With today being THE DAY for the state and the Seminole Tribe to get it together, your favorite gambling writer made an appearance on SouthFloridaLive.com and talked it up (gotta love the outfit!)

So, what you all think is going to happen?

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Mike May of West Palm Beach was the last man standing Sunday in the main event of the Palm Beach Kennel Club Poker Classic.

May won $18,965. The win also carried enough points to make him "Player of the Year." So he gets another 5 grand.

The $500 tournament carried a $50,000 guarantee, which the kennel club had no problem meeting -- there were 281 entrants. That made for a prize pool of $126,450.

Actually, if May hadn't finished 12th on Monday, he would have lost out Player of the Year to John Kleywegt, who won on Monday and cashed later in the week. May's 148 points Monday plus 612 on Sunday gave him 760. Kleywegt had 630.

The results from Sunday:

1) Mike May / West Palm Beach $18,965 plus $5,000 for Player of the Year
2) Jeremy Osbourne / Port St. Lucie $17,275
3) Paul Brettler / Ft. Lauderdale $14,975
4) Eric Brewster / Jupiter $11,890
5) Andrew (AJ) Kellsall / Tampa $10,480
6) Al Zeitler / North Palm Beach
7) Don Cook / West Palm Beach
8) Billy Campbell / Palm Beach Gardens
9) Jason Greenburg / West Palm Beach
10) Tim Bannigan / Delray Beach
11) Ken Weiner / Wellington
12) Spider McCarthy / West Palm Beach

The Player of the Year final standings:

Mike May 760
John Kleywegt 630
Eric Brewster 602
Marc Levy 566
Tom Nasuti 540
Quintin Kusala 501
Jeremy Osbourne 433
Nicholas Delio 418
Larry Hawkins 363
Jay Roden 354
Paul Brettler 353
Manny Leon 347
Patrick Maynard 344
Gail Levine Cohen 316
Monte Berger 296
Andres Sanchez 296
Andrew Kellsall (A.J.) 273
Susan Smith 256
Al Zeitler 250
Ed Brooks 247
Billy Campbell 245
Antonio Pinzari 244
Howard Spiers 243
James Locklar 241
David Katz 238
Don Cook 231
John Thome 230
T J Britton 224
Edward White 224

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Quintin Kusala of Boynton Beach won Friday's event of the Palm Beach Poker Classic, which put him in third for the Player of the Year race. Looks like they chopped the pot, then played the tournament out for the points.

Tom Nasuti moved into second place with a strong showing Friday. They both trail John Kleywegt, who won Monday's tourney and cashed again during the week.

But the big day is today (Saturday), and it's still anybody's race.

From Friday:

1st - Quintin Kusala Boynton Beach, Fl. $4,550
2nd - Jay Roden Naples, Fl. 4,550
3rd - Tom Nasuti Jupiter, Fl. 3,900
4th - Manny Leon 3,900
5th - T.J. Burton 3,900
6th - Lenny Pisceotto 3,900
7th - Gerard Donnahy 3,000
8th - Randy Johnston 3,000
9th - Marc Levy $3,000
10th - Ruth Gaskins 700

242 players entered, and the total prize pool was $40,414.

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David “The Bullet” Smith, billed as “the world’s highest flying human cannonball,” will soar at 10:30 p.m. tonight at the Seminole Casino Hollywood.

He's expected to go 70 feet in the air at a speed of about 90 mph. He'll travel 150 feet into a net. (Hope it's a good net.)

The Seminole Casino Hollywood is at 4150 North State Road 7 (U.S. Highway 441), just south of Stirling Road (across the street from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino), in Hollywood, Florida. For more information call 954-961-3220 or 1-866-2-CASINO or visit www.seminolehollywoodcasino.com.

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Nicholas Delio of Los Angeles won the Day 4 tournament of the Palm Beach Kennel Club Poker Classic, a rebuy tournament.

The tournament drew 184 players, and he won $4,020.

Meanwhile, in the player of the year standings, John Kleywegt picked up points Thursday, solidifiying his lead. He tied for 11th Thursday.

Delio's win vaulted him to fourth. But truthfully, the real game is this weekend, with the bigger tournaments. So it's still anybody's race for Player of the Year.

