Event 44, a $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'em with Rebuys: Stuart Paterson, again, of Boca Raton, cashes in 55th, taking home $9,720.

Event 46: $5,000 Six-handed No-Limit Hold 'em
Jason Mercier of Davie, 51st, $10,972; Michael Glasser, Boca Raton, $9,080

Event 47: $1,500 7-Card Stud Hi-Low, 8 or better
No South Florida cashes.

Event 48: $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'em, drawing a record 2,317 players
Richard Blanchar, Fort Lauderdale, 86th, $6,747; Jacobo Fernandez, again -- his ninth cash of the tournament -- Hollywood, $5,060; Raymond Milliard, Davie, 139th, $4,216.

Event 49: $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em
Steven Schaet, Davie, 68th, $7,420; Allen Bieler, Plantation, 117th, $4,081; Paul Balzano, Sunrise, 159th, $3,524; Greg Silverstein, Davie, 202nd, $2968; Bruce Simberg, Boca Raton, $2,782; William Soffin, Delray Beach, 245th, $2,782.

Closing in on the big one, folks. Just a few more days...
If you're in it, email me, and when you're out there, let me know how you do.

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Now you can mix the gambling of poker with that of golf, on a golf course.

The World Series of Golf involves poker-type bets -- raise, check or fold -- with how you're playing a particular hole.

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Looks like Jacobo Fernandez of Hollywood added to his player of the year points lead at the World Series of Poker.

He came in 30th, in Event 43, a $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Tournament (Split 8). He won $4,619.

Mark Gallo of Lake Worth was 13th, with $9,928 to show for it; Damon Songer of Coral Springs was 49th, earning $3,341.

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If you want to take your shot at slots, there are free tournaments beginning next month at The Isle and at Gulfstream, detailed in my story here.

One reader asked, and I thought I made it clear, but I'll go again: The tournament is free. You sign up for their Players' Club (free), and spin their slots (free). You don't have to put any money in.

Now, after the tournament, if you stick around, and play a few slots, I'm sure the casinos won't mind...

Anyone played in a slot tournament before? Any thoughts? Advice?

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Saturday night Dania Jai-Alai is giving away a 32-inch HDTV, digital cameras, a DVD player, gas cards and a GPS system.

Meanwhile, on July 16, the fronton is hosting the Dan Le Betard celebrity poker tournament, costing $25. Expected first prize is $2,000, presuming 250 people sign up.

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Thanks to a state ruling, Mardi Gras is using its two race permits to expand its poker to 24 hours a day.

The three other parimutuels in Broward all also hold an extra permit, but in some cases it involves "activtating" the permits. So they're examining whether it's worth it.

The Indian casinos all are 24-hour.

While there's some question as to how much more loot a 24-hour room brings for regular play, you can argue it'll be huge for tournaments. The Isle had four recent large tournaments, and players chopped at least once when they figured it'd be better than coming back another day. In a 24-hour room, perhaps they'd have played it out.

Mardi Gras also is going to expand its poker room -- it needs it -- to the fourth floor and call it "The Big Easy," keeping their New Orleans thing going. (Some say that should be my poker nickname, but I digress...)

Would a 24-hour poker room affect your life? How?

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My friend Douglas Barclay of Coconut Creek always goes to the state and national Police Olympics, and hauls in medals for his sports prowess.

Then there's Kim Halburian, also known as "Halby" of Poker Talk America.
He got a bronze in ... poker. Guess they didn't have figure skating.

He had to make a move that many of us wouldn't though, to advance, and for that I give him credit. He laid down pocket kings.

(He's on the left in this picture. His chief, Glen Theobald, is at right. He finished second, Halby says.)

As Halby tells it (edited by me):

"It was great out there in Sarasota, especially after Monday's Police and Fire Olympic Games. 80 players started the tournament. I played very good poker and was able to reach the final table. It came down to three of us. We decided to chop the prize money, three-way even split, and then play out for the medals.

