After a week in the California heat, it's nice to get home. I was only able to hit a couple of casinos while out there. Here's a fast run down report:

Chakachansi Gold Resort (Coursegold, CA): This is newly opened indian casino up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Not much up there besides the resort, but a beautiful drive up 41. There are tons of slot machines, (slot person told me 1,800!). 60 tables including mostly Black Jack tables most with a $5.00 min., Pai Gow, and Caribbean Stud. There was no Craps or Roulette. They have top entertainment venues and 8 restaraunts. There is also a huge hotel/resort on the grounds with 200 rooms. The casino resort opened on June 25th. It doesnt have the numbers of people that Table Mountain has, but they're still new. For those that aren't familiar with Table Mountain Casino, the place is wall to wall people all the time! Every time I've been there, its been totally packed. But then again, it's really the closest Indian Casino to Fresno.

Club One (Card Room-Downtown Fresno)- I was there on a Tuesday. They only had one of the two No-Bust Blackjack tables open. I had to wait 40 minuites to get a seat. As before, there are mostly poker tables (LOTS!) with everything from Omaha, stud, Texas hold-em etc. Since the Diamond Casino card room closed, they are now boasting that they are the only approved cardroom in Fresno. The pitboss informed me that Diamonds will not be openning again and that Club One purchased all of their tables.

Frankie's Card Room (Madera, CA)Madera is about 40 minutes north of Fresno. All I can say is: WHOA!! This is a run down sleazy ole bar room with a bar, pool table and juke box in the front and a pool table and three poker tables in the back. I was there on a Monday night around 10:00pm. I walked in...and saw only 4 people in the place. Together they had one full set of teeth (between them all). No music was playing from the juke box, but there was a tv on, but with no sound. I checked the back room which was empty and decided to have a quick beer. It appeared that the bartender was standing at the end of the bar talking with one of the customers, and then two semi-toothless women at the other end. I sat down at the bar in the middle. The bartender looked at me a few times, but after about 10 minutes of waiting and still not getting served or even acknowedged, I left.

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I had hoped to get to the Palace in Lemoore, and check out a few card rooms I had listed for Bakersfield, but I just wasnt able to get any more free time to check them out.

Instead, I made a day of it to go up to see the Giant Sequoia National Forrest. One word on them: AWESOME! Last time i was in Fresno (remember the report on the 500 club in Clovis)I was able to make it up to Yosemite. So, this time, I just had to see the big trees! Sorry there's only half a tree in the picture- the top got cut off. BTW- that's be sitting on the fence.