Thursday's results:

1) Nicholas Delio / Los Angeles, CA $4,020
2) Andres Sanchez / Boynton Beach $3,500
3) James Locklar / Boynton Beach $3,500
4) Kathy Pennell / Lake Worth $3,000
5) Eric Brewster / West Palm Beach $3,000
6) Felicia Zimmerman / Lake Worth $1,120
7) Ken Habben / West Palm Beach $800
8) Dave MacDonald / Jupiter $600
9) Thomas Pappas / Ft Myers $400
10) Walter Strakowski / West Palm $280
11) David Katz / Delray Beach $220
12) Midas McIntosh / Ft. Lauderdale $220
13) John Kleywegt / Jupiter $220
14) Bruce Pfeifer / Jupiter $220
15) Keith Swain / West Palm $220
16) Hiram Gonzales / West Palm $220
17) Manny Kavekos / West Palm $220
18) Harry Freeman / Jupiter $220

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Gail Levine Cohen of Palm Beach Gardens won Wednesday's event in the Palm Beach Poker Classic, a game of H.O.R.S.E. (I didn't know you shooting a basketball could get you a poker title.)

The tournament, the third in this week's series, drew 119 entries. The final 11 players chopped the prize pool at $820 a head, but and played it out for the points and Cohen prevailed

Next in line were:

2) Edward White / Lake Park
3) Allen Green / Wellington
4) Joseph Rossi / Jupiter
5) Thomas Nasuti / Juno Beach
6) Antonio Pinzari / West Palm Beach
7) Stephanie Hughes / West Palm Beach
8) David Katz / Delray Beach
9) Mark Proman / Boca Raton
10) Lesley Mims / Palm City
11) John Bastarche / Delray Beach

The win vaults her into fourth in the Player of the Year points competition, behind the winners of the Monday's and Tuesday's tournament and Monday's second-place winner.

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Kevin Schaffel of Coral Springs is still two and a half months away from playing for $8.5 million in the World Series of Poker, so he had some time to kill.

He did pretty well Wednesday night, finishing second in the World Poker Tour's Legends of Poker main event in Los Angeles. He took home about $450,000.

Schaffel, who made the WSOP's final table out of a field of 6,494 in July, entered Wednesday night's WPT tournament as the chip leader, but lost to Prahlad Friedman.

Winning would have been a $1 million payday. The World Poker Tour likes to make instant millionaires out of winners, so it has a top-heavy prize money schedule. With fewer entries than normal (about 200, paying $10K each), the payout structure dropped quickly.

1 Prahlad Friedman $1,034,500

2 Kevin Schaffel $471,670

3 Todd Terry $231,300

4 Toto Leonidas $144,600

5 Sam Stein $116,225

6 Mike Krescanko $89,220

Schaffel plays in November for the WSOP main event bracelet. He already is guaranteed a $1.2 million payday.

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You can say what you want about a parent company going bankrupt and poor publicity from a 2-year-old state investigation of out-of-control employees, but you also gotta say this: Of the three Broward County parimutuels with slot machines, only Gulfstream Casino and Racing can report gains from last year.

The state's July slot figures are out, and they support Gulfstream's argument that they're gaining ground:

Gulfstream had net slot revenues of $3.3 million this July, compared to $2.8 million in 2008;

Mardi Gras took in $4.6 million this year, down from $5.7 million in 2008;

Isle Casino and Racing reported $7.5 million this July; last year, it was $8.5 million.

Overall, Florida gambling is down about 9 percent, according to the state's web site.

Gulfstream issued a press release to this effect, documenting the percentage losses the two others have had, and quoting Michael Pollock’s Gaming Industry Observer: “The percentage gulf between these racinos is attributable, in part, to a commitment to keeping the slot floor fresh.”

In the Gulfstream release, Gulfstream VP Steve Calabro said, “We’ve achieved these results by offering our customers ‘the latest and greatest’ slot machines; fun and exciting marketing promotions on a daily basis; a safe and clean environment in which to play, great guest service and great jackpot payouts."

Meanwhile, the Village at Gulfstream Park project keeps rolling along, with a Feb. 11 planned opening date. The Gulfstream poker room reports solid tournament play, as its season-long "leaderboard" concept creates player loyalty. And there's momentum from last year's horse racing season, which industry observers (I'm not real good with horse racing) described as "excellent."

And so, you gotta wonder: Could this whole mall-casino-horse track idea actually work?

Why do you think Gulfstream's slot business is up, while the two others are down?

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Patrick Maynard of Lake Worth prevailed in the second event of the Palm Beach Poker Classic, winning the six-handed tournament Tuesday.

That puts him third in the "Player of the Year" leader board. John Keywegt, who won Monday's hold 'em event, got no points Tuesday but still leads with 513.85 points. Monday runner-up Larry Hawkins, also pointless on Tuesday, is second, with 363.35, then comes Maynard, with 344.88.

