As a servant to the public -- meaning I try to report things that make your life better -- I feel it is my duty to break this news: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is now online with Facebook and Twitter, according to a casino news release.

The casino says its Facebook Fan Page (www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/facebook) gives fans "the direct scoop on concert and sporting event on-sale dates, celebrity appearances and more." Also "the site features exclusive photos and video footage from a variety of events at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hard Rock Live and Seminole Paradise clubs, restaurants and special events."

Examples: visits from Kim Kardashian, Motley Crue, Juan Luis Guerra, Pamela Anderson, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. There's also a lineup of all Hard Rock Live concerts and events plus view rare footage from additional special engagements.

And current casino promotions for Seminole Players Club members and last-minute hotel room deals.

Seminole Hard Rock’s Twitter feed is at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/twitter. They'll tweet out casino, poker, food and drink specials, last-minute hotel deals and of-the-minute happenings on the casino floor, they say. (The bad news, if you're like me, is you follow 300 people, and the Tweets get overwhelming. Gotta learn to filter.)

They also have RSS feeds at www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com and www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com.

Now, all that is well and good. It's clearly great marketing -- the idea is to reach people via the media they are most comfortable with.

But I'd suggest because I see the world through a journalist's eye (and hopefully that of an everyday South Floridian) you also bookmark Sun-Sentinel.com/action and diligently read me. One click a day, say during your lunch time, and you're covered.

> Discuss this entry

The national gambling industry's trade association says revenue and jobs fell last year as Americans became less willing to risk their money, according to The Associated Press.

A study released Monday by the American Gaming Association found revenue nationwide was down 4.7 percent in 2008 to $32.5 billion. The year before, revenue had increased by 5.3 percent.

The nation has more than 1,600 casinos, slot parlors and other gambling halls. The number of casino jobs fell 1 percent to more than 357,000.

The gambling halls paid $5.7 billion in taxes to state and local governments last year. That's down slightly from $5.8 billion the year before.

One-quarter of the adult U.S. population visited a casino in 2008.

I participated in the AGA's press conference, and didn't get that much out of it that would affect us, although I'll likely save some of their findings and roll them into other stories.

> Discuss this entry

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino opened its doors on May 11, 2004 — and South Florida gambling changed.

The casino celebrates its five-year anniversary Monday with an 11 a.m. cake cutting, $5 drink specials at the outdoor beach club, and $5 mojitos at the casino’s center bar.

Also Monday:

Slot players can earn five times their regular number of Player’s Club points for playing the machines, and the casino has a $1 million promotion at five kiosks.

New Player’s Club sign-ups will get $25 in free play. They normally get $20. (Note: This is corrected; I originally had it as $30, up from $25. My fault.)

The casino will unveil what it calls a “birthday gift” of five guitars, signed by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Bruce Springsteen and Angus Young.

Meanwhile, the Seminole Tribe’s $5 million cash display, which started at the Hard Rock on March 18 and rotated to the other Seminole properties, returns. It’ll be on display through May 16.

> Discuss this entry

The Isle is closer to I-95 and is non-smoking.

The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek pays better promos and brings in entertainment now and then.

Is that really it? Is it that simple?

I documented the competition between the two -- especially for Palm Beach gamblers -- in Saturday's Sun-Sentinel.

But I want to hear more reader comments about specifics. Is there a dealer you like at one place? Is there a buffet entry that attracts you? Let me know.

Thanks.

> Discuss this entry

There’s a new game at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: Texas Hold ’em Bonus poker.

“It’s another version of playing poker, and it’s something different,” said Joe Giaimo, the Seminoles’ regional vice president of table games. The game started April 1.

Instead of players facing each other, they go against a house (dealer) hand.

They ante a minimum of $10 to a maximum of $500 and get two cards, face-down. So does the dealer.

To see the flop, players must bet twice their ante. They then have the option of betting their ante amount on the turn and the river — so players who anted the minimum $10 have anywhere from $30 to $50 up against the dealer.

The dealer reveals his cards, and the best hand wins.

Players who win with a flush or better get paid the amount of their ante and their bets. Players who win with less than a flush receive only their flop bet, plus any bets they made on the turn or the river.

Players also can make a bonus bet on just their first two cards. If they are dealt aces, their bet returns 30-to-1 (I originally wrote 50-1, but that's is incorrect. My apologies.). They also have six other bonus opportunities, all the way down to receiving 3-to-1 if they are dealt a pair of 2s through 10s.

The house makes its money by taking the ante on the dealer’s winning bets, while not paying off players’ antes if they have less than a flush. The house has about a 5 percent edge on the game, and about a 9 percent edge on the bonus bet, according to WizardOfOdds.com, a Web site devoted to gambling strategy. That’s worse than the 2 percent or lower generally in blackjack or baccarat but better than what you get in many slots games.

> Discuss this entry

Calder President and General Manager Tom O'Donnell addressed horsemen Thursday night for the start of Calder's 2009 racing season, which begins April 24.

Included in his remarks:

The race course plans to open a card room in the existing grandstand building in November.

Groundbreaking for a new slots facility is expected in mid-May, with the idea of slots being available before the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl football fans come to Miami late in January.

Miami-Dade County voters on Jan. 29, 2008, approved a referendum to allow slot machines limited to the existing horse and dog tracks and jai-alai frontons in Miami-Dade County, including Calder. Since then, Calder has been working on a new 104,000-square foot facility.

It's expected to hold 1,200 slot machines, three restaurants, valet parking service, and self-service terminals for wagering on horse races as well as video monitors to show live and simulcast racing. (Mardi Gras has about 1,500 slots, Gulfstream about 900, for sake of comparison.)

With Calder only a few feet from the Broward County line, and easily accessible, it will be interesting to see if the casino draws business away from, say, Gulfstream or the Hard Rock. It will also be interesting to see if they plan anything different from what we see at the other parimutuels.

My question to you, dear readers: What would you want to see there (penny slots, video poker, etc.)? And is Calder in a location that would make going there an option over where you are going now?

> Discuss this entry

* -- officially.

With Tax Day upon us again, I want to dust off the main points made in an article I wrote last year, based on an interview with Russell Fox, an enrolled agent in California who specializes in taxes and gambling. And here's hoping you had a 2008 where you actually have something to claim; that means you won.

Action: What losses can you claim?

Fox: There are two basic points about the U.S. tax code as far as gambling: You can never have losses that exceed your winnings, and that includes professionals. But you can take as an itemized deduction your losses up to the amount of your winnings. The other major point, which creates audit situations, is insufficient records. You absolutely should keep a gambling log.

Action: How do you do that?

Fox: Buy a small notebook and write down the date, the casino name, the table number, the game you're playing, the start and end time and the results, and you have met the IRS requirement. If you play online, do the same thing, but keep a spreadsheet.

Action: At what minimum would you begin reporting gambling wins? $50? $10,000? Isn't $600 a magic figure?

Fox. All gambling income is taxable - even $1. Many people believe that $600 is a "magic figure" because most Form 1099s must be issued when someone is paid $600. However, just because you don't receive a tax form doesn't mean you can exclude income.

Action: What flags the IRS?

A. First, if you claim losses that exceed your winnings. That's prohibited under the Tax Code. Second, not claiming gambling winnings. Not claiming income you have is called tax evasion, and if it's significant enough you can be criminally prosecuted for it.

For the more dedicated gamblers, Fox has more at his web page.

> Discuss this entry

Our Josh Hafenbrack blogs about the latest at the House, and it's good news for the parimutuels: The poker wage limit is increased tenfold, from $5 to $50 on 'limit' games and $100 to $1,000 maximum buy-in on no-limit games.

And our Michael Mayo weighs in with criticism of the House for, essentially, not taking the Seminoles into account more.

The Senate, which is more pro-gambling, still would have to approve the plan, and there's a lot of negotiating still to go. But still...

I'm a little buried on work today, so just click on his link for the details. I can't rip off Juice in a pathetic attempt to steal hits. Today.

But it can't stop me from asking... if this would go through, just this part (no compact) could you live with it? I need to hear from the poker folks, please.

> Discuss this entry

Itzhack Feldman admits his passion is an odd one.

"I live for the bad beat," says Feldman, of Hollywood.

And he has the web site to prove it: www.BadBeatNow.com.

A bad beat jackpot is when one player with a great hand loses to someone with an even better hand. In many cases, the loser has to have at least a full house of aces over jacks. Commonly, it's one player's four of a kind beats another's.

Casinos offer "bad beat jackpots" to draw people to the tables, and they often go over $100,000.

That's what catches Feldman's eye. He plays $1-$2 limit poker (the lowest-limit game, where you often win or lose only $20 a night) in hopes of hitting the bad beat.

His site, accessible via YouTube, contains the current bad beat jackpots of South Florida casinos. Feldman (pictured winning a Royal Flush, not a bad beat at Seminole Hollywood) calls the poker rooms daily, asking what the bad beat is.

Hey, I've heard of worse ways to make the world better.

> Discuss this entry

Dania Jai-Alai announced that it will introduce a new scoring system, called “Progressive 9” to be used in the nine point Superfecta games, according to a release from the fronton.

Adapted somewhat from the “Spectacular 7” scoring where points double after the first round of play, the Progressive 9 scoring will have points double after the first round and then progress to triple after the second round (the 15th point in the game).

In addition, all playoffs will be at the triple point level, regardless at which stage of the game they occur.

Dania officials think this is a way to not only shorten the length of the 9-point games, but it, also, gives a chance for any team to come from far behind and win.

"You, as a bettor, will never be out of it and can still win from even if you have lost the first few points in the Progressive 9 scoring," said Marty Fleischman, assistant general manager of Dania Jai-Alai. "This should add even more excitement and shows we are looking for innovative ways to enhance this great sport."

The new scoring will begin Wednesday and only on the ninth game. Fleischman said shortly thereafter, they plan to use it on all four 9-point games, the fourth, seventh, ninth and 12th.

> Discuss this entry

Eager to raise money to balance the state budget, the Senate has a plan. Give the Seminoles craps and roulette. Give South Florida parimutuels blackjack. Give the other parimutuels video-lottery terminals.

Their suggestion is as far to one side as the House's proposal is to the other. (No blackjack, even for Seminoles.)

So, here's the question of the day: If your local pari got blackjack, would you hit that spot more?

What if there were a $10-a-hand-limit?

And if you're pro-pari right now, would you have a problem with the Seminoles' addition of craps and roulette?

> Discuss this entry

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling today announced measures to identify college problem gamblers and quickly get them help.

"By the time the problem is recognized, they have already put their education and future on the line," council executive director Pat Fowler said.

The University of South Florida recently studied 2,300 students at seven Florida campuses and learned 5 percent were problem gamblers, four times the rate of the general adult population in Florida. The university followed the American Psychiatric Association's definition of pathological gambling, which is "persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior."

The most popular form of gambling for college students is poker.

"Many students play on free internet sites where they are bolstered by winning, only to find themselves in over their heads when they begin playing on sites for money," Fowler said. "With free time and plentiful computer access on campus, students, especially males, may find themselves spending hours playing at online sites instead of in class or doing class work."

The program, called Students Against Gambling Addiction, is being implemented at Florida colleges, Fowler said. Recommendations include techniques to help adults and residence hall counselors recognize problem gamblers, a greater presence for the state's gambling hotline and a suggestion that universities not sanction on-campus gambling activities such as poker tournaments and casino nights.

In order to ensure that each college would cooperate, the study purposely didn't break down the numbers down by institution, Fowler said. (Which I agree with: You could imagine one school using the data against another for recruitment.)

For more information, call 1-888-ADMIT-IT.

> Discuss this entry

Vanessa Rousso appeared at the Isle Casino and Racing Monday morning, before playing in the Battle at the Beach $900 deep-stack poker tournament.

