Okay, enough with poker in Florida being the big joke around the country. Florida poker players have been dying to play the game for high stakes and starting in July they will finally be able to do so.

The New Poker Laws
Senate Bill 622 was signed into law on April 28th as part of the Seminole Gambling Compact. The bill, which officially goes into effect on July 1st, makes it legal for all poker rooms in Florida to offer no-limit games. That change alone has the power to transform Florida into the poker capital of the east coast.

The bill also made it legal for all Florida pari-mutuel and jai-alai facilities to operate all variations of poker games, and it allows them to increase their hours of operation to eighteen on Monday through Friday, and twenty-four on weekends. It also allows racing facilities to offer less live racing without having to pay higher poker taxes.

What the New Laws Means for Poker Rooms in Florida
More competition.

Over the course of the next several months and few years, each poker room across the state will be jockeying for a position in the market. Each room’s current position is that they will offer whatever games their players demand.

In an interview with Casino Pulse, Will Herrera, Poker Director for Mardi Gras Casino, said that, “The goal is to become as player-friendly as possible.”

Most poker rooms will try to please as many players as possible, as Mardi Gras intends to do, but most poker rooms will be defined by the type of players that gravitate to their room.

So some poker rooms will become ‘the place where ‘the fish’ are bitin’.’ Some will become ‘the place where the pro’s go.’ Others will become ‘the home of the locals.’

The West Palm Beach Kennel Club will be able to open up a new poker room anywhere in West Palm Beach without live racing, giving them a distinct advantage over most other poker rooms.

With the new, more lax racing requirements, other poker rooms will be popping up around the state, and they too will compete for their share of the market.

What No-Limit Poker Means for Tournaments in Florida
A greater amount of more varied tournaments.

The biggest casinos in the country host circuit events for major poker tours such as the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. Buy-ins range from $1,000 to $10,000 and higher. Up until this deal was agreed upon, Florida card rooms did not have the ability to bring those high stakes tournaments to the state. Now they do.

But it is not so much the tournaments themselves that excite the poker rooms. It’s the side cash games the tournaments spark.

“Many tournament players and those that follow the tournament circuit really enjoy the side action cash games that pop up when an influx of new players comes into a room,” Herrera said.

Expect an abundance of new tournaments with high stakes, side action cash games, starting on July 1st.

What No-Limit Games Mean for Professional Poker Players
Vacations to Florida.

Professional poker players travel in order to play in some of the biggest tournaments and richest cash games in the world. Florida, home to some of the wealthiest people in the world, celebrities, and tourists with deep wallets, will be like an oasis of easy money for these poker pro’s.

Expect to start seeing the faces you are used to seeing on TV at the very high stakes tables near you. And don’t worry about playing these pro’s, unless of course you are buying in for at least $50k.

What the New Law Means for Online Players in Florida
Interaction with real people.

With high stakes games now available at land-based poker rooms, online poker players will have the opportunity to play the game they love at live tables. Many online players will ditch their computers for the chance to win big money from inexperienced Florida players. It remains to be seen how good these online players will be in real live settings, but expect to see many more of them at the tables.

What the New Law Means in General for Poker in Florida
Skill will start to matter.

Up until now it was not uncommon to hear Florida poker players say there is no skill in the game, after coming home from a poker room with a depleted bankroll. “The guy went all in with 4-9 off suit and won!” says one poker player. “Poker is all luck,” says another player. That may have been true before, but no longer will that be the case.

For the first time, skill is going to play the most important role in the game of poker in Florida. It’s about time!

Hooray! The Florida Gambling Compact takes another step to becoming law.

The Seminoles get blackjack at five of their casinos, including the Coconut Creek casino, which plans for an expansion that will rival the Hollywood Hard Rock.

Broward pari-mutuels will get a tax cut from 50% to 35%. Mardi Gras officials said the tax break will allow them to expand their casino. It will also allow them a larger marketing budget. The tax break should allow Broward and Miami-Dade pari-mutuels the ability to compete with the Seminoles in those areas.