The tournament drew 141 players, and paid $2,405 for first place.

Today is a $100 H.O.R.S.E. event, with a $10,000 guarantee no-limit with rebuys ($30 with $10 rebuys) on Thursday, a $20,000 guarantee no-limit ($200) on Friday and the main event, a $50,000 guarantee ($500 entry) on Saturday and possibly Sunday.

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Bar Poker Pros, a popular bar poker league in South Florida, will conduct a charity tournament at 10 a.m. Saturday at Tootsie's Cabaret, at the corner of U.S. 441 and Miami Gardens Drive.

But it isn't strip poker.

The grand prize is a $10,000 entry into the Sports Legends Challenge tournament at Atlantis Sept. 11-14, which is a heck of a tournament (click here for the link). The top prize also includes a five-night stay at Atlantis. All final table players will receive prizes.

Because it's a charity tournament, entries are only by donation. Bar Poker Pros is suggesting it be $65, and is limiting the field to 200, and offering a free breakfast to those who sign up in advance.

The Sports Legends Challenge is Sept. 14-17, as 25 of sports legends join 25 top professional poker players to provide a weekend of exciting action. Featuring poker, golf, blackjack, and slots tournaments. Go to www.SportsLegendsChallenge.com for more info.

And, oh, just so you can concentrate on poker: the tournament will be held in the sports bar.

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If you’re planning to go on All In Free Poker’s cruise early next year, you’re going to have to win your way in.

All In Free Poker, which runs a free poker league at about 50 South Florida bars, booked 100 rooms for a Jan. 17 weeklong cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas out of Fort Lauderdale.

“We’re sold out,” All In Free Poker’s Bryan Oulton said.

But the company is conducting tournaments at Isle Casino and Racing in Pompano Beach the next three months. Buy-in is $60, with $40 re-buys. For every $1,288 in the prize pool, the tournament will provide a cruise for two.

The tournaments are this Sunday, Sept. 27 and Oct. 25.

It will be second annual cruise for All In Free Poker, which reserved about 100 rooms with the cruise line. The Independence of the Seas has set aside a private area for the All In cruisers, and has 75 hours of poker room time with live games and tournaments.

A World Poker Tour Boot Camp focusing on playing in non-tournament cash games also is scheduled, and the High Heels Poker Tour for women will also have events.

For more info go to www.AllInFreePoker.com.

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John Kleywegt of Jupiter won the first event at the Palm Beach Kennel Club Poker Classic Monday, a no-limit hold 'em tourney.

Kleywegt won $5,100 in the tournament, which drew 314 players.

There's a six-handed no-limit tournament today, followed by a H.O.R.S.E. ($100) tourney on Wednesday, a $10,000 guarantee no-limit with rebuys ($30 with $10 rebuys) on Thursday, a $20,000 guarantee no-limit ($200) on Friday and the main event, a $50,000 guarantee ($500 entry) on Saturday and possibly Sunday.

The player with the most points for the six tournaments also will get $5,000 and be named Palm Beach Kennel Club "Player of the Year."

For info, call 561-683-2222 or go to the Kennel Club's web site.

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Yankees or Mets? New Yorkers here can have their pick Friday when a former baseball player from each team shows up to sign autographs at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

Former Met Ed Kranepool and Yankee pitcher Stan Bahnsen will sign free autographs at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Kranepool signed with the Mets at age 17 and debuted for them in 1962, eventually becoming a fan favorite and member of the World Series “Miracle Mets” in 1969. He played all of his 18 seasons (1,853 games) for the team, longer than any other player in their history.

He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1990 and still leads the team records for 5,436 at-bats, 1,418 hits, 225 doubles, and 2,047 total bases.

Bahnsen broke into the major leagues with the New York Yankees as a starting pitcher (1968-1971) and was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1968. He played for the Chicago White Sox (1972-1975); Oakland Athletics (1975-1977); Montreal Expos (1977-1981); California Angels (1982); and Philadelphia Phillies (1982).

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is located just east of State Road 7 (U.S. 441) and north of Sample Road at 5550 NW 40th St. Call 954-977-6700.

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Erica Chevillar, the former West Boca High School world history teacher who made Playboy, is still creating a stir.

She showed up outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's Passion nightclub on Saturday, drawing a crowd, according to the Hard Rock's Facebook Page. She was hosting a party at Passion, and visitors to the trendy nightclub reported a larger-than-usual crowd, even for Saturday night standards.

