Comic-strip hero Lucky Luke, the cowboy who is faster than his own shadow, owes his name to the above-average share of happiness allotted to him on his path in life. In every comic, the poor lonesome cowboy rides into the setting sun after thwarting the villains’ plans and making the world a better place locally.

Being a comic-strip hero obviously has its advantages in terms of having luck on your side. For ordinary people made of flesh and blood, like you and I, being lucky is more of a game of chance. To increase the chances, we like to reach for assistance. After all, you never know.

In a casino, which is about chance, games and luck, a whole range of rituals and lucky charms can be found under one roof. Under the motto: it doesn’t hurt to try, we enable you to benefit from this. No one would say no to some extra luck, particularly in these strange times.

Those who won’t take advice but secretly prefer to err on the side of caution can cross their fingers or touch wood. For a constant feeling of safety, put a four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot or a horseshoe in your pocket.

The fully-fledged player goes for lucky numbers. Seven, three and eight are the most obvious. However, that is precisely why you should not choose them. If you want to increase your chances in a game by using a lucky number, then you are better off opting for your own, unique number. And no, it is better not to take the so-called unlucky number thirteen. Celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Taylor Swift and LL Cool J have already preceded you. Invoking luck by applying the reverse reasoning of misfortune is a well-known technique. So feel free to leave your black cat at home…

Colours also have hidden symbolism often, especially in Chinese culture. Both red and yellow/gold are identified with luck. In addition, red reflects happiness while yellow and gold represent the imperial monarchy.

It has never been scientifically proven that any of these symbols and rituals work. Although…A belief in superstition gives the person in question more self-confidence, which of course helps. So if a football player, a casino visitor or someone who wants to avoid corona feels more at ease wearing their favourite yellow pants, keeping a rabbit’s foot in their inside pocket, or their fingers crossed and wearing a red handkerchief around their ankle, there is nothing exceptionable about this.

Good luck!

Yes, we are closed, and we think – as do you too, hopefully – that is highly regrettable. However, … there is nothing to prevent you from honing your casino skills at home, or from trying out your best poker face in the mirror. Casino games in quarantine – for something a bit different …

Because the aim is not to arrange a casino evening at home, of course, we are focusing on solo activities. A nice game of cards is indispensable in this case.

By the way, did you know that the Chinese invented card games? The first traces of paper playing cards date from the seventh century. According to tradition, Emperor Mu-Tsung played ‘domino cards’ with his wife. Symbols such as a horse, crow, pheasant, fish, or rabbit were depicted on these cards.

Card games were first introduced into Europe in the fourteenth century. The first cards were made by hand, but that was very time-consuming and costly. The printing press was what gave an impetus to card games.

In films you often see artists at work shuffling a deck of cards in the most ingenious manner. Is that something you can practice yourself?

Or would you rather stick with your poker face? As you are no doubt aware, in many cases non-verbal rather than verbal communication is more important. Look out for sudden movements of the eyebrows and lips. That is an indication of nervousness. And if you begin breathing more rapidly, your smart opponents will notice something is up. This can happen when the flop (the first three cards), the turn (the fourth card) or the river (the fifth card) is shown. Your breathing can express excitement or disappointment when the cards are shown. Incidentally, touching your nose or ears is not a good idea either when playing poker. This indicates a certain level of unease that is at odds with the concept of ‘adopting a poker face’.

So find your perfect poker face. Perhaps you can practice during one of our favourite poker films. We are happy to propose a selection for you:

Casino Royale
James Bond and villain Le Chiffre take their seats around the poker table in Montenegro. The stakes are sky-high and the tension great. A rollercoaster with special effects that has a surprising climax in Venice.

Rounders
Matt Damon and Edward Norton shine in this poker film from 1998. Two shrewd poker fanatics play to pay off Norton’s debts. He has just been released from prison and is being pursued by a gang of heavy-handed creditors.

Maverick
Maverick, played by Mel Gibson, is a gambler who wants to compete in a well-known championship on a riverboat. It is a high-stakes ‘Winner Takes All’ poker game. In order to participate, he needs USD 25,000. To increase his chances, he forges a pact with a female poker player (played by Jodie Foster).

The Cincinnati Kid
The Cincinnati Kid, notorious in 1930s New Orleans, is a true classic. ‘The Kid’ (played by Steve McQueen) takes on the legendary champion ‘The Man’ in a high-stakes poker game. What follows is a tremendously exciting poker game to decide who will become the poker king of New Orleans.

Photo ⓒ MomoFotografi

‘Once upon a time there was…’ is how many fairy tales begin.

This particular fairy tale begins, ‘once upon a time there was not’.

Once upon a time there was not a casino in Brussels. But ‘Casinos Austria International’ wanted to do something about it. The chronicle of how a genuine all-in-one entertainment centre came into being was based on the motto ‘if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well’.

