Dania $40,000 tournament sells out; Davie man declared the winner
Angelo Miele Jr. of Davie was declared the winner of the largest poker tournament in the history of Dania Jai-Alai Saturday night.
He was the chip leader, when the 10 players at the table agreed to chop the remaining prize money. They each got about $4,000 (Miele got a little more and a winner's bracelet).
Next in line were: Jeff Justinak of Fort Lauderdale; Nigel Murray of Miami, Glen Maiolini of Davie and Carl Delprete of Delray Beach.
Dania officials said they were taking a risk by offering a $40,000 guaranteed prize pool, but the event sold out the 250 seats by 8 p.m. Friday.
“But I was confident the entire way that this would be the most successful tournament we ever had," said Dania card room employee Paula Lettiere.
Dania Jai-Alai officials are already making plans to offer the event, again, in a few months, maybe even making it a quarterly tournament. Meanwhile, they announced that there will be a new $150 tournament with only a $5 house fee. It's at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 1.
Also, Dania Jai-Alai will feature another Dan Le Batard Celebrity tournament at 8 p.m. July 22. Entry is $50.
NICK SORTAL began playing 3-card "gut" and "Indian poker" on high school band trips, moved on to "night baseball" and "pass the trash" during a Dr. Pepper-infused midnight game in the 1980s at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and now play in a regular neighborhood Hold 'Em game in Plantation. I have been given the assignment of writing about the gambling life in South Florida casinos for the Sun-Sentinel...which means sitting around watching poker on TV now counts as research.
