Travel Report: EPT11 Grand Final, Day 2 -- Racing Around

Another quick post today after another long night at the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino European Poker Tour Grand Final festival.

Was a monster second Day 1 flight for the France Poker Series Monaco Main Event, with 728 coming out to make a total field of 993 -- way over last year’s 837. The €100K Super High Roller had over 50 entries as well, making it a big one, too, with all of the usual big names taking part. (See the PokerStars blog for details.)

Amid my racing around covering the FPS Monaco event, I took a pit stop and did a different kind of racing in a faux Formula 1 car they have set up out in the lobby for passersby to try out. You crawl into that sucker in order to operate the gas and brake pedals and steer your way through a computer-simulated version of the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.

I did three laps. My time was poor for the first one when I cautiously negotiated the length of the course without ever really revving up my engine significantly. Then my times for the next two laps were even worse as I tried to go faster but kept crashing into walls all over Monte Carlo.

I mentioned my poor sense of direction last post. A couple of times after wrecking and having to back my way out of the imbroglio I’d caused, I even found it challenging to figure out which way I was then supposed to go. Luckily I don’t think the program allowed you to backtrack on the course, or I may still be trying.

I am glad to report, however, that I have now more or less memorized the walk from my hotel to the tournament venue, as I took that half-hour long promenade yesterday morning. Will probably continue to do that each day, weather permitting, as the walk there is downhill and much easier, not to mention it will be dark for the trips back (although everything is lighted well and pedestrian-friendly, even at night).

As I say, drive over to the PokerStars blog today for more.

Travel Report: EPT11 Grand Final, Day 1 -- Hairpin Turns

One day in and I am already fairly swamped here at the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo® Casino European Poker Tour Grand Final festival.

For my first day I was mostly occupied with the France Poker Series Monaco Main Event, which saw a modest-sized turnout of 265 players come out for the €1,100 buy-in tournament. They’re expecting a lot more on Thursday, however, for the second of two Day 1 flights, so we’ll see if they manage to challenge the total of 837 who played that event a year ago.

Have already experienced some of the exorbitant pricing of food and transportation here in Monte Carlo, having taken some pricey cab rides and enjoying a fine dinner with my PokerStars blog colleagues Stephen and Howard.

I managed to get away from the venue for a bit in order to meet them at a restaurant called Polpetta, one they’d come to know and could recommend after having been here many years in a row. Had a delicious fish soup appetizer and a flavorful dish of spaghetti scampi for the main course, which was plenty satisfying.

Gonna have to cut it short here unfortunately, as I expect I’ll be doing throughout the next week-and-a-half thanks mainly to the fact that while my accommodations are great, it’s taking extra time for me to get to the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Casino and back. Took cabs today, although I may walk it this morning if only to enjoy the nice weather and see some sites.

Got a preview of that walk last night with my dinner companions, including negotiating the famous hairpin turn pictured above -- the “Fairmont Hairpin” -- from the Circuit de Monaco where they run the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix each year. In fact that will be happening about three weeks from now, I believe.

I have walked around a lot already during my couple of days here, and the sharp “hairpin” turn is kind of a theme thanks to the way the buildings and pedestrian walkways are laid out. And also thanks to my especially poor sense of direction, which often has me turning back whether on the streets of an unfamiliar city or trying to find my way through a casino.

For more from Monaco, head over to the PokerStars blog where in addition to more FPS Monaco coverage, the big €100K Super High Roller gets going today.