Rousso is in town promoting her Big Slick boot camp: It's $399 and is April 5 at the Isle, April 11 at Orange Park and April 26 at Palm Beach Kennel.

The gist: She read Sun Tzu's The Art of War -- and re-read it and re-read it -- and says it applies to poker.

For example: The line, roughly about knowing yourself and you'll win some of the time; know your opponent and you'll win some of the time. Know yourself and know your opponent, and that's where the big payoff comes.

We shot some video of her talking about it, and will have it up on Tuesday. She posed for photos with the All in Free Poker gang and Mike Smith, the Isle's prominent poker room manager.

As of 3:15 p.m., she's still alive in the tournament, which began at 12:30 p.m. It's Day 1B of the tournament; 41 survived Day 1A and will return Tuesday. Chip leader: Hayden Fortini, with 180,500 chips. Maurice Hawkins lurks in eighth with 118,000.

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According to Yahoo News, police said a man was robbed of his casino winnings by two women he met at the casino and invited home with him in Tulsa, Okla.

The man won about $2,000 at the Creek Nation Casino and then invited the women to gamble with him and go home with him for drinks about 4 a.m. Monday, police said. The man told the officer the women said they were massage therapists and removed his pants then left with his cash.

About 4:45 a.m. the officer was at a nearby convenience store and recognized the two suspects from the victim's description.

Police arrested two 21-year-old women after finding them carrying a large amount of cash then finding marijuana in their car.

> Discuss this entry

Talk about the fox guarding the hen house ...

“For the 62 percent of Americans who have attended an out-of-town meeting or convention for work, 87 percent say it is important to running a strong business.”

So, of all the people who went away on a convention, the vast majority agree that ... well, the convention was worth going to. How about that!

And the results were released by ... the American Gaming Association (AGA).

The release says the findings "indicate that the vast majority of America’s business travelers think such trips are crucial to the health of their employers."

Clearly, Las Vegas is being hit by business belt-tightening, and fewer conventions. (Local casinos, like we have, are hurt less because they are not "destination" casinos.) But with people being laid off, stocks dropping and those who are still employed facing pay freezes -- if they're lucky -- it doesn't exactly strike me as the right time to argue (and so blatantly) for conventions to hit Vegas.

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It turns out Vanessa Rousso, the Wellington High graduate profiled in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, can play a little poker, too.

Rousso finished second this weekend in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, defeating Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Paul Wasicka, Daniel Negreanu and Bertrand Grospellier to reach the final.

She lost to Huck Seed on Sunday in the final of the 64-player event, modeled like an NCAA basketball tourney. The heads-up events were one game only, other than the final, which was best-of-three.

The tournament is taped for broadcast on NBC over six consecutive Sundays beginning April 12.

Rousso made news earlier this year when she appeared in a two-page "custom content" (advertorial) in Sports Illustrated.

> Discuss this entry

Slingo, already a known name among gamblers, now has a slot machine.

The Isle Casino and Racing in Pompano Beach reports hot action at the game.

One criticism: They have only three games.

Isle GM Michael Bloom says they "don't want to dilute the value" of the game. I take that to mean that if they have a bunch of them, then there would be less interest.

Somehow, though, I think of the line in the baseball book Ball Four, when Jim Bouton asks the trainer why they don't have more milk. The response: "If I brought in more milk, you guys would just drink it all."

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John Bond of Dania Beach, author of several books, is conducting a seminar on poker and crime fiction writing from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Kings Head Pub in Dania Beach.

It's a fundraiser for FIU's Gulfstream literary magazine. Cost is $25 for students; $35 for non students. All proceeds go to the magazine.

To register, email GULFSTREAMFIU@yahoo.com to register or just show up, Bond says.

Bond's most recent book is The Home Poker Handbook ($14.95, ConJelCo publishing). Bond has co-written a poker column for Card Player magazine for 16 years and is a regular at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino games.

I could write about what a character he is, but you all taking the class would do a better job than I would.

> Discuss this entry

John Brokopp of The Casino City Times writes about "pay to play" blackjack. That is, paying to reserve a seat so you don't have to wander around the casino. It hits Aurora, Ill., this week.

Meanwhile, catching up with Brokopp from last month, he writes that players who take a card to get to 16 should stick, and he consulted the bible of all bibles: www.wizardofodds.com and Michael Shackelford.

I don't think I'd pay $20 for a blackjack seat; I'd probably just go have a beer instead.
The 16 thing, now, that confuses me.

Any thoughts out there?

> Discuss this entry

Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino, sought bankruptcy protection after defaulting under a loan agreement and said it plans to sell assets.

Bloomberg said the Canadian company, controlled by Frank Stronach, chairman of auto-parts supplier Magna International Inc., today listed assets of more than $1 billion and debt of $958.6 million as of Dec. 31 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. Magna owes about $500 million under secured financing agreements and about $225 million under unsecured notes, court papers show.

Some Gulfstream employees report they were paid Wednesday, two days ahead of their regular Friday payday. Maryland Jockey Club employees were paid Wednesday, too, The Baltimore Sun says, and the Los Angeles Daily News reported that Magna employees had been told to turn in their timecards last Monday and were scheduled to be paid early.

What does this all mean for Gulfstream? Well, just because a parent company declares bankruptcy, that doesn't mean everything grinds to a halt. (I know this one personally.)

Gulfstream president Bill Murphy said he told employees Thursday that the track and casino would not be affected.

"Their jobs and benefits will not be affected," he said, noting that there are no planned layoffs.

"It will be business as usual, we're having a great year and we're looking forward to a great Florida Derby," he said. "Our revenues are up compared to last year and we had our biggest poker day ever on Saturday, only to break it again on Sunday."

David Roberts, the state's director of pari-mutuel wagering, said if Gulfstream is sold, the state will have to approve the gambling licenses for the new owner.

The first phase of The Village at Gulfstream, consisting of 32 shops, restaurants and nightclubs and costing $245 million, is set to open Feb. 11, 2010, Forest City's Brian Ratner said. Last week, he said Forest City's lease with any new owner would still be good. Ratner said 85 percent of the project is built.

The project has been planned for eight years and at one time had completion dates of 2007, 2008 and 2009.

But just in case, I would always cash my winning horse racing and slot tickets immediately. No sense risking seeing any court getting ahold of your cash.

> Discuss this entry

Elizabeth Dittmar became the first person to hit the car jackpot at the Isle.

The casino began the "Burning Wheels Mystery Jackpot" in late January. The idea is that players sit at bank of slot machines and randomly a person wins a car.

Dittmar (pictured with Isle slots director Bill Crafts and special events coordinator Jennifer Stanton) hit it on Feb. 22.

The car was a Pontiac Solstice. She took the cash option of $27,325, the casino said.

She said she'll use it to help pay for her grandson's private school education.

Players sit at a bank of $1 machines, wagering $1, $2 or $3 per spin. The car is set on a mystery progressive controller that links all of the machines and tracks the amount of coins bet.

The "mystery controller" selects a random number between the starting value and max value. A coin will push the jackpot pool to the exact mystery amount and the person putting that coin in the machine wins the car.

The casino sets a starting value of 1,200 (like on a progressive slot machine) and a maximum value of 15,000. The mystery controller selects a random number between the starting value and the max value.

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Gov. Charlie Crist has proclaimed the week of March 1-7 Problem Gambling Awareness Week in Florida, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.

The week coincides with a similar national week. The council gleaned the following numbers based on its helpline calls:

Almost one in every three callers (30%) admit to committing illegal acts to finance their gambling, committing crimes that are linked to money.

Almost two out of three callers (62%) reported committing fraud, writing bad checks or forgery

One out of five callers (21%) stated they had embezzled money for employers

One out of five callers (21%) claimed to have committed larceny or theft against friends, family members or strangers

One out of 14 callers (7%) stated they had been involved with other illegal activities such as selling drugs, prostitution, illegal gambling (booking) and others

Further legal actions had been enacted against the gambler for their activities in 20% of the contacts

For more information, call 888-ADMIT-IT, or go to www.gamblinghelp.org.

Council Executive Director Pat Fowler says there are more than one million Florida residents who struggle with gambling.

"As the number of people addicted to gambling increases, a new population of those committing crimes is created. Many of these individuals have no prior history of violating the law, and appear to have done so only as a result of their gambling addiction," she said in a news release.

She also cited some recent newspaper stories:

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While researching an article about Asian gamblers and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, I found myself hanging out at the baccarat and Pai Gow poker tables.

And learning about two games I hadn’t played before.

If you haven’t been to Las Vegas, you likely haven’t been exposed much to baccarat and Pai Gow poker. (Quick conversations with bystanders provided enough anectdotal evidence that many of us are unfamiliar with them.)

I’ve been practicing both games at the free site, www.wizardofodds.com. If you haven’t heard of it, you gotta go there. The site not only lets you play the games, but tells you afterward if you made the correct play or not.

So here’s the short version on how the games work:

Baccarat

Gamblers bet either on the banker or the player, both of whom receive two cards. The person closest to nine is the winner.

A third card is dealt if neither the player nor the banker has an 8 or a 9 (called a “natural”). Face cards and 10s count as zero.

There is no decision-making involved after the cards are dealt. You’re basically betting on a coin flip.

Casinos make their money by taking a commission on winning bets. The house edge is about 1.2 percent, compared to about 5 percent in roulette and about 8 percent in slots (depending on the house).

Pai Gow poker

Players receive seven cards and disperse them into a five-card poker hand and a two-card hand. The dealer does the same thing.

The five-card hand always has to be better than the two-card hand. That’s to prevent you, say, from putting a pair of aces into your two-card hand, and locking in that win over the dealer.

Like baccarat, the house commission comes by taking a small piece of your wins.

> Discuss this entry

My story appeared in Sunday's newspaper about Asian gamblers, their likes and how the Hollywood Hard Rock tries to meet their unique needs. Just as they serve, say, seniors' needs with an over-55 free slot tournament, they also make sure their Asian patrons are comfortable, as all casinos do.

The Hard Rock added baccarat and Pai Gow poker at the same time it added blackjack, last June.

I also have some videos on how to play the games, which are both fun. Anyone out there play Pai Gow or baccarat?

> Discuss this entry

John Knox, who retired this week, sent me a note today with comments about retiring.

Knox was with Dania for 38 years. He began in 1971 announcing the games during the winter months. ("I was in radio at the time WQAM/WINZ, it was a part-time gig that was fun," he writes).

In 1974 he went full time as promotions manager as Dania started construction.

When Milford Jai-Alai in Connecticut opened, he became VP of Marketing for Aragon Group.

In 1981 he became VP General Manager of Dania as year-round jai-alai started. Thirteen years ago, Dania added poker and has been making changes and additions ever since.

"I am proud of our innovative history with nine-point games, championships, webcasting, web data & information and online information. It has been an exciting and rewarding time with the management and employees of Dania all these years," he says.

> Discuss this entry

Another hit to South Florida gambling: Dania Jai-Alai laid off about a half-dozen people, including poker room manager Frank Risi, officials confirmed today.

Business has been slow at the fronton. Dania can put in slots similar to other Broward pari-mutuels, such as Gulfstream, the Isle and Mardi Gras, but parent company Boyd Gaming has held off, citing the state's 50 percent tax as too burdensome. If the state dropped it to 35 percent, they'd likely rebuild the place and do it up right.

Assistant GM Marty Fleischman said Boyd Gaming made the cuts, as every business is having to do everywhere.

"Business is just down so much," he said. "We've never experienced this, either in the economy or in parimutuels." The Isle, Mardi Gras and Gulfstream also have trimmed staff in recent months.

