In Part 1 of this series I promised a room by room summary of my recent trip to the sunshine state. Here it is.
The Seminole Casino in Brighton, Florida is in the central part of the state-just north of Lake Okeechobee, south of Sebring, and about equidistant between Fort Myers and West Palm Beach. There are nine tables. They spread low limit Omaha/8 and hold'em and have $1-$2 blind no limit hold'em with a $20 minimum and $100 maximum buy-in. They're open 3 p.m. Monday - Friday, and noon on Saturday and Sunday. There are tournaments throughout the week and weekend. Hwy 721, Okeechobee, 863-467-9998, 866-2-CASINO.
The Hard Rock Seminole Casino in Hollywood is on the opposite end of the casino spectrum. Where Brighton was small, sedate, somewhat dark, and populated mostly by retirees, Hollywood was bright, festive, loud, and rocking primarily with folks in their 20s and 30s. Hollywood had 50 tables- making it among the largest rooms in the state. They spread the same $2-$4 limit and $100 capped buy-in $1-$2 blind nolimit game, but they also spread no-limit with blinds as high as $5-$10, making for an all-in fest. 24 hours, 7 days a week. 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, 954-327-7625
I walked over to what's known as the "Hollywood Classic" or "Old Seminole"-the Seminole property that pre-dated the new Hard Rock Hollywood described above. It's closer in ambiance to the Brighton room, but with a lot more action. They have 25 tables with eight in action when I visited late on a Saturday morning. They spread the same games as the Hard Rock, but with an older and seemingly calmer crowd. They even boasted that they sometimes get a stud game. There was a list of four players. I was assured that they'd get it off later in the day. 24 hours, 7 days a week. 4150 North State Road 7, Hollywood, 954-961-3220
A little south of Hollywood, in Hallandale, is the Mardi Gras Casino and Racetrack, with 15 tables. They play limit and no-limit hold'em as well as spread-limit stud. I sat in a $1-$3 stud game with no ante. Everything about the room was new and fresh except for the players. The dealer at my table noted that the four players at one end had an aggregate age of 370! It was a rock fest. Everyone in the room knew everyone else, or so it seemed. One local stud player remarked, "They used to have $1-$5 but the 50-cent ante kind of queered it." Daily tournaments. Open 12 noon until midnight seven days a week. 831 North Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach, 954-924-3200
Right near the Mardi Gras is Gulfstream Park Raceway and Casino. It's a huge complex-with a parking lot so large that there are shuttle buses to the casino itself. I walked the ten minutes from my car, and then took the escalator up to the 15 table poker room, located in what used to be a Vegasstyle theater. The room is wrapped in TV screens and monitors showing horse racing. They have the standard $2-$4 limit and $100 capped buy in no limit hold'em, including the $5-$10 blind game. The room was about 80 percent retirees and 20 percent younger players. The atmosphere was dynamic-like the Hard Rock in Hollywood. One player typified the room. He looked to be about 80, had on a headset and a Full Tilt baseball cap. Tourneys all the time. They're open 1: p.m. until 1 a.m. seven days a week. 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale, FL 33009, (954) 454-7000, (800) 771-TURF
The Seminole Immokalee Casino is a small casino with a 16 table poker room-about one hour east of Ft. Myers. Don't expect a game before 11:30 a.m. Tourneys every night-they attracted 120 players on a Wednesday. The players in the spread limit $1-$5 stud game were timid and tight. The players in their $3-$6 game were friendly calling stations. Good food deals on site, and a good full service Mexican family restaurant, Lozanos-just outside the downtown area. There's not much else here. 506 South 1st St., Immokalee. 800-218-0007
Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track. A large dog track with a very plain poker room on the second floor. It's fully enclosed, non-smoking, with a nearby sports bar and TV screens mounted around the room. The food got very poor reviews from the patrons. Typical low limit and no-limit hold'em with a $100 maximum buy-in. They spread a $125 Sunday tournament with bounties at 2 p.m. No comps for players but I got a great ten minute massage at the table for $20. 10601 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs. 239-992-2411
Seminole Casino at Coconut Creek is a 15 table room with 24 hour action. Four no-limit games were going when I visited early on a Tuesday morning. They also had a tasty free breakfast special. Multi-tables and occasional sit and goes. No stud. The room has a grungy feel, with no windows, dirty chairs and felt, small TV screens, an ugly carpet, and awful music playing in the background. Even so, I loved the room with its mix of older and younger players and friendly staff. 5550 NW 40th street, Coconut Creek. 866-222-7466
Miccosukee is the least friendly and most rule-bound and unaccommodating poker room I've been to in a long time. Rules: No writing, no reading, no electronic devices, no cell phones. No comps. You can't put your name on more than one list. No eating at the tables. Oh, and the room is the smokiest on the planet. I will not be back. (But the players were awful). Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Center 500 Southwest 177th Avenue, Miami. 877-242-6464
The Isle at Pompano Park is a modern, glitzy, beautiful, 38-table room set on the second floor of a vibrant race track. There are all of the lower limits and no-limit hold'em games that Florida allows as well as $2-$4 stud and $2-$4 Omaha/8. There are sit and goes and multi-table tournaments as well as super satellites for the World Series of Poker. The staff is friendly and helpful. Get here early to get a seat. 1800 SW 3rd Street, Pompano Beach. 954-972-2000
Hard Rock Tampa is a huge room by Florida standards, with 50 tables, great nearby food, terrific lighting, and lots of action. There are many young players. The room has $1-$2 and $2-$5 no-limit as well as $2-$4 limit and $1-$5 spread limit stud. They tried spreading a $25-$50 no-limit game but the state came in after three days and shut them down. This is clearly the major room in the Tampa area. 5233 North Orient Road, Tampa. 866-502-PLAY
Lucky's Card Room is the other room in Tampa. They can't compete with the Hard Rock for live action. But they are clearly the better tournament room, since their vigorish is lower and, on Sunday, no money is taken out for the house at all! The food is inexpensive and decent. Open noon to midnight. 8300 North Nebraska Avenue, Tampa. 813-932-4313.
All in all, it's clear that the Florida poker scene is hopping. The change in the law that now allows a $5 maximum bet and no-limit poker has made all the difference in the world. I'm eager to return.
