‘It’s right here in my backyard’: Doors open to bestbet’s new St. Augustine cardroom, sports bar

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — One of Florida’s top poker destinations opened doors in St. Augustine Monday morning: bestbet’s third location is now a reality.

The new 40,673-sqaure foot facility marks bestbet’s return to St. Johns County after previously opening Northeast Florida’s first cardroom on Race Track Road in 2004.

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Brandon Bradbury has been playing cards for 15 years.

“I am pumped up through the roof,” Bradbury said. “The inside and everything is top notch.

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Bradbury lives in St. Augustine and was feeling confident on opening day.

“I know I’m leaving here with money bags today,” Bradbury said.

The new cardroom broke ground in July 2021. Players can take advantage of 49 tables with a sports bar, sushi bar and simulcast wagering.

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The facility will feature card games of all limits, One Card Poker, Three Card Poker, Fortune Pai Gow, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and more.

Leaders also look forward to the economic impact of this new location.

Deborah Giardina is the Vice President of Poker Operations for bestbet Jacksonville, Orange Park and St. Augustine.

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“It’s a terrific opportunity for people to make a very good living,” Giardina said.

The new location has employed more than 200 employees, and spots are still open.

“We’ve been running dealer schools,” Giardina said. “We’ll continue to do dealer training. We have chip runner positions open. We have server positions open. We have lots of positions that are still open and need cooks.”

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Jared Manuci lives in St. Augustine and started playing poker in college.

“Usually whenever I want to go play I have to go to Jacksonville – and now it’s right here in my backyard. I’m so excited,” Manuci said.

Manuci said he plays three to four times a week in Jacksonville.

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“I’ve heard everything is really nice in there,” Manuci said. “I’m excited to see the brand new chips, brand new dealers and brand new cards. I just got back from Las Vegas, so hopefully it’s super similar to that.”

You can access the cardrooms 24 hours Saturday and Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. Monday through Friday.

“It’s good, clean fun,” Giardina said.

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bestbet has three locations in North Florida, St. Augustine, Orange Park and Jacksonville, which is its largest.

The new location is located at 800 Marketplace Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32084.

“We’re excited to be back in St. Johns County to give the people here an opportunity both to enjoy the entertainment and to have a new career,” Giardina said.

PHOTOS: Doors open to bestbet’s new St. Augustine cardroom, sports bar

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Doors open to bestbet’s new St. Augustine cardroom, sports bar One of Florida’s top poker destinations opened doors in St. Augustine Monday morning: bestbet’s third location is now a reality. (bestbet)

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