Poker in South Florida is back. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino properties in Hollywood and Coconut Creek have officially reopened their doors. Cards are once again in the air as of Friday, June 12th.
Both properties have been closed since March 20th in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reopened under Hard Rock’s Safe+Sound guidelines, guests to the casino are required to wear a mask and submit to temperature checks. Capacity is limited to 50% max occupancy.
Poker players can expect some notable differences at the tables:
• All games will be played max six-handed
• Active tables will feature Plexiglass dividers
• All players and staff will be required to wear masks
• Cards and chips will be sanitized on a regular basis
• Food is not permitted in the poker room (but players can request a 60-minute dinner break)
• Just one table or seat change is permitted per session
“The health and safety of our team members and guests has always been of upmost importance to our senior leadership team and Tribal Council,” said Seminole Hard Rock in a statement. “We want to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to provide a safe environment for our team members and you, our loyal customers.”
The statement continued: “As information is changing rapidly and we are learning more daily about COVID-19 and how to stop the spread, we will continue to regularly update the Safe+Sound protocols based on facts and data provided by our partners, industry councils, as well as global and governmental agencies.”
With six-handed poker acceptable to poker players, it’s likely that the poker room will prove popular. When Hard Rock Tampa resumed operations on May 21st, its poker room saw immediate demand, with players willingly putting their name down on long waiting lists.
