When you think about the "hot spots" for Florida poker, Jacksonville probably isn't top of mind. That would rightfully be The Victory Casino Cruet in Cape Canaveral or the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood. But Jacksonville does have a few poker options if you’re ever in the area. And when we say a “few”, we mean it. Your main option is Racetrac North Florida, which has open-ended games daily with a decent player pool. You also have Bingo! Bingo! Jacksonville as a backup. But outside of those two, you’re out of luck.
Best Online Casino Real Money Apps to Win in 2023-2024If you want to play big buy-in tournaments at a world-class facility, you can always take a short drive down to the Ship or up to the Hard Rock. Otherwise you're kind of stuck with cash games. At least they run 24/7 at Racetrac North Florida and have fairly soft competition from local gamblers looking for some card room action.
Racing North Twin Rivers Casino & Resort (Formerly Twin Rivers)
11700 Paradise Bay Drive, Port Saint Lucie, FL 34986
Ok, ok we know this casino is technically not in Jacksonville but it’s close enough and a much better option than RTNF or Bingo Bingo. Also, it could be worth the drive in the future as Florida’s new South Florida gambling rivalry heats up.
Best Online Casino Sites - Top Casinos Online (2023)For now, however, The Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood is light years ahead of any other casino in southern Florida. And the Bit O’ Heaven in West Palm is the exact same story as Twin Rivers. A quality casino with great restaurants and slot machines but no poker room yet.
That could change in the near future though because both properties are expanding rapidly and trying to keep pace with the Hard Rock. Perhaps 1-2 years?
Racetrac North Florida (RTNF)
_*5604 Orange Park Ave, Orange Park, FL 32073
*107 Century 21 Dr, Macclenny, FL 32063
*7860 Bonwright Rd, Callahan, FL 32011
1220 Danceaway Rd, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
Yes, there are four different locations for Racetrac North Florida but the only one with a poker room is in Orange Park, just outside of Jacksonville. It used to be called the Orange Park Card Room but was recently bought out by Racetrac and now falls under their company name. Not that you’d care but the building is pretty nice and they have a full restaurant/bar inside with waitress service.
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Most readers will know Racetrac from the hundreds of convenience stores/gas stations around Florida but may not be familiar with their betting parlor. RTNF runs live cash games 24/7 with anywhere from 2-6 tables depending on the time of day/player volume. Stakes typically range from $1/$2 to $3/$6 but can go higher/lower if there’s demand - like say a series of WSOP Main Events worth $10,000 failed to hit the felt. Oops.
Blinds start at $1/$2 with an optional $3 ante AND a $2 rake - per hand. Yes, you read that correctly. Three separate ways to squeeze money out of players at Racetrack North Florida. To be fair the rake is usually $2 BUT the antes are OPTIONAL so most players don't pay them. However you'll rarely find less than five players per table so that $15/hand is more like $20. Some players also tip the dealer $1 every orbit which doesn't help either.
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The rake/ante situation is awful but at least the player quality makes it worth your time. Most players at Racetrack Cardroom have come from the horse racing section and have ZERO idea how to play poker. It's not uncommon to see players call three streets in a row with worse hands. Or bet the river with king high and be upset their opponent doesn't pay them off.
One pro we knows actually moved his entire rail to bingo during a particularly bad Heater on himself at the RTNF poker tables. Needless to say it's a good spot but be warned - you WILL have to deal with some ridiculous beats/calls on a regular basis. Oh, and the $3-$5k H.O.R.S.E. game on Sunday afternoons is a must if you like mixed games.
Bingo!! Jacksonville
*6616 S Argyle St, Jacksonville, FL 32217
No Deposit Casino Bonuses You Can Claim Right Now (2023)Another strange set-up for a poker room but it works. Bingo!! Jacksonville has an attached card room with cash games running regularly. Blinds start at $1/$2 and go up to $5/$10. There's also an optional $3 ante per hand, bringing the preflop total to $5 for two cards. Action is generally 4-handed with a fifth chair sitting vacant for occasional whales/good players.
We classify the games at Bingo!! Jacksonville as "soft" but not nearly as good as Racetrack North Florida. Most players seem to come from the bingo side of the building so they know nothing about that that at least. If you've never played card rooms with $1/$2 games against players who think bingo = poker then give this place a visit. Highly recommend you bring a friend as you'll likely have to teach them the basics.