I was short stacked with 56k. with the blinds at 8k and 16k. with 3000 antes. I was on the button and the blinds were going up to 12k and 24k with 5000 antes. I go all in with deuces in the hole. Small blind folds, big blind calls with AJ. A on the turn, game over. But I was very happy with my game and the bronze medal.

There's was one more tournament for the Olympics on Thursday, made the final table again and finished 5th. The best play I had all day is when I laid down Joey's favorite hand, K's in the hole. Three all-ins before me. The third player, a real clown was playing nothing but rag A's all day. He looks at me and says "Don't even think about calling!" I've got 11,000 in chips and he has about 12,000. The other two have about 8,500 each. I sat there for about 5 minutes debating. I finally folded and told the dealer to hold them aside. The one has JJ, the other 99, and Mr. 12,000 turned over AA. The flop comes A,A, 3. He hit quad A's. The dealer showed my K's.

Mr. quad A's bought me two shots of Jack for laying down the K's. It was a lot of fun and Sarasota is beautiful. I'm thinking about moving out there when I retire in March."

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This from the National Indian Gaming Commission:

Philip N. Hogen, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, announced that net revenues from Indian gaming continue to grow, increasing 5% from 2006 and generating $26 billion in revenues in 2007.

"The continued growth is significant considering recent economic struggles throughout the country. Indian gaming continues to be an important factor in local economies by providing much needed jobs throughout Indian country and other economic development," Hogen said. "The Indian gaming industry has experienced tremendous growth since the inception of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) twenty years ago in 1988 when the Indian gaming industry saw revenues of $200 million, to now over $26 billion in 2007."

NIGC Region V, which includes Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, had the largest percentage increase in revenues. The region generated revenues of $2.6 billion in 2007, a 20% increase from the $2.1 billion generated in 2006. The region has experienced active growth, more than doubling revenues in the three-year period from 2004 to 2007, climbing from 83 operations generating $1.3 billion in 2004 to 100 operations generating $2.6 billion in 2007. Region II, consisting of California and northern Nevada, had only a 1.6% increase in revenue but still saw the biggest revenues of NIGC's six regions, increasing to $7.8 billion in 2007 from $7.7 billion in 2006.

Gaming revenues represent amounts wagered less prizes paid. Revenue calculations are based on the audit reports NIGC receives annually from tribes conducting gaming operations in accordance with IGRA. The 2007 revenue data was compiled from the audit reports of 382 Indian gaming operations received by the Commission through June 10, 2008. Because the fiscal year utilized by tribal operations vary, compilations of annual revenue totals are not finalized until June of the following year.

Hogen released not only regional revenue data, but also graphics analyzing the growth in Indian gaming.

The NIGC is an independent regulatory agency established within the Department of the Interior pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

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Marc Levy of Boynton Beach, who went deep in the $3,000 charity tournament at the Hard Rock earlier this month, cashed in event 41 at the World Series of Poker, a $1,500 Limit/No-Limit Hold 'em tournament. He took $3,691 for 40th place.

Meanwhile, Stuart Paterson of Boca Raton cashes yet again, with $3,093 for finishing 62nd.

In the $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold 'em event, Lawrence Bass of Tamarac finished 32nd ($7669) and Dana Parham of Pembroke Pines 88th ($3,229).

I started to make a joke wondering if they use larger cards for the seniors events, then I realized every one of them can kick my butt at the table, so I won't.

UPDATE: Now I realize that next year I'M ELIGIBLE for this event, and was within 39 days of playing in this year's. Cutoff is 50 years old, as of start date. In this case, June 23. I turn 50 July 31.

