Under its previous ownership, the Oak Tree’s cardroom offered Asian food options to players, but complaints arose about quality and prices. “We’ve listened and I think people will be surprised when they come here with what we’ve done.” “Like we found out with the restaurant, we went into the community and got feedback on what was wrong with the Oak Tree before,” said Dr. Yan and his managers see better food and a friendlier atmosphere as a way to keep people coming back. Without poker, the Lucky 21 still offers Pai-Gow, Baccarat and Blackjack, and because of state regulations, they are unable to bring in slot machines or video poker. If at some point, their cardrooms close down, we’ll be glad to welcome them back though.” “Since we’re the farthest cardroom from Portland, there’s no point in trying to convince them to drive an hour out of their way when they can be closer to home. “The problem is the Portland game rooms have taken the majority of the players, so it’s not financially feasible for us,” said Spencer. Poker is no longer a part of their selection of card games and there is no immediate plan to bring it back. The biggest change to the cardroom is not the ownership, but is evident on the sign over the 50-year-old building. “If you don’t offer that service, you won’t have any customers, no matter what else you try.”

“Our goal is not to be the biggest casino in the area, but the best, and that means offering the best customer service for everyone who walks in the door,” said Spencer. They believe what will make the Lucky 21 a success over its previous incarnation is a simple, straightforward approach. Yan overseas the operations in the cardroom with co-managers Sonny Nguyen and Chris Spencer, who have a combined 23 years in the casino and gaming business around the country. “Being in the industry and dealing with other businesses, you understand that’s sometimes part of the deal.”ĭr. Dan Yan, Oak Tree co-owner and casino general manager. “To be honest, it took longer than I expected,” said Dr. Stage 2 occurred when the cardroom, now called the Lucky 21 Casino, opened its doors and started dealing cards on Sept. Stage 1 came when the restaurant opened with both a revamped look and new menu on May 20. Since closing down suddenly on Christmas Eve last year and being purchased by new owners in February, the return of Woodland’s Oak Tree Restaurant and Card Room was seen as a two-stage process.

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