Now Closed Jacksonville Poker Rooms
Palm Gardens Race Course and Poker Room - Located on 175 acres of lush gardens and landscaping. Offered a 24-hour restaurant, bar, simulcast betting and poker room. Had 9 holding poker games and tournament series held monthly including a $10k Guaranteed. Unfortunately closed April 1st, 2019.
Jacksonville Kennel Club - JaxKC had a small card room offering $.50/$1 Hold'em with an optional $3 ante. Rake was a steep 10% but the games were very loose due to players coming from the dog track. Facility also offered off-track wagering on many major racetracks throughout the U.S. And Worldwide Simulcast Racing Action from as early 10:00 am until approximately 1:00 am each day. Sadly JaxKC closed forever July 20th, 2018.
Biggest Jacksonville Poker Tournaments
Unfortunately Jacksonville isn't exactly known for its high stakes cash games or annual poker tournaments. In fact it's a bit of a struggle to get even mid-stakes games going on a regular basis. So it should tell you something that the biggest poker tournament in recent memory cost $10,000 to enter and was held at Racetrack North Florida.
Yep, that's not a typo. For a cool ten grand allcomers came to play No Limit Hold’em with a $100,00 guaranteed first prize. Canadian poker pro Shannon Shorr took the event for $134,455, edging out Florida’s own Matt Berkey heads-up. Berke wasn’t too upset about finishing second considering there were only seven entries, though.
888poker Offers Great Real Money Games for Beginners – Here's WhyTo put that in perspective the next biggest Jacksonville poker tournament had over 100 times the buy-ins and 667 times the amount of entrants. That would be the once-yearly WSOP circuit stop at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, roughly 300 miles south of Jacksonville.
Showrate Gomel
Belarus’ Showrate Gomel made poker history in Jacksonville by making the final table of the very first WSOP event ever held in Florida. Even more impressive, Gomel went on to win the tournament and the huge gold ring awarded to first place. He turned that ring into over $225,000 when he chose to sell it but that didn’t deter law enforcement later on.
Apparently success at the SHR hard rock Jacksonville WSOP Circuit events isn’t limited to Peter Jetten and Nick Pnuka because another young gun made a deep run in 2019. Lasting until heads-up in the Main Event Andrew Lichtenberger. “LuckyChewy” is no slouch at poker, with over $5 million in lifetime earnings and three WSOP bracelets. Unfortunately he was unable to earn the third gold ring of his career and had to settle for $240,739 as runner-up to Juan Pardo Tejada.
Top Jacksonville Poker Players
Florida has long been a hotbed for American poker so it shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear Jacksonville has produced several professionals. Like most sunshine state cities Jacksonville’s best poker players have migrated to Los Angeles but they’re still flying the flag north of Orlando.
Best Online Poker Sites Ranked - PokerlistingsMatt Berkey
Total Live Earnings: $3.9 million
Notable Achievements: Winning multiple Circuit rings, crushing high-stakes cash games online and in-person, being one of the most outspoken poker pros on Twitter. Also berating Dan “Jungleman” Cates after beating him in a sick heads-up session online.
Olivier Busquet
Total Live Earnings: $4.9 million
Notable Achievements: Another young gun who learned poker in Jacksonville before moving to Las Vegas. Has cashed in every major event including the WSOP Main Event and finished 7th in the 2010 WSOPE Main Event good for $455,962 and his first gold trophy.
Matt Waxman
Total Live Earnings: $2.5 million
Notable Achievements: Another Floridian who found his way to LA to further his poker career. Waxman’s biggest result was a runner-up finish in a super high roller event in Monte Carlo for $1.1 million. Other big scores include winning a WPT event in LA for $691,503 and finishing 5th in the 2016 PCA for $473,400.
Scott Seiver
Total Live Earnings: $7.4 million
Notatable Achievements: Not everyone on this list considers themselves a Jacksonville poker pro anymore but Scott Seiver grew up in the area and learned to love poker here. His most notable achievement was winning a crazy $50,964 High Roller inaugrating the $25k challenge at the 2016 PCA. Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Vanessa Selbst and Daniel Negreanu were among the 51 entries.