The bill also helps poker rooms around the state. No limit poker will be allowed, which could make Florida the poker capital of the East Coast. Extended hours for all Florida poker rooms will also be allowed in this bill.

Dog tracks and jai-alai’s outside of Broward and Miami-Dade are still in a tough situation even with no limit poker games and expanded poker rooms hours. A bill that would cut their taxes, allowing them to also compete with the Seminoles, was passed by a Senate committee on Tuesday and plans to move forward on the bill are expected to happen soon.

The Gambling Compact also would allow bingo-style slot machines to be added to Florida dog tracks and pari-mutuels, if they don’t look like slot machines. Since no such machines exist, it is unlikely this will have any effect on any Florida facility.

235 players will compete for over $1 million in the Florida Million Poker Tournament Day Two Event.

Derby Lane, this year’s host location, advanced the most players, 60, and Mardi Gras came in a close second – 54 players advanced from the Big Easy Poker Room. The 235 total advancing players will compete for the top prize of $250,000.

The tournament began with a goal of building a prize fund that could reach over $1 million. Many Florida players were skeptical the tournament would reach its goal, but following several sold out Day One events enthusiasm began to build.

South Florida player Ron W. said he wasn’t even going to play in the tournament. “Then I saw that almost every tournament at Mardi Gras was sold out. I knew that I had to take a shot.” Unfortunately, Ron finished 95th at his tournament, knocked out with trip aces against an Ace high straight.

By the end of the Day Ones, the tournament had surpassed its goal, making it the highest prize pool ever in Florida. In all, 2,349 players tested their skills in the event.

The first place winner will receive $250,000, twenty-one percent of the prize pool. The runner up will take home $129,000, and all top five finishers will win at least $41,000. All players who made it to Day Two will at least double their entry fee. Click here to see the complete list of payouts.

Because only 235 players advance, many of the players that had the stamina to last through the first round will have a decent opportunity to win some big money in the Day Two Event. The average chip stack heading to Day Two is 150,713. The chip leader has 662,500, and the short stack entering the final day has 22,500.

Each of the Day One events allowed for 150 players to enter. The top ten percent of the field, regardless of size, made it into the second day and into the money. The overall experience seemed to be one of comfort for many players who entered.

“The tournament was run professionally, and the interaction with other players was fun,” said Carlie C., one of the participants at Mardi Gras Casino’s last Day One event. “It was nice to meet some players from other areas that I normally would not have met.”

Mardi Gras was one of the six poker rooms that held Day One events. The others included the Orange Park Kennel Club and St. John’s Greyhound Park in Jacksonville, Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track, the Poker Room at the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Daytona Beach Kennel Club & Poker Room, and the host location, Derby Lane.

The final weekend will be one to remember for the 235 players that have advanced. On Friday, April 9th, The Venue in St. Petersburg will be hosting a party from 7PM to 10PM for all qualified players participating in the April 10th Day Two. The party is open to all players and their guests. Hors d’oeuvers will be served and drink specials will go on all night.

When play resumes on Saturday, blinds will be at 1,000-2,000, with 400 antes. Blinds will move every forty minutes as they had in Day One.

To all the host locations, one poker player from Hollywood says it best, “Florida poker players thank you for bringing a tournament to Florida that allows poker to be played the way it is meant to be played.”

Anyone interested in attending the final day of the Florida Million can contact the Derby Lane Poker room at 727-812-3339 ext.214.

The Florida Million could live up to it's namesake if Day One events keep filling up as they are now.

One of the locations where preliminary rounds are being held is the Big Easy Poker Room at Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach, Florida. It is the only poker room in Broward, or Miami-Dade Counties that is hosting the tournament.

