South Beach Wine & Food Fest

I am headed down to South Beach today for the Grand Tasting at the Festival. It is, more or less, the centerpiece day. My friend Jen Karetnick, a well-known food writer, gave me her passes.

I've lived either on the Beach (South Beach) or in Miami for just over six years and I have never been to this event.

I'm covering it for a couple of websites and magazines and to a certain extent I am the eyes and ears for Jen since she can't go.

I will see Bobby Flay, Paula Deen, Giada, Emeril, Anthony Bourdain....and I am sure that I will heckle Tyler Florence and Rachel Ray.

And, lest we not forget the free booze.

I am, in the words of Early Cuyler: "Excited-er than hell."

I think I'll go out in the yard and yell for spell.

Here is a heads up: I say this because I have heard it butchered so many times and because I had no idea myself until I got here.

"South Beach" is the area from South Pointe Park to 23rd Street in the City of Miami Beach, which stretches from South Pointe to 88th Street; bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Biscayne Bay on the west. This is a separate municipality from the City of Miami.

Poker in Florida

Sometime last summer (July, I think) the betting limits for poker games at Indian reservation casinos and parimutuel facilities was raised.

Originally, the entire pot on any hand could not be more than $10 (in 2003), then the limits were raised to $2 with three rounds of betting (in Agust 2003). That meant that the "cap" on betting would be $8. And recently, the limit was raised to $5 with three rounds of betting.

In real terms, this means that a minimum $20 buy-in went to $25 and the Hold'em games offered went from $1-$2 and $2 Straight to $2-$4 and $3-$5 as well as the smaller limit ones. It also meant that there could be "no limit" cash games with a maximum buy-in in the higher limit games being $100.

(This also means that you can never "buy" more than $100 in chips. IE You can't buy $100, then lose $20, and then buy another $100.)

I went to test this out the other day at Hollywood Greyhound Track. (Now called Mardi Gras Racetrack and Gaming Center or something like that.) I played $2-$4 fixed limit and with a $25 buy-in. I was up over two hundred dollars in about an hour, maybe less. In the old days, that would have taken a couple of hours.

Then, I gave it all back because my STAGE FIVE CLINGER girlfriend kept calling and texting me to see where I was because I "didn't leave a note" or "tell" her. Poker, just like craps, is about momentum. Once it gets upset, then it's best to get out.

Ugh.

But I'll be back.

There was always a lot of loose money at Florda poker tables. Now, you can just get it faster.