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Work hard, play hard… It sounds cliché, but after a busy work week, a little bit of fun and relaxation is definitely more than welcome. Don’t know where to go or what to do? No problem! We have the perfect suggestion: what about a trip to our beautiful capital B?

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The Christmas season has finally arrived and that means our capital is again transformed into a true winter wonderland. The entire month, you’ll be able to enjoy wonderful Christmas entertainment and cosy quality time with friends and family in the heart of Brussels.

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After spending the summer in Knokke, Jay Gatsby and his decadent entourage return to VIAGE for some good ‘old glamour, mystery and sensation. The Great Gatsby Immersive is a unique experience that’ll submerge you in the atmosphere of the wild 20’s. A time where ladies removed their tight corsets and dressed more comfortably.

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Traditions are there to be kept. This is why Grand Casino Brussels Viage will once again be organising ‘Viage Wonderland’ this year, albeit revamped. This year, the Viage winter wonder days are all about burlesque, better known as the art of seduction. Every Friday you can enjoy a stimulating burlesque show with live music and in the company of several very charming male and female Santas every Friday night. A merry Christmas indeed!

Live tunes & the art of the tease

Burlesque reached its peak in the Flying 40’s and the Fabulous 50’s, but has been achieving success again these past few years, among others, because of Dita Von Teese, the well-known American burlesque artist.

During Viage Wonderland you are fully submerged in the enchanting world of seduction, cabaret and humour, each time with a different touch. Curious about what to expect? Then drift off with the following words: dreamy sultry jazzy decadence, enticing red hair, cabaret in duet with burlesque and a ravishing glass of champagne that will certainly surprise you. All this is served especially for you on wonderful live music that will certainly warm you up.

All I want for X-mas

Ho ho ho… there obviously can be no Viage Wonderland without the necessary portion of Christmas & glamour. Decorated Christmas trees filled with shiny baubles, festive streamers, atmospheric lights and wonderful gifts. Yes, you’ve read this correctly: Viage will be handing out nine fantastic presents a day in a raffle with prizes with a total value of a whopping €7,000!

The presence of attractive male and female Santas is a free extra.

Viage in the spotlights

The casino will be in the spotlights till 6 January (Thursday to Sunday from 5 pm to 10 pm). On these days beautiful images will be projected on the building’s façade as part of the Brussels event ‘Winter Wonders’. During the 2 km winter walk you can admire the lightshow twice every hour. A fun activity for young and old.

Practical info Viage Wonderland

Where? Grand Casino Brussels VIAGE
When? Every Friday till 21 December from 9 pm tot 1 am. The “Alice in    Wonderland” burlesque show takes place on Saturday 1 December, Friday 7 and 14 December from 8 pm to 10 pm. The lightshow projected on the casino can be viewed twice an hour till 6 January, every Thursday to Sunday from 5 pm to 10 pm.

What can you expect?

• Live music by Along Comes Mary, Black Elvis, Benny Blue and Sebi Lee
• Entertainment by The Retronettes pin-up dancers, Santa Lady & Her Angel
• Burlesque performances by Colette Collerette, Zoe Bizoe, Fay Loren and the cabaret & burlesque duet: Philou & Mamzelle Viviane
• Wonderful prizes with a Christmas feel
• Unique light spectacle at Grand Casino Brussels Viage (Winter Wonder Brussels)

How about organising a great night out for your partner, friends or colleagues while the Winter King howls through the streets of Belgium? This is enough to give some would-be party planners the creeps.  And we can’t blame them. A perfunctory drink on a chilly terrace won’t warm the cockles of anyone’s heart. Let alone a boring city hike at 6 degrees below zero. And if your friend has to visit an Escape Room one more time, your relationship status might really be reaching freezing point. Sounds familiar? Aha, then pop in at VIAGE on 1, 7 or 14 December at 20:00. There, we will present you with all the ingredients for an evening you won’t forget any time soon: a superb burlesque show, over-the-top costumes, fully catered meals and unique décor in the enchanting Viage Theatre.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland: Everyone knows the story! This iconic fairy tale, written by Lewis Carroll, has spoken to the imagination worldwide since 1865. Walt Disney created his own cinematic interpretation of the book, music lovers have appreciated the wondrous spectacle on international stages, and they even presented the piece with primal enthusiasm in circusses. However, we would not be VIAGE if we did not present the extraordinary story of Alice the blonde, The Mad Hatter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum in our own, special way. So let’s turn our amazing theatre space into a true entertainment paradise. We do this under the guidance of the artistic burlesque production by Morganne Viennet and Caroline Venturini‘s beautiful tailored costumes.

What is burlesque?

