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 →
I wrote my first little story about the Primadonna Casino in Reno for my chip collecting friends in 1984. We weren't a big group, so the front side of the first of four pages had an actual post card stuck to it. Below the scalloped edges of the Reno-Tahoe Advertising post card were a few... Continue Reading →
Harold S. Smith was born in Denver, Colorado February 23, 1910. His father, Raymond I. “Pappy” Smith, was a carnival booth owner who ran games in traveling circuses and at established boardwalks and fairs. He preferred the slappers, a roulette-style game with prizes on each pegged slot, and offered normal roulette games at many locations.... Continue Reading →
Wilbur Clark was a prominent figure in the development of Las Vegas, known for his contributions to the city's casino industry and luxurious resort properties. Congenial and affable, he offered a friendly face and made a casino look safe – not shady. Las Vegas was never perfect, but the right frontman never hurt. In the... Continue Reading →
Reno's Bank Club casino opened in the Golden Hotel basement in 1929. The property was owned by George Wingfield, Nevada's richest man with a net worth of $50 million dollars in the early part of the 20th century due to his mining success in the towns of Goldfield and Tonopah. His exploits and Reno's growth... Continue Reading →
In 1946, John and Alice Ross built the Christmas Tree casino way up near the top of Mount Rose with spectacular views leading down to Washoe Valley. In 1947 the couple added a restaurant with the help of a hand-shake $10,000 loan from Nick Abelman who drove past their joint every morning and every evening... Continue Reading →
The Tahoe Village at South Shore Lake Tahoe circa the 1940s - Video here Authoral - Al W Moe Bert Riddick Bert Riddick was a Native Nevadan, born in the tiny mining town of Carlin. His wife, Vivian's family, was from Ely, Nevada, and Bert and Vivian spent their lives in Northern Nevada, traveling between... Continue Reading →
Bill Harrah came to Nevada to open casinos in the 1930s.
Reno gaming pioneer Nick Abelman's life in casinos
Steve Pavlovich was born in Yugoslavia in 1889. He came to America armed with dreams and a promise of a good life. What he found were rough-and-tumble characters who would rather beat you for your pennies than give you the time of day. He traveled from New York to New Jersey to Wyoming before arriving... Continue Reading →
A Touch of Magic and a Dash of Romance
"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples" -Mother Teresa
Flight of Destiny book
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Al W Moe's Nevada Gaming History 