I think they were there for the visual. According to an article in the archives by our Scott Travis, Chevillar caused a stir in 2006 when students discovered revealing photos of her on a bikini web site.

She was featured in a 2007 nude pictorial in the March issue of Playboy magazine titled "Hot for Teacher." (Sorry, no links, gotta stay employed. I think the prudent thing I can do is provide a link to Google.)

Chevillar gave up her $33,000-a-year teaching job at the end of the 2007 school year, saying it didn't pay enough. She didn't say how much she would earn for her pictorial except that it's "more than I would make teaching."

It all blew up when students saw photos of her in a bikini back before she even started teaching. And they say kids don't know how to research anymore.

Photo by Ralph Notaro

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Check your dresser for any discared lottery tickets. And your car. And your pants pockets.

The Florida Lottery announced Friday that a Fantasy 5 ticket worth $81,825.63 remains unclaimed. The ticket was sold at a Publix on Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

The 180-day limit to claim the top prize expires at midnight Sept. 2.

Here were the numbers from the March 6 drawing. Check to see if you play them regularly:

01 – 06 – 12 – 18 – 34

The winning ticket was sold at Publix, 1415 E. Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale. (I've been in there, but didn't buy a ticket. It's a relatively new Publix in the east part of town.)

Players may obtain additional information by calling the Player Information Line at 850-921-7529 or visiting the Florida Lottery’s Web site at flalottery.com.

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The Isle is offering a high hand promotion on weekdays from Aug. 24 through Sept. 25.

One high hand will be awarded every two hours.

Cleverly, they're awarding higher payouts for the higher-limit games.

5/10 No Limit = $400
2/5 No Limit = $300
1/2 No Limit = $200
2-4 Limit = $100
Straight 2 = $50
1-2 Limit = $25

The usual rules apply, such as both hole cards must play and the hand must be at least a full house. By my take, it's the first high hand promotion there in a long time.

Do high hand promotions get you to play at a venue?

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I see that I'm on the front page of Sun-Sentinel.com today, which reminds me to remind you...

BOOKMARK ME!

Click at www.sun-sentinel.com/action and hit "favorites."

To quote Bartles and Jaymes: "Thanks for your support."

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Now, if you read between the lines of Josh Hafenbrack's report from Tallahassee, there's hope for an agreement between the Seminoles and the state.

The parties met on Monday, trying to make the Aug. 31 deadline.

George Lemieux, Gov. Charlie Crist's former chief of staff who is helping lead the negotiations, said the two parties are "narrowing down the issues" and hope to have an agreement by Aug. 31, 13 days away.

But still, the Legislature, in a likely special session, would have to decide whether to accept the new terms.

Hafenbrack says:

One change will be to the so-called "exclusivity" provisions -- which ensure that the Seminoles are the only gambling operators with the rights to blackjack and slots outside South Florida. The Legislature would require the tribe to make payments to the state even if competitors get similar gambling games, as long as the tribe's revenue didn't experience a major drop. The tribe balked at that idea.

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Poker pro Marc Levy of Boynton Beach prevailed in the heavyweight division of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino monthly main event poker tournament.

Levy collected $27,650 in the field of 79 Saturday. (That's him in the photo, with his winning hand of pocket kings -- nice way to win one.)

Franklin Rojas of Plantation won the $575-entry cruiserweight division Wednesday, which drew 71 entrants. He cashed for $12,425.

Jose Torres of Cooper City took down the middleweight division Aug. 10, which cost $350 and drew 140. He earned $13,440.

It's been a hot week for Levy, one of South Florida's nice guys of poker. He was among six players who chopped first prize at the Isle on Monday in the $440 tournament, each garnering $6,133.

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Howard Dreitzer, who led the introduction of table games at three Seminole Casinos in Florida, has been named Chief Operating Officer for Seminole Gaming.

“I am confident that his future contributions to the Tribe’s gaming operations will be even more significant,” CEO James Allen said. (On the opening night of blackjack at the Hard Rock in June 2008, Dreitzer was the big guy that Allen joked with about a $100 bet whether they'd get it done on time.)

Dreitzer will run gaming for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, as well as the Seminole Casinos in Coconut Creek, Hollywood, on the Immokalee Reservation near Naples, on the Brighton Reservation northwest of Lake Okeechobee and on the Big Cypress Reservation south of Lake Okeechobee, the tribe's press release says.

