1. Someone recently posted that he thought all San Francisco cardrooms were 'illegals". Basically, cardrooms were illegal. Card clubs, such as the Menlo Club, etc. were legal. (until 1951, at any rate). the distinction was that the card clubs required formal membership and issued membership cards.

2. The Silks in Emeryville... issued chips, but was definately never a cardroom. From the "40's on, cardrooms in Emeryville had to be on San Pablo Avenue or have a sidestreet entrance within 200 feet of San Pablo Avenue. The Silks didn't. It was a nightclub and the chips (vaguely remembered) had somthing to do with hatcheck tipping. The name comes from jockys' silks, as Emeryville had had a renowned racetrack.

3. Has anyone ever compiled a list of the cardrooms in San Francisco?