Wow that play and earn is insane. $10/hr? I hope they continue that in future months as I won't be moved in until the last week of July, so that'll be tough to capitalize on.

I fully expect some of the degen regulars to actually live there next month. They should install showers in the bathrooms because it's gonna get ripe.

Usually with big hour based promotions like this, it's so many nits min buying and let their stack dwindle holding out for AA,KK,QQ,AK to shove and double up, get their 50 hour in and just earn their $500.00 and hope to bink a high hand in the process.....

I remember the last time they had an hour based big promo like that at the Hard Rock I was there the last weekend they were doing it and it was zombies basically auto-folding to get their last hours in..... Legit had people falling asleep at the table...... Was the worst poker experience of my life.. I'm sure it will bring out some fish too, but also betting every old nit from here to Sarasota will be making the trek to get there 50-100 hours....

Still, it's +6/hr over their usual promotion. It negates about 2/3 the rake. Even if the players are a bit stronger, it shouldn't be hard to win more than usual. Especially if they're falling asleep and such. There should be many opportunities to "bully the table".

So how often do they do this? Is it a once a year thing? If so I'm going to miss it I guess. I mean I could hit 50 if I wanted but I'd have to play 10 hours a day for five days right after I move in, which sounds pretty terrible.

The problem is, it's not the players being stronger, it's going to be the 60 year olds (and 18 year olds) sitting there with $30.00 stacks, not playing any hands.... Like I said, it's obviously still worth it to play because of the $10.00 per hour, but it's probably going to be the most annoying game you'll ever play in with 60-70% short stacks and no one really wanting to gamble much....

They do promos like this every month, but usually it's only $250-$300 for 50 hours, but they usually do big promos in the summer as it's their slow season, to try and draw crowds, last year they had the $1,000 hot seat every 30 min which helped bring in a pretty nice crowd where they would pick a different seat at random every 30 min and they won $1,000 (Won the last one they did last year, slight brag) haha....

My guess is they'll probably have the same promo, or something close to it in August as well, then once the snow birds start trickling in, the promos go back to normal again....

Wasn't quite sure where to post this: I'm going to be in the Tampa area for a few months. I'll probably be staying in Tampa proper a few nights, but most of the time I'll be near Crystal River, and the idea of driving two hours to Tampa to play isn't exactly filling my head with happy thoughts.

A web search hasn't pulled up much, but does anyone know of any poker rooms near Crystal River that doesn't involve more than an hour ride to get there?

These are the closest poker rooms to Crystal River:

http://betoxford.com/poker/

https://www.ocalagainesvillepoker.com/

I live in Ocala and both of those will be just as long of a drive for you as any of the Tampa rooms. I'd suggest just going to Hardrock if you are trying to go.

Txs guys. Guess I won't be able to play as much as I had hoped /sad face

Not according to Google Maps: Oxford Downs is a 53 minute drive from Crystal River; Ocala Gainesville Poker is a 1hr 2min drive; Hard Rock Tampa is 1hr 25min; Silks Poker Room (Tampa Bay Downs) is 1hr 14min; TGT Poker (Tampa Greyhound Track) is 1hr 18min; The Rio in Las Vegas is 33hrs. Isn't modern technology a wonder?

All of the Florida poker rooms can be found listed here:
http://www.pokeratlas.com/poker-rooms/regions/florida

I know, but Ocala Gainesville isn't very great. Oxford is solid, but for 10-20 minute longer drive Hardrock will give him way more options. If just wanting 1/2 or 1/3 fine, 2/5 will have more games running at HR. Just my opinion.

Oh damn dude, Crystal River's my hometown, went to CRHS, mom still lives there so I visit, etc. This isn't very relevant to anything, but feels nice to see the small-town mention

Unfortunately I don't know any nearby poker rooms

As long as you don't drive like an old lady, you should be able to get from Crystal River to the Hard Rock in about an hour....... If that helps you at all.. No where near two hours unless you're driving during rush hour, and even then, most of the traffic is going the other way...

It's a little over an hour. I think hour and a half is the more accurate round estimate (but maybe more like 1 hour 20 mins). Definitely not 2 hours though

I am moving to the Tampa area in early December with my GF. I've read the posts in this thread regarding neighborhoods, just looking for some more recommendations. Would like to find a small 1BR around 1K. She will be looking for a job in food/bev so a place where she could walk or bike safety to restaurants would be ideal. Walkable parks/nature and affordability are the only other priorities. Specific complexes would be helpful as well if anyone has any experiences...thanks.

South Tampa around Howard is a good choice for the budget/walkable combo. You should also consider Seminole Heights. Less ritzy but walkable and more reasonably priced. Westchase is an option but not sure about rentals out there - it's more a planned community with shops and restaurants.

Across the bay, downtown st Pete is fricking awesome. If I wasn't settled in Tampa and wasn't so far from the hard rock I'd move there in a heartbeat.

What stakes do you play? Are you a pro or rec? Tournaments or cash? That may also play into your decision.

Depends also on which poker room you plan to use. Hard Rock has the most action, but Derby Lane is decent and Silks (Tampa Bay Downs) is sufficient for rec play. If you make one of these other poker rooms your home, some additional towns/neighborhoods to consider in Pinellas County:

Silks is closest: Dunedin, *Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, Ozona.
Derby is closest: St Petersburg (but not So. St Pete, which is higher crime), Gulfport.

The ones in bold are also within a reasonable driving distance of the Hard Rock (30 to 40 minutes, more in heavy traffic times).

There is plenty of nature and walkable parks pretty much anywhere in Tampa Bay. Bring along a towel to wipe off the sweat during the hot months (March thru September).

*I'm in Safety Harbor. Silks is closest, but both Hard Rock and Derby are only about a 35-minute drive away. Great place to live, too. Plenty of local restaurants for waitressing. Low crime. Nice places for walking/biking. Don't know what apartment rentals are available.

Planning on playing online only with live just as a backup, it won't factor into my decision on my initial place to live.

How is the area just north of tampa? Around Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O' Lakes area. Seems to be very reasonable.

Boring AF and suburban.

I'll be in the area in March. What would be the best location around Tampa for PLO or variants thereof on a weekend?

Tampa Hard Rock.

Mondays, there's PLO at Tampa Greyhound Track but generally THR is your best bet.

Thanks!

Perfect timing on this thread. Wife and I are looking to move down within 6-8 months. Pretty much selling everything and relocating. She will be telecommuting, but I'm taking a year off and playing (yolo and awesome wife!) We were down at St Pete Beach around xmas and I played at DL twice while I was there. Went late so I didnt get a good visual on the area driving in.

When I go back to real work, it will possibly be at the AFB, so I'm looking at South Tampa as it looks good as a mid point between DL and THR, but also keeps me close to the AFB. Looking a little further out, any info on the area around Gandy? Not interested in city living, so we ruled out St Pete downtown area. Probably buying a house so we will be making a few more trips down to look around more before we pull the trigger. Any other areas worth looking at? Any areas specifically in St Pete to avoid? Thanks for any info.

The area of south Tampa one of the more expensive areas for housing. South Tampa is the area south of Kennedy Blvd down the peninsula to MacDill AFB. Gandy sort of splits the middle of that area. Many of the people who work at MacDill live further out in Brandon, which is actually closer to the Hard Rock. The trade off is a ****ty commute each morning. But the difference in the amount of house you get compared to south Tampa for the same money makes it worth it for most. If you are plannng to play full time, or play 2/5 or higher, the Hard Rock is really your best option. So IMO you really shouldn't worry much about staying close to Derby Lane.