$5 Blackjack Comes to Seminole Casino Hollywood

If you love to play live blackjack with other people but tend to walk past high limit tables often encountered in Las Vegas, you’re in luck. Seminole Casino Hollywood, across the street from Seminole Hard Rock, will deal their first hand of blackjack during special ceremonies Friday, Aug. 20 and is guaranteeing it will have $5 tables available for play 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Our primary market is south Broward and Miami Dade counties where racinos can only offer so-called virtual blackjack,” said Robert Dearstine, director of marketing. “We believe that live games at the low limit of $5 will be a tremendous selling point for this property.”

After brief speeches starting at noon by Seminole leaders and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen, Seminole Casino Hollywood General Manager Adrian Fox will begin play by announcing: “Guests Place Your Bets” to 84 seated guests at the casino’s 12 blackjack tables, including Seminole Tribal Council members, comedian Jimmie Walker, GSN Catch 21 show host, Alfonso Ribeiro, local media celebrities, and other VIPs.

Ribeiro is best known for his comedic portrayal of Will Smith’s uptight cousin, Carlton, in the TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Comedian Jimmie “JJ” Walker, who coined the catch-phrase, “Dy-no-mite!” was the star of the Good Times sitcom on CBS.

The party starts when a junkanoo band begins roaming the floor and tossing blackjack beads. The reggae band Higher Ground will perform all afternoon, and at 6 p.m., Jimmie Walker will perform his hilarious stand-up act. Singer Rachel Brown and her band will also perform from 7:30 until 1 a.m. when a special guest DJ will take over until 4:30 a.m. And of course, the $5 blackjack action will “party on” all night. Just a few of the local media celebrities confirmed to play the ceremonial first hand of blackjack are:

Kenny Walker, WKIS-FM 99.9, morning show host
Donny Michaels, WFLC-FM 97.3, “The Coast” midday host
Vance Phillips, WMXJ-FM 102.7, All Request Show host
DJ Gringo, WXDJ-FM El Zol 95.7, morning show mixer
Stephanie Bromfield, WLYF-FM, 101.5, weekend host
Greg “Toast” LaMega, WBGG-FM 105.9 and WKGR-FM 98.7, morning show personality
Rob “O’Snap” White, WHQT-FM HOT-105, Old School House Party host

Seminole casinos can offer real blackjack exclusively 24 hours a day, seven days a week due to a compact agreement passed into law by the Florida Legislature and approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior in July. Seminole Casino Coconut Creek began higher limit blackjack games on Aug. 13. Seminole Casino Hollywood hired 90 blackjack dealers, mostly from Florida, for its 12 tables.