Rina Aserov from Aventura home The Big Easy Poker Room Custom Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Sunday.

The poker room, at Mardi Gras Casino, had offered drawing entries to anyone who had a full house of aces over jacks or better. (A lot of people had quads.)

Aserov's name was drawn at Super Bowl halftime Sunday. The photo: Mardi Gras promotions coordinator Natasha Jocic (left), Rina Aserov and Arie Aserov.

The poker room now is offering satellites into the Florida Million poker tournament, which has Day One events at Mardi Gras March 7 and 14. (And a rare foray into tournament play at Mardi Gras.)

The $70 satellites provide an entry to the winner and to the high hand. The $40 entries, for a tournament of 20 to 60 players at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, awards one entry for every 20 players plus an entry for the high hand.

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They’re calling it the largest poker tournament in state history. The expected total prize payout: $1 million.

The inaugural Florida Million is coming in the next two months and will work like this: Players pay a $550 entry fee to compete in a tournament at any one of six Florida poker rooms. Once 90 percent of that tournament site’s field on that day is eliminated, play stops.

The survivors then gather at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg on April 10 to vie for the championship.

Card rooms can have as many “Day One” events as they want, each capped at 150 players. The Big Easy Poker Room at Mardi Gras Casino has planned at least two such events: at noon March 7 and March 14. Wil Herrera, Mardi Gras director of poker operations, said he’ll book more if there’s interest.

Meanwhile, the casino will have satellite events, where players can earn a seat into the March 7 or 14 tournaments.

“Since none of us are in direct competition, the idea was to try to work together to accomplish the largest prize pool in Florida history,” said Herrera, who credited Derby Lane for driving the idea.

The only other South Florida card room participating is the Palm Beach Kennel Club. It has scheduled tournaments at 1 p.m. March 6, 13, 20 and 27, poker room manager Noah Carbone said. There will be super satellites at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays for $30 with $20 rebuys and single-table satellites at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily beginning Feb. 28 for $65.

The Florida Million plan is to have two such events each year, with the championship rotating among the six rooms.

For more information, go to FLMillion.com.

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Steven Karp of North Miami Beach won the $900 event in the Isle Winter Classic poker series.
Karp took home $55,854. Raj Vohra of Lake Worth was second, earning $32,742.

Isle Classic $900
1 Steven Karp N Miami Beach $55,854.00
2 Raj Vohra Lake Worth $32,742.00
3 Daniel Shiff Aventura $21,186.00
4 Terry McKerchie Davie $13,482.00
5 Farhan Madhani Miramar $9,630.00
6 Nigel Murray Miami Gardens $8,282.00
7 Omar McFarlane Lake Worth $6,356.00
8 Larry Kusch Plantation $4,622.00
9 Soren Morales Miami $4,430.00
10 Bobby Binsky Halandale Beach $4,237.00
11 Peter Striano III Parkland $4,045.00
12 Uri Kadosh Davie $3,852.00
13 Charles Bury Boca Raton $3,659.00
14 Steven Dockswell Lake Worth $3,467.00
15 Bradford Borrelli Margate $3,274.00
16 Jose Ricardo Coral Springs $3,082.00
17 Robert Perry Hightland Beach $2,889.00
18 Josh Heiman Boynton Beach $2,696.00
19 Srinivasa Yarlagadda Sarasota $2,504.00
20 Scott Zakheim Davie $2,311.00

Continue reading "Isle Poker Classic results: Karp makes the big catch" »

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South Florida casinos offer parties, giveways and other options for football fans:

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has planned a Super Bowl watch party for 5 p.m. Sunday at Hard Rock Live. The game will be shown on big-screen TVs, and Lingerie Football League players will make an appearance. Admission is free.

Mardi Gras Casino will give away $30,000 in cash at 7 p.m. Sunday and a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle at 8 p.m. The casino also will have other cash, bonus play and prize giveaways.

Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino will give away Super Bowl T-shirts and hats starting 9 a.m. Saturday to slots players who qualify. From 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, the casino will give away football memorabilia. There’s also a watch party with a buffet dinner for $25 at 5:45 p.m. Sunday in the Ten Palms Restaurant.

The Isle Casino & Racing Pompano Park will offer $2 Miller Lite, Presidente and Heineken drafts Sunday.

Seminole Coconut Creek has scheduled a party at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $100 and include food and drinks.

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The Palm Beach Kennel Club's "Pooch Predictor" race points to the Saints this year.

In a photo finish, it was WW Orange Julius, representing the New Orleans Saints holding off a fast-closing Gotcha Day, wearing the Colts blanket. Orange Julius won by one-half of a length.

The greyhounds have correctly predicted the outcome of nine of the last 13 Super Bowls.

Palm Beach Kennel Club will have a 15-race performance Sunday, featuring Superfectas on every race plus a forced payout on the Twin-Trifecta.

Post time is 1 p.m. Racing fans wearing NFL apparel will be admitted free.

There will also be "Super Specials" in the Paddock and Terrace Restaurants and a special Super Bowl All-You-Can-Eat Buffet party in the Poker Room for only $10 beginning at 6 p.m.

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Calder has long been associated with Super Bowls -- the race track is a short walk from the stadium -- but this year it's a little different.

That's because Calder opened its 1,220-slot casino Jan. 22. So you might wonder if Super Bowl parking will overwhelm the lot and make life difficult for potential slot players.

Short answer: No.

Meanwhile, the casino is holding a drawing on Wednesday for lower end zone tickets to the game and to a fancy event (see below).

The event is the PrimeSport/RazorGator event with the NFL Alumni on the Terrace@Calder on Sunday. Call 1-800-591-9198 or can visit www.primesport.com. It's from 1:30-:430 p.m. Sunday and tickets are listed on the site at $475.

Super Bowl fans can still park at Calder, but have to buy tickets in advance directly with ClickandPark.com by calling 1-866-330-PARK or visiting http://www.sbxliv.clickandpark.com for information.

Meanwhile, Stubhub will host hospitality in the east lot near the racing office for StubHub ticket holders. Tickets can be purchased through Stubhub at www.stubhub.com.

And official merchandise sales kiosks selling official merchandise will be set up at the north casino entrance Feb. 4-8 and in areas adjacent to Lots C and E on game day.

The football game will be shown throughout Calder, including on the big screen at the Center Casino Bar.

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Mardi Gras poker room will give away $30,000 in cash at 7 p.m. Sunday and a Harley Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle at 8 p.m.

The casino also will present Cocina Caliente, a blend of Caribbean and tropical flavors, from 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday on the veranda. The fiesta will feature The Sabor Latino Band, showgirls, Capoeiras performances, drummers, samba girls and football maracas. The casino says it'll have $123,400 in cash, bonus play, and prizes:

Race to the finish (first 150 participants) between 2-6 p.m. will divide $75,000 in cash and bonus play;

Pregame Hot Seat Party between 2-6 p.m., with $100 in bonus play every 30 minutes'

The Big Game Hot Seat Blowout between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. with an iPod Nano winner
each quarter, and a share of $30,000 cash at 7 p.m.

The motorcycle drawing is at 8 p.m. in the poker room.

Players earn drawing entries by getting a hand of aces full or better. No-limit players get two entries and there are other times when aces full or better gets you triple entries, including 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. (it's a 24-hour card room). From noon to 6:30 p.m. on Super Sunday, aces full gets you 5x entries.

Call 954-924-3200 or visit www.playmardigras.com.

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Gulfstream Park will hold two casino promotions Saturday: Beginning at 9 a.m., members can earn points to win official Super Bowl T-shirts and hats in the “Big Game Gear Giveaway.” And every 20 minutes between 6 p.m. and midnight members actively playing in the casino with their card inserted will be selected to win football memorabilia in the “Gridiron Superstars.”

