Macau is a small area on the coast of China just a few miles away from its much bigger sister Hong Kong, and together these represent the two autonomous regions of China. Macau is only about 11 square miles in size actually, but they pack in over 600,000 people into this very small area, making Macau the most densely populated country in the world. (1)
Poker in Macau - Top 8 Poker Rooms to Try Your Luck If you like the thrill that lies in uncertainty and are up to try your luck, then Macau is one of the best places to play a hand of poker. The small island has become an up and coming hub for poker tournaments, inviting locals, tourists, and even celebrities such as Phil Ivey and Tom 'durrrr. Open 2pm - 6am 7 Nights a Week. Cork; Primary Menu.
While Macau is part of China officially, like Hong Kong, they make their own laws here and are self governing, and this definitely applies to Macau's gambling laws. Gambling is illegal in China, but Macau is not only the gambling capital of Asia but perhaps even the entire world.
Macau is known by some as the 'Monte Carlo of the East,' but gambling is way bigger here than it is in Monte Carlo, and they have now even unseated Las Vegas in terms of land-based gambling revenue. Gambling is simply huge here and represents a full 50% of Macau's overall revenue.
Macau also boasts the world's highest per capita GDP, at over $142,000, so this is indeed a pretty wealthy region. The gamblers here mostly come from outside Macau though, with Hong Kong and its over 7 million people just an hour away, and the over 100 million people in neighboring Guangdong province in mainland China nearby as well, although people come from all over Asia to gamble at Macau's many casinos.
Macau was a Portuguese colony until 1999 when it was given over to China, the same year the British gave back Hong Kong, and gambling has been legal in Macau since all the way back in 1850, and gambling has been growing here ever since, where they primarily have catered to Chinese tourists. (2)
So this transition back to China did not involve any changes in the gambling laws of Macau, which was definitely a good thing for Macau since gambling is so central to their economy, and this would have probably destroyed it in fact. Macau is left to make their own laws though and does function as a country which is why they are given their own section here with our coverage of poker laws in countries in Asia.
Internet gambling has affected the live gambling scene somewhat, as revenues have dropped since then, and has really seen a marked decline in 2014 and 2015, but this is still a huge market with revenues in the range of $44 billion a year and the government of Macau gets almost half of their tax revenue from land based gambling operations. (3)
There are a total of 51 casinos in Macau, a massive amount to be sure. (4) Obviously, you don't have to go far to get to a casino in Macau, with so many packed into such a small space, and many of them have large hotels connected to them, so you really don't have to go very far to gamble.
Macau also has a horse racing facility where those who like to bet on the horses can take advantage of, but this pales in comparison to the massive size of the casino business done here. Still though, this is no small racetrack, with seating for 18,000 gamblers, and nothing related to gambling in Macau is done on a small scale.
Macau Poker
Poker is a fairly recent addition to the Macau poker scene, with the focus for a long time being solely on casino games, and poker wasn't even introduced here until 2007, when the Asian Poker Tour finally came to town and some of the casinos started spreading out poker games in addition to their other gambling offerings.
The games started out as electronic poker tables only though, but a year later tables with live dealers were added, before you knew it more tables were springing up here and the game really caught on.
The people who come to Macau do come to gamble though and they also like to play poker and poker is now fairly popular here. There are a total of 10 poker rooms in Macau which offer a total of 109 poker tables, and while the game of poker is dwarfed by the game of baccarat at Macau casinos, and baccarat is by far the biggest table game played here, poker still has more than a respectable amount of followers here. (5)
In football betting, a 'line' is provided by which the favorite team needs to win, in order for bettors to win that game. Sometimes the line is x.5 points. If it's impossible to. Buying Half Points Explained Most online betting sites (Bovada being the exception) allow bettors to purchase half-points from a point spread starting at 10-cents each. So for example, if the point spread is -6.5 -110 you can purchase a half-point bringing it to -6.0 -120, or 2 half-points bringing it to -5.5 -130. How Much is a Half-Point Worth? Most sports betting sites allow you to buy half-points from a point spread for $0.10. Let's say the Minnesota Vikings are -110 to cover a -5 point spread against the. Spread betting also involves countless half point betting lines. Exactly like half point over/under betting, half point spread betting ensures that a PUSH is not possible. The half point betting line is just as relevant as it is when betting the over/under. Half point line betting odds.
