I got one of the 6 chips a few months ago. I think I got it from John Z. I had the record card. My friend did the research and mentioned if I had a spare, he would like to have one. No spares but I sent it to him. I have always felt if a new hub shows up, more will follow soon. Besides I had the history and that is 75% of the fun in collecting illegals.

Sure enough a couple days ago a Vegas chipper sent me a scan of 15 hubs, I did not have. “All good things come to he who waits.” I think Bill Clinton said that. I scooted over to the Palms and met him. Two colors of the 6 were in it. One color was not on the record card, my guess there is another card. I will try to get it.

You Indiana Boys need to keep watching as there was a “new” to me Indiana Club chip in the group.

Enough of that:

Texas:

ID from Mason record card.
Martin Kramer
115 N School St
Brenham, Texas
1950
There are also $5, $10, and $25 chips on the record card.

Correct ID after research:
Sons of Hermann
Lodge #6
304 E Germania St.
Brenham, Texas
1950
Today it is one of 3 Bingo halls in Brenham.

6
The delivery address, 115 School St., is Ross St. today. It was and is a small residential home. I'm pretty sure the "6" on the chip is for the Sons of Hermann Lodge #6 which is located in Brenham at 304 E Germania St.

Sons of Hermann is a German fraternal organization (lot of Germans settled in south-central Texas). Lodge #6 was known to have had poker and dice games.

Martin W. Kramer was considered the boss gambler of Brenham in the 50's-60's. He ran a very popular poker game in Brenham. Amarillo Slim has stated that it was at Kramer's place in Brenham in 1959 that he played his first game of hold'em.

My note: I think Amarillo Slim just caught up with Harry Truman as “Most Honorable Mentions” in an “Illegal Of The Day Post.”

Kramer moved to Houston in the early 1970's where he managed a club called "Dome Shadows" (it got its name from its proximity to the Astrodome). Kramer was murdered in Houston on Christmas Day 1978, age 56.

My note. Geeez, how many murders have we seen in the “Illegal Of The Day” posts? I lost count!

When I was at the Four Queens I was at the WSOP on a daily basis. I used to engage Slim in Texas Illegal chips talk whenever possible. He mentioned several times he played his 1st Hold Em in the 1950’s in Brenham. I think I’ve mentioned in the past I first saw Hold Em in mid to late 1960’s or so.

Here is a good Slim story. Sorry I can’t find the notes and the subjects name escapes me right now. His name had come up several times concerning Dallas illegals. Once with Doc Finstuen.

I asked Slim if he knew him. “Boy where did that name come up.”

Per Slim:
He was not a guy you wanted to meet in a dark alley. He was Benny Binions crap boss at the Southland. Lost both legs above the knees in an accident. Hell on wheels in that chair. His 14 year old daughter called him one day from a motel in Oklahoma. She had run away with a mid 20’s guy.

He made one of the craps dealers drive him to Oklahoma. Drove the wheel chair through the motel door shot the guy dead, grabbed the girl by the arm, wheeled back to the car, and headed back to Dallas.

Moral of the story: Don’t mess with Texas teenage girls.

The good part is the crap dealer had no idea why he was driving to Oklahoma or what was going to happen.