There's a watch party on Super Bowl Sunday in the Ten Palms restaurant at 5:45 p.m. The $25 ticket includes a buffet dinner and cash bar. After the game the party moves outdoors to the Walking Ring.

There also is the “$100,000 Twelfth Man Giveaway.” Five members will be chosen at the end of each quarter of the Super Bowl. Each will select two envelopes, one for the AFC team and one for the NFC team. If the numbers in the envelopes add up to match the total score at the end of that quarter, the member wins the prize: $25,000 for the first-quarter total score, $50,000 for half-time, $75,000 for the third-quarter total score, and $100,000 for the final total score.

There's also the $500,000 Donn Handicap Saturday, the nation’s first Grade 1 stakes race of the year for older horses and an important prep for the richest horse race in the world, the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

Meanwhile the Village at Gulfstream Park, an outdoor shopping and entertainment spot, opens Feb. 11.

Go to gulfstreampark.com.

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George Summers, 67, of Pembroke Pines claimed the $1.2 million Mega Money jackpot drawn on Jan. 19.

Summers chose the one-time, lump-sum payment option for $839,322.31. The winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased at Publix, located at 19441 Sheridan St. in Pembroke Pines.

The winning numbers were:

09 - 15 - 35 - 40 and the Megaball was 07

According to Summers, after purchasing his ticket, he placed it in his wallet and left it there for several days, lottery officials said. The next time he and his wife were at the grocery store, he remembered his ticket and asked the clerk to check it for him, according to a press release. Sure enough, his ticket matched all the winning numbers and Summers had won the $1.2 million.

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Deb Trigoboff of Coral Springs won the recent season finale of All In Free Poker.

Trigoboff earned an entry into the Isle's $900 main event and the $720 "seven-deuce" tournament, and other prizes.

All In Free Poker, a bar poker league, had 180 players in its Jan. 10 finals and played down to 10. Those 10 then finished it off on Jan. 15 at Smokey Bones Fort Lauderdale, giving it a bar poker feel, said All In's Bryan Oulton, who sent the results, along with a picture that makes Trigoboff look spooky (she isn't).

The next finals are March 19-26, with the finals at the Duck Tavern in Boca Raton. All In also had players represent their "home bar," giving other players a rooting interest. The final 10, with home bar and hometown:

1. Deb Trigoboff, Smokey Bones Boca Raton, Coral Springs
2. Wendy Middleman-Miller, Daisy Duke's Saloon, Hollywood
3. Adam Goldstein, Smokey Bones Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale
4. Troy Parra, Sullivan's, Lighthouse Point
5. Justin Huntsman, Sullivan's, Pompano Beach
6. Sean Lavery, No Home Bar, Pompano Beach
7. Mary Maguire, Mugs Bar, Fort Lauderdale
8. Sharon Aziz, Yak-zies, Sunrise
9. Larry Fitzpatrick, Ye Old Falcon Pub, Hollywood
10. Flo Horne, Ye Olde Falcon Pub, Davie

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Calder Casino & Race Course staff walked around Friday wearing Yes, We Did buttons, but it has nothing to do with Barack Obama.

It was a reference to their slot test with the state.

The casino set a goal of passing state inspection on its first try -- so it could "soft open" Jan. 22 and have a week before today's ribbon-cutting. When they cleared inspection last Jan. 21, out came the buttons. (Calder says it's the only casino to pass inspection on its first try, but I think Flagler/Magic City Casino did, too. Help me, anyone?)

The goal was to open for the Pro Bowl (Sunday) and Super Bowl (Feb. 7), and GM Tom O'Donnell was a happy man Friday at the ribbon-cutting, which drew about 300 patrons, politicians and Calder staff, many of whom knocked back champagne and cake afterward. (I held out for the $4 personal pizza inside.)

There also was a steel drum and two young women in skimpy tops and feathery hats. (Irony alert: I saw them an hour before walking in to get dressed and they carried their gear in a Seminole Hard Rock bag.)