Dreitzer had been senior VP of table games for Seminole Gaming since March 2008. Before that, Dreitzer was Senior VP and GM for the Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast gaming resort in Queensland, Australia. Dreitzer worked directly for Caesars Entertainment, which managed the resort, and he directed overall resort operations for Conrad Jupiters and Conrad Treasury. He previously was Vice President and General Manager and Vice President of Casino Operations of the Conrad International Treasury Casino & Hotel in Brisbane, Australia.

U.S. casino executive work included at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans, the Atlantic City Showboat Hotel & Casino and the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, NJ. He also was a senior manager with Golden Nugget and the Sands.

Dreitzer was born in Miami Beach and studied at the University of South Florida, Miami-Dade Junior College, the University of Las Vegas, and executive development programs at Columbia University, Wharton Business College, Harvard University and Cornell.

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The Palm Beach Kennel Club is holding "the Palm Beach Poker Classic" Aug. 24-29.

The events:
Aug. 24: A $10,000 guarantee no-limit hold 'em ($100)

Aug. 25: Six-handed no-limit ($100)

Aug. 26: H.O.R.S.E. ($100)

Aug. 27: $10,000 guarantee no-limit with rebuys ($30 with $10 rebuys)

Aug. 28: $20,000 guarantee no-limit ($200)

Aug. 29 (and possibly Aug. 30): $50,000 guarantee ($500 entry)

The player with the most points for the six tournaments also will get $5,000 and be named Palm Beach Kennel Club "Player of the Year."

For info, call 561-683-2222 or go to the Kennel Club's web site.

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The spoof web site Not The L.A. Times linked gambling and the bailout with an article Obama urges bailout for 'responsible' gamblers.

You know, casinos kind of have a program like this in place already for high rollers: When a player loses, say $1 million, they clearly get comp rooms and meals, and often a 20 percent rebate.

And you can argue that gambling and the stock market really aren't that different.

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Dania Jai-Alai is teaching the game to young people the next two weekends.

The fronton will host free clinics from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and again on Aug. 22-23. It's for children 10 through 16.

Benny Bueno, the fronton's new Player Development Manager, will give a tour of the court, go over the rules and teach them how to throw and catch the ball. (They'll us a rubber one, which isn't nearly as painful as the regular pelota.)

“It's a dream for me… giving back to the sport that gave me so much,” said Bueno, a former professional palyer. He would like to set up youth jai-alai programs at area schools -- but I don't think he'll be explaining how to bet a trifecta, box the favorites in a perfecta or explain what it's like to be out there playing and hearing a patron betting against you yell "DROP IT, FIVE!"

Parents are urged to sign up their kids early online at www.dania-jai-alai.com/clinic or can register when they arrive.

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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is introducing Boomerang Bucks Friday, a promotion that helps ease the pain for new slots players who happen to lose.

The promotion is available only to new Player’s Club members. As is the case at most casinos, Player’s Club membership is free for those 21 and older who present a valid driver’s license.

The Hard Rock promotion gives gamblers a rebate of 50 percent on losses in their first 24 hours, up to $100. The casino will mail coupons, rounded to the nearest $5 increment, to players within a week after their initial visit. Patrons then bring the coupons back to the casino for a free-play voucher.

The casino previously offered $25 in free play to new members, and sometimes a free lunch. The other Seminole casinos in Broward County offer similar incentives for first-time slot and video poker players.

Most casinos continually have new-player incentives going. Gulfstream Casino and Racing in Hallandale Beach is offering $20 in free play for new players. Mardi Gras Gaming in Hallandale Beach offers $10 in free play and $5 off a meal. And beginning Monday, the Isle Casino Pompano Park will rebate the first $25 a new player loses.

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Timothy P. Haggerty of Lighthouse Point turned in a $2 million ticket today, the Florida Lottery announced.

The winning Mega Money Quick Pick ticket was purchased at 7-Eleven, located at 2391 N. Dixie Highway in Pompano Beach.

Haggerty bought the ticket on Saturday and staked his claim in Tallahassee Tuesday.

Haggerty chose the one-time, lump-sum payment option of 1,385,810. The retailer received $7,000.

Our clips show that 23 years ago, a 34-year-old Timothy Haggerty (I'm making a phone call to see if they are one and the same, but...) got into a five-year litigation with the city over a code violation involving his mail box, and it was fodder for a handful of stories.

The city claimed Haggerty`s mailbox, a construction of auto parts and scrap metal, was a traffic and safety hazard, and ordered him to remove it. He refused, claiming he had a right to express himself by building any type of mailbox he wanted. But our story archives say that he took the box down while the matter was going through the legal process.

He also ran for Pompano Beach city commission in 1986, and while he didn't the paper's endorsement he was described as "articulate."