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The Isle held four tournaments, called the Florida State Poker Championships, from June 16-21, drawing at least 220 players in each one:

In the $800 tournament (with an $80 house fee), I'm told they split the pot, then played a five-card showdown for the trophy. The tournament drew more than 250 players and more than $200,000 in the prize pool. That's great, because the promised at least $150,000, so their word is good:

The top nine each split $17,320. But the official totals were: Long Xuan Nguyen, Sunrise, $56,000; Antuan Bunkley, Riviera Beach, $32,000; Francis Sassi, Davie, $22,000; Robert F. Oulton Jr., Pompano Beach, $13,000; Scott McInnis, Boca Raton, $9,500; Peter Striano, Lake Worth, $8,600; Keith Ingham, Boca Raton, $6,500; Paul Zarcadolas, Boynton Beach, $4,500; Ravi Mahani, Boca Raton, $4,400.

In the $500 Isle tournament, the results were:

Jonathan Marks, Weston, (pictured at left) $31,218; Jose Torres, Cooper City, $17,840; John Andrews, Boca Raton, $12,265; Jeff Charlton, Lake Worth, $7,248; Brian Wilson, Fort Myers, $5,296; Fabio De Francesco, Fort Lauderdale, $4,795; Kevin McBride, Boca Raton, $3,624; Roberto Herrera, Coral Springs, $2,509; Sandy Swartzbaugh, Fort Lauderdale, $2,453.

All in Free Poker's Bryan Oulton gloats a little bit:

Business partner Sandy Swartzbaugh made the $500 final table and his father, Robert Oulton, was part of the final table chop.

"If only I hadn’t double bubbled, at 25th, in the $225 and missed the loot by two spots, it would have been even more great AIFP representation," he said.

A Sun-Sentinel metro columnist (see post below) asked me not to mention that he had a great run Sunday morning, then got caught in some playable hands and busted out at 36th, 11 spots shy of the money. Personally, I remember back when we had home games and maybe a beer -- before wives, before children -- and he often won. So I give him credit for at least playing.

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Jacobo Fernandez of Hollywood adds to his impressive run in the World Series of Poker, placing third in event No. 34, a $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament with rebuys.

Fernandez took in $222,659. That gives him a second, a third and a fourth this year.

Other results:

No. 35, $1,500 7-card stud: Roy Rose, Hollywood, 10th, $11,441.

No. 36: $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em: Justin Kramer, Fort Lauderdale, 179th, $3,006.

No. 37: $10,000 Omaha High-Low 8 or Better: Stuart Patterson, Boca Raton, 15th, $33,135.

No. 38: $2,000 Pot-Limit Omaha: Benjamin Zamani, Boca Raton, 10th, $14,314; Robert Perry, Highland Beach, 20th, $6,606.

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Sorry I'm behind on getting up the results from The Isle's poker tournament and World Series updates. I may not get to them until tonight.

Meanwhile, our Michael Mayo called from the Hard Rock, where he saw some $10 tables going, just before noon. (I'll also follow up on how he did at the Isle; let's build some suspense.)

Last night, the table mins went up to $50 at most tables later in the evening. Can't say I blame the Hard Rock: so many people waiting like vultures for a seat, you gotta do something to move the bodies.

I was kind of worried last night a fight among patrons would work out for seats. All I can think of is the old days playing pinball, when you put your quarter on the machine, which meant next game. Or calling "next" at the playground basketball game.

Maybe casinos should have sign-up sheets? Time limits for play? Heck, I'm just firing out ideas here. What you all think?

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Well, if you didn't think anyone would play blackjack at $25 a hand, you needed to be at the Hard Rock Sunday night. People posed like vultures over tables.

No seats around -- well, one $100 seat in the high limit room opened up around 9 p.m. I'll link to my own story later this morning.

The casino's mushy response to questions about continuous shuffling machines was answered. There were 20 CSMs, and 35 hand-shuffled tables. Some players don't like CSMs because you play with a fresh deck each time -- meaning if there's a bunch of low cards burned off in the hand, there would be no greater chance for high cards the next one. Personally, I'm not that card-aware, so it doesn't matter.

