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For many, the Sunshine State is best recognized as a part of the US, and many retirees choose it as a spot to spend their golden years, chiefly because of its warm climate and natural beauty. The third most populous region of the United States is also famous for its amusement parks, such as Walt Disney World, Everglades National Park, its robust cultural heritage, unique wildlife, and native American-run casinos, of which there are seven, including The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. That is one of the largest gaming establishments in the country, featuring a AAA Four-Diamond-rated hotel.
Most people are unaware that Florida has a long and rich history with gambling. In the early 20th century, it was a major US hotbed for games of chance and card action. Technically, the first gaming venues in the state opened their doors in 1887. Still, it was not until the first half of the 1900s that gambling became super prominent in this sunny slice of America, even though it primarily got enjoyed inside illegal dens. In 1989, the state passed a law permitting low-stakes poker at pari-mutuel facilities, where card enthusiasts got capped at $10 per pot. In 2003, betting limits were relaxed, and in 2010, these became even more lax.
Today, Florida is a prime destination for poker in North America, with many of its entertainment venues hosting events for highly established competitions, like the World Poker Tour. Below, we list four locales where parties interested in partaking in some card gambling can go to the home of top pros like Jason Mercier, Michael Mizrachi, and Vanessa Rousso.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa
It is only reasonable that we start with the venue we mentioned in the introduction of this article, one boasting a total gaming space of one hundred and ninety thousand square feet. Although its construction concluded in 2004, this high-end resort has been expanded multiple times and is one of the rare gambling spots that allows indoor smoking in its casino section.
Seminole Gaming owns this resort, consisting of a twelve-story tower, three parking garages, multiple restaurants, a large Hard Rock Café entertainment center, and more. When it comes to poker, the Hard Rock Tampa features forty-six tables in a smoke-free room with high-speed Wi-Fi Internet accessible throughout, forty-two TVs showing various sporting events, and a quality Snack Bar. The room is open around the clock, offering Sevent-Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Texas Hold 'em fun via daily tournaments and exclusive ones. Regulars can follow these from anywhere through Bravo Poker Live, and this Hard Rock has made a name for itself for running various high-hand promos.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
For our second pick, we are going with another Seminole-owned and run property renowned for its three tower hotels, one shaped as a Gibson Les Paul guitar. Found on 1 Seminole Way
Hollywood, Broward County, like its sister Hard Rock Tampa casino, opened its doors in 2004. However, unlike the Tampa resorts, this one has a smaller gaming floor, which is one hundred forty thousand square feet.
Most Floridians go to this Hollywood venue to enjoy its seven-thousand-seat multi-purpose theater, which has housed many famous musical acts, such as Billy Joel, Maroon 5, and Britney Spears. That said, this spot’s Poker Room is also one of its star attractions and resembles the one at the Tamp Hard Rock. It only has fewer tables, forty, but is virtually identical in all other aspects.
Bestbet Jacksonville
Moving away from Seminole casinos, next, we want to tell you about the biggest poker room in Florida. That honor falls on Bestbet Jacksonville, located at 201 Monument Rd. It has ninety-one gaming tables, of which seventy are card gambling ones. The other is poker casino variants, meaning games where chance has the final say, which do not involve a skill element.
The Bestbet Jacksonville has an excellent sushi bar that drives a lot of traffic to this property. This modern complex, which has been active since 2012, offers an inclusive environment. It regularly hosts the World Poker Tour and has featured more than a dozen of its events to date.
Derby Lane Poker Room
We end with the Derby Lane Poker Room, which we rank as the fourth-best poker scene in Florida. We had to decide which one to go with for this spot on our list: Derby Lane or Isle Casino Pompano Park, which is a fine pick in its own right. We decided on Derby Lane in Saint Petersburg, at 10490 Gandy Blvd North.
Derby Lane also has poker gaming tables like Betsbet Jacksonville and the two Seminole casinos detailed above. Yet, much of this venue's reputation has been earned because it offers PRIME NLHE games with buy-ins ranging from $300 to $2,500. Moreover, its promos, like its $500 instant pays and timed bonuses requiring pocket pairs, have done much to attract gamblers to Derby Lane, which allows frequent visitors to rake in Star Power Points that unlock additional cash rewards. Tableside food service is available here: free parking, valet service, Wi-Fi, and USB phone chargers. No smoking is allowed in this Saint Petersburg room, which has a high dose of historical charm.
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