Eric Crain
Total Live Earnings: $3.2 million
Still living in Jacksonville and considered one of the hometown heroes at local poker rooms like RTNF. Crain’s biggest score was a second-place finish in the WPT Jacksonville back in 2010. He had the lead heading into the final table but was unable to close the deal and had to settle for $657,341.
Michael Mizrachi
Total Live Earnings: $23.7 Million
You might be surprised to see the “Greek Dandy” on a list of Jacksonville poker rooms but he got his start in the city. Although widely regarded as a Miami/Miami Beach poker pro, Mizrachi attended college at the University of South Florida in Tampa and honed his poker skills at various Sunshine State card rooms. Including Jacksonville.
Needless to say, Jacksonville doesn't compare to bigger cities like Atlanta and Orlando but it's not a complete desolate wasteland for poker players either. Your two best options are clearly Racetrack North Florida and Bingo!!! Jacksonville but at least the Ship and Seminole Hard Rock are just a couple hours away.
Hopefully more casinos follow suit and add poker rooms in the near future but we wouldn’t hold our breath. Online poker in Florida would be an even better solution but that seems equally unlikely anytime soon.
More on US Poker Laws and Regulations:
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Is online poker in the discussion to legalize in Florida?
There is little chance that online poker in Florida will become available shortly. The truth is that there is currently no bill presented regarding this matter. To begin with, state regulation is required before resorting to online gaming.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online gaming in numerous states, leading to the emergence of iGaming bills. Despite having a large population, Florida has failed to introduce legislation, despite the growing need for revenue generation.
Best Poker Tournament Sites Ranked (And How They Stack up in 2023)Any chances of online poker in Florida depend on the legislature's willingness to consider internet gaming laws. Before placing an online bet in Florida, doublewise .
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Can FloriDians play online poker?
Under certain circumstances, Floridians can engage in online poker. Offshore poker sites provide a secure environment in which Floridians can compete legally. These sites do not operate under the authority of the state; yet, they abide by all federal regulations.
Free No Deposit Poker Sites that Offer Real Money Prize in 2023Because these websites are based outside of the United States, participating in online poker is permitted in Florida. Are offshore poker sites legal in the United States? They adhere to all federal rules while having licenses from respectable gaming commissions.
Further, reputable offshore sites accept Floridians with open arms. New members can quickly join using their computers or smartphones, and a variety of payment methods are accepted for deposits and withdrawals.
Just remember that there are good and bad poker sites operating online. Do your research, ask fellow poker friends, or check our recommended list of legitimate poker rooms.
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What florida poker rooms are there?
There are currently only two legal poker rooms in Florida, and they are quite remote. Palms West Racing and Card Room in Loxahatchee and The Square Book in Miami Village. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and The Victory Casino Cruise are the closest options in Hollywood and Cape Canaveral, respectively. But for pure jacksonville, fl.
Sites That Offer Real Money Poker for US Players in 2023The two best options are Racetrack North Florida, which has four branches and Bingo!! Jacksonville, which has one, with the others being more remote. Of course, these are not major poker rooms, but they do exist, along with a few others. Check out our guide above to learn more about legal jacksonville poker games.
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How many poker rooms does seminole hard rock hollywood have?
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, features one of the largest and best poker rooms in the state. With 50 tables, it easily dwarfs competitors like the Victory Casino Cruise's 30 seats. This poker room is well-appointed and offers a variety of cash games and tournaments. The property also includes high-end accommodations, entertainment, and dining options.
wynnbet casino miNotably, the Hard Rock Hollywood poker room hosts events on the popular Heartland Poker Tour and formerly hosted World Poker Tour events. Overall, it provides an excellent gaming experience for both locals and visitors to South Florida.
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Is it possible to play poker in Jacksonville, FL?
Yes, poker enthusiasts in Jacksonville, Florida, can enjoy the game at various establishments. While Jacksonville used to host a prestigious $10,000 poker tournament, the city's poker scene is more limited compared to nearby cities like Miami and Orlando. Your best options are Racetrack North Florida, which has four locations, and Bingo!! Jacksonville. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood and Victoria Casino Cruises in Cape Canaveral are good alternatives if you're willing to travel a little. Offshore poker sites are also a good option, giving you a safe and legal way to play online. Read here for more info.
