Richard 'Pick' Hobson was given birth to in Illinois on May 15, 1911. He headed west in 1929, eventually landing in Reno where he worked as a dealer in the Palace Club. After gaining some experience, and several friends, Pick invested his cash in a gaming operation with the Colombo Club at 244 Lake Street, in the Colombo Hotel. The Toscano Hotel, just outside, housed advertising for Pick's clubs for a long time, reminding those driving by, to visit his other casinos.
Joe Hobson, Pick's brother, joined him in a very casino perfectly located at the tiny city of Hawthorne, Nevada during the Second World War, when the munitions facility was in full swing. Also in full swing were the constantly fighting service men in the city, working in the munitions facility. The Pick returned to Reno in 1943 and opened 'Pick's Club,' which reopened in 1946 because the Frontier Club when Joe invested in the casino at 220 North Virginia Street.
The casino featured a bar, craps, 21, and roulette, including a race-horse book. A bingo hall was put in 1948, and 30 slot machines were brought-in by Virgil Smith. Later a Keno game was added along with the table games expanded. By 1956 once the club was sold to Bill Harrah, there were 172 video poker machines.
Harrah paid nearly $1 million for that casino, and portion of his price was a stipulation that Hobson would not operate another casino for three years. In 1960, Pick purchased the Overland Hotel, just around the corner on Commercial and Center Street. The club backed-up to his old Lake Street casino.
In 1970, Pick purchased the Cosmo Club, that they operated for four years until it was closed so he could expand the Overland. At the same time, Pick was operating the Gold Club in Sparks, along with the Topaz Lodge in the California State Line.
Once again, Bill Harrah came knocking, offering to lease the Overland, though the hotel and casino immediately closed and also the property was demolished in June 1977. The Cosmo Club has also been demolished, and Harrah purchased the Riverside hotel casino from Jessie Beck and traded it to Hobson in exchange for that Overland and Cosmo Club land.
Pick Hobson was the very last owner of the Riverside casino, which closed in December 1986. An auction of slots and memorabilia in the Riverside as well as the Overland was held, as well as the hotel closed website in November 1987. Pick gone after Portola, California soon afterwards. He died August 19, 1996, always remembered as being a very congenial boss who did his better to take care of his employees.