Am I the only person here who will never enter a casino again?

[dave nz]

I hate em. Reason being is on some of the games you have no control and its all chance.
My last visit was to Jupiters casino on the Gold Coast in Australia. Entered with around $200 to spend, 40 minutes later I walk out with no money.

Put your money on a table and hope for the best is not my Idea of a good time lol
Sure I was only playing roulette and keno, I know blackjack and a few others have a higher skill element.

Unlikely I'll ever enter one again.

[Nevada]

I agree, the odds just seem so bad one you start betting on sports. No more casino for me!

[dave nz]

Originally Posted by Nevada

I agree, the odds just seem so bad one you start betting on sports. No more casino for me!

[westcoastO]

It's just an adrenaline rush for the most part, unless you take it 100% seriously. Having drinks and gambling if you have some extra money is a blast imo, even though you lose most of the time. You never know when you'll end up winning. Last time I was in Vegas I ended up winning close to a grand playing craps at like 5 AM, definitely a blast doing it too.

[dave nz]

Yeah you hit the nail on the head, all my years of sportsbetting has conditioned me to hate losing and make as much money as I can. Which is a tough rule to go by when entering a casino.

[Dr. Jack]

I always look forward to going to the casino until about 10 minutes in to it as I am losing and then I get all moody and shit, wondering why the hell I even went. lol

[dave nz]

Hey Doc,

I saw on TV about a year ago, a show on gambling, they were talking about Miami.
Saying how only casinos on boats can operate legally. All landbased illegal, is this still the case?

[Dr. Jack]

Pretty much except, we have the Seminole's land based casino's. They used to have just slots and poker but opened up table games such as blackjack, etc this past Sunday. No sports betting though

The boats have been around forever. They have some that go out about 5 miles and then they have everything including sports betting

Of course we also have tons of other betting things like Jai Lai, Horses, etc

[dhunter]

Originally Posted by dave nz

Sure I was only playing roulette and keno,

worst odds in the house...only slots are worse

[dave nz]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jack

Pretty much except, we have the Seminole's land based casino's. They used to have just slots and poker but opened up table games such as blackjack, etc this past Sunday. No sports betting though

The boats have been around forever. They have some that go out about 5 miles and then they have everything including sports betting

Of course we also have tons of other betting things like Jai Lai, Horses, etc

How does Seminole's manage to get around the law, where others can't?

[Dr. Jack]

The Indians have their own laws and they have it made. They can do whatever they want

[Dr. Jack]

Gamblers will begin playing the first legal games of blackjack and other "banked'' card games in Florida on June 22 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood.

The South Florida casino owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida plans to start with 72 tables, most for blackjack but also for baccarat and variations of poker. Hundreds of thousands of new players will flock to its casinos to play the new games, the tribe said.

"Las Vegas-style casinos will now be at the doorstep of the residents of Florida," said Seminole Gaming CEO James Allen. "Floridians won't have to go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to play their favorite casino games.''

Local gamblers must wait until "late fall to November'' of 2008 for blackjack and the other games to reach the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa, Allen said this morning. The casino will have 70 to 100 tables and hire 800 to 1,000 new employees above the current 2,200, he said.

Banked card games, in which players compete against the house, are allowed exclusively at the tribe's seven casinos in Florida under a deal signed in November by Gov. Charlie Crist and Seminole Tribe chairman Mitchell Cypress.

The agreement, called a compact, was blessed in January by the Interior Department, which regulates gambling on tribal lands. For now, the Seminoles have discussed plans for the new games only at the two Hard Rock-branded casinos.

The deal also allows Las Vegas-style slot machines. Two weeks after receiving federal approval, the tribe put the first ones in Hollywood, replacing older bingo-based machines. The new slots came to Tampa in April and now make up half the casino's 3,200 electronic gaming devices.

The compact and the card games specifically are being challenged in separate lawsuits. House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, and Senate President Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, asked the state Supreme Court in November to throw out the compact. They contend Crist overstepped his authority by signing it without the Legislature's approval.

Earlier this week, Pompano Park's Isle Casino in Broward County sued Crist and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne in federal court in Tallahassee. Casino owners contend the federal government can't sanction games in a state where they are illegal off Indian land.

Their suit isn't slowing down the tribe's plans. With the compact's publication in the Federal Register in January, "it is the law and it is legal,'' Allen said.

In addition to blackjack and baccarat, casino dealers also will offer mini-baccarat, pai gow poker, Let It Ride and three-card poker.

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3384.

[dave nz]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jack

The Indians have their own laws and they have it made. They can do whatever they want

Ah right gotcha. Similar with the maori people here.

[Dr. Jack]

KEY DATES IN THE SEMINOLES' ROAD TO RICHES

1812 to 1858

The tribe fights the three Seminole Wars with the U.S. military. Though decimated, the Seminoles refuse to surrender, and a few hundred survivors scatter into the Everglades.

1953 to 1957

The tribe successfully battles a U.S. House resolution to terminate its tribal status and take tribal lands; members gather at the Council Oak to form a new, federally recognized government.

1977

The Seminoles open their first "smoke shop," offering tobacco products at a discount, because they do not have to pay taxes. It's the first major commercial use of the tribe's sovereign status.

1979

The tribe pioneers the concept of Indian gaming by opening the country's first large-stakes bingo hall.

1980

The tribe hires new law school grad Jim Shore as an in-house attorney; he's promoted to GC in 1982. Shore was the first Seminole to graduate from law school.

1981 to 1999

The Seminoles, with Shore as lead legal strategist, pursue three landmark federal suits that expand and define the bounds of Indian gaming in America. The tribe wins two of the suits and loses one.

