Casinos display variety in entertainment attractions

It’s true that South Florida’s racetrack casinos are more of a local attraction than venues that attract gamblers from around the world. And you could likely fit all of our area’s offerings into just one block of the Las Vegas Strip. Detractors also can easily point out the racinos are incomplete, because they’re not allowed to have blackjack, roulette or craps.

That said, you could argue that when, put together, they offer a pretty varied mix of entertainment.

This week is a good example. Check the categories:

Comedy: Jo Koy, who jokes of his childhood in a Filipino -American household, will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at The Casino @ Dania Beach, then at 9 p.m. Saturday at Magic City Casino. (Trivia: His given name is Joseph Glenn Herbert, but the Filipino word for “joker” — "Jokoy" — is just so much more fitting, so he uses that.) Koy has also appeared on more than 100 episodes of Chelsea Lately, Jimmy Kimmel Live and others. Tickets begin at $30 for Dania and $35 for Magic City.

And more comedy: Rocky LaPorte, a product of “Last Comic Standing,” headlines the last show from the Sixth Annual Jokers Wild Comedy Challenge at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mardi Gras Casino. The winner, Clyde Gordon, was selected last weekend. (So the pressure is off.) He collected $5,000 and opens for LaPorte Saturday. Tickets are $29.87.

Boxing: Hialeah Park has made formed some unique partnerships, including with the University of Miami and with Warriors Boxing group. On Saturday, Hialeah sponsors a card billed as “Night of the Rising Stars.” But the event isn’t at the casino: It’s at Club Cinema, 3251 N. Federal Highway Pompano Beach. Tickets start at $35 via WarriorsBoxing.com.

Horse racing: Gulfstream Park is hosting a watch party Saturday for the Breeder’s Cup series of horse races, being held at Gulfstream’s sister property, Santa Anita (Calif.) Park. The Sport of Kings buffet is open from noon to 5 p.m. ($49 plus tax and tip), and patrons who buy a handicapper program or Daily Racing Form from 1-3 p.m. receive a Breeder's Cup hat.

Wong eighth

South Floridian Jerry Wong had a pair of jacks and a short stack, so of course all of his chips were going to end up in the middle of the table.

But Vojtech Ruzicka had pocket queens, which ended Wong’s run at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas Sunday night.

Wong, of Coconut Creek, finished eighth, earning $1,000,076.

The WSOP began on July 9 with 6,737 players, and winnowed the field down to the final nine, including Wong, by July 18. ESPN had been showing the action that brought us to this point.

Wong, who had been an online pro in Canada, has been a South Florida player since September 2012. Sunday night he wore a Seminole Hard Rock Poker Room patch (most players make some kind of sponsorship deal) and a New York Knicks Porzingis jersey. He says he has been a huge Knicks fan his entire life.

Wong made the media happy with his post-tournament interview, according to Gary Trask of Casino City Times.

When he was asked what it’s going to be like to be recognized in public now that he made the WSOP final table, Trask reported Wong shrugged it off by saying, “Nah, c’mon dude, nobody’s going to remember the guy who finished eighth at the final table.”

More poker

▪ Esteban Consalvo won the $201,000 guaranteed tournament at Hialeah Park Sunday. The next big tournament carries a $151,000 guarantee for a$205 buy-in with Day 1s set for 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 7-12. The finals are at noon Nov. 23 with $50K going to the winner.

▪ The Andy Slater “See You Later” Poker Tournament is usually held the second Tuesday of the month, but that Tuesday is kind of a historic one in November (elections). So he moved the tournament back to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9. There is a $20,000 guaranteed prize pool featuring a $94 buy-in.

$80,000 raised at Calder

The third annual Calder casino night benefitting Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood drew about 500 patrons, who participated in bingo, a slot tournament, dining and dancing.

The fundraiser, hosted by Miami Marlins broadcaster Jeff Conine, raised $80,000 to underwrite expenses at the Conine Clubhouse, a hotel-like facility that provides free lodging to families for as long as a child is hospitalized.

Casino Night is one of three annual events Conine hosts each year. The two others are a poker tournament at the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach and an annual golf tournament.

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Casinos display variety in entertainment attractions."