Casinos in Barcelona, Zurich, and Liechtenstein

I know I've been creating threads right and left since I returned from Europe, but this one isn't another analysis of a side bet you'll never see, much less bet on. This one is my blog entry on the Casinos in Barcelona, Zurich, and Liechtenstein.

As always, I welcome your questions and comments. If you just want to correct my awful grammar, I would appreciate the corrections sent by PM, so I don't look like an illiterate high school dropout in public.

Regarding the section on Paris, I would be interested to know if anyone can confirm the existence of any casino in that city.

Not that anyone asked, but of the three cities, I liked Barcelona the best. It is already becoming so overrun with tourists that there is a ban on building new hotels. Maybe the secret is already out of the bag, but I would visit Barcelona while you can still enjoy the best food in Europe, at least in my opinion, at very low prices. I predict it will become the next Paris soon and prices will double or triple. Get there before everyone is in on the secret.

The question for the poll is what is your favorite country in Europe? Only one vote allowed this time.

Very enjoyable write up as always Mike. You go to so many amazing casinos, it drives me nuts that you don’t collect chips lol. I’ve sadly never been to Europe but I hope to remedy that situation this fall.

Quote: PokerGrinder

..., it drives me nuts that you don’t collect chips lol.

I do collect chips. My specialty is $8 Chinese new year chips. Also, I have about 20-30 vintage Vegas chips. I also try to get one from every foreign casino I visit, including the four casinos mentioned in this blog entry. I'm not sure if they count, but I've also got at least 100 brothel chips. Many duplicates, if anyone is interested.

So you will post your foreign chips for us in the chip of the day thread...?

The foreign ones, not the brothel ones lol.

Quote: PokerGrinder

So you will post your foreign chips for us in the chip of the day thread...?

I suppose I can do that.

Mike I don’t know if you’re following my TR thread but I found a game called Niu Niu in Cambodia. I was wondering if you’d ever heard of it. It’s a cross between pai gow poker and baccarat. I learned it really easily.

Quote: Wizard

The question for the poll is what is your favorite country in Europe? Only one vote allowed this time.

I enjoyed Iceland the most. So, since my choice is not possible to vote for, i will abstain.

Never been to Spain, but I've been to Oklahoma.

Quote: Wizard

The question for the poll is what is your favorite country in Europe? Only one vote allowed this time.

A write in vote for Sweden

So... Uh... What ARE brothel chips? Looking online, most places are just selling them with minimal explanation.

I saw at least one casino on the champs élysées last time I was in Paris a few years ago. Didn’t go in though so can’t provide any details. I’m there again in a few weeks and will confirm if I get the chance.

Quote: Aussie

I saw at least one casino on the champs élysées last time I was in Paris a few years ago. Didn’t go in though so can’t provide any details. I’m there again in a few weeks and will confirm if I get the chance.

Thanks, please do, but don't go out of your way.

If you've never done the Catacombs, I highly recommend it.

Quote: Venthus

So... Uh... What ARE brothel chips? Looking online, most places are just selling them with minimal explanation.

They are like a business card/collector's item for brothels.

Quote: Wizard

They are like a business card/collector's item for brothels.

So, how does one go about acquiring these chips?🤓🤔😳🤑

When I was in Barcelona, I saw lot of very intersting things, That was in 2011. Examples:
Very weird video poker paytables(don't remember excatly).
Weird combination of TITO, real coing and "casino" coins on slots, very confusing and caused lot of errors and jams.
They claimed to have very good return on slots and tons of progressive.
Lot of video keno, lottey(don't know the diffrence) and even bingo machines. Don't know excalty how it worked.
"Blackjack" machines with 0.5 euro bet but not double, no split, even money, and hit soft 17...
They had Caribbean stud with an option to discard one card for another bet... and strange paytables(also for side bets). And they called 4 of a kind "poker"...
And most unique: they had poker(against players) with the following rules: only 8-A cards played(no 2-7), both hole cards must be used, and 5 betting rounds(there is no "flop": any community card is flopped in a different betting round). They called it "spanish poker".

As for the next country: I would like a review on monte carlo and on Hungary(Budapest)

thank you this thread is very interesting abd useful.

Quote: Wizard

Regarding the section on Paris, I would be interested to know if anyone can confirm the existence of any casino in that city.

Its been some time but if you are still interested I believe that there are four and that NONE of them make use of the word 'casino' since in Paris a casino is really what we would call "a convenience store". A few legacy remote terminals may exist but they are slot machine simulators.

I believe the four are legally private clubs and that it is possible to be a 'member' for one night but the fees are fairly high and the dress code is strictly enforced meaning evening gowns for the ladies and formal evening wear for the men. Such private Rooms of Games do not ever offer slot machines.

Any newly installed slot machines or remote terminals are contrary to French law.

Quote: FleaStiff

I believe the four are legally private clubs and that it is possible to be a 'member' for one night but the fees are fairly high and the dress code is strictly enforced meaning evening gowns for the ladies and formal evening wear for the men. Such private Rooms of Games do not ever offer slot machines.

Thank you. This is the first I've heard on this topic in a while. I maintain my stance that Paris has no casinos open to the public. Not that I'm complaining, but I think that should be known to tourists who plan to visit that like gambling. Internet searches are rather vague and confusing on the topic, especially given Paris has a chain of convenience stores called "casino." There still needs to be reliable and up to date Internet site for land casinos around the world.

Quote: Wizard

I maintain my stance that Paris has no casinos open to the public.

Not quite right but far more right than wrong.

Here is "the skinny":

The word casino is of course useless in Paris at most it will steer you to a chain of 7-11 type places that are in financial difficulty and are utterly unrelated to any real gambling.

The French have TWO terms that they use.si
Cercle de Jeux
and
Club de Jeux.

There used to be five then four then one then zilch Cercles de Jeux. These were the legally private but clearly "public" places that required proper attire but were often fronts for money laundering and often all members and all staff were paid thru one 'manager' instead of all members having to share expenses equally. They used to offer what we would refer to as casino games, particularly baccarat.

The other situation would be in English a Club but is actually required to be a corporate entity with a designated Auditor and strict internal accounting procedures as well as surveillance camera operations.. These do not offer what we would call 'casino games' they only offer various forms of Poker. Nothing else. Ever.

The upscale eighth arrondisemont Cercles all closed but a newer ninth arrondisement upscale Club is open. Evening dress, positive ID, an airport-like frisk and ONLY poker.

So if in Paris .... do your gambling online. That's legal.