Wow ... what an answer. Thanks a lot, that helps. The Cal-Neva popped into my head earlier tonight. Pretty sure my buddy that I visited played mostly at Harrah's and Cal-Neva. You didn't happen to know a guy named Mike from Kentucky living out there worthy of the nickname Marijuana Slim, did you? LOL. Sound like you might have played with him. Blond hair, glasses, super tight, a really opinionated political science major type? Sound familiar at all? What else can I think of about him? He drove a maroon sports car coupe of some kind.

The Peppermill had popped into my head immediately the other day when thinking of that trip. I was only there a couple days after flying out because we drove down to Vegas. Stayed at the Sundance, which I have mistakenly called Fitzgerald's in the years since. But Sundance was the high rise on Fremont like on the Nugget side of the street a couple blocks down away from the Union Plaza, right? Sundance, not Fitzgerald's ... right?

I'm getting ahead of myself. Some stuff happened those couple of days in Reno. First night there before I had rendezvoused with Mike I played the first blackjack session of my life. Had no clue ... just try to make 20 and give the dealer some chances to bust was all I knew. I played all night and had a super-heater winning thousands and never raising my bet over $25. Was getting weird vibes from the dealers ... I later realized that tipping was a thing in the pit too, lol, accounting in part for their reaction, and also, that they thought I was an idiot for wasting this streak on red chips and never shooting it up. That's not the good part.

The next night I got into a 3-handed game with one of the locals you mentioned, Clone, and one you didn't, Pierre, and I was red hot again blasting the two best locals out of their seats. Freddie Deeb got in this game later and ended up borrowing $100 from me.

Pretty sure I stayed at the Reno Hilton with something else to the name. Just looked it up: MGM Grand Hilton in those years. High rise, plush. $10 per night. Heaven.

So we drive to Vegas in a local player in a wheel chair's van. Can't remember his name. Cool guy. PLO at the Union Plaza. First day he makes quad 8s in a huge pot and triples up. Quits. I get in a hi-low PLO game. Flop 2nd nut flush and 2nd nut low in a 3-handed pot. Couldn't fold. Pair the low on the river and get nothing. Long story short I get broke the my first day in Vegas. I wasn't even embarrassed: I was shell shocked. Borrowed from somebody ... must have been Mike. Stayed about another 10 days and won, ending on a nut low kings full hand at the Plaza PLO monster swoop.

Anyway, thanks for the help. Does Mike from KY ring a bell at all with you? Seems the joints that were significant to my few days in Reno were the MGM Grand Hilton, Harrah's, Peppermill, Club Cal-Neva, and whatever that place was in sparks.