South Dakota

The Four Queens paid for a trip I made to Deadwood in 1993, if I remember the year right. It was to promote The Queens Poker Classic. The QPC opened up in 1991 as the 2nd largest poker tourney in the world and held that title until I left the FQ’s in 1996.

Deadwood was promoting a city wide poker tourney. The casinos were very small and only had 1 or 2 poker tables. I was impressed with the way it was handled. The players drew seats with The Casino name where you were playing along with table/seat number. They combined tables down to one casino that had put in something like 6 tables. I did not “cash” but had fun walking the street looking for my next casino to play in, at table breaks. I made it thru 3 different casinos.

I met a young lady at the tourney, Jan Jones, poker room manager, at Royal River Casino in Flandreau, SD. When we started the poker cruises, she became a shift manager for me and we used several dealers from The Royal River. The point being, friends made thru the poker world like the chip collecting world are many over the years. Making friends is the main benefit of a job or a hobby.

There is a lot of history in Deadwood and I enjoyed reading all the history posted in the casinos. Never did get to see the ghost of “Wild Bill.”

A couple of us rented a car and went to MT Rushmore. Being a history buff, I would not have ever forgiven myself if I had not seen it. Of course we got lost. A cowboy looking guy was hitch hiking. We stopped and asked him for directions. “Well partner, hang the next right, and you will see The Big Rock Candy Mountain, after a few miles.”
Enough of that.

I only have 2 South Dakota illegal chips.
I bet Travis Lewin has more if he sees this post.
Anyone have others to show?

The Gold Bar chips were much sought after when they first showed up in the hobby and went for what I considered to be high prices. I waited a couple years to pick mine up.

Gold Bar
Open 1940-47 and 1960's-80
700 Main St
Deadwood, SD
Franklin Hotel

It is a Skey mold, bad scan.

I got this one in 2001. Needs research.
May be an illegal, or made for a home game.

Frank Clem
Belle Fourche, SD
1939