“The first Florida Million ‘Day One’ event at The Big Easy Poker Room was an incredible success,” said Wil Herrera, Director of Poker Operations at Mardi Gras Casino’s Big Easy Poker Room. “It was the first sold out field for any ‘Day One’ event in the entire state and 15 players advanced to ‘Day Two’ at Derby Lane.”

“Unfortunately,” Herrera continued, “we had to turn away a few players on March 7th, but many pre-registered for the March 14th event. Response was so overwhelming that we have added a third ‘Day One’ event on Sunday, March 21st.”

The casino and its poker room were thrilled with the turnout, and are looking forward to the next three Sunday’s of action.

Players will be competing for their share of a guaranteed $500,000 prize pool. Through five Day One’s so far the average has been over $50k per day, and with 19 Day One events scheduled so far, the prize fund could reach the tournament’s namesake.

The first step for players to see any of that money, however, is making it through Day One play.

The tournament is set up for the top ten percent of the field to advance from all Day One events. With a maximum of 150 players per event, that means 15 players could move on to play in the Day Two event. These players will be considered, “In The Money.”

The entry fee for the Florida Million event is $500+$50.

Players in Florida have been waiting for these type of big events, and now six poker rooms have provided a showcase for some of the top local talent.

“With the laws the way they are in Florida, it has been hard to have these type of big money tournaments in the past,” said Michael Raymond, who has been playing cards at South Florida’s Seminole casinos for several years, “Now that there are more card rooms in the state, it is great to see them partnering up to bring us big events.”

Tournament players will start with 15,000 units, and blinds will move every forty minutes. Play will continue until the top ten percent of the field is reached. If the top ten percent is not reached in the first day, players will come back the following day and continue to play until ten percent of the field is left.

Any players that do not make it to the top ten percent on their first try are allowed to enter another Day One event at any location.

Players advancing out of all the Day Ones will reconvene on April 10th at the host location, which this year is the Derby Lane Poker Room in St. Petersburg.

The other locations for the Florida Million Poker Tournament are the Orange Park Kennel Club/St. John’s Greyhound Park in Jacksonville, the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track, and the Daytona Beach Kennel Club.

Anyone interested in signing up to play in the Florida Million Poker Tournament can contact the location nearest you at the numbers listed below. For up to date poker tournament schedules click on the poker room links below.

Orange Park Kennel Club/St. John’s Greyhound Park – 904-646-0002
Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track – 239-992-2411
Derby Lane Poker Room – 727-812-3339
Palm Beach Kennel Club – 561-683-2222
Daytona Beach Kennel Club and Poker Room – 386-252-6484
The Big Easy Poker Room at Mardi Gras Casino – 954-457-4229

Over $5 Million was spent by gaming companies in 2009 lobbying the Florida legislature, more is expected to be spent in 2010.

In March the Florida congress will take up the issue of expanded gambling again and even more money is expected to be spent through the 2010 sessions.

“I expect these numbers to be surpassed in 2010 when the Florida Legislature reconvenes,” said Marc Dunbar, a professor of Gaming Law at FSU College of Law and lawyer for a number of gaming interests.

Mardi Gras Casino spent $600,000 lobbying congress, more than any other gaming company.

With the recent talks of resort style casino meccas being built on certain Florida beaches, Las Vegas Sands has entered the scene. They spent over $65,000 lobbying Florida’s congress in 2009.

Others spending large amounts of cash to influence Florida’s lawmakers were Isle of Capri, who spent $410,000, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, who spent $395,000, GTECH, who spent $320,000, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida, who spent $280,000. Hialeah Park spent $230,000, Daytona Greyhound spent $215,000, Jacksonville Greyhound spent $205,000, Flagler spent $202,000, Calder spent $197,000, and Gulfstream Park spent $190,000.

The complete list of numbers can be found at FloridaGamingWatch.com, a website that tracks the legal developments of the Florida gaming industry.

Miami Gardens mayor, Shirley Gibson, and state senator, Frederica Wilson, helped Calder GM, Tom O'Donnell, cut the ribbon at today's Calder Grand Opening Ceremony.