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Ante Up For Africa, a non-profit organization founded by actor Don Cheadle and poker player Annie Duke, announced a $600,000 donation to three Darfur-related charities.

The goal is to provide relief for the people affected by the violence in that area, according to a press release. Proceeds were raised through poker tournaments, which have raised more than $2.5 million for Darfur charities since launching in 2007.

"When we started Ante Up, we had no idea that so many people would respond and participate to combat the devastation in Darfur," said Annie Duke. "It reaffirms our belief in humanity and drives us to do more for people in need."

Darfur, located in western Sudan, is experiencing a humanitarian crisis which has seen hundreds of thousands killed and millions driven from their homes.

The release says Ante Up for Africa will donate:

$300,000 to Darfur Peace & Development Organization (DPDO), a Darfuri-led non-governmental organization that continues to provide aid to those in need in Darfur and the refugee camps.

$150,000 to Refugees International, an organization that advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people.

$150,000 to the Enough Project, a project of the Center for American Progress that is working to build a permanent constituency to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity.

The Ante Up for Africa tournament airs at 8 tonight on ESPN.

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Darrell Everson of Coral Springs won the summer finals All in Free Poker Tournament last week at Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Beach.

Everson took home a prize package worth about $4,000 in the field of 230 players. He gets four buy-ins into Isle events, worth $2,000, and a World Poker Tour Boot Camp poker table.

Bruce Kahn of Sunrise finished second.

Next in line:Nick Schooley, Margate; Bruce Gerstein, Pompano Beach; Elena Dellutri, Davie; Randy Horne, Davie; Sharon Loewy, Coral Springs; Amir Baron, Coral Springs; Madeleine Volk, Pompano Beach; and Robyn Glass, Davie.

The tournament drew fans from All in Free Poker's bars, and the custom of wearing "home bar" shirts continues to grow. Roy's in Margate, The Inn Field Pub in Sunrise, The Duck Tavern in Boca Raton and Ye Olde Falcon Pub in Davie were among those with contingents.

For more information, go to www.AllInFreePoker.com.

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The Palm Beach Princess Casino has three satellite tournaments on its 10:30 a.m. cruises for World Poker Tour seats.

The dates are Sunday (Aug. 16), Sept. 20 and Oct. 18, and the winner of each event can get into a $10,000 World Poker Tour event and $2,000 in spending money.

Buy-in is $335 and includes cruise fee, food and snacks.

Players start with 4500 units and the field is expected to be at about 60.

For more information call the poker hotline at 561-818-5771 or email joe@pokerroompb.com.

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Somebody stopped into a Pompano Beach 7-Eleven this week and now will be $2 million richer.

The Florida Lottery announced today that one player matched all four numbers plus the Megaball in the Friday Mega Money drawing.
The winning numbers: 06 - 29 - 35 - 44. The Megaball was 22.

It was a Quick Pick ticket at 2391 N. Dixie Highway, in Pompano Beach. The retailer will receive a bonus incentive of $ 7,000 for selling the jackpot winning ticket.

Webcasts of Florida Lottery drawings are available on the Lottery’s Web site at flalottery.com.

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Since winning eight gold medals last year, Michael Phelps has done everything from host Saturday Night Live to gain notoriety for a photo of him with a bong.

But now there's something new for him to add to the list, not far from where he won all that hardware: Play in the Asian Poker Tour.

The Asian Poker Tour, whose next event is Aug. 12-23 at gambling-crazy Macau, sent Phelps a letter inviting him to play next weekend, according to a press release published on The Casino City Times.
An excerpt of their plea:

Some media reports even suggest that you may have got in with the wrong crowd in the last 12 months – we promise to keep you out of trouble. We'll give you access to pools of sharks, fish and those that you swim in! If you don't want to bring your goggles, fair enough, bring a pair of sunglasses and your poker face!

Phelps, who has played in several small tournaments at Caesar's Palace (he's at the table in the photo here) in Las Vegas, has yet to respond.

The event will form the backdrop to a "potentially groundbreaking" Chinese language poker film provisionally titled Poker King, The Asian Poker Tour says. Johnny Chan and "The Poker Pack," comprised of J.C. Tran, Nam Le, Steve Sung, Quinn Do, David "Chino" Rheem and Kwang Soo Lee are coming to play and will be part of the movie, the APT says.

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The Isle Casino Pompano Park shuffled its poker schedule this week, adding two inexpensive multi-table tournaments.

“We’re just trying something new, and we think there are players interested,” said Mike Smith, the Isle’s director of poker operations.

