Wed, 03/16/2011 – 22:42 – PokerPages Staff

Imagine a poker vacation where you’ll not only find a sumptuous poker room, but be surrounded by the gorgeous mountains of southern New Mexico.  This imposing landscape – as hypnotically soothing as it is dramatically beautiful – is home to the aptly-named Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.

Owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, the Inn also happens to run a superb ski resort.  If skiing doesn’t rock your boat, you’ll have very few difficulties in finding plenty of exhilarating activities between your visits to those felt-topped tables.  Like a round of golf on the excellent 18-hole championship golf course, a little fishing in the gin-clear waters of the lake or even a big game hunt.  Or just relax on water that mirrors the mountains and skies looking down on you as you glide peacefully over the lake in a gondola.  There are good reasons why this is New Mexico’s premiere mountain resort.

The pure mountain air and jaw-dropping alpine views are enough to bring guests back to the resort time and time again, but the hotel and casino are real dazzlers, too.  Covering 38,000 square feet, the Casino boasts a generous repertoire for gambling enthusiasts of all stripes.  There are state-of-the-art slots galore, and a complete complement of table games.  In addition to blackjacks, roulette and craps, you’ll find a panoply of poker games, including Limit and No-Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Three and Four Card Poker and Mississippi Stud.

Open every day of the week, the poker room also hosts a number of weekly tournaments.  A $20 No-Limit Hold’em tournament begins every Monday at Noon, ending on Friday (the buy-in is $16 and there’s a $4 entry fee for single table shoot-out.  On Wednesdays at 6.00 pm, you can take part in the weekly No-Limit Hold’em Bounty tournament, where your $55 buy-in gets you 2,000 poker chips; if you opt to spend an additional $5 dealer bonus, you get an additional 1,000 chips (every player who gets knocked out of the tourney pays $10).  A No Limit Hold’em tournament also kicks off every Sunday at 2.00pm (except for holiday weekends).  If you want to sign up for any of them, you’ll have until ten minutes before the start of each tournament to do so.

Beyond the confines of the poker room, the hotel will simply take your breath away.  As you walk into the fabulous lobby, you’ll be welcomed by friendly staff, roaring fireplaces, and panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains, lake and golf-course beneath, which could well induce a swoon.  There are original works of art throughout the hotel, and the resort boasts no fewer than 273 luxury rooms and suites with exquisite hand-crafted lighting fixtures, amply-sized bathrooms and sumptuous pillow-topped beds.  As for keeping body and soul together, you’re going to be spoiled for choice.  In addition to the bars serving drinks and delicious snacks, you’ll find a mouth-watering range of different cuisines to choose from.  Wendell’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant, the resort’s signature dining suite, combines fabulous food with stunning views of the Sacramento Mountains, the hauntingly beautiful Sierra Blanca and Lake Mescalero.  The Gathering of Nations Buffet provides a truly international dining experience, with dishes from Asia, Italy, Mexico, and of course, the US of A.

This is one poker vacation you not only won’t forget in a hurry; you’ll almost certainly be planning your return visit before you’ve even left.