Dania's card room business is about $100,000 a month, about one-sixth of Mardi Gras and Gulfstream and about one-tenth of what Palm Beach Kennel and the Isle do. Then there's the Seminole Indian casinos, which don't release their figures, but the nearby Hard Rock is the dominant spot in south and central Broward, if not all of South Florida.

Dania's jai-alai revenues also are minuscule.

On a related note (at this point I can't nail down how related), general manager John Knox, who was at the fronton for 37 years, retired. I have an email out to him for a comment. When a guy spends that much time in any job, you have figure he did some good things, and poker players I talked to said he was always there.

Human resources director Dave Winslow is the new GM, Fleischman said.

> Discuss this entry

Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach, is facing default on loans, according to a company statement.

Magna's parent company, MI Developments, denied a reorganization proposal this week that would have infused it with cash. Frank Stronach is chairman of both companies, but the MI board of directors rejected the plan.

Magna is in danger of defaulting on about $300 million in loans, all of which are due by March 20 or earlier. That includes a $100 million loan to help develop a $1.2 billion shopping center and entertainment complex at Gulfstream Park, called The Village.

Gulfstream vice president Steve Calabro said Thursday the news would have "zero effect" on Gulfstream. The company next week plans to announce more than two dozen of the 70 restaurants and shops that will go into The Village, which is expected to open this fall.

"The casino is still cooking, jackpots are being paid and our promotions are still exciting as ever," he said.

Gulfstream, which has hosted horse racing since 1939, opened a casino in 2006. Magna's stock had a 52-week high of $20, but has dropped to 38 cents per share.

Because the stock is below a buck, it faces delisting, the Toronto Star reports. And the Baltimore Sun target="new"looks at what could happen next.

Part of the problems go to Maryland, where Magna failed to include a required $28.5 million license fee as part of an application for slots at its track there. Noted horse racing writer Andrew Beyer tells about the situation in Maryland. One note: if you think Florida's 50 percent slot tax is bad, well, Maryland has a plan for a 67 percent tax when slots go in.

> Discuss this entry

Nevada gambling regulators have warned casinos about a card-counting program for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch that can illegally help players beat the house in blackjack, according to a story by The Associated Press.

Card counting by players is not illegal in Nevada, but using a device to count cards is a felony. The Nevada Gaming Control Board warned of the program last week.

California gambling regulators said officials at an Indian casino found customers using it.

I have neither an iPhone nor an iPod Touch, so I don't know of the program. Anyone out there have one, and can tell me about it?

Of course, the only application here would be at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which started blackjack last summer. So the felony threat wouldn't apply, but I'd bet they'd be pretty mad if someone was using one.

> Discuss this entry

Jasmine Schofill of Fort Lauderdale won Friday's High Heels Poker Tournament at Mardi Gras Gaming in Hallandale Beach.

She earned $1,805 in the $150 buy-in event.

Micheline Gajnon of Quebec finished second ($1,370), followed by Tammy Goldshteyn of Aventura ($1,063), Kelly Elliot of Lake Worth ($848), Peggy Penning of Miami ($670) and Danielle Tuvia Miami ($504).

Meanwhile, the High Heels Poker Tour founder, Lauren Failla of Hollywood, is featured on the March cover of Ante Up magazine, which is distributed in Florida poker rooms. The magazine profiled Jason Mercier and David Rheem in earlier issues.

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Triskaidekaphobia relief, Valentine’s Day options and patriotic promotions:

The Isle Casino and Racing in Pompano Beach is having a Friday the 13th Sweepstakes, giving away up to $50,000 in cash and $5,000 in free play. Patrons pick up entry tickets for the $1,000 hourly drawings, set for 6-9 tonight. If the symbol on your ticket matches what is spun on the Isle’s Mystery Wheel, the prize doubles. At 10, one name will be drawn for the grand prize of $5,000 cash. It becomes $10,000 if the symbol on the entry matches the symbol on the prize wheel.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino poker room has four drawings for Valentine’s Day packages, at 10 a.m., 2, 6 and 10 p.m. Feb. 13. Talk about cutting it close. The winner of each drawing gets dinner for two at Council Oak ($160 value), a room for two in the hotel and concert tickets to a show in Hard Rock Live.

Seminole Coconut Creek has a “Break a Heart” promotion from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Break a heart balloon and get the prize attached. On Sunday, it’s a “Presidential Car Giveaway,” with 10 free-play winners and a grand prize of a Lincoln MKX.

On Monday, the Creek is going all George Washington on us. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., redeem 4,000 Players’ Club points for a cherry pie. But, of course, the pie is stuffed with a prize of cash or free play. Top prize: $2,000.

Gulfstream Casino and Racing is conducting a “hot seat” promotion from 8-11 p.m. on Monday (Presidents’ Day). The casino is giving away a $100 U.S. Savings Bond every 20 minutes.

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Vanessa Rousso, Wellington High's valedictorian in 2001, just keeps adding to her fame.

A photo of her in a bikini appears in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition that just hit newsstands.

UPDATED ON FRIDAY: I got my magazine and it's a two-page spread, with the headline "Swimming with the Sharks." Vanessa is wearing a short top, not a bikini top. And bikini briefs while standing in thigh-high water, with two sharks' fins photoshopped in the water. (Personally, it's a welcome contrast to the rest of this year's SI, which seems to center on women NOT wearing suits -- instead draping them over their shoulders, or slightly tugging them off of their body, or wearing half of them.) Also, a one-page Q-and-A with Vanessa.

"It was a great opportunity for poker in general and for me in particular," said Rousso, who was in Jupiter this week to visit family before heading out to Los Angeles for her next tournament. "You could say it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Rousso's sponsor, PokerStars.net, pitched the idea of a woman in poker being among the models. Rousso, 26, has long blonde hair, a quick smile and is an automatic mention on men-admiring-women web sites, such as PokerHotties.org.

She went to the Bahamas for a photo shoot conducted by SI on Jan. 4, but rather than appear in the editorial portion of the magazine, she is part of a PokerStars-sponsored "custom content" piece, which the online poker room paid for. In other words, it's advertorial copy.

She loosens up significantly from her table appearance, which includes a hat, sunglasses, earphones and shirts that go all the way up to her Adam's apple.

"But it was the opportunity to try something new, and I think it was done very tastefully," she said Wednesday, after seeing a copy of the magazine.

In recent years, she has been photographed for Maxim magazine, taught poker to Forbes magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women and written articles on game theory for American Poker Player magazine.

She attended law school briefly at the University of Miami after graduating from Duke in 2.5 years, and verbalizes poker strategy so well that the World Poker Tour Boot Camp often invites her as a guest instructor. She also has her own poker instruction course coming to South Florida soon, she said.

The SI swimsuit issue sells about 4.5 million copies, compared to the weekly's usual 3.1 million.

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The Seminole Casino Immokalee — the third land-based casino in the state with blackjack — has completed a $22 million renovation.

The west Florida casino, which more than doubled its space, unveiled it this week to patrons.

The tribe rolled out blackjack last June at the Hard Rock Hollywood, last November at the Hard Rock Tampa, and last December at Immokalee, about 90 minutes west of Broward County on Alligator Alley. The tribe, which is renegotiating a compact with the state, has not announced plans for installing blackjack at Coconut Creek and the original Hollywood casinos.

The casino will have “the most modern, full service and beautiful environment,” Tony Sanchez, general manager. Restaurants, entertainment and parking also have been expanded.

The casino increased its slot machines from 750 to 1,100, blackjack tables from 12 to 22 and added other card games, such as Three-Card Poker and Let It Ride.

The casino opened in 1994 with about 30,000 square feet for gambling. Now it’s 75,600 in response to west Florida’s population growth, Tribe officials said. The casino is about 30 minutes east of Naples and Fort Myers.

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Three Mini-Royal Flushes were hit in a span of two days at the Dania Jai-Alai Cardroom during Jan. 24 weekend.

It started with Michael Bare winning $374 (10% of the total jackpot) with a hearts Mini Royal on Saturday afternoon, according to the fronton, at 301 E. Dania Beach Blvd. in Dania.

Then, on Sunday two more hit. Joe Marchese collected $858 bonus with a diamond Mini, and Burt Sherman hit another heart Mini Royal Flush for $345.

A Mini Royal Flush only requires the Jack, Queen, King, Ace of a suit instead of all five cards of a normal Royal Flush. The payout is 10 percent of the accumulating Royal Flush Jackpot.

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Palm Beach Kennel Club will hold its annual Super Bowl Pooch Predictor Race Friday afternoon.

One Greyhound will sport the blanket of the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers while the other dons the colors and logo of the NFC's Arizona Cardinals.

They will compete on the Royal Palm Course in an official schooling race. There will be no wagering on this event.

The teams the Greyhounds will represent were randomly selected. Representing the Pittsburgh Steelers and breaking from the one post will be ZE’s Jourdantown (ZE’s Akbar - ZE’s Beegrumbles) while racing for the Arizona Cardinals and breaking from the eight position will be his brother ZE’s Jaziel. Both Greyhounds race for Rader Racing Kennel.

The race will take place after Friday afternoon’s fifth official race at approximately 2:10 p.m.

The Palm Beach Kennel Club canines have correctly predicted nine of the last 12 Super Bowl champions, including two of the last three Bowl winners, the Indianapolis Colts and Steelers in 2007 and ‘06, respectively, according to the Kennel Club's news release.

On Sunday, the Poker Room will hold its first-ever Budweiser Tailgate Zone Super Party, which includes a special game-day buffet plus plenty of big-screen TVs.

In addition, Super Bowl high-hand cash prizes will be awarded every time the Cardinals score (one winner drawn for $500) and each time the Steelers put points on the board (two $500 winners). Eligible players will receive drawing coupons starting at noon by making a full house or better.

Tickets can be purchased in the Poker Room for $8 in advance or $10 on Super Sunday.

Palm Beach Kennel Club will end simulcasting Super Sunday and close the rest of the track at about 6 p.m.

Palm Beach Kennel Club is owned by the Rooney family, which also owns the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Mardi Gras opened its fine-dining restaurant Tuesday, giving gamblers one more food option at the casino and race track.

The restaurant, called The French Quarter, is on the third floor, near the portion of the casino opened last summer called The Balcony overlooking the dog track. (Keep reading and you'll catch onto the Mardi Gras theme.)

The casino didn't have a special opening night and hasn't announced plans for one, so when I walked in at 9 p.m. Tuesday traffic was pretty light. Overall, about 40 people came in for the first day. The restaurant has 72 tables, all covered with nice white tablecloths. Matre d' is Murat Ballica (center); staff includes Mark Byrd (left) and William Smith (right).

I'm not even close to being a food expert, but I had the veal Oscar ravioli ($12) appetizer -- two large toasted ravioli stuff with veal -- and left plenty happy.

Feature dishes include steaks ($26-$32), paella ($24), veal, pork, pasta and big salads. Another appetizer is sweet potato fries ($7), which come covered in a marshmallow-brown sugar-cinnamon mix.

Casino officials installed the high-end restaurant to complement the rest of the food options. On the first floor is Bourbon Street Bistro general restaurant, with a buffet on weekends, and Cafe Orleans (sandwiches, wraps and salads). In the old part of the second floor, popular with simulcast and dog bettors, is a hamburger-and-hot-dog-and pretzel station.

The French Quarter is open 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, 5-midnight on weekends. The restaurant bar, with three large TVs, stays open until 2 a.m.

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Phylllis Jefferson of Dania Beach won the High Heels Poker Tour tournament at Dania Jai-Alai on Jan. 17, which drew about 80 players.

The buy-in was $100. She collected $2,270.

