Casino Chip of the Day
July 14th, 2016 at 10:26:48 AM
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Damnation!
Never had anyone refuse to turn my American currency into their worthless little chipsees.
Maybe yous guys show up on some database that missed me ;-)
Never had anyone refuse to turn my American currency into their worthless little chipsees.
Maybe yous guys show up on some database that missed me ;-)
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
July 14th, 2016 at 10:30:38 AM
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Yeah I gave up going to cages after the 10th time I was denied for a stupid reason. I always go find an empty table game with a bored looking dealer.
July 14th, 2016 at 10:31:02 AM
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Very interesting. I've really never encountered such a thing. Basically, I've encountered the opposite.
When I posted my chip from the Margaritaville Casino in Las Vegas (an area at the Flamingo), I included the story that:
That's a very different experience than being refused a chip that they have on hand in the cage.
When I posted my chip from the Margaritaville Casino in Las Vegas (an area at the Flamingo), I included the story that:
Quote: DocI looked for a chip while playing/losing at craps. ... Unfortunately, they didn't have any Margaritaville chips at the crap table, just the standard Flamingo chips. The dealers said the Margaritaville chips had pretty much vanished and suggested I might be able to get one from the cashier.
Turns out the cashier didn't have any either. She even checked with her supervisor and told me they try to hold onto them for collectors if they notice one showing up at the cage. I left my business card and asked that they hold one for me. I checked back three days later, and sure enough they had one. I don't know whether they had really been holding it for me or not, but at least I got one for my collection.
That's a very different experience than being refused a chip that they have on hand in the cage.
July 14th, 2016 at 1:43:20 PM
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I think generally casinos like you to do your 'buy in' at the table ~ however, for a collector to buy one white chip, he might not ever run into any resistance
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
July 18th, 2016 at 10:58:03 AM
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Quote: AyecarumbaQuote: rdw4potusState: California
City: Gardena
Casino: Normandie
Today's chip of the day comes from the Normandie card club in Gardena, CA. Gardena is an LA suburb, and is also home to the Hustler card club. Normandie has 68 tables, including several poker variations, PGP, PG tiles, baccarat, blackjack, and 3CP.
Here's a picture of the property:
I played BJ at Normandie. I didn't write down all the rules, and their website also doesn't list them. I did note, and the website does confirm, that BJ pays 3:2. That's very rare in California card clubs, so I assume that some other rule(s) must be quite restrictive to offset that payout. As variance would have it, I lost my $60 buyin without experiencing a payout on a BJ, though I did manage to make it take about 45 minutes before I'd lost that money.
The MOGH lists this chip as a house mold. It looks a lot like Bud Jones chips that we've seen from other casinos, like the Hacienda in Boulder City. I assume that the MOGH's classification of this chip is incorrect.
According to the guy in cashier's cage, the Normandie will be rebranded on July 18, 2016. The new chips are supposed to be available at that time, but I didn't notice the usual "You have 30 days to cash in your chips" signage that usually precedes these events.
The Normandie has posted notice (in multiple languages) that their old chips will be completely worthless on November 16, 2016. The cashier last night didn't know when the new chips were going to be introduced. I may swing by today to see if there is more info, but I expect there to be a transition period where both designs are left in play.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
July 18th, 2016 at 7:03:33 PM
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Quote: odiousgambitI think generally casinos like you to do your 'buy in' at the table ~ however, for a collector to buy one white chip, he might not ever run into any resistance
That's bull. Has anyone with a 300-400+ chip collection like myself not run into resistance a ton of times at the cage?? Across many states I've heard the "You can only buy chips at the table" stuff or "We're not allowed to sell chips from here".
July 19th, 2016 at 5:30:00 AM
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As stated previously, I for one have never encountered that difficulty.
July 21st, 2016 at 9:39:56 PM
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Category: Caribbean
City: Carolina, Puerto Rico
Casino: Embassy Suites San Juan Hotel & Casino
This is the fourth of the cluster of casinos near the SJU airport. It is named Oasis Casino, but the name does not appear on the chip. Both sides of the chip are the same. I did not pay attention to any signage, but maybe there is a sign with the name over the entrance to the casino.
This is a smaller casino, with 4 BJ, 1 of which has a progressive bonus bet of 2,3,4 aces. There are 2 roulette tables at $2-20, and lastly, a 3CP. My records show a win of $87. For once my parlay of the column bet hit, which helped offset some of my losses.
The property itself is very pretty with an airy atrium, a feature of Embassy Suites properties. There were small ponds and flowing water paths, which would be a soothing noise and I'm sure also serves to dampen conversation at the many tables available.
City: Carolina, Puerto Rico
Casino: Embassy Suites San Juan Hotel & Casino
This is the fourth of the cluster of casinos near the SJU airport. It is named Oasis Casino, but the name does not appear on the chip. Both sides of the chip are the same. I did not pay attention to any signage, but maybe there is a sign with the name over the entrance to the casino.
This is a smaller casino, with 4 BJ, 1 of which has a progressive bonus bet of 2,3,4 aces. There are 2 roulette tables at $2-20, and lastly, a 3CP. My records show a win of $87. For once my parlay of the column bet hit, which helped offset some of my losses.