Critics and naysayers told them they had no shot and laughed at their ambitions. After all, at the time, no casino in the state had ever passed inspection on the first try, and they would have to pass on their first try in order to avoid delays, and open on time.

Well, inspections took place on January 21st, and today, one week later, one week before the Super Bowl and just two days before the NFL Pro Bowl, the Calder staff walked around at their grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony with their heads held high and buttons on their lapels that read, “Yes We Did!”

To understand the significance of the seven month construction accomplishment one needs to only have seen the rubble of the parking lot seven months ago. It is no longer rubble. It has been transformed to include smoothly paved roads that lead to one of the more finely designed gaming establishments in Florida.

At the main entrance to Calder’s new casino is a large overpass where an abundance of valet attendants wait to park cars for arriving guests. It was also where today’s ribbon cutting ceremony took place.

In the audience were over 250 guests – one of whom was the original contractor that worked on Calder when they first opened their doors as a thoroughbred race course in 1971.

Calder GM, Tom O’Donnell, who hosted the ceremony, claimed the staff at Calder to be “the friendliest staff in South Florida.” He said their team paid special attention to making “friendliness” a job requirement for those looking to work at the new casino.

Miami Gardens mayor, Shirley Gibson, announced she was pleased with the fact that Calder was expanding, saying the new casino would, “…add flavor to the city, as well as adding to the local economy.”

O’Donnell pointed out that over 400 jobs were created as a result of the expansion.

State senator, Frederica Wilson, wearing a festive green hat, helped cut the ribbon, and after the ceremony all guests were treated to Martinelli and cake. One cake was designed as a Calder slot machine, but that cake remained uncut, boo-hoo.

After the ceremony guests were welcomed into the casino, many for the first time.

Inside the Casino
Walking into the new Calder Casino is like entering a ball. A regal aisle leads from the main entrance, straight to an expansive and hip-looking bar – which is back-dropped against a live band slightly elevated from the floor – which is back-dropped by a gigantic projection screen, where later in the day a laser light show will be displayed.

Players enjoy one of the four new electronic blackjack games featured at the new Calder Casino.

Betty, an avid blackjack player from Miami Lakes, was thrilled to have a new option where she could play blackjack. “I like that I could play six dollars or seven dollars a hand,” Betty said. “You have to start at $5, but you can increase your bet by $1 after that. That’s a big plus.”

The rest of the casino is packed in an organized and easy to navigate manner with sets of slot machines like Star Trek, Monopoly, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Reel ‘em In, Top Gun, Deal or No Deal, and others, in groups for players to enjoy.

For those looking for a quick bite there is the Front Runners Food Court, which can be found to the left of the band and projection screen. The Tropical Gardens Buffet already was crowded, and the Twinspires Tavern is home to a more upscale dining experience.

A VIP slots room with about about 100 machines, where players can wager anywhere from $5 and up per spin, can be found slightly hidden away from the crowds along the back right wall.

Calder also is home to the new 29-table Studz Poker Room that sits conveniently on the first floor of the Grandstand at the west entrance.

Festivities
The Grand Opening Weekend features a Tropical Carnivale Celebration and the staff is hoping that the thousands of tourists visiting the state for the NFL Pro Bowl and next week’s Super Bowl will trek a few blocks from the stadium to join in the fun.

Carnivale style dancers on stilts will be entertaining guests all weekend long. Junkanoo and Samba Parades are planned. Live bands and other live entertainment, laser light shows, and giveaways will add to the excitement.

Getting There
Calder can be found at the Miami-Dade / Broward county line, just north of Sun Life Stadium. The entrance can be found right off 27th avenue (University), which will take you directly to the facility. Taking the 27th ave. exit off the Turnpike will lead you right there.

Calder Schedules
Stay tuned to the Casino Pulse Promotions page for updated schedules of all of Calder’s promotions, as well as the Casino Pulse Entertainment and Events page which will feature a schedule of all of Calder’s live events. These pages will be updated regularly to include all the latest information.