The rest of the finishers:

2nd Place Tess Spanolios, New Port Richey, $1,376

3rd Place Barbara Miranda, Hollywood, $757

4th Place Tracy Hodson, Jupiter, $619

5th Place Danielle Tuvia, Miami, $482

6th Place Carol Snyder, Hallandale Beach, $413

7th Place Karen Odjick, Cortland, N.Y., $344

8th Place Betsi Harris, Margate, $275

9th Place Dawn Fletcher, Bradenton, $206

10th Place Sue Travis, Fort Lauderdale, $138

The High Heels Tour on Feb. 6-7 hits the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Feb. 13 at Mardi Gras, March 6-8 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, then goes to New York and to New Orleans.

For more information go to www.highheelspokertour.com.

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Koreen Ford won on The Chip Dale Memorial Poker Tournament at the Isle Sunday.

Dale, who played bar poker with All-In Free Poker, and also played at the Isle, died at the casino while playing on Nov. 15.

Sunday's tournament drew 71 players. Half of the money in the tournament pool went to the prize pool, while the other half went to the Chip Dale Children’s Education Fund.

With other donations, dealer tips and other dealer donations, the total raised was $5,715.

"That displays just how much everyone thought of Chip and how much everyone wanted to honor his memory," said All-In's Bryan Oulton.

Ford (pictured with an Isle dealer), an All In Free Poker player who often played against Dale, took home $1,373. George Lukawski, an Isle player (in the other picture), took in $820 and Yvonne Oulton, came in third ($538).

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Looks like poker might be slightly morphing again at the Hard Rock.

Poker players have had to adjust when the casino added blackjack; many of the less-skilled players migrated to '21,' some players say. And the $100 buy-in cash game can become too much of an all-in fest.

So the casino's poker room began offering multi-table tournaments with guaranteed prize money in December and they will continue in January and February. You gotta make the top 10 percent to hit the money. Starting chip stack is 8,000 units.

At 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5 and 19, is a $25,000 guarantee with a buy-in of $300. It's been drawing 120 to 160 entrants, Hard Rock officials say.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 and 27 is a $15,000 guarantee with a $150 buy-in. It's been attracting 140 to 200 players.

At 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9 and 23 is a $30,000 guarantee for a $150 buy-in. Normal crowd has been 250 to 300.

For info, call the Hard Rock.

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John Mayers of Fort Lauderdale won the Isle Poker Classic at the Isle on Sunday.

Mayers was the chip leader when the tournament's remaining 11 players, whose names were not released, all agreed to a chop. They each walked away with $19,109.

The tournament drew 333 players, creating a $266,400 prize pool.

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I normally don't do much of the government/politics side of gambling, but I sat in when the South Florida Gaming Coalition came to present its views to the paper's Editorial Board.

They're a group of pari-mutuels in South Florida formed last month that wants to "educate the public and key decision-makers on issues that imipact the pari-mutuel industry in South Florida," according to their material. The coalition includes Miami-Dade parimutuels, Mardi Gras and the Isle in Broward, but not Gulfstream nor Dania Jai-Alai.

As you know, the legislature has a critical time in regards to gambling, made more complicated by a $100 million compact between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe, which was later voided. And Miami-Dade approved slots, and those sites are hoping to open later this year.

The compact particularly irks Mardi Gras' Dan Adkins, who points as much to the state's actions as he does to the tribe's.

"The state really holds all the cards," he says. "They didn't have to make this deal."

He also points out language in the compact that he says is either a.) flawed, b.) unfair and/or c.) poor business decisions by the state.

What do they want? Well, instead of the 50 percent state tax on slot profits they currently pay, they'd like to have 15 percent of that come back in tax credits, so they could increase how much they would spend on marketing and building expansion.

And they want whatever the Tribe has in South Florida: Either both sides have table games such as blackjack, or neither side. (With the legislature needing to OK table games, their logical -- unsaid -- conclusion is it's likely to be neither.)

The Tribe's advantage to such an arrangement? The coalition says the Seminoles would have slot exclusivity in the rest of Florida (unless some other county miraculously would approve slots, then ... )

They say that when all possible South Florida facilities are open, it could generate $500 million more for the state. The general argument is there would be more jobs and more people coming to the casinos, but they are basing that on about $200 per machine per day on slots. That's 30 percent more than what most places are doing.

They're also counting on Dania to open, which they likely would do if the tax rate dropped.

Last year, Gulfstream, Mardi Gras and the Isle generated $123 million, but overall operation was at only at 26 percent of South Florida's capacity, they say, only 3,769 of the 14,000 machines the paris are currently authorized to have.

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The next Dan Le Batard Celebrity Poker Tournament will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday night, Dec. 30 at Dania Jai-Alai.

Entry fee is $50 with re-entry allowed for the first 30 minutes of the tournament.

The entire fronton will be celebrating Dania Jai-Alai’s 55th birthday with 55-cent beer, hot dogs, and sodas, there will be a $5,500 guarantee prize for the winner. Also, there's free birthday cake from 7 to 8 p.m.

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The Florida attorney general is asking for criminal charges if the Seminole tribe continues offering blackjack.

The tribe began blackjack and other table games at the Seminole Hard Rocks in Hollywood and Tampa and at its Immokalee casino this year.

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The Palm Beach Kennel Club is now offering three-card poker.

Here's how it works: Players ante $5 and receive three cards face down. Starting with the dealer button, players must either bet $1 or fold. The $5 jackpot rake makes players eligible for six different jackpots.

The player who remains in for all bets and has the highest ranking hand, based on standard poker rankings, receives all the $1 bets that were made.

The jackpot amounts are:

$10 for a pair, $20 for a flush, $35 for a straight, $155 for three of a kind, $255 for a straight flush and $595 for a mini-royal flush (suited A-K-Q).

Instead of getting the cash at the table, though, you get tokens that you cash elsewhere. A house fee of 50 cents per hand will be assessed prior to the deal.

I'll make some calls as to whether this game is a winner or not...

Meanwhile, also at Palm Beach Kennel:

Dec. 12-23: Poker Room 12 Days of Christmas: High hand each hour has a chance to win great prizes including big screen TVs, laptop computers, Blue Ray DVD Players, IPods, $200 American Express Gift Cards and dining certificates and more.

Dec. 26-31: Poker Room Ho, Ho, Hold’em Events: Six days of tournaments, with big tournaments Dec. 26 and 27.

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The World Poker Tour Boot Camp has concentrated on teaching players tournament strategy, but last month it offered a two-day course on cash game play at the Isle Racing and Casino in Pompano Beach.

Clonie Gowen, a favorite among WPT Boot Camp students and winner of the World Poker Open in Tunica, Miss., in October, offered these thoughts on cash games and Florida’s poker rules:

What are common mistakes people make in cash games?Just not being properly bankrolled, so they’re forced to rely more on the cards and they have maybe one or two bets before they’re all in.

So what’s a good bankroll?
At least 50 times the size of the big blinds, and that’s just the buyin. But the appropriate bankroll should be 100 times the big blind.

But Florida has $1-$2 no-limit with a $100 buy-in, as well as $2-$5 and $5-$10 no-limit, so you can’t really do that here.
But in the $1-$2 you can at least get 50 times the big blind. But if you’re going to play, you really don’t have much of a shot because you’re going to be all-in too many times.

So you wouldn’t play it here?
I would not.

As a pro, what is a good cash game?
I don’t like max buy-in because it goes totally against no-lmit. No-limit is no-limit, all you can set on the table.

What about for beginners?
The $1-$2 game, is not a bad game because it limits your losses. But if you’re not one of the starting nine to sit down at that table, you have $100, but there’s other players who have $1,000 or $2,000. You have no shot at winning.

What thought processes are necessary for cash games?
To have the bankroll and emotionally take the swings of it, and look at it like a business. And their business partner, their spouse, is not having to worry about the ups and downs. Players have to have a bankroll that’s set aside separately from paying the mortgage, car payment or credit card debt.

Overall, how have cash games changed?
Five years ago all you could find were limit cash games. They see people move all-in on TV and that’s what they think they should do in a no-limit game. Because when a player makes a mistake, they make a huge mistake. In limit, a bad player can make the wrong decision, but still have the right price to make a call.

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Another entrant into the bar poker scene in South Florida: The World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League.

The league carries the "World Poker Tour" brand name, and is in at five locations, according to its web site, mostly in Palm Beach County.

In bar poker, players meet at a pub or restaurant and play for free for points or prizes. It's not gambling, according to state laws, because the participants aren't risking anything. Bars like it because it brings business; players like it because it's a way to socialize and learn the game.

South Florida Regional manager Jason Horn said the league has also recently awarded trips to
Mexico and Las Vegas and custom golf clubs.

The players participating in WPTAPL events earn WPTAPL points. Horn says the points qualify players for regional tournaments, and the regional winners will qualify to compete in the
national championship, for the chance to win a $10,000 seat into a WPT
main event.

Toby Smith of Pompano Beach won a spot in the Season Pass event Dec. 1-7 in the Dominican Republic. He competed in the national championship in Orlando in April.

For more information about the World Poker Tour Amateur Poker League or the WPT Boot Camp, visit www.wptapl.com.

WPT also gives away seats into the WPT Celebrity Invitational tournament, an invite-only tournament where top poker pros and Hollywood celebrities compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and a $25,000 seat into the WPT World Championship. Every point earned translates into rewards that can be exchanged for prizes from T-Shirts to Flat Screen
TV’s to WPT events, Horn says.

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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa awarded a $2,551,037 Wheel of Fortune MegaJackpot on Nov. 25, the largest to be paid in Florida to date.

The winner, Terese Moore, 57. is from Land-O-Lakes, Florida, and said she was scheduled to go to Las Vegas three days later, but “felt lucky today” and opted for a more local trip. The Associated Press said plans to use the money to help her daughters and grandchildren, and donate some to her church.

She said she came to the casino for a car drawing and had already won $200 before her million-dollar jackpot hit.

She said she was surprised to learn she had won the top progressive prize, but as the reality of her million dollar prize began to sink in, she said she will use her MegaJackpot winnings to pay off her home.

Earlier this summer, on July 19, the Seminole casino in Coconut Creek awarded a $2.3 million MegaJackpot prize on a Wheel of Fortune Special Edition progressive. The Seminole Hard Rock Casino is part of a Native American progressive gaming network that includes over 300 casinos nationwide. Each time a coin is played in a linked machine, anywhere in the network, the jackpot accumulates. Coconut Creek has also been the home to two other $1 million plus payouts this year.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns and operates casinos in Brighton, Coconut Creek, Hollywood and Immokalee and Big Cypress, as well as two Hard Rock Hotel & Casino properties located in Hollywood and Tampa.

The $5 Wheel of Fortune progressive system has a starting jackpot of $1 million. In order to win the MegaJackpot, a player bets $10 at a time while attempting to line up the Wheel of Fortune reel symbols on the machine’s payline.

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Imagine how good you'd be at poker if you could see everyone's hole cards.

That's what happened when someone hacked into AbsolutePoker.com and its sister site, UltimateBet.com. (I'm not linking to them because I don't want to reward their behavior.)

The story has been out in the poker world for about a year now, but finally hit the mainstream media. It's complicated, but it comes down to the fear you'd expect from the Internet: It isn't always what it seems.

The Washington Post dug and dug and came up with the answers behind the largest Internet poker scandal ever. CBS' 60 Minutes, which worked with The Washington Post, also reported the story Sunday.

The amazing part is that the work and the persistence the players themselves put into tracking down the cheaters. Read into it whatever you want, but there's a lot of smart people out there playing poker, folks...

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Seems like some
legislators are softening on their stance regarding Florida and the compact between the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida.

The reason? Tighter state budgets.

Boy, this is complicated. Any thoughts on what our legislature should do?

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Steve Bourie of Dania Beach, in addition to being my video poker expert, is the man when it comes to knowing casinos.

His annual American Casino Guide hit bookstores this month, giving us info on what's where and how to get there.

