Poker Trips Diary: Noisy Nights and Juicy Tables

One Game ♦️ One World

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Weekly Poker Trip Forecast

The Norwegian Poker Gathering:
Still On, Still Wild

One thing is certain. The Norwegian poker gathering is a strong event and the action is completely insane.

Cash games run nonstop. Tables stay busy, drinks keep flowing, and the room rarely (never) gets quiet. Anyone who has played here before knows what to expect. It’s loud, it’s chaotic, and it’s a lot of fun.

That also makes it a challenging environment to play serious poker. Concentration becomes part of the battle when the table is celebrating a big pot (every hand) or ordering another round (also every hand). Still, this is exactly what makes these poker trips memorable (and usually profitable). The mix of competition, social energy, and travel creates a vibe you simply don’t get at most regular stops.

Results for me are still not the best so far, but the event itself remains juicy and there are a few days and mostly nights still ahead, and anything can happen before the week ends.

It’s easy to follow the event online via their Poker NM IG account and with the daily PokerExklusiv updates. In its Wednesday post, the DACH poker website pointed out how surprising it was that the North Masters Main Event was not really picking up speed despite the huge action all in all.

I am also surprised, but not by that fact. I am surprised to see how those hordes of friendly vikings of all ages treat the gathering as a giant and very messy (the good kind of messy) home game in which people order beer bottles by the bucket or coffee (but never without Cognac) while getting massages and playing insanely loose and juicy cash games 24/7 for 10 days straight. Honestly, the only thing missing, is a live DJ and the poker party would be perfect. It’s for sure a lot less fun to grind for days in a tedious NLH tournament upstaires in a sterile Crowne Plazza conference room when you can engage in dozens of crazy 500-bb deep cash games with 4,5 or 6 cards featuring one board or more – day and night.

The original route after Bratislava, where I am spending a month included a stop in Linz, Austria for the CAPT. Plans evolve quickly on the road though, especially during long stretches of poker trips.

Instead of heading to the mountains, the journey will shift back toward western Europe. A stop in Namur is now a possibility for the next DSO event.

April will most likely be spent in Portugal.

The decision has little to do with tournament poker though and everything to do with quality of life between events. The weather is great, the pace is relaxed, and the food deserves special mention. It’s always good to be back in Estoril.

Actually, the food deserves more than a mention. It is one of the main reasons for this escapade.

The reason is that another long stretch of Las Vegas for two or maybe even three months is coming up after Portugal. Anyone who has spent time grinding in Vegas knows the situation. Eating well often means cooking at home or spending 3 digits, otherwise things get disappointing very quickly. The good thing is, I recently invested in a new place so I’ll be delighted to use my new kitchen.

Portugal feels like the perfect place to recharge before that adventure begins.

Back on the website, the Poker Trips section keeps growing.

New announcements and upcoming events are being added whenever interesting series appear on the radar, like the recently announced 2026 European Poker Masters stops. The goal is simple. Help traveling players discover new stops, fresh festivals, and opportunities to build their own poker journeys across Europe and beyond.

Promoters and organizers are always welcome to reach out if they want their events featured in the poker trips calendar. Visibility helps everyone, especially players planning their next adventure. You can also check out our Partners’ page to find out more.

More action is still waiting here in Slovakia, then the route turns toward western Europe before the spring stop in Portugal. After that, the big Vegas grind begins.

Until then, enjoy your own poker trips, run good at the tables, and maybe we will cross paths somewhere along the way.

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