Poker players can head over to the Casino Pulse Poker Tournament Schedules page where they can find all of Calder’s poker tournaments. There a player can set an email, popup or SMS alert to be reminded about any poker tournament in Florida.

For more information on Calder, their events, promotions, and poker tournaments, visit their website at Calder Casino & Race Course.

A new proposal is now being debated that would allow mega-gaming resorts to be built on Florida beaches.

But if Ellyn Bogdanoff, a Florida legislator from Ft. Lauderdale, and Sheldon Adelson, the famous Las Vegas mogul, have their way, those walking the beaches will also come across complete casino gambling and entertainment facilities, packed with theatres, shopping centers, spas, restaurants, hotels, and of course, a full line of Vegas-style casino games.

The proposal by Ellyn Bogdanoff, who, ironically, won her House seat on an anti-gambling campaign, and then proceeded to help pass a 2006 bill that taxed pari-mutuels on a country high 50%, would allow five to seven Vegas-style gaming resorts to be built along specific Florida beaches, provided voters approve them in local referendums. Prospective applicants would then need to be approved by a Florida gaming commission.

The one-eighty by Bogdanoff was made because she claims the state has lost the battle to deny casino gambling in Florida, therefore she is interested in creating more competition with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, who is currently by far the largest gaming operator in the state.

Applicants for the new mega-casino resorts would range from local pari-mutuels, to Vegas superstars like Sheldon Adelson, who owns the Las Vegas Sands and The Venetian in Las Vegas and Macau.

Adelson said in an interview with the Miami Herald last week that he would be interested in building in Tampa and perhaps, Orlando. He is interested in building on the beach, as long as it’s within a twenty minute driving range of an international airport. Ft. Lauderdale and Miami would be the two main points of interest for Adelson.

Seminole Compact for Eduction

Currently, the Seminoles are fighting for a compact to be signed by the state government that would allow them a monopoly on gaming in the state. Governor Charlie Crist backs the Seminoles and is also fighting hard to get a deal done.

Just yesterday the governor proposed a new education budget that will not work without a gambling deal with the Seminoles. Crist is using ‘help the children’ sentiment to push Florida legislators to pass a deal.

Earlier this month a committee in the Florida House unanimously voted down the Seminole compact, but Crist has not given up hope and said he is still willing to negotiate to get a new deal signed this year.

“That’s certainly conceivable,” the governor said. “We want to do whatever we can to get that money for Florida’s children.”

Crist also said he may be interested in Bogdanoff’s proposal, but claimed he had not seen the proposal yet so he could not make a judgement.

“It sounds intriguing to me,” he told reporters.

Planning for the Future

Hearings to consider a new Seminole gambling compact, as well as Bogdanoff’s proposal, are set for February. Depending on who you ask, either has a shot at passing, although most believe Bogdanoff’s proposal is more unlikely to gain traction.

Those that support a Seminole deal, like House speaker, Larry Cretul, believe the state is not ready for full mega-gaming resorts, while Adelson believes the smartest thing Florida can do is to allow them.

Adelson said that allowing just one new resort would create over 7,000 jobs and bring much more money to the state than if the Seminole compact is signed.

Those that fear Florida will become ‘all about gambling’, need not worry, according to Adelson. Bogdanoff’s proposal would allow only five to seven gaming resorts to be built so that the market does not become over saturated with gaming facilities.

Bogdanoff also plans on discussing the possibility of adding slots to West Palm Beach gaming facilities, as well as other gaming sites around the state, before the Legislature starts their new session next month.

Bogdanoff’s goal is to create jobs for Florida residents, to increase tourism, while also bringing much needed money to the state, without raising taxes.

Teena Fendley shows the hand that won her the Pleasure Island Poker Charity Tournament.

