Poker flourished in the Old West and gun-toting card players became legendary as Western terms littered the poker lexicon. Players like Wild Bill Hickok and Doc Holliday have appeared in numerous movies and TV shows over the years, and Hickok was even inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Part of the game’s frontier roots were on full display this week with the announcement that a Wyoming Ranch that once lost at a game of poker is now for sale for $58 million. The 118-acre Grand View River Ranch is located at the foot of Grand Teton National Park and features expansive views of the surrounding mountains with a stunning natural setting among rivers, streams, forests, meadows and more.
“Grand View Operate as a dude ranch Since 1986,” notes Buckrail.com. “There are more than 20 buildings on the ranch, including barns, cabins, lodges and two-story lodgings totaling 19 guest bedrooms and 17 owner/staff bedrooms.”
Farm in the poker pot
Besides offering an almost unparalleled outdoor experience, Grand View also has an interesting backdrop that includes a game of poker. The property was originally built in 1910 and changed hands several times before being sold to John Barnes.
Barnes used the farm as a hunting camp, but he appears to have been a card player as well. In 1944, a cowboy who worked on another neighboring property named Claude Wham was said to have won the ranch in an unfriendly poker game.
This is absolutely fate! Wham owned the farm until 1959, eventually selling the complex to his former employers, the Chambers family.
The views of the ranch and surrounding area are a bit reminiscent of Yellowstone TV — without the drama. The Gros Ventre River runs right through the property, and guests have the opportunity to go trout fishing or horse riding.
Reiterating a bit of Grand View’s poker history, the ranch’s sales website calls the property “Royal Flush… Untethered from the world around it, but nestled in the iconic Midwest. Indulge in the ultimate heirloom opportunity at Grand View River Ranch, It is an extraordinary gem located in the prestigious area of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The exorbitant price is currently the highest in the state. Poker might appropriately be on the menu for future owners and guests.
*Photos from Multilateral – David Neville