2000

The tribe, with Shore's guidance, negotiates a deal to develop casino resorts on the Hollywood and Tampa reservations.

2004

The tribe opens the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe and Casinos.

2006

The Seminoles, led by GC Shore, buy the Hard Rock franchise for $965 million, the biggest-ever Native American deal, making the tribe a global player in the gaming industry.

[Dr. Jack]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Blackjack, Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Let it Ride, Three Card Poker to Debut New Card Games Follow Las Vegas-style Slot Machines into Florida's Seminole Casinos

HOLLYWOOD, FL (June 6, 2008) -The first legal games of Blackjack and other card games in Florida will be played on Sunday, June 22 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. In addition to Blackjack, the Seminole Hard Rock will unveil Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Let it Ride and Three Card Poker. 71 new tables for Blackjack and other games are currently being installed at the Seminole Hard Rock as part of a major redesign and upgrade of the casino floor.

Blackjack and the other new card games are expected to attract hundreds of thousands of new players to Florida's Seminole Casinos, thanks to a compact agreement signed by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Seminole Chairman Mitchell Cypress in November, 2007. The compact was approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior in January of this year, when it became law. At that time, the Tribe made an initial $50 million payment to the State of Florida, part of the $100 million due to State in the first year of the compact.

Since then, the Seminole Tribe has made ongoing monthly payments to the State of Florida, while introducing Las Vegas-style slot machines at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, as well as at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and the original Seminole Casino Hollywood, the birthplace of Indian Gaming. Las Vegas-style slots will be unveiled June 12 at the Seminole Casino Immokalee, near Naples, and June 16 at the Seminole Casino Brighton, northwest of Lake Okeechobee.

"With the introduction of Blackjack and the other card games, Las Vegas-style casinos will now be at the doorstep of the residents of Florida," said James Allen, Seminole Gaming CEO. "Floridians won't have to go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to play their favorite casino games."

"This is a first for the State of Florida and will capture the attention of visitors looking for gaming," said Nikki Grossman, President of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau."

The redesign of the casino at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood includes the installation of seven new olive wood trellises, which will make the areas for Blackjack and other table games more intimate and elegant. The trellises radiate out from the Seminole Hard Rock's Casino Center Bar. Of the 71 new tables, 55 will be initially dedicated to Blackjack, six to Three Card Poker, three to Pai Gow Poker, three to Let it Ride, two to Baccarat and two to Mini-Baccarat.

More than 700 Blackjack dealers, supervisors and others have been hired in advance of the launch of Blackjack and other card games at the Seminole Hard Rock, but more dealers are needed to staff Blackjack tables at the other Seminole casinos. For more information, visit http://www.workhardrock.com/. Blackjack and other card games will be launched at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa late in 2008. No dates have been announced for the launch of Blackjack at the other Seminole Casinos. In addition to hiring trained dealers, the launch of Blackjack requires additional equipment and casino floor space.

Blackjack and other card game players at Seminole Casinos must be 21 years old. If you, or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1-888-ADMIT-IT.

About Blackjack and the New Card Games

Blackjack - Also known as "21," Blackjack is a traditional card game where the object is to draw cards that total 21 or come closer to 21 than the dealer. All cards count at face value, while the King, Queen and Jack count as 10, and the Ace which counts as either 1 or 11. It is the most popular of casino card games in the United States.

Baccarat - There are only two main decisions to make in the game - how much to bet and whether to bet on the Bank or on the Player. All cards count at face value. Ace equals one. All tens and face cards, count as zero. The object of the game of Baccarat is to wager whether the Banker's hand or the Player's hand will have a higher value than the other.

Mini-Baccarat - Played the same as Baccarat, but on a smaller table.

Pai Gow Poker - Pai Gow Poker combines elements of the ancient Chinese Game of Pai Gow and the American game of poker. The game is played with a traditional deck of 52 playing cards plus one joker. To win, a two-card hand must rank higher than an opponent's two-card hand and a five-card hand must rank higher than an opponent's five-card hand.

Let it Ride - Known for its potential for high payouts, Let It Ride was designed to offer players an opportunity to control two of their three bets wagered. It is based on the five card stud poker game. The object of Let It Ride is to make the best five card hand.

Three Card Poker - In this variation of poker, each player and the dealer receives three cards. The object of the game is to beat the dealer's hand. Players may also wager that their three card hand may contain a pair or better.

Visit the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood for complete details about all of the new table games offered. Players must be 21 years old.

About the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is South Florida's leading entertainment destination featuring more than 2,500 of the most popular Vegas-style slots and games on its 145,000-square-foot casino floor including Multi-Area Progressive Jackpots and Mega Jackpots. The Poker Room at Seminole Paradise is a 12,000-square-foot private room offering no-limit Texas Hold ‘em, limit Texas Hold 'em, Seven Card Stud and two dollar and four dollar limit Omaha Hi Lo games. Our casino offers a non-smoking room and a high-limit gaming room with a cashier booth, check cashing services, and safe deposit boxes. The high-limit room also includes a VIP Plum Lounge exclusive area for loyal Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Players Club members and a celebrity show kitchen. This Four-Diamond, AAA rated, 500-room hotel offers 16 restaurants and lounges, 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting room space, a full-service, European-style spa, environmentally friendly hand car wash and auto detail salon, and 23 retail shops and 11 nightclubs in Seminole Paradise. Entertainment aficionados can enjoy national and international musical acts, comedic performances, and more in Hard Rock Live--a state-of-the art and acoustically-sound arena located on property. Lucky Street parking garage offers guests an additional 2,300 spaces for parking. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) in Hollywood, Florida. From I-95, exit Stirling Rd. and travel west to 1 Seminole Way. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1-800-937-0010 or visit us online at http://www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com