Curious to see if players will now flock to the Hard Rock because it's the happening place, even more so, or will they stay away, in the immortal words of Yogi Berra: "No wonder no one comes here, it's too crowded."

What's your game plan?

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You can debate the title of the poker tournament at the Isle -- the Florida State Poker Championships -- but you can't debate the turnout. More than 200 players for each of four events.

The biggie began Saturday, an $800 (plus $80 house fee) tournament. That drew 251 players. That put first prize at $56,000 and they're paying through 26th ($1,300). The earlier events also drew at least 220 each.

The reason this tournament matters is that it's the largest in the Isle's history, and in the history of the Broward paris (*Hard Rock doesn't count). The state relaxed the gamling rules last July 1, and so, here we go...

I have the list of winners from the Thursday-Friday tournament, and when I get the Saturday-Sunday-maybe Monday winners, I'll put them all up.

Among the notables in Saturday's tournament was a Sun-Sentinel journalist (not me). Not outing him yet, but his name rhymes with Day-O.

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Event No. 32 at WSOP, a $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em tournament: Anthony Signore, Boynton Beach, second place, $366,387; Richard Ramsey, West Palm Beach, 88th, $5,031; Victor Lento, Sunrise, 133rd, $3,144; Justin Kramer, Fort Lauderdale, 166th, $2,830.

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The four-event Isle State Poker Championships are rolling along.

The first event, a $225 buy-in, drew 221 players. The second ($330) and third ($550) also drew more than 220 players each.

Now comes the biggie: an $880 tournament with a $100,000 prize money guarantee. Right now, registration is at 140, but they're taking entrants right up to tomorrow's noon post time.

Call 954-972-2000.

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My story about Hard Rock training its dealers made it in Local today, and I write about the specific rules in Showtime.

A couple of minor points:

1.) When they said $15 a hand, they are, of course, taking into account the market. If there's long lines of people dying to play, the min will go up. If the joint is empty, heck yes, it's going down. My thought: it'll be $25 on Sunday nights and other busy nights. But, as they themselves say, everything can change.

2.) When I said in the Showtime story that players can double on any two cards, Hard Rock management pointed out an exception: when the player gets a blackjack. I didn't write it because I thought it would only confuse people. I.E.: You get a an Ace-Jack, and the dealer has a Six up, for example. A person could try to play it as "11," and go for a double, rather than the 3-to-2 the blackjack pays. I kind of think no player in his right mind would do that, but then, I'm a poor working stiff. Has anyone every tried to make that play, or would you? Help me out here...

3.) Meanwhile, I mentioned that they'll have eight-deck shoes in lower limit areas, six-deck in higher. There also might be continuous shufflers. They weren't totally clear on that, so I didn't get into writing it. But again, back to the market thing: if the public hates them, they'll come out (remember when they went to electronic cards in the poker room?). I don't mind them because I'm not much of a card-counter, and a player I talked to said she likes them because they speed up the game. But you're playing with a virgin deck each round. What do you think?

And of course, if you're new to this blog, bookmark it. Read it during lunch hour or when you're trying to look busy at your computer. It's OK. Honest.

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More from WSOP:

Event No. 31: Jonathan Honig, Boca Raton, 15th, $19,086; Jason Mercier, Davie, 22nd, $15,594; Scott Zakheim, Davie, 34th, $9,725; Michael Glasser, Boca Raton, 51st, $6,284; Bobby Bradley, Wellington, 74th, $4,655.

Event No. 32: Anthony Signore, Boca Raton, seventh.

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Gulfstream Park’s Ten Palms restaurant will present a different type of horse power at 7 p.m. Saturday when it hosts the Offshore Powerboat Legends Reunion.

Among the racers: Allan “Brownie” Brown, Bobby Moore, Sammy James, Gino Gargiulo, Odell Lewis, Richie Powers and Mel Rigg.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door the evening of the event.

