Poker News

Byron Liggett

Poker by the Bay, that’s what you get at Casino San Pablo, just minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a popular spot for Bay Area card fisherman. “We’re well stocked with a variety of Limit Hold’em,” says Game Warden Doug Morgan. “And, if you want to try your luck in the No-Limit depths, we got that too,” headds. According to Captain Morgan, “All ya’ gotta do is buy some chip-bait, sit ‘n wait; it won’t be long before you hook a hand. Then, just reel it in. But remember,” He cautioned, “there are things lurking out there that can eat you.”

During the week there are no tournaments. But on Saturday and Sunday, San Pablo does float $25 buy-in, $20 rebuy No-Limit Hold’em contests. Space is limited, so get on board early.

Across the S.F. Bay, in San Bruno, is Artichoke Joe’s, a popular poker palace. It’s a handsome hideaway; exquisite wall paper and an extensive natural wood decor complimented with brass, glass and class.

Artichoke’s has the rich, fine feel of an exclusive city club. This is a real poker room. When 007 visits the City- By-The-Bay, this is where he plays poker and waits for his next adventure.

‘Sir’ Joe Wilson, General Manager, is Lord of the Manor. Mr. Langdon Bachman, Esquire, is Poker Administrator. Both highly esteemed Gentlemen of the Green Cloth run a very civilized, sophisticated Round Table. If you’re on your way to San Jose, you’ll find the Garden City Club packed with card cultivators. There are Flop Farmers, Stud ranchers, Omaha oil drillers, and Pan handlers. They’ve got 40 tables and there’s a bouquet of colorful chips growing in the middle of each one every day! In the small to mid-limit range, Garden City is an action attraction for poker horticulturalists. They grow it all - small, tender games; ripe, juicy games, and big blue ribbon contests. Look out across the room and instead of corn stalks, you see a field of chip stacks. Day shift manager Ron Castro understands those who work the Fields of Green. He says, “In the Garden, every player hopes for a big crop of nuts, but most of the time they have to plow through acres of hands to reap a ripe pot now and then.”

If you really want some fun, stick your head in The Lucky Derby in Citrus Heights, just east of Sacramento. Don’t worry; they’ve got just your size, whether it’s small, medium or large.

A family owned business, The Lucky Derby is not a haberdashery, it’s a casino. “Don’t keep it under your hat! Tell everybody!” says Chief of Security (in charge of hats ‘n coats) Beau Boyer. What’s more, it’s one of the most popular poker places around Sacramento.

Interested in a springtime drive through the countryside with an elegant poker room at the end of it? Go to Grass Valley. When you get to the laidback little town, drop in at the Gold Rush Saloon & Gaming Parlor. It’s like stepping back into the Victorian Era of the 1890s.

Elegantly furnished in period pieces, it features a handsome bar and small poker room. But the most beautiful attraction is Lady Susan, who owns and operates the establishment. Like Kitty, of Gunsmoke fame, she welcomes visitors with a friendly smile, a drink, and an invitation to her parlor to “join the boys in a little game of poker.” A popular feature at the Gold Rush is a special cold draft beer called a “Fat Tire”. After 4 Fat Tires, you’re flying.

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