The property itself is very pretty with an airy atrium, a feature of Embassy Suites properties. There were small ponds and flowing water paths, which would be a soothing noise and I'm sure also serves to dampen conversation at the many tables available.
I CD-ROM.
July 21st, 2016 at 10:34:19 PM
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Welcome back, Konbu, and thanks for the new chip post.
I'm rather confident that this chip was manufactured by Gemaco, with the caviat that two years ago Gemaco and the entire GemGroup, Inc. was purchased and absorbed by Gaming Partners International. The remnants of the old Gemaco web site is now a single page, with all of the links going to the GPI site. I guess that's just to acknowledge where the company disappeared to.
I'm rather confident that this chip was manufactured by Gemaco, with the caviat that two years ago Gemaco and the entire GemGroup, Inc. was purchased and absorbed by Gaming Partners International. The remnants of the old Gemaco web site is now a single page, with all of the links going to the GPI site. I guess that's just to acknowledge where the company disappeared to.
July 22nd, 2016 at 8:38:57 AM
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On a different but slightly-related topic...
On several occasions, both in this thread and elsewhere in the forum, we have discussed what it takes to include pictures in the posts -- specifically the issue of needing to have the photos hosted at a publicly-accessible place elsewhere on the web, then linking to them in the post here. I have noted that all of my own photos shown here are stored on my own personal site rather than using something like imgur or photobucket or whatever. This includes not only all of the chip images, but all of the travel photos that I added in an attempt to liven up some of the posts, as well as a wide variety of other images that I have chosen to post over the years.
I have decided to change the hosting service that I use for my site. My motivation is that my current host's rates are making me twitch -- they are up 56% in the past 4 years, and I am a cheapskate. I guess it's not really that their pricing is too high for what they now provide but rather that I don't really make use of the many services that are included -- I'm not trying to run a business out of that web site.
Unfortunately, making this change means that I have to get a whole bunch of stuff set up with a new host -- my "site" is practically nothing, but I have a rather extensive array of .jpg files (a couple thousand of them), organized into directories. My intent is to have everything set up on the new hosting site before I have the domain registrar flip the switch to start sending all of the traffic (what little there really is) to the new host's servers. At this point, I have signed up with the new host and transferred (I think) all of the important files. I'm about ready to hold my breath and tell them to flip the switch. That will probably happen some time this weekend, or at least within the next week before I am due to renew my agreement with the current host (at the higher rate).
The two biggest concerns that I have are (1) getting my email delivery (at that same domain name) transferred reliably without losing mail in the process and (2) keeping everything running smoothly with all the images that show up here at WoV. In that latter regard, I am asking folks here to let me know if you notice a glitch, like a missing image somewhere. If they all disappear, I'm sure I'll notice that and be working frantically to get it fixed. But there's the chance that I lose just a few files somewhere along the way and don't notice, so if you see some such "missing image" icon, please let me know.
On several occasions, both in this thread and elsewhere in the forum, we have discussed what it takes to include pictures in the posts -- specifically the issue of needing to have the photos hosted at a publicly-accessible place elsewhere on the web, then linking to them in the post here. I have noted that all of my own photos shown here are stored on my own personal site rather than using something like imgur or photobucket or whatever. This includes not only all of the chip images, but all of the travel photos that I added in an attempt to liven up some of the posts, as well as a wide variety of other images that I have chosen to post over the years.
I have decided to change the hosting service that I use for my site. My motivation is that my current host's rates are making me twitch -- they are up 56% in the past 4 years, and I am a cheapskate. I guess it's not really that their pricing is too high for what they now provide but rather that I don't really make use of the many services that are included -- I'm not trying to run a business out of that web site.
Unfortunately, making this change means that I have to get a whole bunch of stuff set up with a new host -- my "site" is practically nothing, but I have a rather extensive array of .jpg files (a couple thousand of them), organized into directories. My intent is to have everything set up on the new hosting site before I have the domain registrar flip the switch to start sending all of the traffic (what little there really is) to the new host's servers. At this point, I have signed up with the new host and transferred (I think) all of the important files. I'm about ready to hold my breath and tell them to flip the switch. That will probably happen some time this weekend, or at least within the next week before I am due to renew my agreement with the current host (at the higher rate).
The two biggest concerns that I have are (1) getting my email delivery (at that same domain name) transferred reliably without losing mail in the process and (2) keeping everything running smoothly with all the images that show up here at WoV. In that latter regard, I am asking folks here to let me know if you notice a glitch, like a missing image somewhere. If they all disappear, I'm sure I'll notice that and be working frantically to get it fixed. But there's the chance that I lose just a few files somewhere along the way and don't notice, so if you see some such "missing image" icon, please let me know.
July 22nd, 2016 at 6:56:05 PM
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The whole 'chip of the day' thing is way cool, I hope it doesn't get lost in the transition. Meanwhile, If you send me all the 'other pics' you have saved on the current domain I will keep them safe for you ;-)
Your feathered friend, 2F
Your feathered friend, 2F
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
July 23rd, 2016 at 7:18:04 AM
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Hey Doc. Did you ever keep a home drive back up of everything? Sometimes people forget to do that when stuff is in the clouds.
July 23rd, 2016 at 10:26:49 AM
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I have backups of backups of backups. I'm an OCD nerd.
