The 'Ya'al Come Back Casino'

One of the most pleasant card rooms I have ever visited was the Sahara Dunes Casino in Lake Elsinore, CA.

It was owned by Nick Notos, a friendly Harry Truman look-alike who ran the place with his sister.

The casino was located less than two miles from Lake Elsinore and just a few miles down the highway from Pechanga, an Indian-owned casino that featured poker tournaments and live concerts featuring some top country western acts.

I wasn't much of a poker player when I discovered the card room. That day I had gone jackrabbit hunting with two friends. We had searched for the long-eared rabbits in the high desert country. After a long morning of walking in temperatures in the high 90s, we saw a blinking neon sign in the distance that identified the 24-hour card room.

'Let's stop there and get something cool to drink,' I told my hunting buddies. They quickly agreed.

When we walked into the air-conditioned casino, Notos greeted us with a big smile.

'You boys poker players?', he said. 'We got a good game of five-card low-ball going, with a joker. I'll make you a deal. Play in the game and the drinks are on me.'

How could I resist such an offer?

I had to ask Nick how to play low-ball and he took his time to spell out the rules for me. The best hand was ace-two-three-four-five. The joker could be used for any card you wanted that would help your hand.

'You don't want a pair,' said Nick. 'It's draw poker. Just make the best hand possible.'

Three beers and two hours later, I walked out of the casino with $80 profit and Nick's card. I told him I was looking for a place to stay and he generously offered me a room in his motel next to the casino.

'How much for the room?', I asked.

Nick smiled. 'Tell you what. You play a minimum four hours of poker per day and the room is yours free. I'll even give you comps for your food.' He winked. 'How's that for a deal?'

I told him it was perfect.

For the next six months, I stayed at the casino and never paid a dime for my room. I played poker four to six hours a day, used the swimming pool, and ate in the restaurant which served really good food.

Nick and I became good friends. I met several celebrities there who lived in nearby Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs. They were drinkers and poker players and fun to play against.

The casino was nicknamed 'Southern California's friendliest card room.' One of the cocktail waitresses said, 'We call ourselves Lake Elsinore's Ya'al Come Back Casino' because everybody comes back.'

I won my first poker tournament at Nick's casino. The money I won paid for a trip to Hawaii, my first of three journeys to that beautiful chain of tropical islands.

Nick and his sister sold the casino to a corporation. I don't know if the new owners offer free rooms to their players, but it won't hurt to ask at the friendliest poker room in Southern California.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).