There’s a rhythm to a proper Dublin casino evening, and it rarely starts at the tables. The smart money — if you’ll forgive the expression — begins with a pint or two at a decent pub. Not to get drunk, mind. Just to settle into the night, catch up with friends, maybe line the stomach before the hours of concentration ahead.
I’ve spent the better part of nine years refining this particular science. What follows is less a definitive list than a personal geography — the pubs I’ve come to associate with different casinos, different moods, different kinds of evenings.
Near The Sporting Emporium
Kehoe’s on Anne Street is the obvious choice, and for once the obvious choice is the right one. A Victorian pub that’s been serving pints since 1803, it has the kind of atmosphere that marketing departments spend millions trying to manufacture. The snug at the front is perfect for small groups; the upstairs bar offers more space when things get crowded. Five minutes’ walk to the casino, which is close enough to be convenient and far enough to clear your head.
The Duke on Duke Street takes a different approach. More literary than Kehoe’s — this was Brendan Behan’s local, and Joyce drank here too — it attracts a slightly older, slightly quieter crowd. The Guinness is reliably excellent. I’ve started more poker evenings here than I can count, usually at the small table by the window where you can watch Grafton Street wind down.
Not for everyone, but The Long Hall on South Great George’s Street is worth the slight detour. The interior is genuinely Victorian — chandeliers, ornate mirrors, a bar that runs the length of the room — and the crowd tends toward people who appreciate such things. The sort of place where you might find yourself in conversation with a retired judge or a touring musician. Unpredictable in the best way.
Near D1 Club
The northside requires different tactics. The Confession Box on Marlborough Street isn’t much to look at from outside, which is rather the point. Inside, it’s a proper local — darts, racing on the television, regulars who’ve been coming for decades. The poker crowd from D1 Club often ends up here for a post-session debrief, dissecting bad beats over pints that cost noticeably less than their southside equivalents.
The Flowing Tide near the Abbey Theatre attracts a theatrical crowd, which can make for interesting company. I’ve found myself discussing Shakespeare with actors still in stage makeup while waiting for a late-night cash game to start. Dublin is a small city, and its worlds overlap in unexpected ways.
The Whiskey Question
A word on spirits. Dublin’s casino clubs don’t serve alcohol at the gaming tables — a quirk of Irish law that some visitors find frustrating. I’ve come to appreciate it. But if you want a proper Irish whiskey before the cards come out, you need to know where to look.
The Palace Bar on Fleet Street keeps one of the better whiskey selections in the city — over 100 bottles last time I counted, including several single pot stills you won’t find elsewhere. The trick is to ask the barman what’s good rather than ordering blind. They know their stock.
For something more contemporary, The Vintage Cocktail Club (tucked away on Crown Alley) does interesting things with Irish spirits. Not strictly a pub, I suppose, but the atmosphere suits a certain kind of pre-casino mood — sophisticated without being stuffy, intimate without being cramped.
Timing and Tactics
The sweet spot for a pre-casino pint is between 7pm and 9pm. Earlier, and the pubs are too quiet; later, and you’ll arrive at the tables just as the serious players are settling in. Two pints is about right — enough to take the edge off, not enough to affect your judgment.
Some people prefer to drink after playing, which has its own logic. The pubs stay open late — 11:30pm during the week, later on weekends, and some have special exemptions that push closing time well past midnight. You’ll find a different crowd at these hours: night owls, service industry workers finishing shifts, the occasional fellow gambler processing a particularly memorable hand.
In fairness, the best evenings tend to involve both — a pint or two before, another after, with the casino serving as the fulcrum around which the night turns. It’s not about the drinking, really. It’s about the rhythm. Dublin understands rhythm.
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