Macau is home to some pretty high stakes poker though with some huge pots, and a lot of the people who come to Macau to play poker aren't coming to play small stakes poker, so if you are looking to play for some big money this is definitely the place.
So poker is fully legal here and you can play all the poker you want here as well, both live and online, although the live scene overall is so huge that online gambling these days dwarfs live gambling in just about every location in the world, but due to Macau's small population and sheer amount of live gambling, the opposite is true here.
Macau does have online gambling regulation but it is limited to horse racing and sports lottery products, and players who wish to gamble at other sites, including poker sites, have to play at non regulated foreign websites. (6)
There is a huge potential market though if Macau ever did want to get involved in regulating online gambling, and that market is of course in China, and if the Chinese government ever relents to loosening their restrictions on gambling, Macau would be the perfect place to regulate it, but this doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon.
There are some online gambling sites in Macau that profess to be regulated by the government here, but this is not the case, and the Macau government does seek to crack down on this and also warn its people about these misrepresentations.
Macau also seeks to shut down unregulated gambling operations that operate in Macau, but since they don't regulate offshore sites, there's no attempt to interfere with their access.
In terms of online poker though, the only sites worth playing at are the large international sites anyway, and none of this applies to poker. In spite of gambling being wide open here, there still are some larger online poker sites who do not take players from Macau, for whatever reason, considering this to be a grey area when in fact it's as far away from being grey as you could possibly get.
Top Online Poker Sites Accepting Players from Macau
There are a couple of very good online poker sites who do take players from here, we're happy to say, and it's far better to play at a top online poker site than some lesser site where the traffic levels may not even make it worth your while to play at all.
Online poker sites don't really come any better than 888 Poker, and both players and critics agree, as they have been recognized several times as top online poker site in the world. They also have some nice bonuses waiting for you as well, even if you aren't prepared to make a deposit yet. New players at 888 get $88 in free bonuses just for registering an account, so they're worth checking out (review here). Place bet online melbourne cup.
References:
Macau Poker Tournament 2021
1. Macau
2. Gambling in Macau
3. Macau Gambling Revenue Continues To Drop
4. Macau Casinos
5. Macau Poker Rooms
6. Online Gambling in China and Macau
#1 Editor's Choice All-in-One Gambling Site: BetOnline.ag
BetOnline.ag is one of the most reputable online poker sites that still cater to United States players and ALL grinders worldwide. Claim your 100% poker bonus and/or FREE $25 sports bet!
- New players can earn up to $1,000 in bonus cash on their 1st deposit.
- Ridiculously crisp software and graphics - no lag whatsoever online or on your mobile device.
- Super easy to deposit on - #1 credit card acceptance rate ANYWHERE; Cryptocurrency also accepted!
- 24/7 live support, VERY FAST payout speeds and built-in sportsbook and casino.
- $25 FREE BET available and other perks you can use at their online or LIVE DEALER casino.
EDITOR'S NOTE: BetOnline welcomes players from ALL 50 states and from ALL OVER THE WORLD w/ limited restrictions.
November 28, 2016I'm typing this on the ferry heading to hong Kong after a week in Macau playing poker, taking my son swimming, eating far too many oily carbs and constantly being amazed at the wealth I've witnessed at the casinos in Macau.
I venture to Macau on a fair regularly basis to play Poker, although I haven't been for a while since having my boy, I thought now is a great time to share what's it's like visiting Macau as a tourist, as a family and the main draw; the no limit hold'em cash games games.
Getting to Macau
Getting to Macau couldn't be easier. You can either fly into Macau's international airport, get the Sky Shuttle Helicopter from Hong Kong or get a boat from one of the free ferry ports in Hong Kong; Kowloon, Sheung Wan or from Hong Kong's international airport (If you opt for the later, don't leave immigration as the ferry check-in is done from inside the airport terminal).
