honest I wasn't expecting much, however, I was pleasantly surprised! I called ahead during the day to check on the timings of the tournament to ensure the website was up to date. The young lady who answered the phone was polite and clearly knew what she was talking about in regards to start time, registration fees etc, etc (which is rarely the case in many casinos I have visited, to my annoyance). When I asked if there was a dress code there was a few seconds stunned silence before I was met with "erm, no sir, as long as you are not in dirty work clothes you can wear what you want, as long as it is not offensive. We like all our customers to be and feel comfortable". This is simply the perfect dress policy for a casino and is exactly the same policy as most casinos in the USA. People go to casinos to have a laugh, feel comfortable whilst gambling and to be amongst people from all walks of life without a sense of elitism which many casinos try to (and fail) to adopt here in the UK.

When me and my friend arrived, the staff at the entrance were very polite and even asked me if I wanted to leave my headphones at behind the desk. As soon as I mentioned I was there to play poker and I listen to music as I play, they said it wasn't a problem and had a bit of a joke with us. There was no interigation in regards to membership (membership is not required) as long as you are over 21 (again, the over 21 policy is USA policy and is great at ensuring "true" adults are frequenting a gambling establishment) and have ID, away you go! So straight away I felt relaxed and ready to play poker.

The buy in was set at £30 plus registration fee of £5 an optional 2 rebuys at £30 taking at anytime before the break. This could seem quite steep to a novice player, however, live poker has declined in recent years due to the attraction of online gaming and a larger fee can generate a decent prize pool from smaller yet dedicated fields. Anyway, this format seems to attract local players who were welcoming to both me and my friend. There was plenty of chat around the table and no aggro in the slightest. In fact, having played on 2 WPT events, it was on an even par with them in regards to etiquette.

During the game soft and hot drinks were offered free of charge and brought to you as you play. Additionally, during the 20 minute break there was a curry put on for the poker players which was absolutely stunning and free!

As the tournament progressed on the final table the chat became more free between the players and it was simply fun. The dealer maintained good relationship with the players between hands and joined in with the banter yet during play remained utterly professional. There was also the event supervisor who engaged with players at a good level on the final table and congratulated each player as they cashed out.

All in all, I had an absolutely excellent experience and will be returning on a regular basis to play poker at the Opera House Casino, Scarborough. Thank you to both the staff and customers there for giving me back that feel for the live poker scene. 5 stars across the board!