I worked at the Overland from 1969 to 1973 dealing dime
craps. I learned to deal the wheel from the lady shown in
the pc who learned from Pappy Smith at Harolds Club. It
was a fun time and I met a lot of people who told me stories
of the old days of Reno. I remember exploring the tunnel that
went from the dealers room down to Bill’s Coner Bar. It accessed
all the businesses along the way and used for various clandestine
activities. My boss said he found opium bottles down there. Pick
Hobson was the first to raise the Keno limit to $25,000. Keno balls
were pulled by hand from a wire cage back then and tickets were
written with brush and ink. The employees all had ink stains on their
shirts. By the way, the $100 chips were never on the tables, there
weren’t any hi-rollers at the Overland. The place was built in 1886
and torn down in 1977. It was sad to see it go.