Poker Room on the First Coast

By Angela Spears First Coast News

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FL -- The Poker Room is set to open its doors today. It's the first of its kind on the First Coast. The Poker Room is at the St. Johns Greyhound Park at the St. Johns and Duval County line.

It's a 14,000 square foot room with 30 card tables. Some of the poker games you can play - Texas Hold 'em, 7 Card Stud and Omaha. You can also bet on horse and dog races across the country and the state of Florida.

Gambling is legal under controlled circumstances in the state. In the Poker Room, there are monitors for the state to keep an eye on things. There were changes to the law last year. New legislation eliminated the $10 maximum pot limit. Now, you can win more than $300 a hand. Lawmakers estimate $50 million in taxes raised from gambling come into the state every year.

There are several poker rooms across the state. The one in St. Johns County is one of the largest. Josh Zuckerman, Director of Poker Operations, says he hopes to attract people from as far south as Flagler County and as far north as Savannah, Georgia. The game is becoming very popular. You see celebrities play it on T.V. Zuckerman says younger people are getting into the game of poker.

The hand everybody wants is a Royal Flush (Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 all in the same suit.) Zuckerman says the chances of getting that are about 750,000 to one.

Don't expect Las Vegas or Atlantic City style gambling. In the Poker Room, you can only make a maximum bet of $2 per round and have 3 raises per round.

Zuckerman says poker is a game of skill. The odds of winning are based on your skills. But he says it doesn't hurt to have Lady Luck on your side too. Experienced or inexperienced players can play their hand, as long as they are 18.

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