Fernley Nugget foils my plans!!

I'm in Nevada, adding to my chip collection. Heading into this trip, I was excited because at the end of the trip I'll have a chip from every currently operating casino with table-games in Nevada. It turns out that'll only be true for about 2 days. I'll pick up a D chip on Wednesday, and Fernley is opening a brand new table games pit on Friday night.

That Fallon/Fernley area seems to be doing pretty well, at least in terms of tables. The Headquarters bar in Fallon also added (possibly re-added, the dealer was a little vague) a BJ table in the last 6 months. It has the oddest hours I've ever seen: 11p-5a W-Su. Let me say that again: The blackjack table OPENS at 11pm.

As I recall this is the casino that advertises itself as 100 percent non-smoking, so be sure to let us know how your visit goes.
And if you can find out what that BJ dealer's day job, let us know.

Dang, Fernley Nugget! Non-smoking, though, so at least there's that. Steal a ceramic coffee mug from the drinks station if you can't get a BJ chip ... :)

Any interesting stories from Battle Mountain, Winnemucca, or elsewhere?

Quote: teddys

Any interesting stories from Battle Mountain, Winnemucca, or elsewhere?

Winnemucca - Grabbed a Model-T chip. Had the others. Took the first trip at a time when I was trying to use the American Casino Guide as a guide to american casinos. It didn't list table games at Model-T, so I didn't stop. Damnation! Anyway...Their pit has 2 BJ tables, 1 TCP table, and 1 UTH table. I thought UTH was an odd choice, but I was happy to see it there. UTH was dealt 2 cards to each player in succession (I get my two, then you get your two, etc.). I tried shuffle tracking, but never did get any useful info about the dealer's hand.

Battle Mountain - Stopped by the Owl Club & confirmed that their tables are long-since gone. Still a fun & homey place. There's a BJ game next door at the Hotel Nevada. I had to remind myself about 100 times that i wasn't at Searchlight nugget.

Fallon - No matter what the ACG says, both the Fallon Nugget and Headquarters bar have BJ tables. The Nugget also has a nice little 4 table poker room. Nugget's table opens at 5pm, Headquarters table opens at 11pm. I still can't get over that.

Fernley - Non-smoking & good food. new tables look nice, and there's a 2 table poker area. I talked to the casino manager for a few minutes, trying to get him to let me buy a chip. They're pretty excited about the new tables coming in. I don't know why, but I guess the Fernley area is experiencing high growth. I could see not wanting to live in Fallon, but also not wanting to commute from Reno or Carson City to the naval air station. Maybe that's it?

Merced - I found Poker Flats. Not sure how I missed it last year, since I definitely visited the Merced Poker Room and they're 3 blocks apart. Anyway, the list was 20 people long, so I had to talk the attendant into selling me a chip. I think this makes 4 total venues that I've attended but not played at during my chip collecting.

Modesto - Sportsmen's new location is very nice. I visited last year on the day (a saturday!) when they were closed for the move. Played some PGP. A little surprised to see that the joker wasn't fully wild, but I guess that's more of a SoCal thing.

Tuolumne - visited black oak casino. last year, I collected and then (apparently) lost a chip. This year, I managed to keep the chip. Surprisingly big & nice casino since it couldn't be more in the middle of nowhere (basically in Yosemite).

Folsom - went to Lake Bowl & played UTH. Played with a guy drinking straight vodka out of a water bottle & an unbelievably pretty but clueless girl. Dude must've had 16 ounces out of the bottle before the dealer told me that it was vodka. Poor guy couldn't talk or stand by the time his friend peeled him off the chair and out of the cardroom. I'm not sure if the girl was working an angle or what. She was just about the worst player I've ever seen, almost intentionally bad. But she had her own money and never tried any kind of con for booze or playing $ or companionship.

This (now) is the part where the trip get harder. I'm flying to Vegas in about 5 hours & then pretty much immediately driving back into Cali. I hope to drive a 2 day loop from Vegas to Watsonville to Visalia and back to Vegas. I'm having a hard time finding a way to manage the driving and card room schedules. Some are dark on Monday and/or Tuesday, but those are the days that I have to work with on this trip. Also, they all open at 5 or 7 pm, which creates a lot of hurry-up-and-wait. If things go well, I'll have 6 new chips at the end of that trip (plus the ones from Vegas that I don't have - Texas STATION, Arizona Charlie's BOULDER, D). I'm also going to try to track down a couple of the more...ummm...odd chips that MOGH lists. Apparently, there's a poker table at the TA Travel Center by the Silverton...

