Poker in the Middle East

If we want to really know which countries consist of the middle east, we can consider these countries as included in that area-  Jordan,  Libya Egypt, Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon UAE, north African countries bordering the Mediterranean, Iraq, Saudi, Yemen, Israel and Iran. Gambling as well as playing poker is very popular among the sheikhs and tourists who make up the main clientele of the casinos.

If you happen to find yourself in the Middle East and want to get in to a poker game, the easiest way to do so is to ask your guide to tell you if there is any casino in the vicinity. If you happen to be in Israel, well, you have struck lucky because it has 4 casinos and 63 slots. Otherwise, normally due to the politically volatile situation in the area, only 3 countries have casinos and only one country has pari-mutuel gambling facilities. These include dog racing, camel racing, desert car racing and horse racing, which are very popular. There are also casinos which have slot facilities or terminals to play video poker within easy reach of hardened gamblers. You can find the largest and most expensive casino in the Middle East in Jounieh, in Lebanon. It is known as the Casino du Liban and it has 365 video slot and poker machines as well as 57 table card and gambling games.

If you get into a casino, first do make certain if it has a license or not. You do not get any licensed casinos in the following countries- Syria, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi, Yemen, Kuwait, Jordan Iraq, and Iran.

In Israel only the cruise based casinos are licensed. Casino Flamingo in Eilat (where you can get Caribbean Stud Poker,) Royal Iris situated in Haifa, Egypt’s Casino Austria, Oberoi hotel and Cairo Sheraton Casino du Liban is licensed. There are many people willing to invest in casinos in Israel as long as the government gives them a legal standing. Lebanon’s casino du Liban offers you stud poker, and Texas hold’em.

So if you enjoy a good poker game regulated in a casino, and there doesn’t seem to be any such building of that ilk around you, get into the nearest home poker game played on table tops of eating places from Turkey to Bahrain. You can also start your own home game by reeling in a couple of poker enthusiasts, a couple of home brewed beer, a couple of chairs , a couple of card packs and a couple of free hours and then get to it, maybe in the shade of a tree, sitting on the ground.

As Israel is still thinking seriously about finalizing the legalization of gambling, here are some of the points you would want to know if you happen to find yourself in Israel. Raids on gambling joints run illegally occur very often. However the ministry of Finance has allowed Mifal Hapayis, one of the more well known established gambling houses to install authorized slot machines in pubs and restaurants.

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