A Piece of the Balboa Fun Zone

On August 1st 2017 my grown daughter texted me from her home in Nashville, TN... "Daddy will you buy me a Pokereno machine?" and included a link to an OC Register article reporting that after 70 years of operation, the Bay Arcade at the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach, CA was closing.

Since I happened to be enjoying a cold beverage at the Balboa Saloon at the time I received the text, I grabbed her mothers hand and we rushed next door to the Bay Arcade. Within 10 minutes we were the proud owners of this Bay Arcade Pokereno table.

I remember fondly taking my kids to the Bay arcade 25 years ago... before they were even in grade school. They were so small the Pokereno was the one game they could operate and it only cost a dime to play! They would sit on our laps and roll the rubber balls down the table. I believe my kids know the Poker hands today because of this game.