The new $40 tournament is 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Players start with 1,500 chips, and can add another 1,000 for $10 more. The first tournament was Wednesday and drew 22 entrants.

The $40 entry fee is the second lowest in Broward County, with only the $25 daily at Dania Jai-Alai being lower.

Also new: A $230 tournament at 2 p.m. Tuesdays with $10,000 in prize money, the Isle’s first attempt at a weekly guarantee tourney.

Meanwhile, the $40 one-table “turbo” tournaments, which the Isle started about three months ago, have been “very, very popular,” Smith said. These take about an hour to play.

The Isle also has tournaments with higher buy-ins, including a $440 event set for Aug. 17 and the Isle Open Deepstacks events from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6, with a main event entry of $900.
More poker players are registering in advance online, Smith said.

To book a seat, go to ptseats.com.

Meanwhile, the Isle has other promotions:

Every Sunday in August is the Sizzling Summer Free Slot Tournament from noon- 6 p.m. Over $20,000 in IslePlay will be awarded each week.

From 2-6 p.m. Aug. 8, win a share of $25,000 in the red light, green light sweepstakes. All contestants have a chance to win $10,000 in cash and are guaranteed winners.

The month culminates with the $100,000 Weekend Sweepstakes from 6-midnight Aug. 28, 2-10 p.m. Aug. 29 and 2-8 p.m. Aug. 30. IsleOne members have a chance to win $500 In IslePlay every 15 minutes or $5,000 in cash every other hour. Card members may earn 2x entries on Mondays, 3x entries on Tuesdays, and 4x entries on Wednesdays.

At 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1 is the $10,000 Jackpot Sweepstakes. Receive entries for any hand paid jackpot in August

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When you sit down at the blackjack tables at the Hard Rock, you need to check the rules.

Some tables are now hitting on "Soft 17," (say, an ace and a six), which is a change from the rules the casino first used when it began blackjack in June 2008. The rules are spelled out at whichever table you sit at. (My hunch is they're hitting it at the lower-limit tables; I'm still asking the paper for expense money to play.)

The change came last month and makes the casino "more consistent with comparable casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas," Public Relations Manager Ryan Rogers said. (I.E., keeping up with the industry standards; both gambling meccas began hitting it a few years ago.)

When the casino started blackjack last year, I worked out the math using Blackjack Insider and WizardOfOdds.com and came up with a house advantage of 0.43 percent, if players use perfect strategy. (Like most casinos, the Hard Rock itself won't spill what the house advantage is.) Hitting on Soft 17 gives the house another 0.2 percent advantage, according to the site.

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Pending stockholder approval, a privately held investment group under the name Gamynia Limited has agreed to pay $9,075,000 plus a percentage of future revenues for almost all of WPT Enterprises assets.

That includes its television, sponsorship, distribution and licensing units, according to a report at PokerListings.com.

I don't have much else to say about this. The article does it better than I could have, especially their comment that the WPT in 2003 pretty much made poker what it is today.

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The Seminole Casino Hollywood is giving poker players a chance to see how the other half lives.

In August, the casino, also known as "Seminole Classic," will have a "$100,000 Wacky Poker Wheel" promotions. It works like this:

Each Monday through Thursday, from midnight to noon, players seated at poker tables are automatically entered into a drawing. The casino will pull 25 names each day, and those selected will spin a wheel for free slot play.

Top prize is $500.

The Whacky Poker Wheel is part of the circus-themed promotions at the casino for August. Others are the Bozo’s Big Top free slot tournament from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays; the Carousel of Cash from 6-11 p.m. Tuesday and Aug. 11 where contestants pick a horse from a carousel; The Clown Pick a Pocket Game, from 6-10 p.m. Wednesdays, where players pick two pockets from a clown for prizes; and Carnival of Games II from 2-6 p.m. Sundays and 6-10 p.m. Thursdays where patrons choose to play one of three games for cash or free play prizes.

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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is giving away cruises, luxury watercraft and cash this month. Promotions include “Boatload of Cash” and “Two Tickets to Paradise.”

The “Boat Load of Cash Sweepstakes” offers $1,000 an hour cash from 1 to 10 p.m. each Thursday (6, 13, 20 & 27), Friday (7, 14, 21 & 28) and Saturday (8, 15 & 22). If the name drawn isn't present, the cash rolls over. The grand finale is Aug. 29 and drawings will be doubled to $2,000 cash per hour, rolling over to the 10 p.m. winner.