There are a fair number of images that I stored at my web site to post here for just one-time discussions. An example would be: 
Does anyone remember what this one was all about?
Many images like that I haven't bothered to store on my own computer, but I did get them downloaded from the old/current host's server and uploaded to the new host to keep from getting broken links after I flip the switch.
When I uploaded all of my chip images to the new host, I didn't bother downloading from the current host, since I already had all of those saved on my computer and its backup and the backup of that backup. I just uploaded from my computer to the new host.
My concern in that process is the slight possibility that I have some chip image saved with a slightly-different name on the current host than what I have the file called on my computer. If I do, and if I find the broken link, I can easily change the file name and fix that, but I don't want to search through a couple thousand file names to see whether there is a discrepancy. (Not quite nerdy enough.)
And no, 2F, I don't have any of that kind of "other pics" stored that you might need to keep safe for me.
There are a fair number of images that I stored at my web site to post here for just one-time discussions. An example would be:
Does anyone remember what this one was all about?
Many images like that I haven't bothered to store on my own computer, but I did get them downloaded from the old/current host's server and uploaded to the new host to keep from getting broken links after I flip the switch.
When I uploaded all of my chip images to the new host, I didn't bother downloading from the current host, since I already had all of those saved on my computer and its backup and the backup of that backup. I just uploaded from my computer to the new host.
My concern in that process is the slight possibility that I have some chip image saved with a slightly-different name on the current host than what I have the file called on my computer. If I do, and if I find the broken link, I can easily change the file name and fix that, but I don't want to search through a couple thousand file names to see whether there is a discrepancy. (Not quite nerdy enough.)
And no, 2F, I don't have any of that kind of "other pics" stored that you might need to keep safe for me.
July 24th, 2016 at 8:28:28 PM
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Flipped the switch on the hosting service changeover at 7:30 EDT this evening. Had minor issues with getting email settings working on computers and phone, mostly because I try not to get involved with those details often enough to remember how to do them.
Also, just moving the web site homepage files from one host's server to the other host's server didn't give me a working site. I don't know html, so I didn't know how to fix whatever is causing the problem. I did get a substitute page running, but I don't like the way it looks. Fortunately, I'm not conducting business there and I'm not trying to attract traffic. I don't think anyone ever even visits that site, which is just fine.
I haven't yet encountered any broken links on WoV, so maybe that part worked just fine. Let me know if you see any glitches.
Also, just moving the web site homepage files from one host's server to the other host's server didn't give me a working site. I don't know html, so I didn't know how to fix whatever is causing the problem. I did get a substitute page running, but I don't like the way it looks. Fortunately, I'm not conducting business there and I'm not trying to attract traffic. I don't think anyone ever even visits that site, which is just fine.
I haven't yet encountered any broken links on WoV, so maybe that part worked just fine. Let me know if you see any glitches.
July 24th, 2016 at 9:25:57 PM
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Category: Caribbean
City: Manatí, Puerto Rico
Casino: Casino Atlántico
Today we move away from the San Juan metro area to Manatí. Casino Atlantico is located inside the Hyatt Place Hotel, which is the only hotel in this town. The games on offer are 2 roulette tables, 1 3CP, and 2 Freebet BJ at $5-100. I arrived around 11am which I guess was still early because the tables were just being opened up. I had to play BJ to get my chip. I probably played about 20 hands but did not get a chance to take advantage of the freebet. Both sides of the chip is the same.
Manatí is spanish for the manatee. I don't know if the town is named so because manatees gather there.
City: Manatí, Puerto Rico
Casino: Casino Atlántico
Today we move away from the San Juan metro area to Manatí. Casino Atlantico is located inside the Hyatt Place Hotel, which is the only hotel in this town. The games on offer are 2 roulette tables, 1 3CP, and 2 Freebet BJ at $5-100. I arrived around 11am which I guess was still early because the tables were just being opened up. I had to play BJ to get my chip. I probably played about 20 hands but did not get a chance to take advantage of the freebet. Both sides of the chip is the same.
Manatí is spanish for the manatee. I don't know if the town is named so because manatees gather there.
I CD-ROM.
July 26th, 2016 at 9:28:26 AM
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Quote: DocI have backups of backups of backups. I'm an OCD nerd.
There are a fair number of images that I stored at my web site to post here for just one-time discussions. An example would be:
Does anyone remember what this one was all about?
I recall an extended discussion about the position of the pips on different dice. The photo is an example of how the pips on one come together in a corner, while the other fall the opposite way. I think it has implications for DI practitioners.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
July 26th, 2016 at 12:48:04 PM
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The topic of dice configurations has come up several times in this forum.
Way back in April 2011, odiousgambit started this thread that ran for three pages. I participated in the discussions, but at that time I had not yet come across the image that I posted above.
By November 2011, there was a thread previewing an "Ask the Wizard" column, with a question about resolving a craps throw in which one die lands on top of the other one. By then I had found that image and posted it in my comment here.
In May 2012, in the Spanish Word of the Day thread, the Wizard commented on a poster image that included an improper die but has since vanished from the thread, and I again posted the image of the mismatched dice here.
In February 2013, in this very thread, I replied to a post by Ayecarumba and referenced the unusual dice without posting the image again.
