Card Player Poker Tour Local Heroes: Barbara SpealBarbara Speal, 71, Has Been Playing Poker Since She Was A Young Girl |
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The Card Player Poker Tour will be focusing on the familiar faces at card rooms and casinos during Season II stops in a new web series. CPPT Local Heroes will highlight the regular, everyday average Joe, who may not be known world wide but is certainly known to anyone who frequents their local poker room.
Barbara Speal is a 71-year old antiques dealer who is well known at bestbet Jacksonville. The Hilliard, Florida resident learned to play stud as a young girl and took up no-limit hold’em seven years ago.
Name: Barbara Speal
Hometown: Daytona Beach, Florida
Resides: Hilliard, Florida
Age: 71
Occupation: Antiques Dealer (42 years)
Favorite Game: No-limit hold’em
Favorite Hand: Pocket tens
You are a regular face here at bestbet. What drew you to this card room?
When they first opened everybody came here. It’s just a great card room. The management is wonderful, the dealers are excellent, everybody treats you nice and the food is excellent. They have a good assortment of games and great people come here.
What drew you to poker and when did your interest begin?
My husband and I had gambled for years. And I started playing poker down in southern Florida, I can’t even remember the name of it anymore and it’s closed now. Then I went to Orange Park (bestbet) and then they opened this one and this one is closer to my home so I came here. I love it. I mean its excellent entertainment.
When you say ‘for years’ about how old where you when you started playing?
Twelve years old. I’ve been playing all my life. But I always played five card, seven card and never play any ‘squirrely’ games as I call them. You know with wild cards and things, but I was introduced to hold’em about seven years ago and I just liked it. It’s a very skillful game, you really have to watch what you’re doing. I don’t always, but I love it.
How has the game changed since you initially began playing?
Everybody seems to be a little more, they get more aggressive as they learn the game. Newcomers tend to hold back because they are afraid whatever is out there is going to beat them. So they hold back, but most people that play a lot are very aggressive.
As a regular at a brick and mortar card room, what are your thoughts on online poker coming back to the United States?
I think its wonderful. I don’t see one thing wrong with it. I just believe, in my opinion, the government should get involved because we should get taxes off of it. Because that does help our government, as far as collecting taxes. We are going to have to pay them anyway. I just think it’s wonderful. I’d love to sit at home and gamble, but I love the in person games. I just like to meet everybody and talk to everybody. It’s fun.
If you could play heads up with any poker player in the world, who would you chose?
Moneymaker.
bestbet Jacksonville’s poker room features 70 tables, an expansive simulcast wagering facility with numerous 120” wide screens to watch and wager on greyhound and thoroughbred races or jai alai. The room also features full food and beverage service and is conveniently located near Jacksonville International Airport. The card room is also close enough to the Jacksonville metro area to afford easy access to the diverse attractions that make the city a popular tourist destination.
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