According to the casino, the non-profit event will benefit Take Stock in Children, National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Make-A-Wish Foundation and is being produced by the Historic Offshore Boat Race Association, Ocean Racing LLC, under the guidance of racing legend Charlie McCarthy, Larry Goldman of Xtremepowerboats.com and Brad Schoenwald of Tres Martin Performance School.

The City of Sunny Isles Beach is hosting its inaugural Offshore Powerboat Challenge Weekend that will bring offshore powerboat race teams and fans from all over the United States, the casino says.

Following Saturday’s race testing and trials, an evening awards ceremony and Offshore Legends Reunion gets under way at 7 p.m., at Gulfstream Park. A video presentation of the Don Aronow Memorial Ocean Power Boat Race – a 106-mile round-trip trek from Sunny Isles Beach to Bimini scheduled for Friday – and a silent auction for charity will round out the evening festivities, according to Gulfstream.

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Table chip collectors and experts Gene Trimble and Mark Lighterman talk about chips and the Hard Rock, which -- get this, I'm sure you don't know -- rolls out blackjack at 6 p.m. June 22.

I'm not much of a chip collector, maybe because I'm too cheap. If I have a chip worth $25, I'm playing it. Then again, I don't bring home foreign money either, as a souvenir.

But I do find their reasoning for getting into chip collecting interesting. They both said they were sucked in by U.S. history -- gambling houses sprung up all over, especially after prohibition ended and bootleggers didn't have much to do.

If you want more info on what they do, go to www.floridachipcollectors.com. And for more about them, see the earlier post I did.

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From the events that ended last night:

Event 29: $3,000 No-limit Hold 'em: Thomas Alcorn, Sunrise, 41st, $7,311; Oktay Altin, Dania Beach, 56th, $6,126; Stuart Patterson, Boca Raton, 57th, $6,126.

Event 30: $1,000 Limit Hold 'em: Michael Mizrachi, Miramar, 15th, $30,738.

Event 31: $2,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold 'em: Jonathan Honig, Boca Raton, 15th, $19,086; Jason Mercier, Davie, 22nd, $15,594; Scott Zakheim, Davie, 34th, $9,775; Michael Glasser, Boca Raton, 51st, $6,284; Bobby Bradley, Wellington, 74th, $4,655.

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Table chip collectors and experts Gene Trimble and Mark Lighterman will host a display of rare gaming memorabilia dating back to the 1930s from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. They'll be at the lobby entrance near the Aeorsmith display.

Collectors are being encouraged to bring their table chip memorabilia and have it appraised. The event is one of the kick-offs to the official launch of blackjack and baccarat table games at the hotel.

Artwork for the new Seminole Hard Rock Gaming Chips, scheduled to be put into play on June 22 and available for purchase from the cage that day at noon, will also be on display.

According to the casino:

Trimble started collecting chips in 1963. He has worked at various gaming establishments throughout the country as poker, bingo, pit and keno manager. Throughout his career, he was responsible for chip designing, issuing, and distribution. He has served as club election chairman and poker tournament director with the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club, Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational organization with the mission of preserving gaming history.

An expert on the subject of pre-1960 illegal club chips, Trimble has written many articles on chip and poker-related matters for Gaming Times, Poker Digest and Blackjack Confidential. With David Spragg he has established the Preserving Gaming History web site that features 15,000 manufacturer records from the old distributors of chips. He has over 30,000 different chips in his collection.

Lighterman, a Florida resident for over 48 years, started collecting coins in 1972 and his love of collecting never diminished throughout the years. Mark is a charter member of the Casino Chips & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club and a founding member and past president of the Florida Casino Chips and Gaming Tokens Collectors Club.

Lighterman has documented the history of gambling in Florida from the 1830s and has catalogued over 1,500 chips used in Florida gambling establishments. He has authored three books on Florida gambling history, with one winning the Mishler Cataloging award for best catalog of the year. Mark has lectured about chips and gambling history in many arenas including local clubs and schools throughout the state of Florida.

