Well, in answer to the question: Will big-time players come to South Florida now that uncapped poker became legal on July 1?

Uh, yep.

Thursday night final-table players from three World Series of Poker main events were part of the throwdown at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, as well as the game's biggest rising star.

It helped that they all have South Florida connections. Kevin Schaffel of Coral Springs (2009 WSOP final table) sat with Michael "the Grinder" Mizrachi (2010 final table) of Miramar, his brother, Robert, and long-time friend David "Chino" Rheem (2008 final table). Also the Grinder's wife, Lily, who has placed well in women's tournaments. Meanwhile, Jason Mercier of Fort Lauderdale, ranked by many as a top-five player in the world, sat wearing a Miami Heat jersey next to Rheem.

They got in a version of $10-$25 Omaha (a better game for gamblers), in the Hard Rock's side room, protected by a burly guard and a velvet rope. Doron Malinasky, a regular winner at the Hard Rock, also stopped by, but wasn't at the table. Pots often hit $5K, players said.

As much of a constellation those stars make, there was a bigger buzz: Phil Ivey is in town. Ivey, who some say is the best player in the game, was in town for a meeting, one other player said. Another source said he was in the high-stakes blackjack room on Thursday. (I have a theory on who got him here, but...)

I put in a call to Hard Rock officials to confirm. As per policy, they don't out guests unless they want to be outed (not a bad rule) but the call-the-hotel-and-ask-for-Ivey trick kind of worked: the operator said "there are several rooms in his name, I'll put you to the first." (Alas, no answer.) Note to those new to poker: Ivey is famously private, not a big media guy. So the storyline of him quietly coming here to do business holds here, and if he doesn't want to be reached, he easily can do it.

This all comes with the Hard Rock's tournament series heating up. There's a $2,200 main event, with Day 1s on Saturday and Sunday. Day 2 is Monday, and it's expected to wrap up Tuesday. The big players didn't say whether they were playing in it or not, and I didn't hang around too long because, understandably, their night was more about playing poker than talking to some newspaper guy.

Schaffel, who also has played some recently at the Isle Casino & Racing, said the action was about right for a player like him, but he thinks the Mizrachis would like games with even bigger stakes. He also was surprised that there have been gaps at the Hard Rock with no $10-$25 Texas Hold 'em game.

"You know, we really need two or three tables of $10-$25 going, that's what'd be nice," he said.