Grosvenor Leeds merrion: Venue Review
The Grosvenor Leeds Merrion is in a prime City Centre location with the facilities upstairs in a two storey building. Car Parking is at the rear of the building or plentiful across the road, and the cost is covered by the casino.
The card-room is located at the far end of the gaming room, past a spacious bar and lounge area and assorted gaming tables.
The card-room itself is large, with room for fifteen tables, though on the night I visited only six were in use. Poker at the Merrion is undergoing a transformation. The scene in Leeds is very competitive, with four major providers of Poker, and the management have decided to revamp the schedule as follows with the venue to date having a reputation as not being amongst the pre-eminent places to play poker in the area :
MONDAY - £1,000 Added to PRIZE MONEY
£20 Freezeout
£20 Entry + £4 Registration Fee
Entries from 7pm - Tournament Starts @ 8pm
10,000 Point Stack - Blinds start at 25 - 50
TUESDAY - £2,000 GUARANTEED PRIZE MONEY
£20 Double Chance - One Re-Buy allowed
£20 Entry + £5 Registration Fee
Entries from 7pm - Tournament Starts @ 8pm
7,500 Point Stack - Blinds start at 25 - 50
WEDNESDAY - £2,000 GUARANTEED PRIZE MONEY
£30 Freezeout
£30 Entry + £5 Registration Fee
Entries from 7pm - Tournament Starts @ 8pm
10,000 Point Stack - Blinds start at 25 - 50
THURSDAY - £2,000 GUARANTEED PRIZE MONEY
£15 Double Chance - One Re-Buy allowed
£15 Entry + £4 Registration Fee
Entries from 7pm - Tournament Starts @ 8pm
7,500 Point Stack - Blinds start at 25 - 50
FRIDAY - £2,000 GUARANTEED PRIZE MONEY
£10 Triple Chance - Two Re-Buys allowed
£10 Entry + £4 Registration Fee
Entries from 7pm - Tournament Starts @ 8pm
5,000 Point Stack - Blinds start at 25 - 50
SATURDAY - £2,000 GUARANTEED PRIZE MONEY
£10 Double Chance - One Re-Buy allowed
£10 Entry + £4 Registration Fee
Entries from 7pm - Tournament Starts @ 8pm
7,500 Point Stack - Blinds start at 25 - 50
SUNDAY - £5,000 GUARANTEED PRIZE MONEY
£50 Freezeout
£50 Entry + £5 Registration Fee
Entries from 3pm - Tournament Starts @ 4pm
10,000 Point Stack - Blinds start at 25 - 50
As you can see the venue is offering added value or guarantees every night, which require a substantial step up in numbers to be met. For the time being therefore, Leeds poker players are going to be benefitting from this extra value on offer.
I visited on a Tuesday night for the £20 double chance competition, £2,000 guaranteed, in the first week of the new schedule . Arriving at 7.30pm for an 8pm I found the tables already ready, chips and cards in place, a nice touch. The competition started on time, which was also welcome and not always the case everywhere. The competion was dealer dealt, and dealing standards were high. The "regulars" were friendly, and the valet service efficient.
As the night wore on and my chip-stack dwindled, I wondered why this wasn't a major poker venue? Granted the room could do with a refurbishment, but that is imminent. However for a good structured affordable poker tournament, the room compared favourably with my experiences elsewhere.
Elsewhere in the room two cash games were on offer, interestingly in the main gaming area. £0.5-£1 blinds, pots raked at 5%.
It would be logical for the venue to start offering bigger tournaments. Indeed on 31st July the venue is running the "Yorkshire Cup", a £250 buy in £10,000 guaranteed freeze-out.
You can find the Grosvenor Leeds Merrion Casino at
Podium Building
Merrion Way
Leeds
LS2 8BT
T: 0113 244 8386
The Merrion is open twenty-four hours a day.