Together, the two have published a book on the records from the H. C. Edwards Company, an antique gambling chip manufacturer.

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Jacobo Fernandez of Hollywood reached his second final table and cashed for the fourth time at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Fernandez finished fourth in the $5,000 no-limit Hold 'em event, of 731 players. He earned $238,781.

He had plenty of company from South Florida: Benjamin Springers of Plantation was third and $292,034. Rajesh Vohra of Lake Worth was fifth ($195,834) and Miramar's Michael Mizrachi 11th ($42,946).

Fernandez is tied for the WSOP for most cashes this year. There are 33 events to go (No. 22 ended with no locals in the money). He is profiled on cardplayer.com.

Event No. 23: $2,000 No-Limit Hold 'em: Rich Lenoble, Coral Springs, 12th, $29,108; Matthew Ehrlich, Wellington, 19th, $13,208; Robert Perry, Highland Beach, 53rd, $7,582; Joshua Moskow, Boynton Beach, 63rd, $6,849.

Event No. 25: $1,000 Heads-Up Hold 'em: Robert Mizrachi, Sunny Isles, 8th, $54,144; Michael Mizrachi, Miramar, 11th $36,096. Note that because it was a heads-up NCAA bracket-type event, eighth is the same as fifth, sixth or seventh... i.e., knocked out in the quarterfinals; and 11th is the same as 9 through 16, all eliminated in the prior round.

No. 26: $1,500 Seven-card razz: Ted Lawson, Plantation, 38th, $2,473. (Gotta check on his status; he's up there in cashes this year, too.)

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Players like blackjack because they have some control over the decisions – hit or stick – and when you play it right there’s less than a 1 percent house advantage. Each casino is slightly different, and some game options help the players, others help the house.

When blackjack begins Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, the casino will have an advantage of only 0.43 percent (if players use perfect strategy), based on computations gleaned from blackjack expert Henry Tamburin, editor of the Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), and American Casino Guide publisher Steve Bourie.

Here’s how the Hard Rock rules variations work out:

“Soft 17”
When a dealer has “soft 17,” such as an ace and a six, they have usually been required to stick – even though players should hit when they have a soft 17. But about five years ago, casinos along the Las Vegas strip began mimicking those in downtown Las Vegas and hit soft 17. (An ace, 2, 3 or 4 improves you to 18, 19, 20 or 21. A 5-6-7-8 or 9 gives you a total of 12 to 16, so you take another card. Face cards merely put you back at 17.) The house picks up a 0.2 percent advantage when it hits soft 17.
Hard Rock will: Stick on soft 17

A blackjack: pay 6-to-5 or 3-to-2?
About 80 percent of casinos pay 3-to-2: for example, a player wins $30 when making a blackjack on a $20 bet. Houses that pay only 6-to-5 would pay out only $24, and pick up an extra 1.4 percent advantage.
Hard Rock will: Pay 3-to-2.

Doubling downWhen dealers have a 4, 5 or 6 up, they’re likely to bust. You can take advantage of that if you are not in danger of busting yourself (i.e., hold an 11 or lower) by doubling down. Some places restrict doubling down to only 10s or 11s (another 10 gives you a 20 or 21, so it’s the best time to make the play). Others let you double on any two cards, for a 0.2 percent player advantage. (Except blackjack; you can't double on that.)

Hard Rock will: Allow doubles on any two cards.

Splitting cards
If you have two aces, for example, you can break them up into two likely winning hands. Almost every casino lets you split pairs. The questions come afterward: can you double down after splitting pairs and can you resplit the pairs? Both options add up to about a 0.5 percent player advantage.
Hard Rock will: Allow you to split into up to four hands and double every hand except aces (which you get only one card after splitting, like every other casino does).

