Excitement spread quickly a few weeks ago when players in the poker room at Derby Lane greyhound track in St. Petersburg realized royalty was in their midst.

Chris Moneymaker, a 28-year-old ex-accountant and 2003 World Series of Poker champion who was in the area visiting friends, probably felt like a rock star - with a bull's-eye on his back.

Moneymaker normally avoids small-stakes games, but he wasn't at Derby Lane to watch thoroughbreds simulcast from Delaware Park. He put up a $45 entry fee to join the action, along with 119 other Texas Hold 'Em tournament players.

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"Everyone wanted to get a piece of him," said Vera Filipelli, Derby Lane's director of media relations. Many were suitably dressed for the occasion, wearing black shirts, dark sunglasses and caps turned backward.

Since Derby Lane bought out Tampa Greyhound Track's poker permit this past summer, lines form daily outside the St. Petersburg track's 27-table room for its noon opening.

Derby Lane began its live greyhound season Monday, and the track has added a 12:30 Sunday matinee to its schedule because Florida law requires tracks to conduct live performances to open their card rooms.

You name it, Derby Lane has it, seven days a week: Texas Hold 'Em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo. Pots can exceed $2,000 (a Palm Harbor restaurant owner won $1,400 when she defeated Moneymaker, who didn't even reach the finals).

Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino reports long waits for a seat in the casino's 32-table poker room. Tampa Bay Downs' Silks Card Room proved wildly popular during its 2003-04 thoroughbred racing season.

Filipelli said the coverage of poker on ESPN and The Travel Channel, along with the Legislature's lifting of the $10 pot limit, has spurred the card craze.

"I think a big part of the allure is testing your skill against other players," Filipelli said. "Myself, I can't watch every day. I have to watch the dogs. They're more exciting to me."

For greyhound breeders, owners and kennel operators, therein lies the rub. It's fair to ask if dog racing matters to folks trying to imitate the Chris Moneymakers and Amarillo Slims of the world.

Or, to put it bluntly: What happens when track owners lobby Tallahassee for the right to operate card games in a greyhound-free environment?

"I don't think interest is dying down per se with us in Florida," said Filipelli, whose husband John operates the Brumage/Filipelli Kennel.

When Jan. 1 rolls around, Derby Lane will celebrate its 80th year of continuous operation as a greyhound track. Despite its glorious tradition (Babe Ruth and Pete Rose were frequent customers), many dog owners and trainers struggle to make a decent living.

Although kennels receive 4 percent of the house take from card action, John Filipelli estimates no more than 25-30 percent of active kennels make a substantial profit.

The 80th annual Inaugural Stakes will be run tonight. There still is something magical about watching these sleek, eager-to-please animals compete, even if it's hard to push yourself back from the table.

Source: Bradenton Herald