an underground card club in Manhattan called Play Station. It opened around 1999 and closed after being raided by police on May 2, 2005. Play Station, like others, benefitted greatly by the poker boom created by the rise of internet poker, televised poker using technology to show hole cards and Chris Moneymaker's victory in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker in 2004, having qualified online as an amateur for a tiny sum. It was the second largest and second most popular New York City underground card club to the New York Players Club at a time when they believed if they charged a membership fee and a time charge at the table instead of a rake, the games would be legal. They were wrong and most of the clubs were raided and shut down. This happened for another round or two as clubs kept springing up to replace the closed clubs, and then the clubs became more secretive and clever, and many chose to start home games instead of going to underground clubs.

I believe there is an earlier chip also used by Play Station, but this is the chip in use at the time they were raided and shut down.

Just thought you might like to know.

Michael Siskin