Yes, folks, poker is now being played in my home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Cherokee Nations Enterprises is the name of the Casino in Cartoosa, Oklahoma where a lot of poker is now underway.
This casino poker room is just a short ride from the Tulsa international airport. It is a large poker room with thirty poker tables in operation and a side room with five more poker tables that can accommodate the overflow of poker players that are coming from all over the world to play poker in the birthplace of Hold'em No Limit Poker Yes, Oklahoma is in the HEARTLAND OF POKER- right in the middle of the USA-and all roads lead to Tulsa. The mother road-old US 66, a/k/a main street USA and now known as I-40, runs right beside this poker room.
I played poker on this property sixty years ago, when it was a country club known as Rolling Hills! Of course my church did not approve of me playing poker-way back then. (Oklahoma is the buckle on the bible belt).
During that time, and we invited the local sheriff and county judge to sit in and play with us and we made sure that they never lost and that the food was good-and if they wanted a cool one, it was right there for them.
The CNE (Cherokee Nations Enterprises) bought the old Rolling Hills country club and golf course and renamed it Cherokee Hills. Last September I was honored to have the CNE host my 78th birthday poker party. (You can see all the pictures of this event-and a lot of WSOP pictures-by coming to my website, www.ok-j.com). Sal-The VIP host of the CNE-built me a birthday cake as big as a poker table. It was the best birthday party of my lifetime. Now-this year, on April 6 thru the April 9, the Poker Room is holding "The Oklahoma Johnny Hale Open poker tournament." Yes, most of the time, I host only seniors & charity events, at "The Seniors" @ WSOP & at The Orleans Open & at Foxwoods during their World Poker Finals & The European Seniors at the Aviation Club on the Champs Elysee in Paris France. But I did just return from hosting the OK-J Open No Limit Championship at The Seneca Nation of Indians at Niagara Falls, New York-which was open to all poker players.
Yes, at the OK-J open in Tulsa, there will be a seniors-only no limit poker tournament on Friday, April the 8th. (You must have attained the age of 50 to play in this seniors event). There will be a ladies-only tournament on Thursday the 6th. But the OK-J Open poker tournament will be open to all who are approved to play in the Cherokee Poker Room.
The OK-J Open Championship is scheduled for Saturday, the 8th of April and the final table will be on Sunday the 9th. I promise not to sing "Back in the Saddle Again," but the beautiful "Oklahoma Sarah"-mine and Carol's daughter-will sing for you.
If you like to play poker, fish and eat good country food, you are invited to come and be with me at the OK-J Open.
Until next time, remember to Stay Lucky!
