Full house at Poker Ball

On arrival, I was surprised to note that apparently the honour of an invite to this ‘exclusive’ event does not guarantee a swift entry. Ten-minute queues and decidedly aggressive bouncers don’t exactly make for an elegant, relaxing entry. Thankfully, suspiciously coloured shots were visible through the door, so at least there was light at the end of the tunnel. After giving my name and cheekily helping myself to not one but two ‘welcome shots’ (a surprisingly tasty coffee and vodka mix), I was pleased to begin my night.  With most people already cross-eyed and gently swaying, the bar was my first stop. The trauma of being thrust around in the queue was not over; as ever, the bar in the main area of the Victoria was frustratingly overpopulated. Conversely, the dance floor was basically empty but for a couple of enthusiasts, giving an unfortunate school disco vibe.  

Before long, the dispersion of crowds reversed a little, the bar clearing up and the dance floor suitably heaving with sweaty bodies. Things started to liven up. Tom Lockyer and Henry Stanislaw shared the DJing, providing an eclectic mix of styles. Ties loosened, all manner of spillages appeared on previously white shirts, and flowers were trampled. After drinking enough to delude myself into thinking I can actually dance, my night really took off: it was a good group of people, suitably uninhibited and, fingers crossed, too drunk to remember that little issue you had when you fell over and landed in the proverbial ‘face-down ass-up’ position. The outside area was lively and full as usual, the broken glass underfoot throwing an exciting sense of danger into the mix. A few heated discussions between staff and customers later, it was 1am, the lights were back on, and we were all brutally exposed in our by then seriously ropey-looking glory.

Next: to the ‘official’ afterparty. Stuart Campbell of Golf Hotel fame assembled some kind of makeshift bar to distribute drinks, providing a nice antidote to the usual afterparty ‘where on earth is the booze’ shambles. With one room blaring an interesting Rihanna/Ja Rule/50 Cent playlist (we all kind of loved it really) and another with Stanislaw and Lockyer DJing, it was strangely well orchestrated considering the fact that most of us were no longer able to form proper sentences.

On the whole, it was a very fun night. There’s no poker (a few oversized playing cards littered around is about as far as that goes), and it’s not exactly a ball, but the Royal and Ancient Poker Club certainly throw a great party.