Plus, it has coupons and tips on gambling.

This story made our Showtime print section on Friday.

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David "Chino" Rheem, who learned his poker here in South Florida, busted out at 8:30 EST and finished in seventh place in the World Series of Poker.

He'll take home $1.7 million. He's a former player at the Seminole Casino Hollywood and other spots, as well as a dealer.

You can follow the WSOP hand-by-hand on www.WorldSeriesOfPoker.com. Chino, who started with about 10 million chips, and he went all-in with about 4 million chips and lost.

And it was an ugly beat: He went all-in with Ace-King; Peter Eastgate called from the small blind with Ace-Queen. Guess what hit the board... Ouch.

That said, he doubled up just before from 2.7 million with Ace-King, hitting a King on the turn to beat Ivan Demidov's 9-9.

Chip leader Dennis Phillips slipped from 24 million to about 10 million, but as of 8:30 Sunday night EST, he built it back up to 21 million or so.

The event is being taped to be shown Tuesday night on ESPN.

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The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling reports a jump in poker calls to its helpline in October.

In October 2007, calls were more than 2-to-1 related to slots, the council's Pat Fowler said. This year, it was 50-50.

"With only 7 percent stating internet as the place of gambling, the increase cannot be attributed to online gambling," she said. "It's most likely due to increased opportunities at pari-mutuels and casinos with increased betting limits and tournament play in the state."

For gambling help, contact the council at www.gamblinghelp.org.

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One of the most-asked questions regarding South Florida gambling has nothing to do with slot reels, blackjack opportunities or poker tournaments.

It’s about free booze.

Casino patrons familiar with Las Vegas and other parts of the country are often accustomed to sipping on a cocktail as they spin the slots or play blackjack.

But here, they’re coming up dry.

Why?

Here’s a primer:

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Those $100 tables on opening night have now become more player-friendly at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

The casino is promising $10 tables from 7 a.m. to noon on weekdays.

The casino has had $10 minium tables for a while now -- all casino minimums are based on supply and demand, so if action's slow the minimum drops -- but only last week began connecting the $10 tables to set hours. Currently, a minimum of four $10 tables are guaranteed during that timeframe, excluding holidays, and more may be available if those tables are full, Seminole spokesman Gary Bitner said.

"We want to accommodate these $10 players and are able to do so during our off-peak hours," he said.

The Hard Rock became the first Florida land-based casino to offer blackjack and other table games back on June 22. The first night it opened, there were 14 tables with $25 minimums and 41 with $100 minimums. Since then, the action has slowed down on off-peak times, but finding an affordable seat on weekends is still not always easy -- as is the case at any Las Vegas or Atlantic City casino.

So, the question for those who weren't playing before... we know the economy stinks, but will you hit the $10 tables?

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A Pembroke Pines woman hit a $1.4 million slots jackpot at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek last week and became the third person to score a $1 million-plus payday at that casino in 2008. Which prompts some questions:

How rare is it for a casino to have three such paydays in a year?

Only four other casinos have had a year of three $1 million-plus jackpots, according to statistics kept by International Game Technology, a slot machine manufacturer. They are the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, the Trump Taj Mahal and the Resorts Hotel Casino in New Jersey and the Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut.

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My story about Jason Mercier, who tore it up in Europe this summer, made the print version of the SunSentinel today.

I didn't have space to include that he endured a bit of a slump: He cashed in only three of the 22 World Series of Poker events he entered. And I couldn't fully explain the online poker world (who could?) in a few paragraphs. Clearly, playing 5,500 hands a day on average meant that he was playing multiple games -- something I'd never had the skills, or the patience for.

Some commenters also had a good point: Not everyone should try this at home. In the original (non-cut) version, I quote Pat Fowler from the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, who, like a commenter, said that for everyone one Jason Mercier, there are dozens of college students who drop out, with no education and no job. Gambling addiction among college students has more than doubled because it's so easy to sit in your room and play online, she notes.

They also cut the kicker: that he bought his parents a new car, and that he offered them more money, but they said no.

His mom, Dottie: "It's his money. He won it, not us."

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Stop me if you're heard this one before: Someone hit a million-plus jackpot at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

Victoria Gaskin, 49, won $1,469,701.20 on the Millionaire Sevens. It's a linked progressive machine, meaning that the jackpot builds with money from several Seminole casinos. It's a 5-cent machine, but she likely was playing 45 cents a push to cover all the paylines.

Gaskin, of Pembroke Pines, was on an outing with her daughter, Brandi Northington. She was in an auto accident on Oct. 3; Brandi talked her into going out and getting her mind off her troubles. Gaskin's grandfather had died earlier that day as well.

"I hit it just once or twice and I thought I got a bonus and said, oooooo it’s adding up – when’s it gonna stop?" she told casino representatives. (She's pictured with her daughter and Seminole Coconut Creek GM Steve Bonner.)

The casino said she thought she saw the light going around -- it was jackpot light, and the machine locked up -- and Gaskin thought she had won $400 or $500, she said. Her daughter, who’d walked away for about 10 minutes, returned and said: “Mom you won the progressive slot!”

It's the third big hit since March at the Coconut Creek casino. On March 22, Paulette Miles of Margate played the "Cash Cow" nickel machine and won $1,114,815. On July 19, a Lake Worth retiree who declined to be identified played a 25-cent "Wheel of Fortune" machine and won $2,029,595.34.

Gaskin's story:

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Forget music superstardom. You know you've made it when people toss your face around as they gamble.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has created a $5 casino chip with Gloria Estefan's picture on it. This special edition collectible, the first in a musical series the hotel plans to promote, debuted to players and fans on Monday and is limited to a 2,500 run.

The chip is available at the casino cash cage and is valid for all table games (such as blackjack and Pai Gow poker, but not regular poker) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, only.

The casino chip launch coincides with the five-time Grammy Award-winner’s charitable concert 8 p.m. Oct. 24 at Hard Rock Live. A portion of the proceeds from that show will benefit the education funds of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Indian River County public schools. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.com

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Why didn’t someone else think of this?

The Seminole Casino Hollywood is having a “Strip Poker” promotion, and, while it’s not as good as it sounds, it’s still fun.

The casino, the old bingo hall known by locals as "Seminole Classic," spread across one wall an image of a female and male model, and each are covered with envelopes containing playing cards.

Contestants pick five envelopes to reveal not only the model, but a poker hand. A royal flush pays $75,000, a pair pays $750 and hands in between pay $750 to $5,000.

Drawings for players are hourly, 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through October.You have to fill join their Players' Club -- which is free and takes about 15 seconds -- in order to get entries into the drawing.

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If you're looking to adopt a greyhound, now's the time: The Palm Beach Kennel Club is waiving the standard $200 fee this month.

Palm Beach Kennel Club, Greyhound Pets of America (GPA), Greyhound Adoption League (GAL) and Elite Greyhound Adoptions (EGA) are offering the free adoptions as part of the state's declaration of October as "Greyhound Adoption Month."

The adoption groups offer applications online and will interview potential families. Once applicants are approved, the pets are placed and the groups offer continued support.

5-8 p.m. tonight and Oct. 17 and noon-7 p.m. Oct. 11-12 and 18-19 at Oktoberfest at the German-American Club, 5111 Lantana Road in Lake Worth.

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The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling has hit the jackpot.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida announced a $300,000 donation to the center Tuesday, specifically for treatment of problem gamblers.

For the past 20 years, the gambling council has directed problem gamblers to treatment, but has had no funding to actually help them, executive director Pat Fowler said.

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There’s been a lot of noise coming from our south lately about full-blown casinos in downtown Miami and at the revamped Fountainbleu Hotel on Miami Beach.

The Miami Herald has reported that developers of the proposed Miami Worldcenter project are exploring a constitutional amendment drive to allow casinos.

Good luck with that.

In theory, the idea makes perfect sense.

In reality, it’s never going to happen.

Some things to consider:

--If the developers go the amendment route, it would need 60 percent approval statewide to go forward. The 2002 amendment that opened the door to slot machines at pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade squeaked by with just over 50 percent approval. The threshold for passage has since been changed to 60 percent.

--This doesn’t have to be done by constitutional amendment. The Legislature has the authority to allow casinos or craft laws allowing votes at the local level. But that’s a real longshot, considering the traditional anti-gambling bent of central Florida and Panhandle legislators.

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The case of David Rheem is now closed in Broward County. His seat at the World Series of Poker is safe.

On July 15, Rheem became one of nine players to reach the final table at the World Series of Poker, set for Nov. 9. He’s short-stacked, but he’s one of the more experienced players at the table. First prize: $9.1 million.

Rheem, who lived in South Florida around the age of 20, had an outstanding warrant out for his arrest. News surfaced after our research department ran a routine public records check on him, which we do on every story source.

We found he had two felony convictions – we’ll touch on those later – and, in this case worse, a warrant still outstanding, for a 2003 trespassing charge that was never resolved. He was cited at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood; the police report doesn’t say much more.

Broward Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren said it wasn’t likely the warrant would be a problem, but if he happened to be in Broward, got stopped for some minor traffic infraction, then ...

But on Aug. 6 this year, Miami-Dade lawyer John Hager took the trespassing charge in front of Lerner-Wren and pled guilty. So it’s done.

“We could have won, but didn’t want to take the time,” Hager said. (One gambling web site earlier reported how "Hollywood police" weren't pursuing it, which was mistaken reporting on their part; the police don't make the call on who to pursue on a warrant, the county courthouse does.)

Rheem didn’t need to appear, and Hager hadn’t met him. And Hager didn’t know Rheem had a shot at $8.2 million.

“Guess I should have charged him more,” Hager said.

A bit of background: Rheem was picked up once on the outstanding warrant – on what lawyers call a ‘capias’ – in Orlando in Feb. 6, 2004. You could argue that should have motivated him to take care of it then. Through one of his sponsors, PokerStars.net, he has declined an interview request. (Can’t say I blame him.)

Meanwhile, I pulled the two files on his felonies. You’re probably curious and so was I.

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I wrote in today's Showtime section about the World Poker Tour Boot Camp, an undertaking I visited a couple of years ago, as I began to learn poker.

Because I was working, I didn't sit in on everything but here's what I got:

Play only premium hands, especially in early position.
Limp less; put players on decisions more.
Suited connectors can be a beautiful thing.

This boot camp is more on the cash game -- sorry, haven't been able to pull the trigger on that yet, but...

So, what would you want to learn from a cash camp?

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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is conducting another "Main Event" poker tournament, playing off of the boxing theme.

The Middleweight Division is $350 (45-minute rounds, 8,000 units), with Round One at 10 a.m. Oct. 6 and Round Two at 10 a.m. Oct. 7.

The Cruiserweight Division is $575 (45-minute rounds, 10,000 units), with Round One at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 and Round Two at 10 a.m. Oct. 9.

The Heavyweight Division is $1,100 (60-minute rounds, 20,000 units), with Round One at 10 a.m. Oct. 10 and Round Two at 10 a.m. Oct. 11. If you're eliminated from Round One, you can rebuy for Round Two. The remaining players battle it out on Sunday, Oct. 11 for the title.

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The Isle Casino at Pompano Park, known for its buffet lunch and dinners, is adding breakfast.

It's $4.95 and operates from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily.

To promote it, the first 400 people Oct. 4-5 get it for free.

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Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?

Fans coming to Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens on Saturday will receive a $10 certificate good for food and beverage that day. (Admission is only $3 for the grandstand and $5 for the clubhouse.)

Calder's staff points out its other benefits: free admission on weekdays, a free parking section and only $2 for preferred parking and $5 for valet. (FYI, that's in line with other parimutuel venues.)

