Take a seat on the old grain wharf
Marlobayco Card Club fitted five felt tables into a shed that once weighed wheat bound for barges on the Wimmera. Show photo ID at the door, and the dealer on duty will have you seated within a few minutes — no online booking, no app, and every hand is arranged in person. A chip only ever marks a point, and there isn't a gaming machine within sight of the wharf.
Sit where the grain sacks once queued
Five tables fill the floor of a shed that once weighed wheat for barges tied up on the Wimmera, just below Firebrace Street.
The scales are long gone; in their place sit five tables of felt, a single house dealer most nights, and a counter that pours tea and coffee instead of anything stronger.
One dealer, most nights
A single house dealer keeps every table running to the same count.
Five tables, six games
Crib, whist, euchre, five hundred, bridge, and a friendly hand of poker with no buy-in.
Keep to five simple rules
- Show photo ID at the door — every visitor, every visit, no exceptions.
- Seats are never booked online; every hand starts with a knock at the door.
- A chip marks a point and nothing else — none are ever bought, sold or cashed in.
- There's no gaming machine anywhere near the wharf, and no wagering, no stake and no cash prize ever sit on the felt.
- The dealer's call stands; raise a dispute quietly, between hands, not during one.
Follow the night by the hour
| Time | On the floor | At the counter |
|---|---|---|
| 4pm | Doors open, coats away, names go in the book | The urn goes on for the first pot of tea |
| 5pm | All five tables are usually taken by now | Lemonade poured for anyone still deciding what to play |
| 7pm | Crib and whist settle in for the long haul | A second pot goes round, carafes topped up |
| 9pm | Five hundred picks up pace at the corner table | Cups cleared, the counter starts winding down |
| 11pm | Last hand called, scoresheets folded away | The counter closes for the night |
Warm your hands between hands
The counter takes up what used to be the loading bay, minded by whoever's rostered that evening, kept simple so hands stay free for cards.
There's a pot of tea on the go from four o'clock, a carafe of coffee behind it, and a jug of lemonade for anyone who'd rather have something cold.
Nothing from the counter is ever scored at a table — a cup is paid for the ordinary way, entirely apart from whatever's tallied on the felt.
On the counter
Tea, coffee, lemonade and mineral water — nothing stronger.
From four
The urn goes on as the doors open, refilled right through to close.
Table service
Whoever's between hands will carry a cup over for you.
Find your table among five
The two tables by the window hold the club's longest-running games, learned by most players from a parent or a grandparent before them.
Euchre takes the centre of the room on most weeknights, while five hundred fills the far corner and tends to run loudest come the weekend.
Thursdays bring out a quieter table of bridge, and on a slow Saturday a hand of poker among friends sometimes forms — no buy-in, points only.
Window tables
Crib and whist, favoured by the club's longest-standing members.
Centre table
Euchre, usually first to fill on a weeknight.
Corner table
Five hundred, loudest come Friday and Saturday.
Come down to the old wharf
84 Firebrace Street, Horsham VIC 3400
+61 3 5382 6147 · club@marlobayco.com
Tuesday to Saturday, four in the afternoon until eleven at night
Ask before your first hand
What should I bring for a first visit?
Just photo ID — there's nothing else to arrange beforehand.
Do I need to reserve a table first?
Not usually; arrive after four and a seat generally opens within minutes.
Where should I sit if I don't know anyone?
The dealer will place you — window tables suit quieter games, the corner suits five hundred.
Is there a fee to sit down for the first time?
None at all. Membership starts the moment you walk in.
Can I bring a friend along?
Guests are always welcome alongside a member, seating allowing.
Will someone explain the rules if I've never played?
Always — the dealer runs through them before your first hand.
What happens if every table is already full?
There's a stool at the counter while you wait for the next hand to open up.
Look around before you visit
Four stops between the street and a seat
Nobody books a table here from a phone — you arrive, you're checked in at the door, and the rest happens much as it did when the wharf still shipped grain.
Five tables by the wharf, most evenings
Nothing to install and nothing to log into — arrive after four with photo ID, and the dealer on duty will have you seated within a few minutes.
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