Then in September 2015, 100xOdds was having difficulty adding an avatar to his profile. He had several candidates, at least one of which included an image of an improper die. As part of my reply, I posted the same image once again. Hey, if you've already got the image stored on your own web site, you might as well use it each time an appropriate opportunity arises. ;-)
Way back in April 2011, odiousgambit started this thread that ran for three pages. I participated in the discussions, but at that time I had not yet come across the image that I posted above.
By November 2011, there was a thread previewing an "Ask the Wizard" column, with a question about resolving a craps throw in which one die lands on top of the other one. By then I had found that image and posted it in my comment here.
In May 2012, in the Spanish Word of the Day thread, the Wizard commented on a poster image that included an improper die but has since vanished from the thread, and I again posted the image of the mismatched dice here.
In February 2013, in this very thread, I replied to a post by Ayecarumba and referenced the unusual dice without posting the image again.
Then in September 2015, 100xOdds was having difficulty adding an avatar to his profile. He had several candidates, at least one of which included an image of an improper die. As part of my reply, I posted the same image once again. Hey, if you've already got the image stored on your own web site, you might as well use it each time an appropriate opportunity arises. ;-)
July 26th, 2016 at 1:19:36 PM
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Quote: AyecarumbaQuote: AyecarumbaQuote: rdw4potusState: California
City: Gardena
Casino: Normandie
Today's chip of the day comes from the Normandie card club in Gardena, CA. Gardena is an LA suburb, and is also home to the Hustler card club. Normandie has 68 tables, including several poker variations, PGP, PG tiles, baccarat, blackjack, and 3CP.
Here's a picture of the property:
I played BJ at Normandie. I didn't write down all the rules, and their website also doesn't list them. I did note, and the website does confirm, that BJ pays 3:2. That's very rare in California card clubs, so I assume that some other rule(s) must be quite restrictive to offset that payout. As variance would have it, I lost my $60 buyin without experiencing a payout on a BJ, though I did manage to make it take about 45 minutes before I'd lost that money.
The MOGH lists this chip as a house mold. It looks a lot like Bud Jones chips that we've seen from other casinos, like the Hacienda in Boulder City. I assume that the MOGH's classification of this chip is incorrect.
According to the guy in cashier's cage, the Normandie will be rebranded on July 18, 2016. The new chips are supposed to be available at that time, but I didn't notice the usual "You have 30 days to cash in your chips" signage that usually precedes these events.
The Normandie has posted notice (in multiple languages) that their old chips will be completely worthless on November 16, 2016. The cashier last night didn't know when the new chips were going to be introduced. I may swing by today to see if there is more info, but I expect there to be a transition period where both designs are left in play.
After a long run as the oldest family run card club in California, the Normandie is no more. After twisting the arm of the city for a favorable tax cut, the re-branded building had a soft opening this past weekend. It now shall be known as "Larry Flynt's Lucky Lady" (yes, THAT Larry Flynt, the paralyzed purveyor of pornography) New chips were introduced, but they are so ugly, I am having a hard time justifying the travel and $1 it is going to cost me.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
July 26th, 2016 at 2:14:12 PM
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Larry Flint is an institution, hard to believe he is even still alive.
Love him, hate him, never heard of him, makes no difference.
He changed the world ( maybe better, maybe worse )
Why are you reading this?
Why aren't you out there changing the world?
Love him, hate him, never heard of him, makes no difference.
He changed the world ( maybe better, maybe worse )
Why are you reading this?
Why aren't you out there changing the world?
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
July 26th, 2016 at 3:35:32 PM
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Quote: TwoFeathersATLLarry Flint is an institution, hard to believe he is even still alive.
Love him, hate him, never heard of him, makes no difference.
He changed the world ( maybe better, maybe worse )
Why are you reading this?
Why aren't you out there changing the world?
I hate him. For one thing, he took down the El Dorado Club.
Now he's going to take down the Normandie?
I spent 1000s of hours in both clubs, also the Horseshoe. Yes, thousands, literally. There were six clubs when I started playing Gardena. It was all the way live! There was no Commerce back then, no Bike. If you have seen the opening scene from California Split, it was just like that.
Last edited by: bobbartop on Jul 26, 2016
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 26th, 2016 at 4:01:48 PM
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Received as a gift, Rivers Pittsburgh penguins $5 chips. Set of four, sealed plastic in Miller Lite box. It was one of the nicest gifts I have gotten from the casino. Will share a pic if I figure it out. Any ideas about resale value. Apparently only 400 sets were given out that Saturday morning.
I am a robot.
July 26th, 2016 at 4:25:42 PM
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Quote: Ayecarumba
It now shall be known as "Larry Flynt's Lucky Lady" (yes, THAT Larry Flynt, the paralyzed purveyor of pornography)
There's already a Lucky Lady in San Diego. He could have come up with something original. Or, kept the Normandie name. Great memories of the Normandie. First started playing there when it was on Western Ave. Probably my all-time favorite card room out of the once over 600 rooms in California. Good people, good family that owned it, great employees, just a special place.
