PERSONAL HARVESTING STORIES

BIG SANDY RANCHERIA AUBERRY, CA

By:RICHARD “REGGIE” GUMMER

BIG SANDY RANCHERIA IS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF FRESNO, CA. IT IS IN EXTREMELY STEEP TERRAIN, GOING UP THE WEST SIDE OF THE SIERRAS. WE HAD JUST LEFT TABLE MOUNTAIN CASINO, IT WAS RAINING AND OUR GPS DID NOT KNOW ANY MORE THAN WE DID ABOUT GETTING THERE. WE STOPPED AT A GAS STATION IN AUBERRY PROPER. WE GOT DIRECTIONS AND WROTE THEM DOWN WITH A MAP THAT WAS DREW BY THE GAS ATTENDANT.
THIS PLACE IS ONE OF THOSE PLACES YOU HEAR ABOUT OCCASIONALLY; YOU JUST CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE. AND WE ALMOST DID NOT GET THERE FROM AUBERRY. AS WE EASED ON INTO THE PARKING LOT, WE LOOKED OVER THE BUILDINGS, ONE SECTION ADDED TO ANOTHER, SIMILAR TO THE WINCHESTER HOUSE IN SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA.
WE WALKED IN THERE, THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE THERE BESIDES THE ATTENDANTS. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SCARY. NANCY IMMEDIATELY ASKED IF THEY HAD SLOT CARDS, SIGNED UP AND GOT ALL KINDS OF FREE STUFF. THEN SHE GRABBED ME AND WE DOUBLED UP. I NOTICED THAT THE GAMING TABLES MOSTLY BLACK JACK TABLES WERE IN A ROOM TWO STAIRS UP IN ONE OF THE ADDITIONS I MENTIONED, AND THEN OFF TO THE RIGHT WAS A CASHIER CAGE ON THE SAME LEVEL WHEN YOU WALKED IN THE CASINO.
FINALLY I COULD NOT TAKE IT ANY MORE I HAD TO ASK THE ROVING ATTENDENT IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO BUY SOME CHIPS EVEN THOUGH NO GAMES WERE IN PROGRESS?
SHE SAID I DON’T THINK SO. THEN I SAID IS THERE SOME ONE HERE ON SITE I COULD TALK TO? SHE THEN LED ME OVER TO THE CASHIERS CAGE THAT I HAD NOTICED EARLIER, THERE HAD BEEN SOME PEOPLE WORKING IN THAT OFFICE. THE ATTENDANT THEN CALLED OVER A LADY BY NAME THAT I DO NOT REMEMBER, AND SAID THIS GENTLEMEN WOULD LIKE TO BUY SOME CHIPS. THE CASHIER LOOKED ME OVER AND SAID WHAT WOULD LIKE? I BEAMED, AND GAVE HERE MY MONEY, SHE GAVE ME THE CHIPS. THIS CASINO IS CLOSED NOW. I DID NOT GET ENOUGH CHIPS THIS TIME…REGGIE
http://www.themogh.org/cg_chip2.php?id=CAAUBS
THANK YOU DENNIS BERRY FOR THIS POST SCRIPT.

Hey Reggie,
in the harvest story today about Big Sandy in Auberry, Calif. You mention it is closed in 2000. Well not exactly. I live in Auberry and go there often. Thursday is the best day because all Veterans get free $5.00 in slot play every Thursday. The food has gotten much better over the years. Anyhow, December 31st 1999 at midnight all table games ended. And the name was changed to Mono Wind. And to this day, no table games. The area you mentioned with the cage is still there but only to redeem the TITO's from the slot machines. I ask from time to time if any chips have been redeemed and always get the same reply. No, and all chips were destroyed.
Reggie, the newer slot card is on the chip guide web site and the back side does say Mono Wind. I have an extra card with my name on it if you would like it. I ask but never am able to get a blank card. But I can always get a new card with my name on it. Yes they have done quite a bit of remodeling over the 20 years I have lived here. They have added a lot of the newest slot machines. What was the card room area up the two stairs now still has the cage. A free coffee and soda bar area and as many slot machines as they could put in there. Nice to get the free cup of coffee before going to the restaurant for breakfast, why buy the coffee when you can bring in free coffee, lol. Yes, please feel free to use any of what I have written here as you wish. Dennis
Thank you J Eric Freedner
For this Post Post Script

In 2010 or 2011, I managed to find the little casino. It is on "Auberry Road" which sounds simple, except that there are at least three such streets going up to the hills - they stop and start and double back. Finally, after a few detours, I too found the little city of Auberry and its 76 station (if still there). From there drove up, up, and more up. Finally got to the casino - some slots, but the tables were covered up. I had been "tipped off" that card games were probably long gone, but asked anyway. Nope, they would not sell me a chip. I think the story was, the chips were still on-premises in a vault but the personnel could not sell a chip without a card game going (California Gaming law, perhaps).
I put a few bucks into a slot machine and gave a couple of half-hearted button-pushes. Nothing.
On my way back down the mountain, I got turned-around and started driving the wrong direction, further onto the Reservation. Came to the edge of a cliff (not marked on the road) and figured I must be taking the Quick Way Down, turned around and made it outta there.
From another collector (don't have his permission to reveal his name) - he had a similar casino experience but threw the Mother of All Hissy Fits when he was refused a chip. According to his story, the cashier finally handed over a few just to shut him up and get him out of the casino! Not known for sure if this happened, and not a recommended method of obtaining chips. But he lived to tell the tale, and so he did not drive over the Cliff on his way home.