Seminole Hard Rock Tampa

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa is located at the corner of Hillsborough Avenue and Orient Road, across I-4 from the Florida State Fairgrounds and the Ford Amphitheatre. The Poker Room has 50 tables with automatic shufflers. They spread a variety of cash games: LHE ($2/$4),NLHE ($1/$2, $2/$5, $5/$10), Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 w/ Half Kill ($4/$8), PLO (2/2, 5/5) as well as mixed games.

The Hard Rock offers two daily tournaments every single day. The structures in buy-ins can be found on their website.

Dealers are chatty but competent, and generally keep good control of the games.

Paulson chips in $1 (white), $2 (purple), $5 (red), and $25 (green) denominations are circulated. Gemaco Five-Star cards, red and blue custom backs. Green felt on the tables with no markings, although there were rumors of a commitment line in May, when the rules changed from live button to dead button. Rumors circulated about going to all-video poker (real poker, but without chips or cards)in early 2005.

SHR Tampa plays with a dead button, and does not require a player to post before being dealt in. Most dealers will not deal in a new player on the small blind. Cash does not play on the table, but players are allowed to play with money behind. Chip runners will get chips for most stakes.

Rake is 10% up to $5, plus $2 on pots over $20 for promos. The room offers high hands nearly all day, royal flush jackpots, and a bad beat jackpot.