Mendocino County roundup: Many promotions

July 12th, 2011 by Hayley Mather

Mendocino County roundup: Many promotions

Temperatures are soaring these days in inland Mendocino County, and if you’re not lounging around a lake, area casinos are great places to cool off.

With this in mind, three of the county’s gambling establishments have lined up a number of promotions for the next few months promotions ranging from poker and slot tournaments to giveaways and other kinds of fun.

The Coyote Valley Casino ( ) in Redwood Valley is offering a number of promotions in the recently renovated poker room. For starters, the casino offers three tournaments weekly: 4 p.m. Fridays ($25 buyin), 4 p.m. Sundays ($25 buyin) and 5:30 p.m. Mondays ($60 buyin). Rebuys and addons are available for every tournament.

The casino also sponsors an Aces Cracked promotion until about 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and daily jackpots that pay up to $150 (as well as free tournament entries) for high hands.

There’s an Early Bird Special for cashgame players on Saturdays, awarding $100 in chips for $50, $60 or $70, depending on when you come in. Coyote Valley also spreads $4/$8 Limit Omaha HiLo on Thursdays.

(If you don’t currently play poker, don’t worry dealers promise free lessons for anyone learning how to play.)

In Hopland, many of the promotions at the ShoKaWah Casino ( ) focus on slots. As part of the Stars & Stripes Hot Seats giveaway, every Sunday through the end of the month, 30 slot players selected randomly between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. will win $200. Then, on July 30, the casino will host the Wild 1′s slot tournament with a total of $7,000 in prizes. The firstplace winner in the tournament will take home $3,000 in prizes. To qualify for entry, gamblers must earn 5,000 points on their players’ club card through July 25.

Finally, through a promotion dubbed Xtra Coin Xpress, slot players can win up to $500 instantly after swiping their players’ cards at a special kiosk between 3 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the month. Also up for grabs: free tickets to ride the Skunk Train, which chugs through the redwoods between Fort Bragg and Willits.

Speaking of Willits: At the slotsonly Sherwood Valley Rancheria Casino, new members of the players’ club receive $20 in free play a great incentive to spin some wheels.

This small casino also offers freeplay promotions for seniors: On Thursdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., $15 gets $10 in free play and $30 gets $20. Floor managers also host hourly drawings for $50 cash or $75 in free play. (The drawing is only for players’ club members 55 and older.)

While Sherwood Valley lacks table games, it boasts a cozy restaurant with rockbottom prices. No, it’s not a consolation for hardcore gamblers, but at least you know you won’t go hungry.

Poker Vegas Club