40 Western Caribbean luxury adventures at sea will be awarded on the Carnival Destiny with the “Two Tickets to Paradise Giveaway.” On Mondays (3, 10, 17, 24 & 31), swipe your Player’s Card daily for electronic entries and get an additional entry for each 50 points earned. Virtual drawings will be held throughout the casino from noon to 8 p.m. for one winner each to win a cruise for two. At 9 p.m., three cruises will be awarded with just three minutes to claim them. The Grand Finale will be held Aug. 31 for four luxury cruises for two.

The “Rock the Boat Giveaway” is 1-4 p.m. Sundays (2, 9, 16, 23 & 30) with virtual drawings hourly and 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays (5, 12, 19 & 26). Grand prize drawings will be at 5 p.m. on Sundays and at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays where five players will win $1,000 in free play and one will win the boat.

The “$60,000 Free Play Giveaway” gives away $10,000 a day on Aug. 1, 5, 9, 19, 24 and 26. Ten winners will each receive $1,000 in free play at a grand prize drawing to be held at 10 p.m. on each day, respectively.

Player’s Club members 55 and over are eligible to join the “Classic Rockers” and participate in the “Classic Rockers Giveaway” on Tuesdays (4, 11, 18 & 25) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to win a share of $2,750 in cash and free play.

"Take Center Stage" awards $1,000 in free play or concert memorabilia after concerts. This month it's Aug. 12 for Kathy Griffin, Aug. 17 for Judas Priest and Aug. 20 for Crosby, Stills & Nash. Beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 10:45 p.m., swipe your Player’s Card daily for electronic entries and get an additional entry for each 100 points earned. Virtual drawings will be held throughout the casino with a final drawing at 11 p.m. where three winners will get $1,000 free play or Hard Rock concert memorabilia.

Meanwhile, beginning July 1 poker players earn comp credits for time played at their specific game. Comps will be redeemable at a variety of restaurant and retail outlets.

The Big Slick Tournament is at 11 a.m. Aug. 29 and costs $1,100.

The Main Event Tournament Week is Aug. 10-16. Monday, August 10 at noon with a $30,000 guaranteed prize pool; $350 buy-in, 8,000 chips and 45 min. levels
Wednesday, August 12 at noon with a $575 buy-in, 10,000 chips and 45 min. levels
Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16 at 11 a.m. with a $1,100 buy-in, 20,000 chips and 50 min. levels

Guaranteed Tournaments: Mondays, August 3,17 & 31 at 6:30 p.m. with a $25,000 guaranteed prize pool; $300 buy-in.
Wednesdays, August 5 & 19 at 6:30 p.m. with an $8,000 guaranteed prize pool; $75 buy-in.
Saturdays, August 8 & 22 at 1 p.m. with a $20,000 guaranteed prize pool; $150 buy-in with re-buys.
Sundays, August 9 & 23 at 6:30 p.m. with an $8,000 guaranteed prize pool; $75 buy-in.
Tuesdays, August 11 & 25 at 6:30 p.m. with a $15,000 guaranteed prize pool; $150 buy-in.
Fridays, August 14 & 28 at 11 a.m. with a $25,000 guaranteed prize pool; $150 buy-in.
.

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Usually new state regulations kick in on July 1. Too bad that didn't happen with no-limit poker, the 35 percent slot tax and other breaks coming to the state's casinos.

While the Seminole Tribe weighs the compact proposed by the state, the horse tracks, dog tracks and jai-alai frontons cool their heels.

You couldn't blame them if they stormed Talllahassee and shouted HURRY UP!

Our Josh Hafenbrack details how and why we're on hold -- and its impact on local gambling.

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This month's promotions at Seminole Coconut Creek casino:

9 a.m. to noon Mondays is the 55-plus "Silver Star Slot tournament," with the top 50 scores getting free play. Entry is free.

7-10 p.m. Tuesday is "Mystic 8 Ball," with eight winners being drawn each hour.

From 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday, visitors get a free scratch-off ticket for earning 500 points.

Qualifying tournaments for the September $1 million slot tournament will be from 3-8 p.m. Wednesdays. The free tournament includes $1,000 in free play prizes, and the top five scores for the month put you into the semifinal.

7-10 p.m. Thursdays is "The Big One," with three winners each hour.

2-6:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays is "Yes or No," with six winners every 30 mins.

From 6 p.m. to midnight Aug. 23 is a "five-car giveaway," with drawings every 90 minutes.

At 10 p.m. Aug. 31 is the "Yes" car giveaway, and five other players will win $1,000 in cash.

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