Six-deck shoes, eight-deck shoes
A six-deck shoe of cards helps players because there is a greater chance for a run of low cards to be used early. And when many low cards are used up early, some players increase their bets because the more 10s in a deck, the greater the chance for a blackjack, or for the dealer to bust. An eight-deck shoe is a 0.03 house advantage over a six-deck shoe.
Hard Rock will: Use eight decks at most areas, six decks at the high-limit area.

Surrender
When players think they are beat (such as when they’re on 16 and the dealer has an ace up), they can surrender half the bet. It’s a 0.06 player advantage.
Hard Rock will: Not allow surrenders.

Tamburin offers a free three-month trial subscription to his electronic Blackjack Insider newsletter. Go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial, and type in your name and email address.

The site also has the 600 blackjack articles in archived newsletters that are on the site (www.bjinsider.com).

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While many card rooms have Bad Beat jackpots, Dania goes for the Royal Flush jackpots, one for each suit. Actually, I like it better because it doesn't put you on the mercy of everyone else -- your quads beat their quads -- and if you're drawing to a royal, you're likely staying in a hand. So it doesn't affect the game that much.

Saturday, it hit twice. The Diamonds Royal paid$5,761 and the Clubs Royal went for $2,468.

Juan Diaz of Sunrise started off with a jack and ten of clubs in his hand, while the flop delivered both the king and queen of clubs. Needing the ace, Juan watched as the turn card was not what he was looking for. He stayed in the hand and hit the ace.

Earl Stewart of Hallandale won in the evening and also had a ten and jack in the pocket, this time in diamonds. Once again the king and queen fell on the flop, according to Dania. But he got his ace on the turn, and the big payout.

I've played a few years and the best I've ever done is four queens. And on video poker, haven't even hit quads. (No wonder I'm in the red this year at VP.)

So, I'm asking: How many of you out there have ever hit a royal, anywhere? (I'll try to copy in Mayo on this; he probably has, the lucky stiff.)

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Our Michael Mayo wrote his personal take on chops a couple of months ago, and I did a more generic story for the general public in today's Showtime section.

Anybody have any chop stories?

How do you make the deal and get your value? Being nice? Being a tough guy?

I'll also be talking about chops during my regular Friday radio gig at WBZT-1230 AM in West Palm Beach.

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Hard to keep up with them all but this puts it through Event 17. Strong showing by our local women, especially:

Event 7: $2,000 No-limit Hold 'em: Fred Goldberg, Hollywood, 48th, $7,823; Claudio Fonseca, Weston, $7,823; Richard Cleveland, Boynton Beach, $3,477.

Event 8: $10,000 Mixed Games: Chad Brown, Margate, 23rd, $16,243.

Event 9: $1,500 Six-handed Hold 'em: David Zand of Weston, seventh, $36,442; Timothy Bannigan, Parkland, 85th, $2,868; Ted Lawson, Plantation, 114th, $2,278.

Event 11: $5,000 six-handed shootout: Richard Kirsch, Fort Lauderdale, 11th,; Jacobo Fernandez, Hollywood, 25th, $16,920.

Kirsch sent me an email:

I played the $5000 shootout. 360 people entered. The format of the shootout works like this: 360 people play 36 ten handed tables. The winner of each table (36 people) play 6 six handed tables. The winners of those six tables (6) go to the final table. I won my first table and then got heads up against Phillip Tom in my second table. Two times I had Phillip all-in with the best hand, and both times he hit miracle cards to stay alive. He went on to beat me after a 3 and a half hour heads up match. He then proceeded to go the final table and win the bracelet ($450k). I received $17,000 for winning my first table - the 11th place finish is misleading, everyone who won their first table but failed win the second table basically all finished in the same place.

Event 12: $1,500 Limit Hold-em: Stuart Elkin, Delray Beach, 28th, $5,526; Gregory Monaldi, Davie, 34th, $5,526.

