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Seminole poker event angers racetracks

"As many as 210 players will pay $3,000 apiece to enter the three-day event, which begins Friday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. The entry fee and potential first prize of more than $125,000 — exact figures depend on the final player count — dwarfs what is allowed by state law at Broward's racetrack casinos and is made possible by the recent gaming compact between the tribe and Gov. Charlie Crist.

"The compact agreement calls for the tribe to pay at least $100 million annually to the state in exchange for the exclusive right to offer blackjack, baccarat, around-the-clock poker and six high-stakes poker tournaments annually.

"...The tournament rankles managers at competing racetrack-casinos in Broward County. The tribe has several advantages over the other casinos, including the right to operate 24 hours a day, which draws more serious players and allows it to hold multiplayer tournaments for larger stakes.

"Gulfstream Park and The Mardi Gras Racetrack & Gaming Center, both in Hallandale Beach, and the Isle Casino at Pompano Park can open just 12 hours per day under state law. And while they can hold multiplayer tournaments with entry fees up to $880, most mini-tournaments have buy-in fees of less than $100 because of the time constraints and other legal impediments, Mardi Gras Poker Director Bobby Veillette said..."

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