08-02-2025
The longest poker game ever was played at a historic West Virginia hotel
THURMOND, (WBOY) — A now near-ghost town in West Virginia was once the home of a lavish hotel, known as a 'historic spot for trouble', that hosted a continuous poker game that last more than a decade.
Located just outside of Thurmond, the Dun Glen Hotel was infamous in the early 1900s. The New River Gorge Convention and Visitor's Bureau describes it as an 'upscale den of sin' where 'alcohol flowed freely and gambling was the pastime of choice,' even though alcohol was banned in the town.
It was frequented by wealthy mine owners and housed the largest coal mine deal ever made in the region—a mine sale for more than $1 million at a time when a room in the hotel cost only $2.50.
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The hotel bars stayed open 24/7, allowing for crazy parties and lengthy poker games—the longest ever according to Ripley's Believe it or Not and the Guinness Book of World Records. A game at the Dun Glen lasted more than 14 years. The official reason for its ending is still unknown, although rumors say weather conditions played a part.
The Dun Glen burned down in 1930 and never reopened. Its closure contributed to the downfall of Thurmond, which is now a tourist stop with only two residents living there. The land where it was housed has has several owners over the years but is now controlled by the National Park Service.
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