Teena Fendley walked away with the top prize after defeating Frank “Gator” Crowder in a heads-up final that lasted only six minutes. Although Fendley won the tournament, the event proved to be beneficial to all players who contributed to the cause.

The tournament began with thirty-two players, many of which had signed up before January 9th, ensuring them an extra 2,000 in starting chips. All other players started with 5,000 starting chips.

Play began at 2PM with blinds starting at 100/200, increasing every fifteen minutes. Although serious players participated in the event, it was clear that it was really all about raising money for the “Save The Ta-Tas” charity.

After a little more than four hours of play, the tournament had reached its final two players. Fendley moved all-in with a J-2 off-suit. Crowder called with “Big Slick” but was unable to catch a card, while Fendley paired up with another J. Fendley received a bracelet for her win. Both Fendley and Crowder had been former monthly champions at Pleasure Island Poker.

Of the thirty-two players that entered, the top ten received prizes for their finish.

Pleasure Island Poker has been in operation since 2005, and players have enjoyed the monthly poker events where winners have had the opportunity to gain seats in bigger tournaments in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Crist's hard negotiated Seminole Gambling Compact was shot down by a 17-0 vote in a House committee.

Today, a House committee unanimously voted down the final contract, 17-0.

Now, the Seminole Tribe is set to bring their arguments to the Federal government, and there are mixed emotions about the possible decisions that will be made there.

Governor Crist, however, is not giving up hope on making a deal before the end of this legislative session. Earlier today he issued this statement:

“We obviously have a long way to go before the end of session, so there is plenty of time for the Florida Legislature to approve a plan that would direct billions of dollars to Florida schools for years to come.

“We all agree that Florida’s students and teachers must be a top priority, and that the education of our future workforce is essential to Florida’s economic future. By keeping those priorities in mind, I am confident the Legislature will see the benefits of approving a compact with the Seminole Tribe.”

However, opponents of the compact changed their stance in November as to why they disapprove of the compact. It was once a moral issue, but since has changed to a monetary one.

Legislatures now believe that much more money than promised by the Seminole Indian Tribe could be made by Florida annually if they were to allow expanded gambling at state pari-mutuels and jai-alais. They now say, “It is up to the voters to decide.”

Bill Galvano, the chairman of the Select Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review, urged members not to pass the compact and they followed his suggestion.

The Seminoles said in a release that they were still willing to work with Florida, as did Crist and Galvano. But Galvano believes it will be difficult to continue negotiations while the Seminoles offer blackjack without the compact that would allow them to do so.

Rumors have it that a cease and desist order for all Seminole blackjack tables could be ordered by the end of the month. For now, at least, the blackjack tables are live, and thriving.

Stay tuned to Casino Pulse as we report further developments on this heated story.

The historic Hialeah Park Racing Track has reopened, and there are hopes they can add a casino in the future.

After all of the pari-mutuels in South Florida started pushing for expanded casino gambling at their facilities, legislators began to discuss the issue late in 2009. It was at this time that Hialeah owner John Brunetti Sr. decided the time was right to reopen.

The early returns have not been strong for Hialeah Park. The track will run forty live race cards, but business must improve if Hialeah is to survive. In December, both Hialeah and Gulfstream Park received bad news concerning a thoroughbred license they were seeking.

The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering turned down their request, but it was more because of a technicality. Thoroughbred permits no longer exist in the state. The thoroughbred license would have allowed Gulfstream to expand their poker room hours to around the clock, instead of only twelve hours a day.

Hialeah and Gulfstream are both hoping that lawmakers will expand casino options for pari-mutuels in the state, but that may not happen for another several months. Legislators were not scheduled to return until next month for the spring session.

With lawmakers gaining knowledge of the casino gambling possibilities over the past couple of years, they have pretty much put their foot down regarding a compact that has been reached with the Seminole Indians. Instead of the compact, the lawmakers will consider expanding pari-mutuel casino options, giving the state a larger portion of the revenue than they would receive from the Seminole casinos.