Bradenton-area poker room reopens after COVID-19 closure. They’re all in on safety
Players are back at One Eyed Jacks Poker Room at the Sarasota Kennel Club, with new safety guidelines meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The doors had been closed for more than two months, said Ryan Carter, a manager at One Eyed Jacks, 5400 Bradenton Road, Sarasota. On Friday morning, the game room welcomed customers back with a revamped approach to cleanliness.
“We’re kind of the first people in the area to return to this sort of thing after COVID-19, so it’s all eyes on us,” he said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald on Friday afternoon.
To meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social distancing guidelines, Carter explained that the poker room is now equipped with plexiglas barriers that separate players and employees from one another. There are also temperature checks at the door and a mandatory mask policy.
“The customer feedback is great. Everyone is happy we’re back. We’re cleaning our chips and we’ve got other guidelines in place to make sure we meet the CDC’s code,” Carter explained.
To celebrate the business’ return, One Eyed Jacks is also hosting a poker tournament at 1 p.m. on Saturday. On a typical day, between 50 and 100 players would join that sort of tournament, according to Carter. Regardless of turnout at Saturday’s event, though, he said his staff is eager to earn a paycheck again.
“It was rough, especially the way unemployment wasn’t coming through for our employees. It was a trying time as a family, and we have over 100 employees,” said Carter. “Just to get back to work is a good feeling.”
For more information, visit www.SKCPoker.com.