Among the food and drink specials: $2 domestic bottled beer, 50-cent chicken wings, $1 coconut shrimp and $3 nachos and cheese.

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The Isle has moved its slot tournament to Sundays, will give away a car and continues its football promotion in October:

According to the casino:

Thursday, Oct. 2: All winners of taxable jackpots from the month of September will be eligible to participate in the $10,000 Jackpot Celebration.

Football frenzy: There are several of ways to win. Pick 165 of 245 (67.3%) games correctly and win $1,000,000. Pick all of the winning teams and the Monday night score for the week and win $10,000 cash. The top five participants with the most correct picks for the week will win cash prizes with a top prize of $1,000.

Every Sunday in October from noon to 6 p.m., try your luck in the free $5,000 Silver Screen Slot Tournament. $5,000 in prizes will be awarded each week to the top 25 winners. Celebrity look-a-likes will cheer for contestants and be available for photos.

Every Tuesday in October, if you register a loss of $20 and your IsleOne card is inserted in the machine; you will receive $20 in IslePlay immediately.

To end the month, the Isle will give away a black Corvette® or $10,000 in IslePlay on Friday, Oct. 31. IsleOne members may receive five times entries every Wednesday and 10 times entries every Thursday. (Card members must play on Wednesday to receive the 10 times entries on Thursday.)

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Slot tournaments are booming here.

Popular for a long time in Las Vegas, The Isle and Gulfstream began slot tournaments in July. Since then they have adjusted their offerings and two Seminole casinos have started them.

Basically, casino patrons push on a slot machine button for a set amount of time, and the person with the highest score wins. Participants must belong to the casino’s players’ club.

Gulfstream holds a free tournament from noon to 4 p.m. Fridays, with $5,000 in prizes. But it also is holding its first-ever paid tournament: For $100, you can compete for a first prize of $25,000 from 4-8 p.m. Sunday.

The Isle conducts free tournaments from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays in October, awarding $5,000 in free play.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has a started the King of the Rock tournament on Mondays at 4 p.m. this month, and it continues through Nov. 10. The tournament pays $1,000 for first. Meanwhile, Players 55 and older can compete from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays. Cash and free-machine play prizes awarded to the top five overall scores per session.

Seminole Coconut Creek will conduct tournaments at 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday. First prize is $2,000 in free play.

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Harness track drivers Bruce Ranger, Wally Hennessey and Dan Clements will sign autographs and taking pictures with customers from 10 a.m. – noon Saturday at the grand re-opening of a Pompano Beach Dunkin' Donuts, 1405 S. Powerline Road (SW corner of Powerline and Gateway).

Why is this on the Action blog? Well, this particular Dunkin' Donuts is a popular track hangout -- they earlier had a promotion where you could bring your losing tickets to the store and get some love.

The harness track drivers are part of an open house, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. that includes at 10 a.m. ribbon cutting with the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce and Pompano Beach Mayor Lamar Fisher.

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The second Dan Le Batard tournament drew more than 300 players again. I'm kind of rushed today: I'll do a longer update tomorrow (it was a long night). Meanwhile, here's my lazy way out, the release from the fronton:

Michael Pons felt generous. The 26 year-old Miami native had a big advantage over the remaining eight players left at the final table of the Dan Le Batard 790 The Ticket Poker Tournament last night at Dania Jai-Alai.

After all, he had not only survived the “all-ins” of the other 315 players, but was the chip leader with over 200,000 units at close to midnight in the Cardroom of the Dania Beach fronton.

There had been a total of 316 avid Texas Hold’em poker players, most being huge Dan Le Batard fans enjoying the party atmosphere of this popular tournament, getting to mix with the station personalities, and the lure of over $12,000 in total prize money.

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Gambling guru Mark Pilarski addresses card-counting in his latest column:

Experienced card counters, theoretically, have an advantage of between .5 and 1.5 percent against the casino, which is accomplished by tracking the changing imbalance of big to little cards in a diminishing deck. When the cards remaining favor the player, you bet more money. When they favor the dealer, you bet less. Big cards (10s, aces) favor the player; small cards (2-6) favor the dealer.

I opened with "Experienced card counters" because most players are just too darn lazy to learn to count cards well in actual casino conditions. And even if they did learn to make a half-way decent count-down, they often give themselves away by ranging their bets too much or doing something else to tip off the dealers and pit bosses that they are counting.

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Dania Jai-Alai is having a "Rake Break" Saturday.

On Sept. 13, the fronton is taking a reduced rake -- the amount the house pulls from the game -- to $3 on all live games.

The fronton also offers complimentary house beverages while playing live action games.

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Poker at Gulfstream Park has moved from the second-floor Sport of Kings to the first-floor Finish Line Casino this weekend, according to the casino's press release.

Gulfstream Park’s poker room manager Scott Poole noted that the move puts players closer to the live racing action, which resumes Jan. 3.

The state of Florida required a re-licensing procedure before the move could be made official, and the process went smoothly Friday morning, the casino said.

As before, Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven-Card Stud are featured. Hours remain 1 p.m. – 1 a.m.

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This from Bill Burton's casino gambling column. Apparently the Excalibur in Las Vegas is going to electronic poker machines for the tables.

Start of a trend? Anybody play on one?

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Following the lead of Mardi Gras Gaming, Dania Jai-Alai has expanded its poker room hours beyond the original state mandate of 12 hours per day.

Dania will be open from noon to 3 a.m. -- or later -- on Friday and Saturday nights, effective tonight.

"If we have three or four tables going late, we’ll just stay open as long as they're playing," assistant GM Marty Fleischman said.

The state signed off on 12-hour poker rooms at parimutuels back in 2007. But language said "per permit." Mardi Gras, Dania and others hold more than one permit, and their request to stack them was granted by the Department of Administrative Hearings.

So Mardi Gras' Dan Adkins went to the state earlier this year and received approval to expand. They went 24 hours in July 1.

Dania, citing Mardi Gras' case, recently received the same approval.

For poker players, this might mean a few more late-night tournaments, Fleischman said. With a 12-hour rule, a tournament that started at, say, 10 p.m., made no sense because the doors closed before a finish. Now, the fronton is considering such tournaments, he said.

It also will extend hours to 2 a.m. for the next Dan Le Batard poker tourney, on Sept. 17. (See earlier post.)

The fronton also now gives free alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and coffee to those playing in cash games, he said.

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Keeping a boxing theme, the Hard Rock poker room is holding tournaments from Friday through Sept. 14 called "the Main Event."

There are three levels: middleweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight.

It starts Friday with a $120 super satellite for the Heavyweight tournament. Players start with 4,000 in chips and one of every 10 win seats. Super satellites are also Sept. 10, twice on Sept. 11 and once on Sept. 12.

Two satellites for the middleweight event are Sunday. Each is $40, with 3,000 in chips. One in nine win seats. The middleweight event on Monday is $300 with 8,000 in chips. Top five finishers also win an entry into the cruiserweight event.

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This weekend has some ground-breaking giveaways, and one that's even out of this world:

Gulfstream Park will award Player’s Club members the chance to win up to $250,000 from Friday through Monday as part of its “Labor Day Moneybag Grab” promotion. Five people each day will have a shot at picking money bags with big cash prizes inside. One player will be randomly picked at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 p.m. There's some smaller cash and free play prizes, but the biggie is $250,000.

And Mardi Gras Gaming is giving away a Chrysler Jeep Liberty (cash option of $15,000) at 10 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday as part of a celebration that includes a barbecue of ribs, hot dogs and hamburgers on the Veranda on at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with live entertainment from Musix Groove, Junkanoo Revue, Jason Beach and show girls.

Meanwhile, the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek completes is space flight promotion, with a guaranteed giveaway on Monday, the details of which I documented in today's Showtime story.

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If you bet on a loser at Pompano Harness track, don't throw away your ticket: In September, Dunkin’ Donuts, 1405 S. Powerline Road in Pompano Beach, will honor losing pari-mutuel tickets with your choice of a free medium hot or iced coffee or one free baked good (donut, bagel, muffin).

In return, Dunkin’ Donuts customers who bring a receipt from the 1405 S. Powerline Road store to the track get a free Pompano Park Race program.

The partnership is highlighted on Sept. 27 with a Dunkin' Donuts grand opening event featuring harness drivers Wally Hennessey, Bruce Ranger and Dan Clements signing autographs and posing with fans from 10 a.m. to noon.

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Slot tournaments begin Sept. 2 for gamblers 55 and older at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Everyone else can start playing on Sept. 8.

Earlier this month, the casino started its "Classic Rockers" club, which is heavy on Tuesday day promotions (when its young, beautiful clientele is either sleeping or at work). They'll be held in the non-smoking portion of the casino.

The tournaments will have 10 5-minute spin sessions and can hold up to 25 players each, making for 250 players. The top five players each week win prizes. The tournament begins at 9, but signup at 8:30. They'll run until about 2 p.m.

Prizes: $250 cash for first, free play for the rest ($100, $75, $50 and $25).

There's also the $50,000 "King of the Rock" tournament.
They're Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 and Nov. 3 and 10.
The 10-week tournament consists of 13, five-minute sessions.
Registration begins at 3 p.m. with tournament play commencing at 4 p.m. and every 20 minutes thereafter. The last session is at 8 p.m.

It's $1,000 for first, $500 for second, $200 for third.

After the conclusion of the 10-week tournament, the top 25 players’ scores pay:
$10,000 for first, $5,000 for second, $3,000 for third, $2,000 for fourth, $1,000 for fifth. Sixth through 10th is $500, 11-15th $300, and 16-25th $200.

The move comes after The Isle in Pompano and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach began slot tournaments earlier this summer. Both venues report strong participation.

In all cases, casino visitors must join the Players Club to get into the tournament.

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Mike Chapple has been named assistant general manager at Gulfstream Park. He has been vice president of security and surveillance.

He came to Gulfstream Park in 2006 after serving at Remington for 17 years. He was on hand when Remington opened its slot business in 2005 and was a consultant when Gulfstream opened its slots the next year, according to a news release from Gulfstream.

In making the announcement, Gulfstream Park President and General Manager Bill Murphy said: “Mike has been a tremendous asset to MEC from the start and his impact at Gulfstream Park was both positive and immediate. This promotion serves as recognition to his contributions to MEC and Gulfstream Park as well as to the degree of respect I have for him personally. Mike built positive relationships with local law enforcement and horsemen’s groups, both here and in Oklahoma. He’s the consummate professional.”

Chapple completed the Groom Elite Certification Course, which teaches students the intricacies of horsemanship, particularly as it affects racehorses.

His quote, from the release: “My career with MEC has afforded me the opportunity to work with some true professionals, most recently Bill Murphy, whom I’ve known and worked with since the early ‘90s. On a personal level, Bill is one of the finest people I’ve known. The faith he places on people as individuals and the accent he places on teamwork is of tremendous value to all of us here.”

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The Nova Southeastern University H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business will have a $150 blackjack tournament Sept. 12 as part of its Entrepreneurship Rock ‘n’ Roll Night.

Grand prize is two round-trip tickets on AmericanAirlines. Proceeds for the night go toward undergraduate scholarships at the Huizenga School. The $150 entry fee also covers entertainment and dinner for the night.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Night will be held at the Signature Grand in Davie, 6900 S.R. 84. The party begins at 6 p.m. Reservations, sponsorships and other information are available at http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/rnr/rnr08.cfm or by calling 954-262-5008.

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Due to Tropical Storm Fay, Palm Beach Kennel Club has cancelled its Tuesday afternoon live racing program, the kennel club said.

However, the track opened at 11 a.m. for simulcasting and poker.

Live greyhound racing will resume at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Tuesday afternoon’s races have been rescheduled for Friday afternoon.

Call the kennel club at 561-683-2222.

