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For the second year in a row, Dublin has beaten out London for the coveted titled of Europe’s Poker Capital. As voted by the popular poker magazine Bluff Europe, Dublin was praised for its enthusiasm towards the game as well as it’s variety of card clubs. Bluff was also impressed with the city’s dedication to creating tournament structures that are player-friendly.

The magazine did not include countries strict laws against gambling, as they feel that these restrictions strangle the game and stifle the public’s enthusiasm towards it. Bluff also excluded cities that are known for exploiting their players through unfair rakes. But, their goal was not to penalize cities that are not considered good poker destinations. Instead, they wanted to reward cities for the value they place on the popular card game.

For the second time in two years, London came in second, but Bluff made sure to inform its readers of the city’s wide selection of venues and tournaments, as well as the growth of pub poker throughout the city. Other runner –ups included Vienna, Austria; Tallinn, Estonia and Galway, Ireland.

The team at Bluff acknowledges that there will always be close competition between Dublin and London, but they were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm they experience whenever they visit Dublin. It seems that the Irish have a greater passion for the game than any other population. Dublin is also the home of the Irish Open, the longest-running poker tournament in Europe.