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Attention Florida Poker Players


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http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Poker-R...akes-Games.htmlhttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflori...ory/973141.htmlHope it gets passed !It's a big deal: No-limit poker on state's horizonIf the Florida Senate has its way, the state's poker rooms will soon usher in an era of high-stakes action.BY MICHAEL VASQUEZmrvasquez@MiamiHerald.comFor five days in 2007, big-money poker ruled the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood. Thanks to the casino's quite liberal -- and short-lived -- interpretation of state law, players could buy tens of thousands of dollars' worth of poker chips, or more.Gamblers reported seeing fellow players sauntering into the casino toting bags of money. Professional athletes, celebrities, and others with deep pockets swarmed in.But the monster-size poker pots quickly disappeared because the Seminole Tribe feared running afoul of the state's poker laws. Now, squeezed by a budget deficit and desperate for new sources of money, Florida lawmakers may allow high-stakes poker back in, all over the state -- for good.The Florida Senate has included the change as part of its ambitious proposal for expanded gambling -- something Senate leaders say would produce $1 billion a year in annual revenue dedicated to education.The Senate's proposed new poker rules alone represent a dramatic shift in policy by Tallahassee, and could potentially turn Florida into a hotbed of national poker activity.The Florida House, for now, is resistant to more gambling, with the issue set to dominate this spring's legislative session.Currently, Florida law generally limits buy-ins to a maximum of $100. In poker tournaments, buy-ins can go a bit higher -- into the hundreds of dollars -- but not beyond that.In addition to erasing those limits, the Senate plan would allow slots-style video lottery terminals at parimutuels across the state, and the Seminole Tribe would get the green light to offer full-fledged casino gambling that includes games such as roulette and craps.Miami state Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who previously headed the House's gaming committee, said the Senate plan ``would risk changing the identity of our state.''But Lopez-Cantera's tone softened when he was asked about the poker piece of that plan.''That might be something I could live with,'' he said.Right now, the high-stakes poker tournaments broadcast on ESPN and other cable networks don't come to Florida, although the state's tourism-dependent economy could arguably benefit from the promotional nature of such shows.Steve Lipscomb, founder and chief executive officer of the popular -- and globally televised -- World Poker Tour series, said each of his tournaments typically attracts 400 to 1,000 players, many from other parts of the country, who are eager to pay the $10,000 buy-in for a chance at poker fame.''People will come and have a unique experience, not just in the casino, but in the community,'' Lipscomb said. ``And those people actually come back and bring other people with them.''Lipscomb said the program, now in its seventh season, was in serious talks several years ago with the Seminole Tribe -- with plans to bring a WPT event to its Hard Rock Casino near Hollywood.But Florida's poker rules killed the proposed tournament, Lipscomb said.''We were ready to make a deal, and we couldn't get around that,'' Lipscomb said. ``Doing a $500 event just isn't what we do.''Players often complain that the current $100 maximum buy-in leaves no room for much of the strategy that can be brought to the game, turning Florida's poker tables into something of a game of chance rather than skill.Florida players ''don't have enough chips in front of them to play out the bets and raises that are required in the skillful aspect of the game,'' poker pro and Miami native Vanessa Rousso said.When told about the complaint that Florida's rules get in the way of skill, state Rep. Bill Galvano -- another key figure on gaming issues in the Florida House -- responded, ``I'm open-minded to looking at that.''Of course, just about every poker player comes to the table thinking he is skilled, and the state's Council on Compulsive Gambling warns that those with an addiction to the game will likely suffer greater losses if the $100 cap is removed.Florida's $100 cap arrived in 2007, replacing a much stricter limit of $2 a bet. In the time that poker players have enjoyed these higher stakes, the average debt load of poker addicts has gone up dramatically, according to the Council on Compulsive Gambling.In November 2007, a few months after the $100 cap arrived, poker addicts calling the state's gambling help line were an average of $27,221 in debt. Last month, that figure was $65,695.Pat Fowler, head of the gambling council, dismissed talk that higher poker stakes reward skill, saying ``everyone has a theory.''''I'm speaking from data on actual people and what that data looks like,'' Fowler said. ``With every expansion and increase, we've seen an increase in problem and compulsive gambling, and you can twist that and turn it any way you want to.''
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Pat Fowler, head of the gambling council, dismissed talk that higher poker stakes reward skill, saying ``everyone has a theory.''
I think I know what he's trying to say but that sounds funny.If higher stakes = less % of rake then raising the stakes certainly rewards skill.
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The county commission here in Pensacola recently approved opening a poker room at the greyhound track. This was after several previous votes had failed, including one in December. The room is supposed to open by November, hopefully the restricted buy-ins will be lifted by then.

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I don't pray, but I may have to start.Does anyone have any idea what the chances are this thing goes through? Give me some hope.

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  • 1 month later...

The vote was supposed to be today. I was hearing that there was a good chance this thing goes through.Anyone have any updates?

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Great news! I can see Florida becoming the place to be for poker on the east coast over AC eventually.

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"The new bill allows cardrooms to be open 18 hours a day Mondays through Fridays, and 24 hours on the weekends. The gambling age in Seminole casinos increases from 18 to 21"woah woah... WHAT?does that mean <21 cant play live poker? if so fml

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hey I knew I loved florida for a reason besides the sun and warm weather lol. look out this winter, someone from the North is coming down for a few months lol. I wondered why I bought a condo there for a month, I guess I will be using it. Instead of renting it out. :club:

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So the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood still has the $100 max buy in? Does the law only effect Horse tracks and pari mutuals?Cardplayer article from today....Florida Passes Bill to Allow for Uncapped No-Limit PokerLegislation Also Removes Maximum Bet in Limit GamesFloridians are one step closer to “normal poker” in Florida.The Sunshine State has had to endure watered-down poker for years, but poker players might finally get their wish soon. The Florida legislature passed a bill today that would eliminate the maximum buy-in for no-limit poker and get rid of the maximum bet per round in limit poker.The legislation still has a few more hurdles to clear before it goes into effect, including an approval by the Seminole tribal nation, a new compact between the state and the Seminoles, and a final approval by the Florida legislature.But there is no doubt that the bill passage by the two chambers was seen as a major success by those people favoring the expansion of gaming laws, including Florida governor Charlie Crist.“I want to thank you for the Seminole contract,” Crist told members of the legislature today. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the children of Florida.”The new bill is expected to generate at least $2.2 billion for public schools over the next 15 years, according to the Florida News-Press.Previously, Florida law limited all buy-ins for no-limit poker to a maximum of $100 in the state, preventing casinos from offering deep-stack, high-stakes action.Tournament poker limits have also been relaxed in the new bill.However, not every aspect of the bill is good news for some poker players. The minimum age for gambling in Seminole casinos was moved up to 21 from 18 as a result of the legislation.The legislation will also free up approximately $300 million in gambling proceeds for the current state budget of Florida.

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