Virginia City, Nevada - The Suicide Table

About thirty-minutes outside of Reno, Nevada awaits Virginia City, a town claimed by many to be the most haunted burg in the U.S.!

If such an ominous reputation weren't enough, Virginia City is also known as the birthplace of the historic Comstock Load; a silver yield so great that ore discovered in the region during the mid-1800s comprised of less than fifty-percent purity was used to pave the town's streets! Talk about decadence. To this day, the main thoroughfares (A, B and C Streets) of the minute hamlet still gleam in the sun.

On your way into Virginia City, you'll pass at least a half-dozen signs interspersed along the two-lane road for a tourist attraction known as "The Suicide Table."

Located at the back of the Delta Saloon, the table is a Faro (the popular gambling game of the day) accoutrement with a macabre history. Supposedly, Black Jake (former owner of the ol' Delta) shot himself dead at the table back in the 1800s after losing a life savings one evening. Subsequent to Jake, two other owners purportedly killed themselves at this little "Gambling Gateway to Hell," for the same reason.

As if this string of suicides wasn't enough to convince gamblers this particular table was cursed, Black Jake's ghost itself, began showin' up, attempting to feed its money-hungry beast by playing hands, moving cards and chips and otherwise spooking mortal gamers attempting to "Buck the Tiger." [Paul Bottini, 06/22/2008]

One of the many fine roadside attractions in Virginia City. I didn't take a picture of the table for some reason; I think it was probably because I was disappointed there was no big shotgun hole through it or anything. The whole way to the town was lined with billboards touting the horrific "Suicide Table!!" [Peg Clydesdale, 03/06/2004]