Hey, Reggie, I had that Goose Lake Music Festival chip in my hand at the Convention! But I let it go because . . . I knew you'd want it.

My understanding of the Rancheria system was that the old Spanish Land Grants in California were approved by the King (regardless of whether he was a Joker too). Some of those were mighty large. The lucky dogs who got the Grants set up their own little communities and were often self-sufficient, with cattle and crops providing revenue. Any Indians lurking about went with the land. The ranch owners got to "keep them" as sort of a bonus. (Back then it was not WIN CARDS but WIN INDIANS.) Eventually the system ended, particularly when the newly-formed State of California decided to levy Property Taxes on those thousands of acres. (Your rake for winning this poker hand is $50,000 a year, señor, and we don't accept Cows). Most of the northern California rancherias were subdivided into B&B's and Wine Tasting Joints, but when the tribal reservations were formed, many of them kept the historic Rancheria name. Thus the River Rock Casino is actually on the Dry Creek Rancheria, etc., etc. And since the State of California takes a dim view of posting highway signs directing motorists to a Casino, to this day Reggie better know which Rancheria he wants to drive to for the Big Slot Payout.