Where to Put Your Poker Skills to the Test in Swindon

If you enjoy playing poker with your friends and feel your game is of a decent standard, you might be tempted to try your hand in a more competitive environment. But what are your choices if you live in the Swindon area?

Well, there is good news. Thanks to the rise in popularity of the card game that has featured in many famous films including Casino Royale, The Cincinnati Kid and Molly’s Game, there are now poker leagues appearing all over the country.

Poker leagues in the Swindon area

Players in Swindon can take part in matches in one of the South West’s live poker leagues. Local events are held at venues including the Ashfield Road club (17/18 Ashford Road, Swindon, SN1 3NT) which operates on Wednesday and Friday nights. Members play for free to win points that are collated on a leader board.

Players with the most points can qualify for free local area finals where a range of prizes are on offer and qualification to high-level poker tournaments around the world can be attained. The South West League also has tournaments in other counties and there are at least half a dozen other pubs and venues in the Swindon area that offer league matches with the chance to qualify for national tournaments.

Online poker options

If playing in a local club does not appeal, there are still ways you can test yourself in a competitive environment by joining an online poker tournament. In this case, your location is not important and you can take on players from virtually anywhere in the world. Most top bookmakers including Paddy Power have dedicated poker websites where you can register, download the poker software and hit the tables straight away.

At any one time, there may be thousands of players online competing for a range of cash prizes. Buy-ins start from under £1 and prizes can run into the thousands depending on the number of players and the level of buy-in required.

If you are sceptical about your chances of winning a place at a top table by playing at a local event just take a look at the case of Swindon man Daniel Mitchell. In 2010, the accountant bagged a place in the final of a top national tournament by winning a local league event in Bristol.

And amateur player John Hesp, of Bridlington, East Yorkshire, had never bet more than £10 playing poker at his local casino when he entered and came fourth in the Las Vegas World Series of Poker Main Event, pocketing a cool £2m.

Play both ways to improve your game

Online poker players can also qualify for major events, both live and online, with many online tournaments paying out big money. The question is whether you want to play face to face or start competing in an online environment.

To become a really good player, you need a mixture of both skills. Many of the top players are as comfortable playing online as they are in a live physical environment. And by competing in both, they can access all of the top tournaments regardless of location.