A 21-year-old from our area made the headlines last year after he scooped a huge cash prize in one of the world’s most prestigious poker tournaments.
The City of Lights might seem an awful long way from Basildon, unless you’re a patron of Bas Vegas which brings a slice of Las Vegas glitz and glamour to our county, but Nick Marchington managed to span the divide in order to become a huge name in the world of poker.
Marchington, a 21-year-old university drop-out, is reported by the Independent to have won over £1m as he looked to become the youngest winner at the World Series of Poker. He had only been playing poker for a year and was taking part in his very first WSOP.
He finished seventh overall, despite going into the final round with the lowest stack of chips. He was later sued by a firm who claimed 10% of his winnings. The Review Journal confirms he was later cleared to collect all of his winnings, making him a wealthy young man on the back of his endeavours.
Marchington’s success may sound like something out of a film, but poker has become far more accessible in recent years. Chris Moneymaker made the headlines as far back as 2003 when he qualified for the WSOP online and ended up winning. He’s not the only one to follow that route either; Yahoo explains in their article on PPPoker that amateur player Richard Marquez won big at a tournament in the Philippines in 2019 after qualifying from home. The tournament tables used to be the playground of professionals, but Marquez and our very own Nick Marchington have proven that anyone can make themselves a star these days.
If you’re Essex-based and fancy honing your skills to become the next Nick Marchington or Chris Moneymaker, you’d be surprised at the number of quality establishments in our area. If you’re an aspiring poker star, we are going to reveal to you the best three places to hone your skills, according to travel website Trip Advisor.
Grosvenor Casino, Southend
Church Rd, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2AL
Credit – Trip Advisor
Coming in at third on our list is the Grosvenor Casino in Southend. It’s a chain casino that offers the usual gaming machines as well as poker, but also boasts a partnership with Barrel and Stone Pizzas if you’re peckish before you play.
They have a specific poker room and run local tournaments too which is ideal for testing your skills ahead of any Las Vegas aspirations.
Genting Casino, Westcliff-on-sea,
Western Esplanade, SS0 7QY
Credit – Trip Advisor
The Genting Casino was originally known as the ‘Westcliff’ after opening in the 1970s and it was originally based at the Mill House on Station Road. It launched at its present site in 1987 and claims to be the second-largest casino in Britain.
There are plenty of poker variants on offer too, making this the second-best casino in the county, according to Trip Advisor.
Rendezvous Casino, Southend
Eastern Esplanade, Essex SS1 2ZG
Credit – Love Southend
Rendezvous is located close to the seafront, homed in the landmark Grade II-listed Kursaal building and is the top-rated casino in Essex on Trip Advisor.
They offer an intimate poker experience, with games held regularly every Monday Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.