Wow, that's quite a schedule. I could have told you about the table games at Model T's. I went in there and saw the games, but they were closed. I assume you got Winners and whatever the other one is there...(is there one?)

Battle Mountain is a hoot. I hope you didn't ask for more than the one allowed drink...

Whither Terrible's Dayton...? Website says they have BJ...

Quote: teddys

Whither Terrible's Dayton...? Website says they have BJ...

I stopped there last year between Carson and Yerington. It's just slots (or was then...). I guess I can stop there again when i return to get the Fernley chip, maybe in the Spring. Dini's Lucky Club in Yerington is also thinking about re-installing their BJ table. I can't believe that Casino West needs that competition - or that the town can sustain two casinos with tables.

Quote: rdw4potus

Tuolumne - visited black oak casino. last year, I collected and then (apparently) lost a chip. This year, I managed to keep the chip. Surprisingly big & nice casino since it couldn't be more in the middle of nowhere (basically in Yosemite).

I don't mean to spoil your parade...but Black Oak is nowhere near Yosemite....Now, Chukchansi Gold is LITERALLY in Yosemite (like 5 miles south of the South Entrance)
Curious: Do you have chips from all the casino's in California (Just off the top of my head; ones I've visited: Winn-River, Rolling Hills, Robinson Rancheria, Colusa Casino, Feather Falls, Gold Country, Thunder Valley, Red Hawk, River Rock, Jackson Rancheria, Chukchansi, Table Mountain, Mono Winds, Tachi, Eagle Mountain, Chumash...

Quote: TIMSPEED

I don't mean to spoil your parade...but Black Oak is nowhere near Yosemite....Now, Chukchansi Gold is LITERALLY in Yosemite (like 5 miles south of the South Entrance)
Curious: Do you have chips from all the casino's in California (Just off the top of my head; ones I've visited: Winn-River, Rolling Hills, Robinson Rancheria, Colusa Casino, Feather Falls, Gold Country, Thunder Valley, Red Hawk, River Rock, Jackson Rancheria, Chukchansi, Table Mountain, Mono Winds, Tachi, Eagle Mountain, Chumash...

I've been to all of the casinos south of I-80 (edited) (and whatever the one just north of Sacramento is). I'm planning a trip to Oregon & northern CA, which I'll probably take late next spring.

Black Oak is far from the park? Is Sonora Pass not in the park? Black Oak is on CA-108 just outside the border of the Stanislaus National Forest, isn't it? I guess I just get confused with the giant green blob on the map that represents all of the parks & forests in eastern CA.

Quote: rdw4potus

Black Oak is far from the park? Is Sonora Pass not in the park? Black Oak is on CA-108 just outside the border of the Stanislaus National Forest, isn't it? I guess I just get confused with the giant green blob on the map that represents all of the parks & forests in eastern CA.

I think you're thinking of 120, 120 (Tioga pass) goes through the park...

Quote: rdw4potus

It has the oddest hours I've ever seen: 11p-5a W-Su. Let me say that again: The blackjack table OPENS at 11pm.

Maybe that's when the swing shift gets out of the mine, and hits the town?

Quote: TIMSPEED

I think you're thinking of 120, 120 (Tioga pass) goes through the park...

I definitely took 120 through Yosemite from 395 to the west edge of the park (108 was closed), and went to Merced & Modesto. Then went back up/over to Black Oak, which is on 108 right on the edge of Stanislaus. (and, I thought, Yosemite - but I guess even the northern border of the park is much farther south than I'd thought)

Quote: Ayecarumba

Maybe that's when the swing shift gets out of the mine, and hits the town?

Or those military boys don't go out until their wives are asleep? I don't know. It was much busier at 8pm when they told me the table opened at 11 than it was at 11pm when the table opened.

Quote: rdw4potus

Or those military boys don't go out until their wives are asleep? I don't know. It was much busier at 8pm when they told me the table opened at 11 than it was at 11pm when the table opened.

Aha! It's when the swingshift bartender, who is the only one in the joint who could pass the background checks required for both jobs, starts his "second career".