Why I'm Not Going to Miss Cash Games Festival Bulgaria

If you think that cash games are the poor cousin to tournaments when it comes to big extravaganzas, then think again! Then get your ticket booked – ‘cos we’re going to Bulgaria! Well, at least I am!

It’s just 25 days now until the biggest Cash Game Festival on the planet hits the Platinum Casino in Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach Resort, and it’s one you simply can’t afford to miss if –like me - cash tables are your thing. No donkaments, no sir.

With cash tables running 24 hours a day, and not a tournament in sight, there will be five full days and nights of NLHE, PLO, Dealer’s Choice 9-game, the hugely popular 6+ Hold’em and Sviten Special on offer for enthusiasts, with stakes running from €2+€2 all the way up to €10-€25. I’ll be at the lower end of that scale, mainly because of my skill level and my editors reluctance to pay for quality writing!

The Cash Game Festival Bulgaria is also the only event outside of the big US High Stakes Poker-type productions to allow ordinary cash game fanatics the chance to show their skills on live featured tables – the TV cameras and Twitch stream bringing all your great hands and big wins to viewers worldwide.

August 31st will see the action start in this unique event, a festival which has already proven to be hugely successful at its previous halts in London and Malta, having started off with 3 events in Tallinn, Estonia to test the waters.

As guts.com ambassador Silje Nilssen from Norway stated on her way to Malta, “What’s unique about the Cash Game Festival is that unlike the EPT or World Series…the cash game IS the Main Event.”

Lucky Dick!

That same Malta leg saw PokerTube’s very own Rikard Aberg hitting the high-spots in the heart of St. Julian's where the Casino Malta takes pride of place, and you can see for yourself what the festival has to offer on their personal YouTube page. If yours truly can persuade the editors, Rikard will be taking a well-earned break, and I’ll be the one interviewing beautiful blonde poker players on the Bulgarian Beaches this time round!

Actually, paying to be there and playing rather than reporting will do me just fine - and who wouldn’t want to be there? The Sunny Beach stop on Bulgaria's hidden gem of Black Sea coast features a purpose-built, modern holiday town boasting brand-new restaurants, bars, and energetic nightclubs across its high-rise waterfront. It’s got a spotless long beach too, just in case the deck runs cold – because the weather certainly won’t!

The Casino

The Platinum Casino is located less than a stones-throw from the beach itself, and is no stranger to running quality events - being the venue for the IPC Summer Masters and the ECE Poker Cup among many others this year alone.

It also offers more than 150 slot machines, electronic roulette, and the widest variety of card games in Bulgaria – Black Jack, Carribean Stud Poker, 3 Card Poker, American Roulette, and more! The dedicated Poker Room is a place of constant Texas Holdem and Omaha action with 25 poker tables, a number which will increase significantly during the Cash Game Festival itself.

With an adjoining hotel, restaurant, beach bar, live cabaret, and singers, you won’t have to stray far from the poker action to find the rest of the action! Me? I’ll stick to the poker tables, though whether I can stay awake for 5 full days is another thing entirely.

How to Book Your Seat

Getting down to the nitty-gritty, booking your spot couldn’t be easier. Secure your seat for a certain day, game, and buy-in by registering in advance. This will allow you to cut the lines, ensuring a faster service and direct access to the tables. Otherwise, just turn up and the Poker Managers at Platinum Casino will register you on a first come first serve basis for your poker cash game of choice.

Getting there (and away again if you choose to leave when September 4th arrives!) is also a piece of cake, as is sorting out your accommodation, with the organisers of Cash Game Festival agreeing to fantastic rates with partner hotels to accommodate players with different preferences when it comes to pricing and luxury.

My choice, the Platinum Casino and Hotel itself, boasts everything you could wish for from a luxury hotel, with currency exchange, swimming pool, free wi-fi and much, much more available on site. I can’t swim, but reckon I’ll need everything else!

So what are you waiting for? Join me on the beach, the Sunny Beach, and then do your best to take my cash off me at the tables! I’ll only be in the NLHE games though, so I can honestly wish you good luck in the rest of the Cash Game Festival’s offerings!