Tom Wheaton Launches Cards & Clubs Invitational Golf and Poker Team Event in Florida

Golf clubs, poker chips and playing cards overlooking a Florida golf course at sunset, representing the 2027 Cards & Clubs Invitational.

By Sandra Gaweda · September 29, 2026 · 5 min read

Tom Wheaton, founder of The Faded Spade and Above the Felt, has created the Cards & Clubs Invitational.
The first edition runs Jan. 11–13, 2027, at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Four-person teams play an 18-hole golf scramble and a tag-team poker tournament, with combined results deciding the Cards & Clubs Cup.
Participation is by invitation or through a Founding Team, and organizers have not announced a tournament buy-in, prize pool or public registration.

Tom Wheaton has built a new team event that pairs a round of golf with a night of poker. The Cards & Clubs Invitational debuts Jan. 11–13, 2027, at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. PokerNews reported the launch on Sept. 28, 2026. Teams of four play an 18-hole scramble, then sit down for a tag-team poker tournament. Their combined results decide the team champion and the winner of the Cards & Clubs Cup. Wheaton is filling the field by invitation. So far, organizers have published no buy-in, no prize pool and no way for the public to enter.

How the Cards & Clubs Invitational Works

The event runs on a simple slogan: “Golf by Day. Poker by Night.” The golf half is an 18-hole team scramble on The Champion course. In a scramble, every team member hits a shot, the team picks the best one and everyone plays the next shot from there.

The poker half moves indoors for a tag-team tournament. Tag-team poker typically involves teammates sharing a stack and taking turns at the table, although organizers have not detailed the invitational’s specific poker rules. Players may know it from the World Series of Poker, which runs Tag Team events. At the 2025 WSOP, Kerber and Patricio took gold in the $1,000 Tag Team.

Neither half settles the result alone. Organizers combine the golf and poker results to crown one overall champion.

Who Is Behind the Event

Wheaton founded The Faded Spade and Above the Felt. The invitational is a property of Above the Felt Entertainment LLC, according to the official Cards & Clubs website. On X, Wheaton said he has “been working on this quietly for a while.”

In a written statement, he framed the pairing around people as much as competition. “Golf and poker both give people a reason to compete, but they also give people time together,” Wheaton said. He added that the goal is bringing the right people together and creating time where relationships and organic content can develop.

Who Gets a Seat at the Table

This is a private event. The press release describes a curated group of executives, clients, strategic partners, golf talent, poker personalities, creators and invited guests. It promises “two nights of competition, hospitality and relationship-building.”

The field starts with nine four-person teams and has room to expand. The lineup is not set yet. Organizers are building the first field around “Founding Teams,” and the website offers Team Ownership and Partnership opportunities.

For the average player, there is no public entry route. Participation is by invitation or through an approved Founding Team, and no satellite, qualifier or public registration has been announced. Treat it as a business and hospitality event with poker at its center, and follow the results and content that come out of it.

Florida Poker Rules Around the Event

The invitational lands in a state with a narrow set of legal poker options. Florida has no regulated online poker. Live poker is available at tribal casinos and pari-mutuel cardrooms, as our Florida poker laws guide explains.

An invitation-only resort event doesn’t add a new option for the public. Florida players looking for licensed live poker this winter can visit tribal casinos or pari-mutuel cardrooms.

The pairing has deep roots. Doyle Brunson was known for his golf prop bets, and Daniel Negreanu plays competitive golf, as PokerNews noted in its coverage. Charity organizers have paired the games too, as with the CSOP St. Jude poker and golf event.

PGA National adds a tough test for the golfers. The resort is known for the “Bear Trap,” a three-hole stretch that can swing a round quickly. In a scramble, that stretch could have a significant impact on a team’s golf result before the poker competition begins.

What Poker Players Should Know

The Cards & Clubs Invitational gives poker a new crossover event with a clear format and a high-end venue. It is still an invitation-only event built around business relationships, sponsors and content. There is no announced public registration, and organizers have not disclosed a tournament buy-in or prize pool. If you want to play poker in Florida, your legal options stay the same: tribal casinos and pari-mutuel cardrooms, with no regulated online poker. Watch for the team lineup and results once January arrives. Until then, the Cup is a spectator event for most of us.

Sandra is a content writer and editor specializing in online poker and iGaming. She covers poker sites, game formats, industry news, and US online poker laws for Legal US Poker Sites.