Last edited by: bobbartop on Jul 26, 2016
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 26th, 2016 at 5:57:29 PM
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A complete set of five chips (all the different Penguins logos available) went for $58 and change last month. There are multiple listings asking $15 for a single $5 chip, but no takers. There is also a $100 version of the Penguins logo chip too. I guess it's a tough sell in the middle of summer.Quote: onenickelmiracleReceived as a gift, Rivers Pittsburgh penguins $5 chips. Set of four, sealed plastic in Miller Lite box. It was one of the nicest gifts I have gotten from the casino. Will share a pic if I figure it out. Any ideas about resale value. Apparently only 400 sets were given out that Saturday morning.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
July 26th, 2016 at 6:02:14 PM
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So is this a completely different Comstock Casino from the one in Tracy, CA, which rdw4potus told us about here? If so, this chip does deserve its place as the chip of the day, but with a properly-formatted post, not just a reply to someone else's post. You should still have time to edit that post, if you want it included in the index.Quote: bobbartopOK, here is my chip for this thread. From the top of the state, in Santa Clara....
Last edited by: Doc on Jul 27, 2016
July 26th, 2016 at 6:49:04 PM
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Thanks for the benchmark. Mailing my extra set to a friend as a gift, but the extra set, I will probably sell at some point.Quote: AyecarumbaA complete set of five chips (all the different Penguins logos available) went for $58 and change last month. There are multiple listings asking $15 for a single $5 chip, but no takers. There is also a $100 version of the Penguins logo chip too. I guess it's a tough sell in the middle of summer.
I am a robot.
July 26th, 2016 at 7:11:08 PM
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Answering my own question: According to info in the MoGH chip guide, a Comstock Casino operated in Santa Clara from 1974 to 1983, while a later Comstock Casino operated in Tracy from 1994 until it became the Stars Casino in 2013.Quote: DocSo is this a completely different Comstock Casino from the one in Tracy, CA....
So yes, these are two different places and we need you to revise your post if you will, bobbartop. I look forward to including this as a second Comstock Casino in the index.
July 26th, 2016 at 8:38:55 PM
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Some guys just refuse to play 'inside the box'.
Sorry Doc.
Sorry Doc.
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
July 26th, 2016 at 8:59:35 PM
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State: California
City: Santa Clara
Casino: Comstock
This is a chip I have kept since 1976 when I played my first hand of lowball in a public card room. There were, I believe, three card rooms close to each other. Comstock was on Saratoga Ave and another small room called Miracle Mile was on Stevens Creek, in Santa Clara. Not far from there was Joe's in San Jose, which may have changed to Garden City later. I am not sure of that history but any players from that area surely remember it. All three clubs are gone now.
I best remember that Comstock was exclusively lowball. As with most of Northern California the game was played in "straight limit" fashion, as opposed to "double limit" in the southern part of the state. That is, in straight limit, there would generally be three partial blinds that totalled one complete bet. For instance, in a "straight $20 limit", there would be $5 on the button, $5 in seat #1, and $10 in seat #2. Seat #3 would be first to act and could open for $20, or pass out. All raises, unlimited, would be in increments of $20, and bets after the draw would also be in $20 increments. The pot could be "killed", either blindly, or "look-at-two" and kill, where $20 is thrown into the pot, making it $40 to open.
Those games were all still player-dealt, no house dealers. And generally the time collection (rake) was very reasonable by today's standards.
City: Santa Clara
Casino: Comstock
This is a chip I have kept since 1976 when I played my first hand of lowball in a public card room. There were, I believe, three card rooms close to each other. Comstock was on Saratoga Ave and another small room called Miracle Mile was on Stevens Creek, in Santa Clara. Not far from there was Joe's in San Jose, which may have changed to Garden City later. I am not sure of that history but any players from that area surely remember it. All three clubs are gone now.
I best remember that Comstock was exclusively lowball. As with most of Northern California the game was played in "straight limit" fashion, as opposed to "double limit" in the southern part of the state. That is, in straight limit, there would generally be three partial blinds that totalled one complete bet. For instance, in a "straight $20 limit", there would be $5 on the button, $5 in seat #1, and $10 in seat #2. Seat #3 would be first to act and could open for $20, or pass out. All raises, unlimited, would be in increments of $20, and bets after the draw would also be in $20 increments. The pot could be "killed", either blindly, or "look-at-two" and kill, where $20 is thrown into the pot, making it $40 to open.
Those games were all still player-dealt, no house dealers. And generally the time collection (rake) was very reasonable by today's standards.
Last edited by: bobbartop on Jul 26, 2016
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 26th, 2016 at 9:13:42 PM
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I'll send a P.M.
Edit much later: I exchanged PMs with bobbartop, and he has now edited the post above this one to make it a very fine CCotD post for a casino (card room) I had not heard of before. We have also edited and revised a few of the posts above so as not to distract quite so much from this new entry in the thread's collection.
Thanks, bobbartop!
Edit much later: I exchanged PMs with bobbartop, and he has now edited the post above this one to make it a very fine CCotD post for a casino (card room) I had not heard of before. We have also edited and revised a few of the posts above so as not to distract quite so much from this new entry in the thread's collection.
Thanks, bobbartop!
Last edited by: Doc on Jul 27, 2016
July 26th, 2016 at 11:57:04 PM
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Quote: rdw4potus
1. They're big and in LA or Orange County. They're nicer than their neighborhoods suggest, but also not upscale.
(replying to a post from November 2013)
No card rooms in Orange County. May never happen. I remember a small joint in the early 80s called the Camelot, I think, and they may have played gin, pan, etc., but no poker. It was in Anaheim, somewhere off Lincoln if I recall. I'm sure it must have been shut down forcibly, because, like I said, NO card rooms in Orange County. Probably ain't never going to be.
