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Day: 29 March 2024

European Poker Tour: Elite players to gather at the Casino de Monte-Carlo in four weeks’ time

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/03/2024
european poker tour

The prestigious Casino de Monte-Carlo will be playing host to the European Poker Tour between 24th April and 4th May. The major event will feature some of the world’s best poker players alongside up-and-coming talents, who will all be duking it out for cash prizes that might even hit the seven-figure mark.

The event, organised jointly with PokerStars, will be taking place from 24th April to 4th May in arguably the most glamourous casino on the planet. 

Among the challenges facing players will be High Roller and Mystery Bounty games as well as a central tournament for the finest stars of the poker world. On top of this, there will be several Super High Roller games with a minimum buy-in of €100,000.

The fun isn’t limited to the pros, though, as the European Poker Tour will also run a series of cash buy-in games every day from the start of the competition at the Salle des Etoiles and the Salle des Palmiers.

The styles of poker being played include: 2-7 Draw, 5-Card Draw, A-5 Draw, Badacey, Badeucy, Badugi, Chinese (and variants), Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Pineapple, Pineapple Hi/Lo, Razz, Stud and Stud Hi/Lo. The games can be played No Limit, Pot Limit or Limit.  

All players must be 18 and over with a valid identity card if they wish to join in or even access the casino. The dress code is casual, but athletic wear is forbidden. Additionally, according to local law, Monegasque citizens are not allowed to participate.

To sign up or for more information, click here.

Read related:

Getting to know Monaco: Monte Carlo, the centre of glamour and opulence

 

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Photo source: Michal Parzuchowski, Unsplash 

The countdown to the Monaco E-Prix has begun

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/03/2024
monaco e-prix

Kicking off the spring motorsport season in the Principality is the Monaco E-Prix, which will be back in action on 27th April. 

Formula E, the electric-powered version of Formula 1, will be returning to the iconic Monaco circuit in a matter of weeks.  

The sport is gaining in popularity among motorsports lovers and more than 20,000 people turned out in Monaco last year to watch their favourite drivers take on one of the world’s most challenging street tracks.

See more: Dates for Monaco Grand Prix, ePrix and Historic Grand Prix revealed

The Principality was among the early adopters of this more eco-friendly style of racing and hosted the inaugural Monaco E-Prix in 2015, just months after the very first race was held in Beijing in September 2014.  

MASERATI MSG RACING 

The Monaco race is always a big hit, particularly for fans of the locally-based Maserati MSG Racing team and its drivers, Max Günther and Jehan Daruvala. This year’s race will be Daruvala’s first time out on the Monaco circuit in competition as he is in his Formula E rookie season.  

To date, Maserati MSG Racing has earned nine wins, five pole positions and 25 podium finishes, but no driver for the team has ever won the Monaco E-Prix.  

Other top-name drivers set to compete at the upcoming stage are Renault’s Sébastien Buemi, DS Penske’s Jean-Éric Vergne, and Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans from Jaguar TCS Racing. Cassidy won last year’s race.  

 

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Photo credit: Automobile Club de Monaco

Introducing Plato, the new robotic helper at Nice Airport’s Infinity VIP Lounge

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/03/2024
plato vip lounge

The Infinity VIP Lounge in Terminal 2 at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport has a new team member in the form of service robot Plato.  

Plato’s primary role is to support the current hosts and hostesses in the Lounge by taking over some of their more “repetitive and time-consuming” chores, freeing them up to focus on more on their guests.  

With large round eyes and a smiling ‘face’, Plato is programmed to adapt to the surrounding environment, navigate crowds and carry loads up to 30 kilograms.

Plato can run for up to 15 hours on a single charge and take direction from simple voice commands.  

Plato can carry trays of food to customers, transport dishes, glasses and silverware, and serve drinks. Photo via Nice Côte d’Azur Airport

“With Plato, labour-intensive, repetitive, heavy-lifting and transporting tasks are automated, promoting better health and well-being for restaurant, hotel and store staff,” says a spokesperson for United Robotics, the company who designed and built Plato.  

Some of the jobs the robot can do include carrying trays of food to customers, transporting dishes, glasses and silverware, and serving drinks.  

To read more about this new addition to the Infinity VIP Lounge, click here.

 

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Photo source: United Robotics

Larvotto Beach gets ready for the summer season

by: Elsa Carpenter
29/03/2024
larvotto beach

Over the next few weeks, Larvotto Beach will be smoothed out and levelled in preparation for the summer season. The beachfront restaurants and other local businesses will remain open, but swimming will be forbidden for the duration of the works.  

The government says that the project is necessary in order to welcome the thousands of beachgoers who enjoy Larvotto Beach during the summertime “in the best conditions”.  

The sands and gravel base of the beach have been impacted by the storms experienced in the region in recent weeks, making the slope down to the water steeper than usual. Therefore, the beach will be gently levelled to meet requirements.

See more: The secret beaches in Monaco you might not have heard of

A set of protective nets will be installed just off the shoreline in a bid to protect the seabed and its flora and fauna from any sediment released during the works. 

The team in charge of the reprofiling project, which will run from 15th April until 3rd May, will be working between the hours of 7.30am and 12pm, and then again from 2pm to 6.30pm. 

 Although swimming will be prohibited for the duration of the works, access to the beach will still be possible, albeit section by section as the project progresses.  

The restaurants and businesses that line the beachfront will remain open. 

For more information, click here.  

Read related:

Getting to know Monaco: the vibrant district of Larvotto

 

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Photo source: Monaco Communications Department

Rainy forecasts threaten to make Easter weekend a washout

by: Niki Borisova
29/03/2024

Yet another Mediterranean episode appears to be looming on the horizon, and the latest Météo France forecasts for the long Easter weekend suggest that at least two out of three of the days will be wet – very wet.

It is looking increasingly likely that Easter egg hunts and family celebrations will be forced indoors over the weekend as clouds gather over the Côte d’Azur and Météo France warns of incoming rains.

The gloomy forecast has cast a shadow over outdoor Easter plans, with the worst of the weather predicted to start around midday in the more mountainous parts of the region on Saturday 30th March. The coast will largely be spared of rain during the daytime, but the forecast still looks cloudy, with temperatures expected to reach a maximum of 15°C.

Although no serious weather alerts have been issued, unlike during the storms of early March, heavy rain is expected to fall on Saturday evening and continue falling throughout Sunday. The wind is also likely to play a factor in the stormy conditions, with gusts of up to 55km/h possible in some areas.

The bad weather will no doubt force many families to rethink their outdoor egg hunts and picnics, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all fun is off the Easter table. A wet weekend is the perfect time to indulge in some family baking and crafting activities.

And we can look forward to the sun returning on Monday 1st April – fingers crossed!

Read related:

2023 was Monaco’s second hottest year on record

 

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Photo source: Unsplash