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As the catastrophic Cat 5 Hurricane Irma makes its way across the Florida Keys and towards the southern counties of Florida, 5.6 million visitors and residents are ordered to leave the state in the biggest ever evacuation in US history, resulting in closure of all non-essential facilities including poker rooms all the way up until the north and into Georgia.<\/p>\n

The superstorm briefly dropped to a Category 4 storm after it had passed the Dominican Republic and Haiti on sept 7, but then escalated back to a Category 5 on Friday night after it made landfall on the Camaguey Archipelago of Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.<\/p>\n

Latest updates from the NOAA\u2019s National Hurricane Center predicts the 400-mile wide storm to split right up Florida\u2019s central corridor, straddling the 160-mile wide state as it moves from south to north, bringing intense winds and storm surge from both sides.<\/p>\n

The threat has become so real now that even the initially optimistic college football games between Florida State vs Louisiana-Monroe and UFC vs Memphis have finally woke up to the sheer danger of the impending storm.<\/p>\n

Along with virtually everything else, casinos and poker rooms are closing its doors in preparation for the incoming Irma. Only the largest properties like the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood and Magic City Casino managed to keep their cash games going for as long as possible, until early Friday evening.<\/p>\n

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Reminder, the @HardRockHolly<\/a> poker room will close beginning tonight at 6pm until further notice.<\/p>\n

Stay safe, Florida! pic.twitter.com\/x30e7hWglI<\/a><\/p>\n

— The Poker Room (@SHRThePokerRoom) September 8, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n