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 27th, 2016 at 7:19:41 AM
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Just for clarification:
We have edited several posts from the previous pages, and I don't want to risk that all of those changes might result in someone who follows this thread regularly missing out on a very nice Casino Chip of the Day post by bobbartop. Just take a look a few posts above this one (really, near the bottom of the previous page now) to see his first "official" contribution to our thread's collection.
I have now added that chip to the thread's index and edited the index to show that rdw4potus's chip was from the Comstock in Tracy, while bobbartop's was from the like-named casino in Santa Clara.
We have edited several posts from the previous pages, and I don't want to risk that all of those changes might result in someone who follows this thread regularly missing out on a very nice Casino Chip of the Day post by bobbartop. Just take a look a few posts above this one (really, near the bottom of the previous page now) to see his first "official" contribution to our thread's collection.
I have now added that chip to the thread's index and edited the index to show that rdw4potus's chip was from the Comstock in Tracy, while bobbartop's was from the like-named casino in Santa Clara.
July 27th, 2016 at 7:47:11 AM
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I went back and re-read.
Well done Doc.
Well done Barbarabartop.
Well done Doc.
Well done Barbarabartop.
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
July 27th, 2016 at 2:13:59 PM
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Well looks like I screwed up! A lesson in the penalty of procrastination.
Have a trip planned in 3 weeks to do a loop around FL hitting card rooms and casinos to add to my collection. WPB>Jacksonville>Tallahassee>Tampa>WPB. Was going to do this last August but put it off at the time.
Looked like I'd have 8 new chips for this thread.
Researching today, Hamilton Downs Jai Alai + Poker Room lost their gaming license and closed in October 2015. Doh! Then Seminole Casino Brighton posted on their website just this past week that they are closing their poker room on 8/1/16. Only slots now. Doh!
Have a trip planned in 3 weeks to do a loop around FL hitting card rooms and casinos to add to my collection. WPB>Jacksonville>Tallahassee>Tampa>WPB. Was going to do this last August but put it off at the time.
Looked like I'd have 8 new chips for this thread.
Researching today, Hamilton Downs Jai Alai + Poker Room lost their gaming license and closed in October 2015. Doh! Then Seminole Casino Brighton posted on their website just this past week that they are closing their poker room on 8/1/16. Only slots now. Doh!
July 27th, 2016 at 6:20:51 PM
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Nice write up bobbartop! Were these chips used to pay the "rent" on the chairs in the card room? Based on your description of the blind structure, it doesn't sound like there was much need for odd valued chips.
There's a place called "Artichoke Joe's" in San Bruno, which is near the SFO airport. I wonder if it is the same owner as the former "Joe's" in San Jose you mentioned in your write up?
There's a place called "Artichoke Joe's" in San Bruno, which is near the SFO airport. I wonder if it is the same owner as the former "Joe's" in San Jose you mentioned in your write up?
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
July 27th, 2016 at 8:29:26 PM
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Quote: AyecarumbaNice write up bobbartop! Were these chips used to pay the "rent" on the chairs in the card room? Based on your description of the blind structure, it doesn't sound like there was much need for odd valued chips.
There's a place called "Artichoke Joe's" in San Bruno, which is near the SFO airport. I wonder if it is the same owner as the former "Joe's" in San Jose you mentioned in your write up?
There wasn't much need for odd value chips but I always remember there being 50 cent chips for something. In the standard $20 straight limit lowball up north the collection was a yellow chip ($5) each half hour. Quite reasonable. The best collection I can remember from my past was in San Diego. At one time there were literally 50 or more rooms in the area, and collection was limited to $2.50 per hour. That included some fairly good size games, with over-kills. The San Diego games were unique. I can try to describe them some other time.
In regard to "Joe's" in San Jose, I may be getting my memory mixed up. I have only heard of it, way back when. But it was Garden City when I first played, which was an A-framed building off Saratoga Ave, very nice club, very popular. It had moved from somewhere because I heard stories. Now I believe it has moved to become M8trix, which I see you have covered in this thread already. I doubt that "Joe" was the same "Joe" in San Bruno. Anything's possible.
Garden City had a straight $20 lowball for a long long time. It was worth my trips from Southern Calif. They also had high draw spread limit, $4-40, back in maybe the 70s or 80s. I think they had Pan. Many clubs had Pan in the old days, not much now. Pan was a very different game from poker. It had its loyal players, though. More of a rummy type game, not to be confused with Pan 9. A lot of history to Pan. But I would let someone else on this board describe it better than I could.
I have only played Artichoke's a few times, a long time ago, and I remember it being a No-Limit house. They definitely had NL high draw games, I do not remember lowball from there. I have a chip from there, it's probably 30-40 years old.
There was another club in San Bruno, I think it closed in the 90s, called Casino Royale. Not to be confused with Sacramento. I have a chip from there also.
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 28th, 2016 at 8:40:46 AM
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State: California
City: Gardena
Casino: Eldorado Club
Gardena opened its first card room in 1936, owned by Ernest J Primm, the same Primm whose name is associated with the three casinos at the stateline between California and Nevada on the way to Vegas on Hwy 15. His place was called the Embassy Palace.
