Safe bet
Day players at Card House Port St. Lucie tend to be retired, but weekends and late nights see a younger, more aggressive crowd who enjoy pitting their skills against each other. RUSTY DURHAM
Card House put the fun back in gaming — to Treasure Coast
BY ELLEN GILLETTE
Gambling is defined as placing bets with the hope of winning money or a reward — or as taking a risk. When Andrew Jonas opened Card House Port St. Lucie, he believed his odds were good.
A sure thing, actually.
Although gambling has been around for eons — earliest evidence dates to 2300 BC — legalized gambling in Florida has been a roller coaster ride. Nevertheless, it is a $2 billion industry here, increasing annually.
Legally, Floridians can host poker or other card games at home, if winnings are $10 or under per hand [and snack choices are good]. For bigger opportunities, certain enterprises are regulated by the Florida Gaming Control Commission: the Florida Lottery and Seminole casinos.
Online sports betting through the Hard Rock app, also a Seminole venture, is a relatively new but growing trend. “Cruises to nowhere,” which offer casino-style betting in international waters, are not state regulated.
There are also 27 registered pari-mutuel card rooms, ranging in size, which offer a social component that apps and traditional casinos cannot. Players pit their skills — and money — against one another rather than playing the “house.” Regulars may have played together for years, establishing relationships and favorite dealers.
Card House Port St. Lucie, the only card room on the Treasure Coast, operates 24 tables. Allowed to charge a “rake” — a fee paid by the players for the right to participate and to reimburse business services, such as dealers — it posted earnings of close to $4 million between July 2024 and January 2025.
IT’S ENTERTAINMENT
Jonas was a manager at Casino Fort Pierce, home of the Fort Pierce Jai Alai fronton on King’s Highway, then an owner. After the last jai alai game was played there in 2019, table games and betting continued.
When his partners sold their stake in the business and the building was demolished, Jonas saw potential in moving to Port St. Lucie. Card House Port St. Lucie opened in February 2023 at 6666 U.S. Highway 1 in Kitterman Plaza.
“This is a better location,” Jonas said. “Some customers didn’t like to visit the fronton after dark.”
Card House Port St. Lucie is open from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. weekdays, and 24 hours a day on weekends. Any hour of the day or night, a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputy is onsite. “It’s more expensive than if we hired private security or did our own,” Jonas said. “But people feel safe here.”
Jonas, who holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in finance, sees legalized gambling as statistical fun with growth potential. “It’s an entertainment business.”
Licensed card rooms are limited in number, making Card House Port St. Lucie unique to the area. Its colorfully carpeted 15,000 square feet has a capacity for 298 people. It is subject to regular inspections, not only the state gaming commission, but also the fire marshal and agencies overseeing food and drink. Multiple cameras maintain the integrity of the games.
Card rooms are neither casinos nor arcades, which have come under scrutiny in recent months. A January 2025 operation headed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office resulted in several Treasure Coast arcades being shut down due to unlawful slot machines, and suspicion of money laundering and illegal games.
![Both men and women enjoy Vegas-style games at Card House, where card [and
bluffing] skills can be honed.](https://www.tcbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DSC_0155sm-1200.jpg "DSC_0155sm-1200")
Dealer and operations manager Jolynn Augustine says that there are multiple backups in place to make sure that everything runs smoothly. RUSTY DURHAM
DEALERS ARE KEY
Jonas prefers to train new dealers to ensure that they fit Card House Port St. Lucie’s particular customer service mold. RUSTY DURHAM
Jonas prefers to train “completely green” dealers in-house, rather than dealers who have paid to go to school for certification. “Dealers are the brand, the ones who have face time with customers.”
Dealers generally work eight-hour shifts, with a swing shifts around the clock on weekends. “We hire people who fit our own customer service mold: energetic, polite, clean, social.”
Jolynn Augustine worked for Jonas at the fronton; she is now an operations manager as well as filling in as a dealer. “I love the environment, the players,” she said. “There’s never a slow moment.”
“When [customers] get excited, we get excited,” dealer Maria Cervantes said. The mother of young children, she says the company is good about working with employees’ schedules.
Card rooms in Florida employ around 17,000 workers, some of whom went from working in fast food to making thousands of dollars in tips and wages. “It’s super safe, and there’s room for advancement,” Augustine said.
In two years, Card House Port St. Lucie has grown from 35 employees to 100. Periodically, it holds job fairs for full-time and part-time workers. Advertising on their website [cardhousepsl.com] and social media says, “Make up to $100K per year, no experience needed and we pay you to train and learn.”
A concession stand provides snacks, pizza and drinks, including alcoholic beverages for patrons over 21. RUSTY DURHAM
Card House Port St. Lucie offers Las Vegas-style table games such a Texas Hold’Em and traditional poker with weekly promotions and special events in a casual environment that appeals to both beginners and seasoned players. Anyone who is 18 or older may play, but only those 21 and above may purchase alcoholic beverages at the concession stand, where snacks, soda and pizza are also for sale. “We monitor ages tightly,” Jonas said.
Players may organize private games, set up tournaments or create charity-based events. Card House Port St. Lucie invests in the community through various charities. For two years, it has sponsored and taught Poker for Beginners classes at the Inner Truth Project’s W.I.L.D. Outdoors event for women.
Jonas estimates that 80% of his customers are men but hopes to introduce games to attract more women. And while the majority of day players is middle-aged, weekends see a younger crowd. “They tend to play more aggressively,” he said. “Day players are more social, treating it like you might think of a golf club membership.”
Jonas hopes to get his two young sons involved one day. “It’s a recreation platform in one of the safest counties,” Jonas said. “Port St. Lucie is very business-friendly. I can’t think of a better fit for us.”
See the original article in print publication