More than three centuries ago, Jai-Alai was played outdoors using church walls and streets as playing courts. It originated in the Basque area of Northern Spain’s Pyrenees Mountains.

The world’s fastest ball game, Jai-Alai arrived in Cuba in 1898 and was introduced as a professional game in Miami, Florida, in 1926. Now it’s being played some 36 miles southeast of Valdosta.

Hamilton Jai-Alai & Poker is located off of U.S. 129 at Interstate 75 in Jasper, Florida. A multi-million dollar pari-mutuel wagering facility developed by Glenn Richards of Richmond Entertainment Inc., it offers everything from live Jai-Alai to a card room with 20 tables for limited stakes betting as well as single- and multi-table tournaments on poker games like Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and 7 Card Stud to two simulcast betting areas where individuals can bet on horse, harness and dog racing and Dania and Miami Jai-Alai.

Interested in joining the fun? Call Hamilton Jai-Alai & Poker at (800) 941-4841 or visit it on the Web at www.hamiltondownsjaialai.com.



Jai-Alai is easy to understand with rules similar to handball or tennis. It is played on a fronton, which consists of three walls — a front, a back and a side — and the floor. The requirement of returning the ball in one continuous motion is unique.

• The Serve — Each point is started by serving the pelota. The server must bounce the ball behind the serving line, and, with the cesta, hurl the ball directly to the front wall so that upon rebound it will bounce between lines No. 4 and 7. If it does not, it is an under or over serve and the other team will receive the point.

• Scoring Points — The ball must be caught on the fly or first bounce and thrown in one fluid motion. The judges will rule juggling if the ball pops up or if it is held for more than the required time. All three walls are in play, and the red is considered the out of bounds area. Scoring point value is typically 1 until each team has played once. Thereafter, point value is double.

• Interference — Like handballs or squash, Jai-Alai players share the court with the opposition. If a player blocks another’s line to the ball on the catch or to the wall on the return, the judges may rule interference if they deem that the ball was playable.

• Playing Rotation — Most games are played to 7 points with points doubling after the first round of play, called Spectacular Seven scoring. The games is played in round-robin rotation, usually by 8 teams or single players. In doubles, each team consists of a frontcourt player and a backcourt player. The game begins when the frontcourt player of Team No. 1 serves the ball to Team No. 2. The winner of each point stays on the court to meet the next team in rotation. Losers go to the end of the line to await another turn on the court. The first team to score 7 points, or 9 in Superfecta games, wins. The next highest scores are awarded place, or second, and show, or third, positions, respectively. Playoffs decide tied scores.



Source: The Florida Gaming Corporation