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I wrote in our Showtime section today about 2007 World Series champ Jerry Yang coming to the Palm Beach Kennel Club to give a seminar at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 and being the "bounty" for a charity tournament at noon on Aug. 23.

Cost is $40 for the seminar, free if you sign up to be a member of PokerTalkAmerica.com. The Sunday tournament is $100.

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The HighHeelsPokerTour is holding a tournament Aug. 23 at Turning Stone Casino Resort in upstate New York and will have events at the Isle in September and Seminole Casino Hollywood in November.

Buy-in for the New York event is $250. Last fall, the tour started with a tournament at the Isle and another at Seminole Hollywood.

For additional information go to www.highheelspokertour.com.

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The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling came out with its numbers Tuesday, and addiction experts and others weighed in.

The number of requests for help last year? 4,208.

I'm trying to get a handle on the scope of that number. We have 18 million people in the state; the Hard Rock alone said it had 40,000 people, about 10 times the number of callers, on its first week of blackjack alone. (And I'm curious how blackjack will affect next year's numbers.)

But then, there are the gamblers who may have deep, deep problems, but don't call the 1-888-ADMIT-IT line.

Still trying to sort this out. Anyone have any thoughts?

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A Lake Worth man, who is photographed here, but declined to be identified, won the largest total in Florida history, $2 million, in slots at the Seminole Coconut Creek casino.

He's in the center, with Coconut Creek GM Steve Bonner on the left and a friend of the winner on the right.

A $1.1 million winner a few months ago consented to an interview and some media coverage, but after it all hit, it became a little overwhelming. So I don't really blame this guy for not giving us his full story, although I'm always curious.

If you hit it big, are you going into hiding?

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The fourth annual Florida Gaming Summit will be Oct. 6-7 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and will present gaming, legal, financial and tribal experts.

Session topics will include the Seminole Class III gaming compact; gaming operations and outlook for Broward County; gaming’s potential in Miami-Dade; the view from Wall Street; gaming and leisure trends; and the legislative outlook for gaming throughout Florida.

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The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek became the third South Florida casino to offer a slot tournament, held on Sunday.

The tournament, by invitation only, was the start of a series of tournaments that will take place in August.

Earlier this month, The Isle Casino and Racing and Gulfstream Racing and Casino began free tournaments for all Players Club members.

There will be more in August plus the casino is working on satellite rules to lead up to a $500,000 tournament prize pool. Players spin for 3 to 5 minutes

Organizers said the tournaments are not in response to the Isle, but they were waiting for the best tournament games.

A 54-year-old Coconut Creek woman won the first tournament and $20,000.

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Seth Palansky, communications director at the World Series of Poker, talked about David Rheem's apparent record in Broward County, which is mentioned in the bottom half of the story.
His basic point: the law of averages side with at least someone at the final table having some kind of record.

"It's basically the odds of society. Not an unusual circumstance," he said. "There's baseball, football players who do break the law, do their time, then return to the field. [Rheem] has the same constitutional right as anyone else."

The WSOP bars players "that require barring," he said, noting that the WSOP works with law enforcement closely.

"If they're not in jail, they have to be treated like anyone else," he said.

Rheem and the eight others got a check for $900,000, the guaranteed ninth-place share, on Tuesday. They play for up to $8.2 million more in November.

Which brings us to the warrant, which two records say is still valid, although the likelihood of police running him down over what he did -- there are clearly people out there who are a much greater harm to society -- is quite low.

Still, if he came back to the Hard Rock, got a speeding ticket, they run him through...

So he needs to take care of things; get a lawyer and handle his failure to appear that's on the record.

What do you think?

> Discuss this entry

Those days of playing at the smoky Hollywood Seminole Classic Casino have paid off for David Rheem.

Rheem, who grew up in South Florida, made the final table at the World Series of Poker late Monday night. He's one of nine players who will vie for the $9.1 million first prize when the World Series resumes in November.

Rheem, 28, was born in California and is listed as from Los Angeles, but honed his game here at Seminole Classic in the early 2000s, well before the nearby Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino opened. He lived in Cooper City, Dania Beach and West Palm Beach.

Rheem played games that often ran from 10 p.m. to 4 p.m. and also included Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, a former Seminole Classic dealer who is now among the world's top players.

"He didn't act like he knew everything, and became a good player by watching and playing a lot," said former Seminole poker manager Steve Watkins.

Rheem is in seventh place, having survived six days of play, which eliminated 6,835 players. The final table was held up until November in order to air all of the tournament play so far; ESPN then will cover the tournament in a "same-day, taped" production, World Series officials said.

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Now the experiment begins at the World Series of Poker: The final table is set. They'll play it off in November and ESPN will air it on the same day.

The final nine of 6,844 competitors in the $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold’em World Championship will return to the Rio Nov. 9 to begin the battle for the Main Event title and the top prize of $9.1 million.

Players left, and their chip stack, are:

· DENNIS PHILLIPS, 53, St. Louis, Missouri, 26,295,000

· IVAN DEMIDOV, 27, Moscow, Russia, 24,400,000

· SCOTT MONTGOMERY, 26, Perth, Ontario, Canada, 19,690,000

· PETER EASTGATE, 22, Odense, Denmark, 18,375,000

· YLON SCHWARTZ, 38, Brooklyn, New York, 12,525,000

· DARUS SUHARTO, 39, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 12,520,000

· DAVID RHEEM, 28, Los Angeles, California, 10,230,000

· CRAIG MARQUIS, 23, Arlington, Texas, 10,210,000

· KELLY KIM, 31, Whittier, California, 2,620,000

The nine will play down to two on Nov. 9; the final two competitors will then go heads up beginning at 10 p.m. PDT on Nov. 10, with the winner expected to be crowned in the early morning hours of Nov. 11. ESPN will carry same-day coverage of the victory beginning at 9 p.m. EST on Nov. 11.

The World Series release is on the jump:

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Gambling is recession proof?

"It's simply a myth. Not true," said Eugene Christiansen, founder of Christiansen Capital Advisors, which compiled data for the study and analyzes the industry.

He's among the participants in The American Gaming Association's annual report.. And he addressed the idea that no matter what, people will gamble.

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Alan Gould of Plantation had a great run, but he didn't quite make the final table.

He finished 53rd and won about $135,000.

I don't think I can name a player left among the final 27. They're playing tonight:

(Table 1)
Joe Bishop (Cincinnati, Ohio) 4,855,000
Peter Eastgate (Odense, Denmark) 9,325,000
Gert Andersen (Herning, Denmark) 6,740,000
Kelly Kim (Whittier, California) 8,840,000
Brandon Cantu (Las Vegas, Nevada) 4,740,000
Dean Hamrick (East Lansing, Michigan) 2,375,000
Ivan Demidov (Moscow, Russia) 4,965,000
Niklas Flisberg (Stockholm, Sweden) 1,330,000
Michael Carroll (Carson, California) 1,015,000

(Table 2)
Scott Montgomery (Perth, Ontario, Canada) 4,320,000
Tim Loecke (Highland Park, Illinois) 2,280,000
Anthony Scherer (Truckee, California) 2,385,000
Owen Crowe (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) 3,800,000
Craig Marquis (Arlington, Texas) 11,460,000
Ylon Schwartz (Brooklyn, New York) 3,655,000
Paul Snead (Kings Park, New York) 6,600,000
Tiffany 'Hot Chips' Michelle (Los Angeles, California) 9,755,000
Phi Nguyen (Hawaiian Gardens, California) 1,020,000

(Table 3)
Jason Riesenberg (Halbur, Iowa) 3,405,000
Darus Suharto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) 4,510,000
Chris Klodnicki (Voorhees, New Jersey) 6,245,000
Toni Judet (Bucharest, Romania) 5,000,000
Nicholas Sliwinski (Las Vegas, Nevada) 4,925,000
David 'Chino' Rheem (Los Angeles, California) 8,280,000
Dennis Phillips (St. Louis, Missouri) 11,910,000
Albert Kim (Staten Island, New York) 3,675,000
Aaron Gordon (Brighton, England) 1,790,000

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Alan Gould of Plantation sits No. 31 in the World Series of Poker main event. They cut it down to the final table of 10 tonight, I think.

He has 1.8 million chips. The leader has 5.8 million.

Joshua Freeman of Plantation busted out at No. 156 and earned $41,816.

Because of Vegas time, I won't have how Gould did until Monday, but I'll try to give a better update here later.

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Remember, they're on West Coast time, so everything's a couple of hours behind:

Anyway, Day Four is complete, and looks like we have only two survivors in the field, which is now down to about 180.

Alan Gould of Plantation is 80th, with 713,000 chips. Joshua Freeman of Plantation is 89th, with 658,000. Because I am a Plantation guy, you're likely wondering: Has either one of them played in Nick's vaunted home game?

No.

I gotta get caught up researching who they are. Anyone have any help?

Day Five starts at noon, Las Vegas time. The chip lead is 2.1 million, so if either one of them wins a big hand, they're looking good. But it's poker...

South Floridians who busted out, but cashed, Thursday were:

William Soffin, Boca Raton. 206, $38,600
Doron Malinasky, Hollywood, 246th, $35,383
Marc Fineman, Boca Raton, 253rd, $35,383
Kevin Schaffel, Weston, 324, $32,166
Tracy Scala, Ocean Ridge, 335, $32,166
Bob Cook, Boca Raton, 359th, $28,950
Frank Russo, Pompano Beach, 394th, $28,950
Egerton Bullock, Plantation, 399th, $28,950
Jason McCarty, Coconut Creek, 450th, $27,020
Scott Zakheim, Davie, 473rd, $27,020

To read the raw notes from the World Series, continue here:

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Well, looks like we have at least 14 South Floridians who will finish in the money at the World Series of Poker. The field is down to about 400.

Still alive are:
Kevin Schaffel, Weston
William Soffin, Boca Raton
Tracy Scala, Ocean Ridge
Bob Cook, Boca Raton
Scott Zakheim, Davie
Alan Gold (or is it Gould? the WSOP has it two ways), Plantation
Doron Malinasky, Hollywood
Joshua Freeman, Plantation
Frank Russo, Pompano Beach
Jason McCarty, Coconut Creek

Four players finished in the money last night:
Ben Sprengers, Plantation, 481, $25,090
Benjamin Zamani, Boca Raton, 601st, $23,160
Vanessa Rousso (listed as Vegas, but from Wellington), 625, $21,230
Joe Conti, Boynton Beach, 666th, $21,230

Talk about hanging in there... The WSOP pays the first 666 places. So Conti, who won his seat via a tournament at Palm Beach Kennel Club, hung in there, and hung in there, despite being short-stacked. But still cashed. Congrats, Mojo.

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Usually cash is the great attraction in casino slot promotions, but there's one that's catching up: Gas.

The Seminole Casino Hollywood is offering $25 gas gift cards, and Gulfstream Park is giving away free fill-ups for the year.

As usual, drawing entrants must be members of the casino's Players' Club.

Personally, I'm kind of tired of all the gas giveaway promotion and angles. Just reminds me about it more. (Then again we got ourselves into this mess, we should get us out.)

What about you? Would a gas card promo motivate you to hit a casino?

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Michael McCoy of Fort Lauderdale had a week to remember at Dania Jai-Alai, hitting two
royal flushes in a span of four days.

A room regular, McCoy won both Royal Flushes at the same seat at the same table.

On July 2, he struck first, hitting the Clubs Royal for a total of $1,802. On July 5, he struck again, this time with a shiny hand of diamonds worth $2,862.

The probability of hitting a Royal Flush in a Texas Hold’em game is about 1 in 30,000.

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The main event has now completed its four Day 1s, and its two Day 2s, and we have plenty of people still alive.

Overall, there are 1,306 players left, with the top 666 cashing. (What a number for them to pick!)

