Normandie Casino Offers New Games and More

As the Normandie Casino continues with its major remodeling and face-lift project, new games have been introduced to create a well-balanced casino environment. The casino is now offering the internationally popular game of Caribbean stud poker.

"The first time I played this game was on a cruise ship in the Caribbean Sea back in the early '90s. I bought in for 50 bucks and wound up winning around $350," said Steve Miller, one of the four brothers who own and operate the Normandie Casino in Gardena, California. "Legalizing Caribbean stud poker in California card clubs adds another step to the California gambling industry and strengthens our gaming organization. This game has really caught on and goes around-the-clock at the casino. Sometimes you will see as many as three-deep standing behind the seated players. In the past 25 years since I've been working for the family business, I have never seen a game catch on so fast. The popularity of Caribbean stud is its simplicity and similarity to other popular card games. Its uniqueness is that it presents players with multiple options in each hand, while offering generous bonus payoffs and large jackpot prizes. All in all, it's an easy game to play, which makes it attractive to even the novice player. Caribbean stud continues to gain in popularity and draws the player who just likes to relax and have action at the same time.

"In addition to Caribbean stud, the Normandie Casino also offers another traditional standard, pai gow tiles. This ancient game has been played throughout Asia for centuries. Translated into English, it means 'to make nine.' It is played with a set of 32 dominoes, and the object of the games is to get the winning hand, gee joon (also called the supreme pair). Emphasis is placed on the rules of the game, security, and game protection. This was the first Asian game that was ever offered by the Normandie way back in 1985. The casino was in litigation with the Department of Justice and was required to stop offering the current game. My brother, Greg Miller, came up with an idea to modify the existing game using 'paired play.' Essentially, eight players would pair off with each other into four pairs. The game was renamed and called California pai gow, and for two weeks the Normandie was the only casino in California allowed to offer the game. Eventually, we prevailed in court and were allowed to keep the original version of the game as it is played today. Later on, super 9 and pai gow poker became popular, and the tile game was somehow displaced in the shuffle, so to speak. Now, with competition more fierce and patrons desiring a multitude of games, the Normandie has brought back the tile game, which is currently being played on the top deck in the Red Dragon Room. I couldn't believe all the new faces on Friday afternoon, Nov. 7 at the Normandie Casino as I heard the clacking and clanking of tiles and dice cups. It was truly an exciting experience to witness, and the action was fantastic. This game has continued to be played every day since that Friday at the Normandie.

"The Normandie also features a great Monday Night Football event that not only offers players an up-front, larger-than-life screen to view each game, but also adds a little spice to the game with a Monday Night Bikini Contest. Needless to say, Monday nights are festive, with hot dogs, drinks, and a few Michelob, Heineken, and Bud Girls adding to the mix.

"After you've had a gourmet dinner at our outstanding restaurant – which features a variety of Asian dishes that include Mandarin, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mid-Eastern cuisine, along with a gourmet Continental menu that also offers great authentic Mexican dishes – you can enjoy a great line up of lounge acts performing throughout the week, such as singer Karen Lo on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the fantastic sounds of Silverbeat on Fridays, and the ever-versatile Ron Olsson fulfilling your every musical request on Sundays.

"Our state-of-the-art showroom has been billed as the 'Million Dollar Showroom' and it features Las Vegas-style entertainers such as Phyllis Diller, Nancy Wilson, America, Suzanne Sommers, Crystal Gayle, Vikki Carr, The Fifth Dimension, and the B.E.T. Comedy Jams. Some people say it's the best-kept secret in Gardena, because the showroom is also available for private parties, concerts, sporting events, and corporate functions.

"Snowmobiles, motorcycles, vacations, ski jets, or $5,000 in cash are on the agenda from noon to 3 a.m. every Saturday, along with the opportunity to win a brand-new Porsche automobile. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the player is the most valuable asset at the Normandie Casino. That's why the Normandie Casino's motto is 'Where Players Win,'" Miller concluded.

For directions or more information on the Normandie Casino and Showroom in Gardena, call (310) 352-3400 or (800) 994-6637, or visit the animated website at normandiecasino.com.