Event 13: $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'em, Ariel Soffer of Hollywood, seventh, $107,639; Adam Katz of Delray Beach, 10th, $38,236; Jason Mercier of Hollywood, 13th, $30,203; Benjamin Zamani, Boca Raton, 53rd, $9,961; Tristan Wade, Boynton Beach, 86th, $6,426.

Event 14: $10,000 Seven-Card Stud, Jacobo Fernandez of Hollywood, 12th, $33, 417.
That's three cashes for Fernandez, with 41 events to go. Player of the year?

Event 15: $1,000 Ladies No-Limit tournament: Marla Crumpler, Fort Lauderdale, fifth, $60,101; Debbie Mitchell, Miramar, sixth, $47,106; Lauren Failla (creator of the High Heels Poker Tour), Hollywood, 63rd; $3,032.

Event 17: A $1,500 No-Limit Shootout. The tournament had 1,000 players, which meant 100 10-player tables. Then the 100 winners gathered at 10 tables, and those winners compiled the final table.
Corey Zeidman of Coral Springs was listed as 25th, and Lisa Teebagy (who won both High Heels events in South Florida), was listed as 99th, each winning, $5,596. By my math, that means they each won their first shootout table, then were eliminated in the second table. Everyone like them, from No. 11 through 100, each earned $5,596, so the place isn't quite as meaningful.

Event 19: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha: James Lampropoulous, Boca Raton, 25th, $5,905; John Womack, Lauderhill, 65th, $2,900.

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The Hard Rock sent over their promotions for June.

They include:

$1,000,000 Scratch & Win: Player’s Club members can win up to $1 million instantly by picking up a free scratch card on Mondays (2, 9, and 16), Wednesdays (4, 11, 18, and 25) and Fridays (6, 13, 20, and 27). Receive on free scratch card from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and earn additional cards for each 1,000 points earned with slot machine play. Also, Second Chance Drawings with $1,000 hourly giveaways are being held from 1-9 p.m. Grand finale drawing on Monday, June 30. Second Chance Drawings with $2,000 hourly giveaways from 1-9 p.m. and one $10,000 winner at 10 p.m. Ten or more winners per day on event days.

Classic Car Giveaway: On Tuesdays (3, 10, 17, and 24), Player’s Club members can drive home in either a 1966 Mustang Convertible, 1960 Thunderbird, 1971 Mercedes 280 SL Convertible or a 1964 Cadillac. Grand prize drawing at 9 p.m. Additional cash drawings hourly from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

$50,000 Wall of Winning On Thursdays (5, 12, 19, and the finale is on June 26), Player’s Club members can win up to $50,000 with cash giveaways of up to $5,000 daily from noon – 9 p.m. Entries can be dropped into the barrel located at the Center Bar. Grand Finale drawing for up to $10,000 on Thursday, June 26.

· Free Slot Machine Play: On Wednesdays (4, 11, 18, and 25) and Thursdays (5, 12, 19, and 26) from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Players Club members can redeem points for free slot machine play.

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A Sunrise man won a World Series of Poker main event seat through an online tournament.

Michael Mazzafro, who plays at ClubUBT.com, emerged from 2,083 players for the seat. After getting into that tournament by making the top 10 in a 300-player satellite.

Mazzafro, who is "sort of in between jobs," works for a small property management company, but used to be a waiter. He used to play lower-limit games at the Hard Rock, but now plays almost all on-line.

"I'm a math guy," he said. He said when the field got down to 50, he was sitting in the top 5, and then dropped a little, only to have a run of pocket aces, pocket kings and pocket jacks in three straight hands.

He likes that Club UBT is only $19.95 a month, then you pay the club fee and start off with 500 points, then the tournaments cost points to enter.

"I don’t lose any more than my $19.95, and on the internet, all the chip counts and the pot total is right there," he said.

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After talking today to the Seminole gaming executives, I can pretty much erase the fears of those worried the games will be laden with house advantages. First of all, they wouldn't n