Later there were to be six clubs, the Embassy, the Normandie, the Gardena, the Horseshoe, the Rainbow and the Monterey.
At some point the Embassy changed to the Eldorado Club which opened in 1968 and was located on Vermont Ave and Redondo Beach Blvd. They had the standard Gardena games, limit high draw, jacks-or-better to open, lowball, and if I recall they had the biggest pan game around, $100 kondition, I think. I never played pan but that fact is in my fuzzy memory. Board games like hold'em came along in 1986. The Eldorado declared bankruptcy in 1996. At this point the whole LA poker scene had changed dramatically and the Eldorado Club couldn't handle all the competition. Hollywood Park had opened its casino, nearby Compton opened Crystal Park, and you had the big boys like the Bike and Commerce going full swing. Four months later the Eldorado closed forever. Too bad, it was one of my favorite hang-outs, a very nice club, so much rich history.
Here is my chip of the day: I've had it probably 30 years.
City: Gardena
Casino: Eldorado Club
Gardena opened its first card room in 1936, owned by Ernest J Primm, the same Primm whose name is associated with the three casinos at the stateline between California and Nevada on the way to Vegas on Hwy 15. His place was called the Embassy Palace.
Later there were to be six clubs, the Embassy, the Normandie, the Gardena, the Horseshoe, the Rainbow and the Monterey.
At some point the Embassy changed to the Eldorado Club which opened in 1968 and was located on Vermont Ave and Redondo Beach Blvd. They had the standard Gardena games, limit high draw, jacks-or-better to open, lowball, and if I recall they had the biggest pan game around, $100 kondition, I think. I never played pan but that fact is in my fuzzy memory. Board games like hold'em came along in 1986. The Eldorado declared bankruptcy in 1996. At this point the whole LA poker scene had changed dramatically and the Eldorado Club couldn't handle all the competition. Hollywood Park had opened its casino, nearby Compton opened Crystal Park, and you had the big boys like the Bike and Commerce going full swing. Four months later the Eldorado closed forever. Too bad, it was one of my favorite hang-outs, a very nice club, so much rich history.
Here is my chip of the day: I've had it probably 30 years.
Last edited by: bobbartop on Jul 28, 2016
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 28th, 2016 at 11:13:24 AM
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Quote: bobbartopState: California
City: Gardena
Casino: El Dorado
The few notes on the El Dorado and its role in the history of poker in California:
-- Poker in California was played in underground clubs and speakeasies from the Civil War through Prohibition, despite the fact that a law on the books since the 1870's prohibited games of chance. It is important, as this law did not specifically mention Poker on the list of prohibited games (because the lawmakers enjoyed playing poker).
-- In 1936, the predecessor to the El Dorado, the Embassy Palace opened as the first card club in Gardena. It was housed in a former speakeasy, the Alamo Social Club.
-- In 1937 four men were arrested for playing draw poker at the Embassy. Their arrest became the test case for the legality of non-house banked draw poker in California as a "game of skill".
-- The State Attorney General agreed that since Poker was specifically excluded from the the list of prohibited games, it wasn't prohibited, legalizing poker at the Embassy, and establishing Gardena as the first (and only until the late 1970's) California city to license card rooms.
-- Eventually, six rooms were licensed in Gardena, including the Embassy which was sold in 1968, and re-branded as the El Dorado.
-- In 1979, card rooms were legalized in Bell, which was the beginning of the end for poker in Gardena, as their monopoly was broken by competing tax starved cities with larger, modern clubs, and the tidal wave of nearby tribal casinos that offered slots.
-- -- After almost two decades of decline that saw the closing of four of the other six clubs, the El Dorado closed in 1996, it was purchased by Pornographer Larry Flynt in 1998 and the building was torn down to build the Hustler Casino, which opened on August 22, 2000. The Hustler is perhaps one of the ugliest pieces of architecture west of the Mississippi:
It looks like Swiss cheese, but it is supposed to be a crown.
-- The one thing I remember about the El Dorado was the curtain of smoke that smacked you when you opened the doors. This was back in the days prior to the indoor smoking ban in California. It was intense.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
July 28th, 2016 at 11:53:02 AM
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You're right, the Hustler is the ugliest building ever. I thought the inside was ridiculous too. I've played there less than a dozen times.
In the earlier California law prohibiting gambling, there was a clause, no "stud-horse poker". That little phrase was a can of worms. There is a lot of history on the interpretation of what the legislature meant by "stud-horse poker". You could probably spend hours reading about just that, and the subsequent rulings. Anyway, someone figured that "stud-horse poker" did not mean "draw poker", and the games began. lol It wasn't until the mid-80s that it got resolved, and now the term "stud-horse poker" is removed from the law books.
It's been years since I read up on it, but the Oaks Club in Emeryville and the Huntington Park Casino in Los Angeles played a significant role in getting them to finally ok other forms of poker than just Draw variations. Then, city by city started changing their regulations. San Diego and Sacramento were two of the very last to bring on hold'em, so while the rest of the state played hold'em there were a few years where those two jurisdictions continued to allow Draw poker only. The very last city to give in, that I personally know of, was Lodi, California. Now you'd probably be very hard-pressed to find a lowball game in the state.
