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Canterbury Card Club Resounding Success

Scheduled to open eight hours later in the day, at 4 PM, the new Canterbury Card Club would usher in the first legal poker game in Minnesota history. Neither of the poker players were aware that the early morning Thoroughbred on the backside would be one of thousands of beneficiaries of the revenue provided by the new $2 million Card Club.

By 10 AM, poker players outnumbered Thoroughbreds by 150-1. And when Card Club doors were opened by 4 PM, the crush of card players felt like the Churchill Downs paddock area on the first Saturday in May.

The "board," which takes the waiting list for players wanting particular games and limits quickly filled after the initial 38 tables filled. The board remained full for the first 12 hours of play.

"We were extremely pleased with the opening and the level of excitement from card players," said Randy Sampson, president of Canterbury Park. "We have worked very hard to create a comfortable club in which to play cards and horses, and our efforts have been rewarded beyond our wildest expectations."

The Canterbury Card Club was approved by the 1999 Minnesota Legislature with a portion of revenues dedicated to horse racing purses and the Minnesota Breeders' Fund. The Company estimates that purses and the fund will receive an additional $1 million to $1.5 million after one full year of the Card Club's operation.

The Club was modeled after California card clubs, including the Hollywood Park Card Club. Players from as far away as California joined the Minnesota players on opening night. The Canterbury Card Club opened with 38 of its legal limit of 50 tables this week. Table stakes range from $2/$4 with a limit of $15/$30. The games being played initially are 7-card stud; Omaha, Texas hold 'em; 7 card hi-low; and California games such as Pai Gow Poker, Minnesota 21, and Super 9.

All of the games are unbanked with players competing against each other, not the house. The Canterbury Card Club is open seven days a week, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, and offers full food and beverage service, full card simulcasting and bet runners for card players wishing to play horses.

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