Turn rags to riches at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino’s poker tourneys. The largest casino on the Dutch-French island dominates the Caribbean circuit. Kick it into high gear next holiday on the resort’s green felt and white beaches: a good deal for cardsharps and companions alike.
Poker once known as the “cheating game” on Mississippi River paddleboats and in Wild West cowboy saloons is enjoying a vogue, attracting celebrity players like Ben Affleck. The International Poker Federation crowned this favorite, rising-star casino last year with the first St. Maarten’s Open, which drew a rainbow of nationalities: Americans, Austrians, Finns, Italians, Brits and Dutch, among others. Sonesta Maho Beach hosts the event again from November 20 December 3, 2004 (www.ipfpoker.com).

In the meantime, Maho’s Casino Royale hosts plenty of ante action. Drop in to enjoy the bounty of hot beaches and rock and roll in the Q-Club. Or cut loose at not one, but two, calypso-crazed carnivals each year. “The Maho” features a redesigned promenade, a bevy of dining, refreshing pools and forty fab boutiques. Lay down in elegant rooms: some with balconies overhanging the sea, others in the suave Sky Tower.

Make a move now and get the right price: casino clients stay for just US$125 per night, the rate drops to $75 after five tournaments played. The management awards a free ride a gratis room based on your action at the tables.
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