FLORIDA ALLOWING POKER GAME STAKES TO BE RAISED IN JULY!

[bocablkr]

Moose47 is correct - note, I said a start to higher stakes.

By-the-way, the SNG's are not that bad at the Hard Rock. The vig is a little high, but there is some big money there as well as a lot of tourists.

[CORed]

If this passes, I'm going to be upset. This will leave Colorado as having the undisputed worst legal poker in the country. ($5 max bet, no NL or PL). I've always been able to console myself by sayin "At least I don't live in Florida". No more.

[NY60]

Coming up for vote RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!

[moose47]

Passed! 77-38

[TOPTWO]

please!please!please!please!please!

[NY60]

PASSED PASSED PASSED PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NY60]

If I recall the last time the laws were changed to allow the $2 limit, the Seminoles only waited until the Governor signed the bill into law and therefore did not wait until the effective date of July 1st which is when all newly enacted legilation takes effect in Florida. If so I think we can see games sooner than the July 1st effective date.

[PokerAmateur4]

The hardrock was open 24 hours before for poker sngs, yes? Does this bill make it so that now it's only 12 hours?? Or was cash games only open some lesser amount of time?

Also are the 1050-1100 games now gone? That's what someone above said this bill indicates? $800 max?

What's going on, if someone can clear up how this affects hardrock MTT and STT I would appreciate it very much.

[NY60]

[ QUOTE ]
The hardrock was open 24 hours before for poker sngs, yes? Does this bill make it so that now it's only 12 hours?? Or was cash games only open some lesser amount of time?

Also are the 1050-1100 games now gone? That's what someone above said this bill indicates? $800 max?

What's going on, if someone can clear up how this affects hardrock MTT and STT I would appreciate it very much.

[/ QUOTE ]

These are excellent questions the answers to which, in all likelihood, can only be found at the top echelon of the Seminole Tribal Counsel and the State's Attorney's Office and Attorney General and/or Governor's Office.

Lets face it, the tribe has always taken the position that under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, they could conduct any gaming that is allowed under State law.

Remember they used to run games for a quarter ($.25) when the law set the maximum pot level at ten dollars.

After the law was changed to max $2 bet they started to run no limit tourneys with buy ins up to $500 (and later $1050).

However limt games always followed State law on the max $2 bet. Even when the State regulations came out that pari-mutuals could only hold tourneys with a $45 buyin, an issue that was extensively litigated, the tribe didnot follow the State regulations on tournaments but continued to honor the State Statute on the max $2 bet for limit games.

Here is the "kicker" which leaves everyone scratching their heads. The Federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, has a specific exemption for poker which says that the tribes must follow State law regarding both "hours of operation" AND "betting limits".

So, the issue presented, and this has been written about in many of the poker periodicals, is whether the 24 hour operation and no limit tourneys with buy ins greater than $45 is illegal which it appears so after reviewing the federal amd state laws.

Now what could have been done about this? The only recourse would have been either the State filing suit to enjoin the games or worse, an actual raid of the casinos. I am not sure what are the legal ramifications of an actual raid given both the indian sovereignty issue (they are a seperate country) as well as the political fallout from such action. But it would appear that the tribe was concerned about some type of political pressure otherwise they would have never followed the max $2 bet to begin with.

It appears that perhaps an unwritten compromise was reached at the top law enforcment and executive levels.

Going forward it doesnt appear that anything will change.

I'm sorry that's the best I could ever find out after speaking with the top management at the Hard Rock or figure out after reviewing the laws in this area.

[VOX]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The hardrock was open 24 hours before for poker sngs, yes? Does this bill make it so that now it's only 12 hours?? Or was cash games only open some lesser amount of time?

[/ QUOTE ]

These are excellent questions the answers to which, in all likelihood, can only be found at the top echelon of the Seminole Tribal Counsel and the State's Attorney's Office and Attorney General and/or Governor's Office.

Lets face it, the tribe has always taken the position that under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, they could conduct any gaming that is allowed under State law.
...
Here is the "kicker" which leaves everyone scratching their heads. The Federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, has a specific exemption for poker which says that the tribes must follow State law regarding both "hours of operation" AND "betting limits".

So, the issue presented, and this has been written about in many of the poker periodicals, is whether the 24 hour operation... is illegal which it appears so after reviewing the federal amd state laws.

[/ QUOTE ]

Alternatively, we could look at the text of the law.

"Any horserace, greyhound race, or jai alai permitholder licensed under this section may operate a cardroom at the pari-mutuel facility on any day for a cumulative amount of 12 hours if the permitholder meets the requirements under paragraph (5)(b)."

This section of the law doesn't apply to the Seminoles, as they do not run horses, dogs, or jai-alai players. As a result, the gaming should still run 24 hours.

If the law was written such that it said that "Poker may only be played from XAM to YPM", then the Seminoles might be stuck. That's not the case, however.

That would be my argument anyway. How long does Crist have before he can no longer veto and it goes into law without his signature?