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 Florida is now being called the new Mecca for poker. Earlier this month new poker friendly laws went into effect at 26 poker rooms across the state. Poker rooms are now allowed to be open 24 hours a day Friday and Saturday and 18 hours a day Sunday-Thursday. Poker fans will be happy to discover that buy-ins at tables and tournaments are no longer capped so High Stakes players will finally be able to compete in their comfort zone.
"We're really just giving the players more options," said Josh Zuckerman director of the two poker operations in Northeast Florida. "Five-dollar poker wasn't a very interesting game."
He says that since the law went into effect he has already seen an increase of about 15% at poker rooms in St. Johns County and at the Orange Park Kennel Club. One player, Kenneth Williams, said that one of the biggest changes he's notice is the way people play. Having more money on the table has forced players to strategize when they play.
"You're starting to see real poker now," he said. "You've just got to know how much you want to lose."
"The vibe has changed because players are getting what they want," said Debra Mosely, a dealer at the Orange Park Kennel Club.
"There's more excitement," she said. "In the bigger games, they'll have a couple thousand in front of them."
Although the state set no limits on bets, pots or buy-ins, the poker rooms themselves have of course set certain limits on their tables. Like most casinos they have set a minimum and maximum buy-in at each table just to keep things fair. Despite having a new range of options however most players still prefer to play in the 2/2 range and most days the highest stakes table is only 5/10.
Rumors of professional poker players making the trek out here have been circulating but so far Zuckerman says he hasn't seen any in Jacksonville.
Florida still has a long way to go if it wants to challenge Las Vegas for tournaments but casino owners overall still remain optimistic. Next month Zuckerman will host his first $1,500 buy-in tournament and if that goes well he may look into creating a number of new events.
For now though, all eyes remain on the Sunshine State.
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