When the word burlesque is mentioned, one immediately envision dancing soiree-artists, caricature, teasing characters and of course, glamorous outfits that cover just enough. But above all, many forget that a burlesque act presents the public with humour, irony, catchy music and a spectacular event. Crossed legs, knee twisting, exaggerated gestures with the legs, feet, hands and arms. No wonder you as a spectator can barely sit still. And that’s also the intention: etiquette requires you to encourage the performers and cheer loudly at everything they do. Lubricate your throat well with one of our home-made cocktails and let it all out!

Food, drinks & fun

With our burlesque show, we once again prove that VIAGE is much more than just a casino paradise, especially in the festive month of December. Because after rummaging around one of the loveliest Christmas markets in Europe (read: Brussels Winter Wonders), VIAGE is the perfect place to warm up properly with your friends, partner or colleagues. Right in the heart of Brussels. In addition to the entertainment of our burlesque act, we present you with a special three-course menu and various animation performers. Fancy posing on the photo with one of the main characters after the show? Lolly Wish, Miss Glitter Painkiller, les soeurs papilles await you at our photo booth: obviously in their most seductive pose.

Need to know which tickets are still available for the VIAGE Alice in Wonderland show? Check out the ticket overview. When buying more tickets collectively, you also take advantage of a nice discount and delightful extra benefits.

Our formulas

• Formula 1: 45 euros
  • Three-course menu
  • Ticket to Burlesque show in Wonderland
• Formula 2: 20 euros per person
  • 20 tickets
  • Ticket to Burlesque show in Wonderland
• Formula 3: 75 euros per person:
  • 20 tickets
  • Menu on request
  • Ticket to Burlesque show in Wonderland
  • Open bar

Viage in Wonderland

Feeling lucky lately? Then make sure you keep your diary free from 6 to 11 November as the World Poker Tour DeepStacks festival is descending on our Grand Casino Brussels for the sixth time running. The Greek Ioannis Angelou-Konstas was victorious at the successful spring edition in March. He walked away with an impressive €75,000. Talk about a winning hand!

The autumn edition of WPT DeepStacks will take no less than six days. Just under a week of healthy excitement, bluffing, tactics and a bunch of winning aces. Let’s see what’s on the agenda:

A good start is half the job done

Would you like to warm up first and perfect your poker face before starting the real work? This can be done at the €400 buy-in WPT DeepStacks Opener. An unlimited number of entries are allowed at this first event and you begin with a stack of 25,000 in chips. The opener is divided over three days, always in blind levels of half an hour, with two start flights: Day 1A on 6 November and Day 1B on 7 November. The final is then played on 8 November.

The real deal

Are you all warmed up and have you sufficiently sniffed up the poker festival’s atmosphere? Then it’s time for the real work: the €1200 WPT DeepStacks Main event from 8 to 11 November. This is what it’s all about! The tournament has two start flights, each with blind levels of 40 minutes and one re-entry per starting day. The final has blind levels of 60 minutes. Good to know: you begin the Main event with 30,000 in chips.

Raising the stakes

Running hot? Then you may feel like raising the stakes (and the excitement) a little at the €2200 High Rollers event on 10 and 11 November. Play with the big boys for the big bucks. The tournament starts on Saturday 10 November at 6 pm so players who get stuck on the final of the Main event can give it another try.  You begin with 50,000 in chips in blind levels of 40 minutes. This event has an unlimited number of re-entries.

“This is a man’s world but…

It wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman”. James Brown was absolutely right. Poker still bears the label as being mainly for men, but these past few years more and more women are taking part in poker tournaments and this should be encouraged. This is why there will be a €60 buy-in Ladies event on 9 November at the WPT DeepStacks Brussels. It concerns a freezeout poker tournament with levels of 20 minutes. So if you are a woman with an incredible poker face and mad poker skills then take your chance at this Ladies event!

Don’t miss our live satellites every Monday and Wednesday throughout October and try your chance to win a Main Event Ticket.

For more info and tickets: https://www.viage.be/nl/casino/poker/

Programme

• 6 – 8/11 WPT DeepStacks Opener
• 8 – 11/11 WPT DeepStacks Main event
• 9/11 WPT DeepStacks Ladies event
• 10 – 11/11 WPT DeepStacks High Roller event

Everyone knows it: Brazil really knows how to part-ay. It’s the country of the biggest carnival, the catchy rhythms of the samba and the ice cold cocktails on the beach. With an important Independence Day coming up, these Latin Americans are preparing themselves for another legendary party. Would you like to be part of a spectacle like this but you don’t feel like booking a last minute flight across the Atlantic? Head down to VIAGE on  Saturday 8 September in the heart of Brussels and get the party started with our two Tomorrowland DJ’s during our Brazilian Night.

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