Reno’s Last 7-Card Stud Game

I learned to play poker in West Springfield, Virginia after my friend Barry Wilson invited me to play. We were high school freshmen, and the guys we ended up playing against were juniors and seniors. We both lost. In the coming weeks, we improved, but we were still dorks. To finance poker, Barry got a... Continue Reading →

December 5, 2024 0

Benny Binion and Binion’s Horsehoe Las Vegas

Benny Binion, born Lester Ben Binion on November 20, 1904, in Plot Grove, Texas, was an American gangster and casino owner. He founded the World Series of Poker and Binion's Horseshoe, a casino resort in Las Vegas. Benny Binion was known for his extensive criminal activities and contributions to the development of the Nevada gambling... Continue Reading →

April 19, 2023 0

Big Time Poker In Arizona

In the late 1990s, while I was toiling away in Reno, poker players in Arizona were enjoying something new: poker for big stakes in a casino. After Fort McDowell Casino opened near the end of Shea Blvd. past Fountain Hills (half an hour from Scottsdale), players could play all types of poker and they could... Continue Reading →

August 19, 2012 1

Not One-of-a-kind, but Rare

So, you have some one-of-a-kind chips? So do I. Well, not exactly, well, no, I don't. However, I do have a few that have just a few cousins kicking around in drawers and collections. One of them is the chip above. This is an over-sized variety 42 mm and has "SPEED POKER ALL-IN" on the... Continue Reading →

October 14, 2008 1

My Early Poker Games and Chips

I saved my first casino chip in 1978. Although I wasn’t old enough to legally play poker at the Pacheco Inn (now the California Grand), I managed to get away with a few hours of Low ball to start my playing career. I lost. I didn’t go home completely empty-handed, because, from the $20 in... Continue Reading →