O'Donnell again referenced that Calder has been in business since 1971, and is dedicated to horse racing. He cut the ribbon with Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson (center) and Florida State Senator Frederica Wilson. (Photo by Jim Lisa)

"Our core business is horse racing," he said, noting that the slots construction happened as Calder kept running 152 racing dates. "But we want to make sure every customer experience here has a winning experience."

Slots fans will find about the same thing you see in other South Florida casinos, including Slingo, virtual blackjack, Wizard of Oz, Star Trek and Wheel of Fortune. Also video poker and, eventually, slot tournaments.

Calder's current new player promotion is sign up and get $20 downloaded immediately on your Player's Club card.

UPDATED: I also hit the poker room, and was surprised they had a lot of $1-$2 limit going. I'm pretty sure it's related to their "Aces cracked get $250" promotion in the morning for limit ($500 for red aces)). Also saw the table nearby hit a royal flush, which paid $1,000. Seems like they're hitting their stride, and Calder officials said now they're glad they opened the poker room in the fall; doing it all at once would have been too much. Poker promotions at http://www.calderracecourse.com/poker.

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A poker tournament conducted by All In Free Poker & the Isle Casino raised more than $3,000 for O.J. McDuffie’s Catch 81 Foundation.

Celebrity NFL players included Troy Drayton, Don Silvestri, Lamar Thomas and KiJana Carter, All In leaders said.

The winners: Danny Diaz, Don Silvestri and All In Free Poker’s owner Bryan Oulton.

For more info on the Catch 81’s next fundraising event go to www.catch81foundation.org.

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Olympic equestrian medalist Margie Engle and the Step by Step Foundation are hosting a casino night to benefit Haiti. It's at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Grand Prix Special Events Pavilion, 3426 Equestrian Club Road, West Palm Beach.

The night includes table games such as roulette, craps, three card poker, and blackjack, food and an art auction, and a silent auction.

Prizes and silent auction items include a Jonas Brothers signed guitar and photo, Miley Cyrus signed guitar and photo, Romero Britto art, Judith Ripka Jewelry, limited edition diamond-carot Invicta watches, art sculptures and equestrian merchandise.

General admission is $100. Buy-in for a Texas Hold 'em tournament is another $150, but there's good prizes, including a seven-night cruise for the winner.

Step by Step Foundation Founder and President Liliane Stransky said the organization has been trying to build an elementary school for years in Haiti, as well as provide education and clean water programs in the community.

"Now, with the devastation of the earthquake, we are also focusing on relief, and then the re-building of schools, health facilities, and communities," she said.

Register at www.stepbystepfoundation.com, call 561-793-5867 or contact Kathy Andersen at ka@developmentconnect.com, or 786-423-2191.

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Gulfstream Park's eighth annual Sunshine Millions race series this weekend also has a car giveaway.

Casino players can “Win a Sunshine Million” this Saturday. Every hour from noon to 9 p.m., one Players Club member actively playing in the casino will be selected to play “Win a Sunshine Million.” The player will choose three envelopes from the game board.

If the envelopes have the words, “Win,” Place” or “Show,” they win the grand prize of $1 million. Also, any cash amounts picked will be added up to equal their winnings.

Also this Saturday, Gulfstream Park will give away commemorative beach chairs and hold Best Dressed Woman and Best Dressed Man contests. Winners get a Macy's gift card.

At 9 p.m. Sunday, Gulfstream will select five members of the Player’s Club for a chance to win a 2010 Cadillac SRX.

More info at gulfstreampark.com.

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Jason Mercier, who AnteUpMagazine says is "perhaps the hottest poker player on the planet today," won the Southern Poker Championship $1K no-limit deepstack hold'em tournament at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi on Tuesday.

Mercier, of Fort Lauderdale, won almost $61,000. There were 190 players in the field with a prize pool of $184,300.

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