Well, Florida, how did the first day of NL/$5limit games treat you?

[SteadyBob]

Well have checked out most of the local spots in South Florida and here is my reviews:

Seminole HR - lots of action, but the place is a madhouse and not worth a 3 hour wait.

Seminole Bingo - The place is an absolutely disgusting and I would never go back.

Mardi Gras - The casino is nice, but the poker room is still ugly. They are getting 1/2 LIMIT games and very few NL or tournaments. Not a great place to go for action.

Gulfstreem - my favorite place to play so far. The room is the most beautiful of the rooms down here (maybe except for Pompano - it's a toss up). Tournament rakes and the best in South Florida and the management and dealers are the friendliest. Donkey city.

Pompano - very very beautiful room. Action is a little tamer, and the dealers are pretty weak. I think most of them are fresh out of school. I like it though.

Dania - Will never go back. Nothing even worth going for (unless you like to play double flop).

Well that's all the rooms I've been to so far.

[Work4Fish420]

I scrolled through at least half of these posts and haven't seen anything about Brighton Seminole Casino near Okeechobee. Granted, its in the boonies and why would anyone near the Hard Rock or in SOuth Florida go there? But for those in Central Florida or north of Palm Beach where there's nothing but paramutuals, I'd recommend the drive out there. I played Palm Beach Kennel club two nights ago and in 3.5 hours I went from -40, to +70, then finished +5. You wait and wait to catch the few hands against the all-in fevered maniacs, but some night those hands don't come, or they will get sucked out on. Here's my take on the kennel clubs, jai lai, etc.....

#1) There is that extra $2 BB when on the button....which equals $5 each round.

#2) You can only buy in for $100 max for $1/2 AND $2/$3 NL.

Those combined make it, IMO, a no brainer to just play at the Indian Casinos such as Hard Rocks (once the mad rush calms down and waiting lists aren't as long).

I didn't have the time and energy tonight to drive over 100 miles each way to Hard Rock and deal with these waiting lists I heard about, so I decided to check out Brighton which is only about 60 miles each eay. They are running $1/2 NL with $300 max buy-in (you just can only buy in for $100 the first hand...then once dealt you add on the other $200). So there is a lot more money on the table and it resembles more of a "real" poker game instead of all-in donkfests (which is good at time until you get your deepstack felted...then you can only buy in for $100 if its at greyhound). So I liked that idea and they stay open until the game breaks up. I heard last night they broke at 2:30am....but tonight I was there from 6pm-3am and the table was full when I left with one or two waiting. They had two $1/2 NL tables running most of the night (the 2nd one formed at around 7pm then broke bout 1-1:30). Then a third one was formed for a bit. I wound up doubling my $300 buy-in so was definitely a good session for my first time in that casino, let alone county!! As soon as the they get a table of willing players, they will offer $2/$5 NL and higher and I'm assuming the games will be going well into the night, at least for the $1/$2NL.

I'll be checking out Hard Rock/Hollywood within the week, but I see myself going to Brighton as well. No dogtracks until they at least change the buy-in to $200-300 max.

[stevematador]

Was at Hard Rock Hollywood last night around 10p.m. and waited over 2 hours on 1/2 NL and 2/4 limit lists, still had over 10 people ahead of me on both lists and decided to give up. I decided to try Coconut Creek. What a joke, I got there around 1a.m. and made my way through a cloud of smoke in the hallway to sign up for a table. The girl put my name on the list and told me I had to wait in the hallway outside the poker room. The hallway is where everyone goes to smoke as they don't allow smoking in the poker room. What a joke, I sat in a cloud of smoke for about 10 minutes and couldn't take it anymore. I don't understand how they can allow smoking in that hallway and force non-smokers like myself to wait for their tables out there in the smoke. Even the smokers were amazed at how everyone was subjected to the cloud of smoke as they waited for their name to be called. I went straight home and decided to call it a day, thank goodness for Poker Stars!!!

[EazyCard]

[ QUOTE ]
Well have checked out most of the local spots in South Florida and here is my reviews:

Seminole HR - lots of action, but the place is a madhouse and not worth a 3 hour wait.

