Really don’t have much to show you for North Dakota or much to say about the state.

No poker cruises departed from North Dakota.
Spragg did not get us lost up there.
Never played poker there.

But:

I met a guy from North Dakota, Robert, at a bar pool tournament in a joint just past the Latin Quarter on Licking Pike in Newport about 1970 or so. Forgot the name of the joint but it was owned by a guy named Big Paul. “Big” was literal! I was a so- so pool player. We became friends. Turned out he was one of the best pool players I ever watched. He was a pool hustler and a good one. He made a living at it. He proposed I throw in with him and set up marks for him to slaughter. I thought about that for awhile and decided a cue stick being slammed down on my knuckles should not be in my future. Best to stick with poker!

I leased a red neck joint down RT 25 just past the Woods (KY Illegal collectors will know where this was). It was called the Gay 90’s. The 90’s and The Woods were the only two joints in the area. I put a pool table in and Robert stopped by quite often. He was fun to watch, like I said he was a good hustler. He knew when to let the geese have a little winner to keep them going and off his case. I told Robert if one of those red necks stuck a pool cue up his butt he was on his own.

Gay 90’s on Friday and Saturday was a fun place to be. We took on all of the local country “so called, bands” (many would play for free drinks just to get exposure) and we turned them loose. They rocked the joint and filled the seats with red necks that drank and spent $. Ok so we had a few fights.
(Every Night )

Glenn "Bulldog' Wright owned The Woods a couple miles north on 25. His favorite words were “next time you pitch some of those guys make sure they head south on 25.” Many got the boot from both joints the same night.

Oh yea poker games every Monday night. One thing I learned fast. Red necks can’t play poker! They were cash games as red necks can’t count chips either.

It was a good time in my life. As soon as I get the word that I can have a few “Go Backs” in my life for one day only, one will be the Gay 90’s on a Friday night.

Geez, that whole story came from being friends with a pool hustler from North Dakota.

Enough of that:

North Dakota:
New Elliot Tavern
Owner S E Nenno
12th & Jackson
Mandan ND

During the Queens Poker Classic days we had poker dealers from all over the USA come to Las Vegas to deal the poker tournament circuit. I usually took on 115 extra dealers, floor people, cashiers, etc for the 35 table, 30 or so day QPC. I can’t imagine the work and aggravation it takes to staff the WSOP today.

Players and staff brought me chips from their area every year. A lady dealer from North Dakota brought me this one to the 1993 QPC. She said they had illegal gaming at one time and she would bring me a couple chips next year. She never came back. Not sure what happened to her.

That’s it. Kind of a bust for North Dakota. Anyone else care to show some from way up there?