On this trip I opted for the boat ride from Kowloon in Hong Kong. The journey takes an hour and immigration at both ends is super fast and efficient, taking 5-10 minutes at each end max. There are 2 companies you can choose from; Cotai Water Jet and TurboJet. Both have regular departures and similar pricing.
If you opt to arrive in Macau by ferry, you'll either end up at Macau Outer or Taipa. Which lottery has the best odds of winning uk. The difference is only 10 minute's drive away so I wouldn't fuss over this too much (I'd rather sit on a bus for 10 minutes than wait 50 minutes for a ferry going to the closest port).
If you plan to stay in a casino (which I'll come to in a moment), you'll most likely be able to catch one of the regular shuttle buses to and from each ferry port (and I assume the airport) to the hotel you're staying at. They are free of charge and as mentioned above, either take 5 or 10 minutes depending on what port you arrive into and what part of Macau you are staying at.
Where to Stay
If you're visiting Macau to play Poker, it's hard to beat the Cotai Strip – which is a collection of hotels that are linked to each other via walkways, restaurants and shopping malls.
What's great about choosing one of the hotels on the strip is that you'll be within walking distance to 2 of the 3 spots where you can play no limit texas hold'em in Macau; the Venetian and the Poker Stars room located at the City of Dreams.
Macau Poker Games
On this recent trip I stayed at the Sheraton, simply as it's on the strip (where I wanted to stay) and it looked like a great spot for a family to hang out. It was a good choice – the rooms were huge (especially compared to Hong Kong standards), the swimming pools great and the buffet breakfast was huge.
Poker in Macau
There are 3 spots in play Texas Hold'em in Macau:
1. The Wynn
The Wynn hotel and casino is generally considered the best spot in Macau for high-stakes cash games, and it's also considered to have the best facilities, chairs and comfort. I played here on my previous trip but did not visit on this trip, but I hear the stakes are 50/100 with a minimum 50,000 buy-in (HKD). If you're interested in playing high-stakes, The Wynn would be a great place to check out.
2. The Venetian
The Venetian has many cash games, from 25/50 with a buy-in between 2,000 and 15,000 to 100/200 if my memory serves corrected. The chairs here are especially comfortable, and it was mainly a Chinese/Asian crowd when I visited with about 6-8 tables in play.
3. The PokerStars Room
Macau Poker Cup 29
The Poker Stars Room is situated in the City of Dreams complex, a stone's throw away from the St. Regis and the Hard Rock Cafe hotels. The starting rake here is also 25/50 with buy-ins from 2,000 to 5,000 – which I personally really liked. This is also the only spot where I had to queue, albeit only 20 minutes (I hear this can easily extend to 60 minutes).
It's also worth noting there were many more tables in play (10-15 when I visited) compared to The Venetian and it had a much more of an international vibe. The Poker Stars Room is also the only spot in town who host daily tournaments, many of which are satellites to the Asian Poker Tour circuit.
Visiting Macau with a family
Omaha Poker Online For Free
#1 Editor's Choice All-in-One Gambling Site: BetOnline.ag
BetOnline.ag is one of the most reputable online poker sites that still cater to United States players and ALL grinders worldwide. Claim your 100% poker bonus and/or FREE $25 sports bet!
- New players can earn up to $1,000 in bonus cash on their 1st deposit.
- Ridiculously crisp software and graphics - no lag whatsoever online or on your mobile device.
- Super easy to deposit on - #1 credit card acceptance rate ANYWHERE; Cryptocurrency also accepted!
- 24/7 live support, VERY FAST payout speeds and built-in sportsbook and casino.
- $25 FREE BET available and other perks you can use at their online or LIVE DEALER casino.
EDITOR'S NOTE: BetOnline welcomes players from ALL 50 states and from ALL OVER THE WORLD w/ limited restrictions.