Seminole Bingo - The place is an absolutely disgusting and I would never go back.

Mardi Gras - The casino is nice, but the poker room is still ugly. They are getting 1/2 LIMIT games and very few NL or tournaments. Not a great place to go for action.

Gulfstreem - my favorite place to play so far. The room is the most beautiful of the rooms down here (maybe except for Pompano - it's a toss up). Tournament rakes and the best in South Florida and the management and dealers are the friendliest. Donkey city.

Pompano - very very beautiful room. Action is a little tamer, and the dealers are pretty weak. I think most of them are fresh out of school. I like it though.

Dania - Will never go back. Nothing even worth going for (unless you like to play double flop).

Well that's all the rooms I've been to so far.

[/ QUOTE ]

I keep seeing these post about the incrediable wait times at Tampa HR. Ive been there the past three days and have not had to wait more than 20 minutes to play. Maybe Im lucky, but Ive never waited more than an hour to play in the past 3 years. The time I did it was during winter holidays on a Saturday night...which is logical.

[KyndGroove]

[ QUOTE ]
I keep seeing these post about the incrediable wait times at Tampa HR. Ive been there the past three days and have not had to wait more than 20 minutes to play. Maybe Im lucky, but Ive never waited more than an hour to play in the past 3 years. The time I did it was during winter holidays on a Saturday night...which is logical.

[/ QUOTE ]

The wait last night was over 1 hour at 9pm for pretty much all the games. The problem was compounded by a total breakdown at the brush stand. 20 minute wait just to get your name on a list. The woman taking names could not speak english very well and was having trouble figuring out how to add names using their computers (when I told her my name was Adam she seriously asked "That's spelled A-A-D-A-N, right?"). They're also still having problems running out of chips. Brushes were going around buying stacks of red from players at the tables to bring back to the cashiers.

I guess the wait isn't nearly as bad if you want to play in the morning or early afternoon. On holidays and weekends be prepared for very long waits.

[joao_,martins]

This is for any of ypou interested in checking out the action at the Tampa Hardrock....
I won a 1300 dollar pot playing 2/5 nl when my set held up against top pair, 2 kicker and another players gutshot straight draw.
( All the money went in on the flop ).
That is a small doze of the lovely action going on at Seminole... but if you go at prime hours be prepared to wait a VERY long time!

[rp2]

Maybe I missed it.

What are the rakes/time charges for limit and NL at the HR Tampa?

[m bozeman]

No time charges, just the $6 max. rake, $1 of which goes to the royal flush jackpot.

[rp2]

Thanks.

You still post on pokerforums.net? Is that even still around?

[Gandor]

I went to Club 52 at Melborne last night. Play was horrible. The new "rules" were horrible. But hey, it was still no limit. The club had a $100 min/max buyin, no rebuy until felted. Blinds were 1-2-2 UTG, with a $2 minimum rake. Half the players seemed like they were still stuck in straight 2 mode.

During my first orbit, I watched an Asian lady call off her whole $100 3 times with 2nd pair. And then magic happened. She hit a runner-runner flush while calling bottom pair against a set, and then hit another hand. Soon she had several hundred in front of her and my half of the table was ready.

Did I mention play was horrible. As someone else mentioned, you almost need to play to get doubled up, or get to the felt. Before I learned this, there was a raise to 20, 3 callers, when I look down at 3-5 and see the rest of the table grabbing for reds. I decide to call, thinking I can always top off. The rest of our table calls as well as half the table next to us. Flop 9-2-4 with a couple clubs. Checks around to the raiser who bets like 35 into a monster pot, everyone calls, I push for $68, and most everyoone on our table calls. I hit the 6 on the turn, river is a blank, and I scoop $500.

Another memorable hand I wasn't involved in, one guy makes it $20, there is a reraise to $65, three people call, all fold on the flop to 2nd raiser's C-bet.

The rest of the time was spent trying to pick off people looking to get a playable stack. If you can get a stack, there is money to be made, but it might cost you several buy-ins before you get there.

Oh yeah, one other bad rule. If your table breaks and you are moved, you can only sit down at the new table with $100 again. Dude came to our table with over $1500 and had to start all over.