Merced to welcome no-limit bets, more poker tables
Poker players can expect soon to have no betting limits at the growing number of gaming tables in Merced, which should allow local card rooms to better compete with regional casinos, according to card room owners.
The Merced City Council took the first step in loosening restrictions on poker tables in town, doubling the number to allow 16, with a 6-1 vote Monday. Councilman Michael Belluomini cast the solo no vote.
The changes are also set to do away with the $300 limit for bets and $200 ante.
Adding tables means more jobs in Merced, according to Sai Saechao, 39, the compliance analyst at Poker Flats on Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Number of tables approved by Merced City Council
Poker Flats would have more tables and an extra shift to staff with the changes in city law, he said.
The Merced-based card room competes to attract players who will leave Merced to drive to Turlock or a tribal casino, according to Misty Alonzo, 45, whose family has owned the room for 28 years. Having longer hours and no betting limits makes the local tables more attractive to players, she said.
Merced has two card rooms, which is the limit under city law. An eleventh-hour change to the ordinance also allows gaming around the clock at both card rooms. By doubling the tables this card room will have a minimum of 50 employees. Right now, it has about 13.
Sai Saechao, compliance analyst at Poker Flats in Merced
Jarhett Blonien, an attorney for the Merced Poker Room, also on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, said his clients supported the no-limit betting, because it’s a common practice at casinos and card rooms outside Merced.
During the same meeting, the council was to discuss a new path for a tax-sharing agreement with the county. The council voted to postpone that discussion until its next meeting, because City Manager Steve Carrigan was in a late meeting at the state Capitol.
Artist/Author: Thaddeus Millertmiller October 5, 2016 |