November 28, 2016I'm typing this on the ferry heading to hong Kong after a week in Macau playing poker, taking my son swimming, eating far too many oily carbs and constantly being amazed at the wealth I've witnessed at the casinos in Macau.
I venture to Macau on a fair regularly basis to play Poker, although I haven't been for a while since having my boy, I thought now is a great time to share what's it's like visiting Macau as a tourist, as a family and the main draw; the no limit hold'em cash games games.
Getting to Macau
Getting to Macau couldn't be easier. You can either fly into Macau's international airport, get the Sky Shuttle Helicopter from Hong Kong or get a boat from one of the free ferry ports in Hong Kong; Kowloon, Sheung Wan or from Hong Kong's international airport (If you opt for the later, don't leave immigration as the ferry check-in is done from inside the airport terminal).
On this trip I opted for the boat ride from Kowloon in Hong Kong. The journey takes an hour and immigration at both ends is super fast and efficient, taking 5-10 minutes at each end max. There are 2 companies you can choose from; Cotai Water Jet and TurboJet. Both have regular departures and similar pricing.
If you opt to arrive in Macau by ferry, you'll either end up at Macau Outer or Taipa. Which lottery has the best odds of winning uk. The difference is only 10 minute's drive away so I wouldn't fuss over this too much (I'd rather sit on a bus for 10 minutes than wait 50 minutes for a ferry going to the closest port).
If you plan to stay in a casino (which I'll come to in a moment), you'll most likely be able to catch one of the regular shuttle buses to and from each ferry port (and I assume the airport) to the hotel you're staying at. They are free of charge and as mentioned above, either take 5 or 10 minutes depending on what port you arrive into and what part of Macau you are staying at.
Where to Stay
If you're visiting Macau to play Poker, it's hard to beat the Cotai Strip – which is a collection of hotels that are linked to each other via walkways, restaurants and shopping malls.
What's great about choosing one of the hotels on the strip is that you'll be within walking distance to 2 of the 3 spots where you can play no limit texas hold'em in Macau; the Venetian and the Poker Stars room located at the City of Dreams.
Macau Poker Games
On this recent trip I stayed at the Sheraton, simply as it's on the strip (where I wanted to stay) and it looked like a great spot for a family to hang out. It was a good choice – the rooms were huge (especially compared to Hong Kong standards), the swimming pools great and the buffet breakfast was huge.
Poker in Macau
There are 3 spots in play Texas Hold'em in Macau:
1. The Wynn
The Wynn hotel and casino is generally considered the best spot in Macau for high-stakes cash games, and it's also considered to have the best facilities, chairs and comfort. I played here on my previous trip but did not visit on this trip, but I hear the stakes are 50/100 with a minimum 50,000 buy-in (HKD). If you're interested in playing high-stakes, The Wynn would be a great place to check out.
2. The Venetian
The Venetian has many cash games, from 25/50 with a buy-in between 2,000 and 15,000 to 100/200 if my memory serves corrected. The chairs here are especially comfortable, and it was mainly a Chinese/Asian crowd when I visited with about 6-8 tables in play.
3. The PokerStars Room
Macau Poker Cup 29
The Poker Stars Room is situated in the City of Dreams complex, a stone's throw away from the St. Regis and the Hard Rock Cafe hotels. The starting rake here is also 25/50 with buy-ins from 2,000 to 5,000 – which I personally really liked. This is also the only spot where I had to queue, albeit only 20 minutes (I hear this can easily extend to 60 minutes).
It's also worth noting there were many more tables in play (10-15 when I visited) compared to The Venetian and it had a much more of an international vibe. The Poker Stars Room is also the only spot in town who host daily tournaments, many of which are satellites to the Asian Poker Tour circuit.
Visiting Macau with a family
Omaha Poker Online For Free
This was my first time visiting Macau with a family and it was a breeze. The huge boulevard type walkways outside the hotels meant it was a pleasure walking outside to gett some fresh air, while the staff in the multiple hotels we visited and walked through we're happy to greet and meet us. We also had no problems in dining at some of the best spots in town.
