Palm Beach Kennel Club Kicks Off 2021 With Card Player Poker Tour Tournament Series

The Poker Room at Palm Beach Kennel Club is partnering with the Card Player Poker Tour this January to ring in the New Year with an action-packed tournament series.

“Things are bouncing back here with players returning, and we expect even more to return soon,” said Palm Beach Kennel Club Card Room Director Noah Carbone. “We are alive and well and things are thriving here. If someone is looking for a safe and friendly place to play poker, where better to spend some of the winter than here in South Florida?”

The eight-event festival is scheduled to run from Jan. 1-10, 2020, with $45,000 in guaranteed prize money including a $25,000 guarantee on the $350 buy-in no-limit hold’em event that runs from Jan. 8-10. The first seven tournaments on the schedule are all single-day events. All events will start at 12:15 p.m. local time, with unlimited re-entry available through the first break.

This will mark the third time that PBKC and the CPPT have joined forces. The first CPPT series took place in 2013. The $1,100 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event for that series drew 287 entries, with eventual champion John McNulty earning $68,191 as the eventual champion.

The five-event CPPT PBKC series held in December of 2019 was highlighted by a $60,000 guaranteed $230 buy-in tournament. From a field of 548 entries, the final eight players agreed to a chop in that event with Diego Lezcano emerging with the title and a payday of $11,225.

Safety First At PBKC

This will be the first major poker series held at the iconic West Palm Beach poker hotspot since the venue reopened in May following nearly two months of closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It has now been more than six months since PBKC resumed operations with new protocols in place to help ensure the health and safety of guests and employees.

“We’re very excited to have everybody back and return to some form of normalcy; the new normal, as one might call it,” Carbone said. “With all of the safety procedures we have put into place, we have full confidence that when you come into the Kennel Club, you are in as safe of an area as you could be in.”

PBKC utilized the downtime to deep clean the entire facility, establishing the ‘PBKC Clean Team’ while also developing new procedures to offer the best and safest poker product to their customers.

“The period in which the facility was closed, every minute of that time was spent coming up with a comprehensive plan to provide a safe product for our customers. What we’ve seen over time is that our plan has not only been very effective, but also well received by the players.”

Cardroom patrons are required to pass through a mandatory visitor screening zone where guests have their temperature checked and are required to sign a waiver. The PBKC is following CDC guidelines and local government recommendations, and has a number of precautions and procedures in place.

Signage reminding visitors to social distance is found throughout the facility, with hand sanitizer available at entrances and throughout the building. At the table, hand sanitizer is used in lieu of a dealer button. When a player has the sanitizer, they are encouraged to use it. All dealers and players are required to wear masks, and sanitize their hands upon arriving at the table. For the CPPT series, tables will play nine-handed except for the six-max event.

The PBKC has found great success so far utilizing what they refer to as ‘game containment’ for cash games.

“We asked players to pick their game for the day, and that would be where they played for the duration of their session,” said Carbone. “We followed that up by having the dealer’s rotation being restricted as well.”

Cards are sanitized prior to being introduced to any game, and are changed frequently. Chips are also not recirculated until they have been fully sanitized.

“We have had no issues within the room,” Carbone continued. “We haven’t backed off any of those procedures. Us being steadfast in what we are doing, essentially creating a new norm for the poker room, has shown huge dividends in player safety, player retention, and the longevity of the game.”

A full listing of COVID-19 safety measures can be found on the PBKC’s official website, pbkennelclub.com.

About Palm Beach Kennel Club

The Palm Beach Kennel Club first opened in 1932, and will celebrate its 89th anniversary this coming Feb. 17. The Poker Room opened in 1997, and since that time has grown into one of the biggest and best poker rooms in Florida. The elegant, non-smoking venue includes 64 tables spread across a spacious room.

“We have a large facility, so you won’t see tables on top of each other,” said Carbone. “We have one of the largest card room in the state of Florida, so that gives us the ability to space the tables out more so than some rooms which might have to pack them in a little bit tighter.”

The current hours for The Poker Room are 9 a.m. – 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, with extended hours of 9 a.m. – 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The room offers a number of promotions for players, as well.

“Our bad beat jackpot is traditionally one of the largest in the state. As we speak it is currently over $150,000 and is still growing. We have high hand promotions that run most days from noon to midnight, every 20 minutes, with double high hands running on most weekends,” Carbone shared.

Palm Beach Kennel Club was founded as a greyhound racing venue in 1932, but in 2018 Florida voters decided that greyhound racing should come to an end in the state.

“The last day of live dog racing will be Dec. 31, the day before this tournament series begins,” said Carbone. “Visitors who are interested will be able to catch what will officially be the last race ever run in Florida, which will run on New Year’s Eve. Though greyhound racing is coming to an end, the poker offerings are going to be even better than before.”

In addition to poker, Palm Beach Kennel Club also provides the best in simulcast wagering from the nation’s top facilities. There are more than 500 TV monitors around the room for fans to watch, wager, and win. Players can also catch all their favorite college and NFL games, along with other popular sports broadcasts.

PBKC also offers a wide range of delicious dining choices, with both the Paddock Restaurant and The Terrace Restaurant open for lunch daily and for dinners on Friday and Saturday. In accordance with safety protocols, eating food at the tables is currently prohibited. Drinks will be served with tabletop cup holders, which will be sanitized prior to each use.

The Paddock Restaurant offers fine dining in a sophisticated, expansive dining room featuring a commanding view of the fast-paced action. All meals are cooked to order with the freshest ingredients. There are several daily chef’s specials and an outstanding wine list to complement any meal. The Terrace Restaurant, located on the track’s second floor, offers lighter, faster fare, with something for everyone to enjoy.

The PBKC and CPPT Look Forward To Seeing You Soon!

With extensive safety protocols in place, the Palm Beach Kennel Club is set to welcome the CPPT as their first poker tour since reopening in late May. The eight-event series is sure to be an action-packed way to kick off 2021 in style.

For more information on the CPPT, visit the tour homepage. ♠