Friday, March 17, 2017

ICYMI: Table Games Are Really Taking Off!!!

Players in the poker room may have noticed some loud, boisterous cheering recently, coming from just outside the rails...don't worry though, those are just winners from one of the three new table games!!! At the beginning of February, the Isle Casino Pompano Park saw the return of "3-Card Poker," along with the introduction of "Ultimate Texas Hold'em" and "One-Card Poker" (otherwise known at "Casino War").

"3-Card Poker "Makes Its Triumphant Return

Riding the wave of player interest across the country, Isle Casino Pompano Park now offer's "Florida's version" of Three-Card Poker.  The game is played against a "player banker," opposed to the "house," and offers the prospect of some pretty large payouts.  The gameplay is easy to learn, as players are dealt three cards, with the objective of the game to beat the dealer's hand.  The hand rankings are the same as tradition poker (pairs, three-of-a-kind, flushes, straights, straight-flushes, mini royal), with one small twist in the rankings (straights beat flushes in three-card poker).  For those looking for the rules to the game prior to playing, they can be found on a flyer in the poker room, on the actual table, or you can ask available staff for help.

One of the most appealing features of this game here at the Isle is the "minimum bet."  Players at the table can wager anywhere from $5 to $500, making the game affordable to most anyone. The $5 minimum wager is something that players won't find at many casinos, and allows those at the table to play at their own pace.  Three-card poker (one table) get's the cards in the air at 11:00am, and runs through the close of the casino.


Texas Hold'em Is Even Better When It's "Ultimate"

What's better than Texas Hold'em? Ultimate Texas Hold'em...a game that was introduced to casinos across the country years ago, and has really taken off in terms of popularity.  It's very similar to the Texas Hold'em that's played in the neighboring poker room, with those at the table getting two cards (including a "dealers" hand), along with a flop, turn, and river (five-card community board).  The object of the game is to beat the dealer's hand, with all of the "rules of the game" found on a flyer in the poker room, on the actual table, or you can ask available staff for help.

If the $5 minimum bet seemed attractive from the Three-Card Poker, then the $3 minimum at Ultimate Texas Hold'em becomes even more appealing.  Once again, it's an example of the Isle Casino Pompano Park setting itself apart from the "field."  Players have the opportunity to enjoy the game for an extended period of time, while comfortably wagering any amount between $3-$300.  There are currently (2) Ultimate Texas Hold'em tables located just across from the cashier (next to the Three-Card Poker table), with action getting underway at 11:00am each day.





Friday, March 17th: High Hand Promotions Garner Today's Attention

Ryan Baroff (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
ICYMI: Yesterday's afternoon event had an "intimate" field of (23) entries, all competing for their piece of the $2,000 prize pool.  Once play was four-handed, the remaining players agreed to a chop, with Ryan Baroff (Ft.Lauderdale, FL) the declared "winner," earning himself $630 for his share of the deal.  Charles MacClennan (Boca Raton, FL) took home $475 for second place, Gerald Bloom walked away with $342 for third place, and William Catlett (Lisbon, OH) rounded out the deal with $323 for fourth place.

The evening event ($60 No Limit Hold'em $12,000 GTD) was where the big numbers were, with a total of (265) entries getting involved in the action before the registration window closed.  One registration wrapped up, the players were vying for their piece of a $13,290 prize pool, with (27) spots getting paid.  A quick scan of the results would yield a lot of new names (to followers of the blog), and while we usually see this event make a deal once the final table is reached, action played down until four players remained.  Just like the afternoon tournament, the four players that were left agreed to a deal, with Charles Marik (Coconut Creek, FL) declared the "winner" taking home just one dollar more ($2,195) than the "second place" finisher, Felix Acevedo Beltre ($2,194). Both Nivaldo Gutierrez (Hialeah, FL) and Eric Goldstein (Boca Raton, FL) earned $2,000 for their third and fourth place finishes respectively.

Tournaments: There is one tournament on the schedule this evening, beginning at 6:00pm.  The $150 No Limit Hold'em has a $10,000 guarantee, and has surpassed that number each Friday more months.  It's the first of four events for the weekend, and is tied for the largest guarantee as well.

Promotions: With a one day "breather" on Thursday, the high hand promotions are back in full swing to start the weekend, beginning with the "Turbo High Hands."  From the moment the doors open at 9:00am, until 12:00pm, $100 will be awarded to the qualifying high hand every (10) minutes (with rollovers).  

At noon, the high hands transition to $250 every (20) minutes, lasting until 4:00pm (with rollovers)...at which point they ladder up $500 every (20) minutes (with rollovers), running from 4:00pm-12:00am.  It's well over $16,000 in high hand money ready to be awarded over the course of the day, and with the NCAA tournament going on as well, the poker room will surely be buzzing.


6:00pm - $150 No Limit Hold'em  $10,000 GTD

- Players will begin with a 20,000 starting stack
- Late and re-entries for the first (12) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels are (25) minutes in length