As you likely know, the field is so big, Day 2 had to be split into two flights. Players listed on the continued part of this:

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The Isle in Pompano Beach is giving away a Mazda Miata MX-5 and $5,000 In IslePlay from 6-8 p.m. each Sunday in July.

Other promotions this month:

Mondays: Free slot tournament, with $5,000 in IslePlay in prizes, noon- 8 p.m. 25 winners each week advance to grand championship in September

Tuesdays: 4x car entries

Wednesdays: 3x car entries

Thursdays: 2x car entries

All month: All taxable jackpot winners receive entries for drawing on Aug 1 for $10,000 in cash.

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Mardi Gras president Dan Adkins says he 's happy with the casino's debut of 24-hour poker.

The casino obtained state approval to stack its two 12-hour gambling permits, creating the 24-hour poker room.

"I came in at 8 a.m. and there was a game going," he said. "And I know we’ve had games going as late as 4 in the morning.

"You know what? If it’s two players, two table or eight tables, it’s worth doing," he said.

One large benefit for having 24-hour poker is the opportunity to have greater tournaments, which can be hampered by players having to go home at midnight or 1 a.m. Mardi Gras, which right now has only one small tournament, plans to launch more tournaments in August, he said.

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The Chandler Foundation, which benefits children with diabetes, is sponsoring a charity poker tournament at 2 p.m. Sunday at Landlubber's, 1851 N. Pine Island Road, Plantation.

Entry is $50 with $20 rebuys and $10 add-ons. Players start with 2,000 units.

The day also includes a buffet lunch, served at 1 p.m.

Contact Tony Chandler at 954-274-8782 or www.holdemforcharities.com

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A Miami woman hit the highest jackpot ever at Mardi Gras, going over $100,000.

The woman, who Mardi Gras officials said didn't want to be identified, hit at 2:17 a.m. on July 2 in the High Roller room on the Wheel of Fortune machine.

She played the machine several times, got up a couple times and she finally hit the jackpot on her third sitting, going $10 per push, according to the casino.

The previous Mardi Gras jackpot high was over $70,000, Mardi Gras staff said.

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Seminole Coconut Creek casino promotions for July:

Tuesdays: Money in Motion: Rolling Prize Wheel visits Hot Seat Winners, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Fridays: Shake, Roll & Win: Five contestants per hour roll five dice to win $500 - $10,000 at
4, 6, 8 and 10 p.m.

Saturdays: Wild Card Lotto: Match 4 randomly selected numbers exactly with the last four digits of your Players' Club card and win your share of $5,000. Match the numbers in any order, win $100. Numbers roll 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. & 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Thursdays: Chevy Giveaway: 50 bonus entries for the two corvette giveaways on July 31 and $100 gas card giveaway six per hour. 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. (total $3,000 / week) + 2008 Chevrolet Impala winner drawn at 10 p.m.

July 19: Big Deal Day: 20 contestants win their share of $30,000.00 in cash and merchandise in this TV type game show. All contestants will be selected at 8 p.m.

July 21-22: Bingo Under The Big Tent: West Lot Pavilion
5 one-hour games at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m.
$6 admission – sold at the door. Biggest jackpot more than $1,000
For bus group packages call 954-283-2751

July 31: “Two Coolvettes” Giveaway Event
West lot Pavilion – 10 p.m. – 10:45 p.m.
50’s Surfer type Band, Cash Bar, Drawing for 2 new Corvettes
Drawing will take place at approx. 10:30 pm.

Aug. 8, 2008:
From 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., every 8 minutes an $888 giveaway

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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is hosting the second in a series of $3,000 buy-in charity poker tournaments, and this one benefits the Hollywood Police Athletic League.

The tournament is July 18-20 at the poker room.

Players can pick between two first days of play, either Friday, July 18 or Saturday, July 19 at 10 a.m. The second day of play begins at 10 a.m. July 20. Each player receives 20,000 starting units in non-negotiable tournament chips with the purchase of a buy-in.

Janet Fortgang, president of the Hollywood Police Athletic League, said the funds will benefit the various programs at PAL. The Hollywood PAL has boxing, baseball and football teams, as well as individual activities and homework help.

PAL offers structure and personal guidance in a variety of activities for over 300 children a day, six days a week, offering boxing, boys’ and girls’ basketball, football, cheerleading, after-school programs, tutoring and drop-out prevention, she said.

The Seminole Hard Rock’s inaugural tournament in May had 126 participants and raised $40,000 for the Miami Beach Health Foundation. August and September tournaments will benefit other local charities.

Registration begins Friday in the Poker Room at Seminole Paradise. Cash only. For more information, call 954-327-7625.

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Joe "Mojo" Conti, the host on Poker Talk America I speak to each Friday, survived the first day in his first World Series of Poker. He's in the main event.

Conti has 12,700 chips (he started with 20,000) and finished day 1-D in 1,176th place. Sunday started with 2,461 entants. So that means he finished among the top half of players.

The WSOP, which will attract about 9,000 players, has grown so large that it has four "first days," with players flighted in 1A, 1B, 1C or 1D days. They then coagulate into playing out the main event.

Too many South Floridians to list survived, but there's one notable: Doron Malinasky, who won the first Hard Rock $3,000 charity poker tournament (although in a negotiated chop).

Malinasky, of Hollywood, sat 37th in 1D, with 104,950 chips.

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Gulfstream had a July 5 extravaganza and two car giveaways, which I reported in Friday's Showtime section. Other promotions this month, according to the casino:

Every Sunday at 2, 6 and 10 p.m., a prize winner will be drawn to receive a year’s worth of gasoline. Player’s Club members using their card will be eligible. Also on Sundays, members of the casino’s Good Luck Player’s Club can earn $25 BP gas cards with 50 points.

Members of the Casino’s Good Luck Player’s Club are eligible to take part in the following daily promotions:

Monday Bonus Bucks: Check your mailbox to see if you qualify for bonus bucks.

Seniors Day Tuesdays: On Senior Day Tuesdays, Player’s Club members over 55 can receive $10. In addition, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, members have a chance to win $55 in free casino play every 20 minutes.

Scratch & Win Gulfstream Gold on Wednesday: Cash in your Gulfstream Gold tickets for cash or free play every Wednesday this month.

25 $500 winners every Thursday: Every Thursday during the month of June, Gulfstream Park will award $500 in cash giveaways every 20 minutes from 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. The drawings are for Good Luck Player’s Club members only.

Slot tournamaments: Every hour from noon to 3 p.m., players enter a slot tournament for prizes. $1,000 is first prize, and 19 other prizes are awarded.

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Heavy rain and severe weather forced the Palm Beach Kennel Club to postpone 14 races today and reschedule them for 12:40 p.m. Monday.

The races will be Monday afternoon, including the running of the Budweiser All-Star Classic, according to the kennel club's Jeff Prince. The club got off the first race, but races 2 through 15, were, well, a wash.

The club will still have simulcasting, the poker room will remain open and the club will try to have its scheduled race card at 7:30 tonight.

For information, call 561-683-2222.

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Time magazine profiles the candidates' favorite games.

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Here are the promotions for the month at Mardi Gras:

Monday July 7, 14, 21, & 28: Sun Fun Scratch Card – Win up to $1,000 Cash

Tuesday July 1, 8, 15, & 22: Summer Cash on Fat Tuesday – Win your share of $25,000 cash or Bonus Play

Wednesday July 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30: Surf n’ Jester Jamboree – Win up to $250 Bonus Play every half hour 1pm-9pm

Thursday July 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31: Summer Lovin - Win your share of $4,500 cash or Bonus Play. Spin The Sizzling Wheel – Win up to $2,000 cash 2 p.m.-6 p.m. every hour

Friday July 4: Stars & Stripes Interactive Game: Match 4 stripes or 4 stars and win up to $4,000 cash or $400 Bonus Play. Uncle Sam’s Jamboree: Win $100 Bonus Play

Sunday July 6, 13, 20 & 27: Summer Spinning – Win $2,000 cash every hour 1 p.m.-8 p.m.

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The Florida Lottery announced Thursday that it will join the Multi-State Lottery Association and add POWERBALL.

It starts January 2009 and makes Florida the 30th state to join the multi-state lottery game (also there's the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

The authority to join a multi-state game is covered in the Florida Public Education Lottery Act, according to a news release.

Powerball drawings are held twice weekly and broadcast to nationwide live at 10:59 p.m., Eastern Time, currently from West Des Moines, Iowa.

Will you play? Will it affect your gambling dollars?

Read the rest of the press release below:

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News from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino:

21 Grand for 21 Days Giveaway: The casino is giving away $21,000 every day for 21 days from July 7 – July 30 (excluding Saturdays), the casino says. It will be three $700 cash giveaways every hour from noon – 9 p.m. But it's for slot players, and you have to join their Players Club (which is free).

Also:

$60,000 Independence Day Weekend Giveaway: Player’s Club members can win up to $20,000 each day July 4 –July 6 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Cash prize of $1,776 awarded hourly to one winner. Grand prize drawing at 7 p.m. for $4, 016.

$15,000 Concert Night Giveaways: $3,000 after five select concerts in Hard Rock Live. On Tuesdays, July 1 & 15 and Thursdays, July 3, 10 and 24 at 11 p.m. Three, $1,000 cash and memorabilia giveaways. Visitors need to swipe their Players' Club card on concert days from 5 p.m. – 10:45 p.m. to enter.

Free Slot Machine Play: On Tuesdays, July 8, 15, 22 and 29 and Wednesdays, July 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Players Club members can redeem points for free slot machine play.

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Early Saturday morning, at approximately 12:15 a.m. in Palm Beach Kennel Club’s Poker Room, Greenacre resident Kyle Gray became the track’s second-largest Poker Room winner as his "losing" poker hand paid off a hefty $86,625, the kennel club says.

A "Bad Beat" jackpot happens when a player with a seemingly unbeatable hand is beaten by an even better hand. The bad beat loser gets 50 percent of the jackpot, the hand winner gets 25 percent and the rest of the players split the remaining 25 percent.

Saturday morning, in a game of $1-$2 No Limit, Gray had Aces full of Queens (A,A,A,Q,Q). But Frank Marchese had a Royal Flush in diamonds (A,K,Q,J,10).

Marchese received $43,312 while the other players at the table each took home $6,187.

The recently hit "Bad Beat" jackpot began accumulating on April 22 of this year. The current backup jackpot, which is now the main jackpot, at this moment stands at $83,513, the club said.

The state record payoff for a bad beat occurred in February as Loxahatchee resident Charles Infantolino collected $116,714 for his four Queens while his opponent showed a straight flush. A-2-3-4-5 of spades.

The Isle's bad beat also hit at over $100,000 during a cash game during the Florida State Poker Championships. Again, it involved Aces and Queens; Aces full of Queens lost to Quad queens.

So if I have queens, I'm playing them to the river.

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Jacobo Fernandez of Hollywood has slipped from first to third in the World Series of Poker Player of the Year standings.

More correctly, he got passed. By Erick Lindgren (245 points), and Barry Greenstein (235 points). Two pretty good names who are also having good tournaments.

So, to win POY, Jacobo needs to cash again. He's already cashed seven times, for $658,100.

Meanwhile, event 49, yet another $1,5000 No-Limit Hold 'em, saw six locals cash:

Steven Schaet, Davie, 68th, $7,420;
Allan Bieler, Plantation, 117th, $4,081;
Paul Balzano, Sunrise, 159th, $3,524;
Greg Silverstein, Davie, 202nd, $2,968;
Bruce Simberg, Boca Raton, 242nd, $2,782;
William Soffin, Delray Beach, 245th, $2,782.

Also, if you're going to play in the main event, you better get on your plane. And good luck.

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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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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):

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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 througho