In the earlier California law prohibiting gambling, there was a clause, no "stud-horse poker". That little phrase was a can of worms. There is a lot of history on the interpretation of what the legislature meant by "stud-horse poker". You could probably spend hours reading about just that, and the subsequent rulings. Anyway, someone figured that "stud-horse poker" did not mean "draw poker", and the games began. lol It wasn't until the mid-80s that it got resolved, and now the term "stud-horse poker" is removed from the law books.
It's been years since I read up on it, but the Oaks Club in Emeryville and the Huntington Park Casino in Los Angeles played a significant role in getting them to finally ok other forms of poker than just Draw variations. Then, city by city started changing their regulations. San Diego and Sacramento were two of the very last to bring on hold'em, so while the rest of the state played hold'em there were a few years where those two jurisdictions continued to allow Draw poker only. The very last city to give in, that I personally know of, was Lodi, California. Now you'd probably be very hard-pressed to find a lowball game in the state.
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 28th, 2016 at 12:27:39 PM
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Very cool chip of the days. Both the Cali and the PR ones. I enjoyed the history lesson on California card rooms.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
July 28th, 2016 at 6:39:34 PM
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Quote: bobbartopCasino: El Dorado
I have listed this one in the thread index as "Eldorado" instead of "El Dorado" for two reasons: (1) That's what the name on the chip looks like to me and (2) The MoGH Chip Guide has this place listed as "Eldorado Club".
Since the place is gone, it might be difficult to establish now just how they presented the name in other places than on the chips. Does anyone have a definitive answer? If "Eldorado" is correct, then you can either edit the CCotD post to reflect that or just leave it as it is.
Edit: The graphic that Ayecarumba posted does call the place "The Eldorado Club". Can't quite see the full name on the building. Guess that may answer the question. I missed that graphic before.
Last edited by: Doc on Jul 28, 2016
July 28th, 2016 at 7:06:25 PM
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Doc, I'm sure you're right and it just never occurred to me. My brain wrote "El Dorado" but I am sure your spelling is the correct name. I just looked at some old articles from the LA Times and they call it "Eldorado Club". Thanks for catching this. I'm a newbie, you've got to keep an eye on me. Thanks.
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 28th, 2016 at 9:50:00 PM
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And thanks to you for posting these old chips. I'd guess it's rather likely that you are the only participant on this forum who has these chips -- and perhaps some others from places you mentioned. Keep 'em comin'!
July 30th, 2016 at 2:02:36 PM
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Quote: rdw4potusState: California
City: Visalia
Casino: Deuce
Today's chip of the day comes from the Deuce card club in Visalia, CA. Visalia is between Fresno and Bakersfield on CA99. It is the county seat of Tulare County, and it's quite the agricultural hub. The Deuce is a poker-only club, with 4 tables. Strangely, it is dark on Sundays.
Here's a picture of the Deuce. It's a pretty rundown place:
I did not play at the Deuce. I arrived just as the last table of the day was breaking, and they elected not to seat new players. Given the circumstances, they were nice enough to let me buy a chip.
My chip from the Deuce is a Yellow sunfly mold from the Blue Chip company. The chip has an image of the deuce of clubs on it. That seems like a nice touch for a card club called the Deuce.
This is actually in Goshen, which might as well be Visalia. It's been there forever, and was previously called Gloria's. A long time ago I think it was the Hideout. I never played there but used to stop by just to pick up the CardPlayer mag. Something tells me it was part Greyhound Bus stop. Perhaps the bus stopped there and/or they stop somewhere close to there now. My memory is fuzzy. I've heard stories of some pretty big games there. There used to be a game at Paul Bunyon's, a motel over near Porterville, and they had $20-40 holdem before the world changed to NL. It was a mix of the same guys would end up playing big at Gloria's/The Deuce. I've passed it about a million times, not lately, though.
The area has a rich poker history, like many areas in the state, that got gobbled up by the Indian casinos. There were several rooms in Porterville, but no longer. The Mint was on Main Street, tried to open on Olive, but I never saw a game there. Now I think it's a place to buy protein powder. Sad. There's a place in Lemoore too, Adolfo's Royal Flush, used to have many tables and a crowded and very friendly place to play, of course Tachi Palace Indian casino changed that story. Even the nearby town of Hanford had many card rooms, (card room/bars), and they were killed by the Indians at Tachi also. Last room/bar was The Cottage. Nothing in Hanford now, and I doubt if Adolfo's spreads a game now. I'll look into it. I have a chip from there, also one from the Mint, I'll find them and post them soon. The Indians killed a lot of card rooms. But there was no stopping it. Between the Indians and the state attorney general and creating a state gaming commission, anyone could see the small card room was going to be extinct someday. I'm talking about maybe the late 80s. Before that, many places allowed card room licensing to be up to the county. If there was less than a certain amount of population, like Kern County, there was no need for a vote. Just apply and get a license, essentially. The Bakersfield area had dozens, yes DOZENS, of card rooms when I was a young man. And it was all No Limit Lowball, 99%.
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 31st, 2016 at 7:03:40 AM
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State: California
City: Porterville
Casino: The Mint
The Mint was a cardroom/bar on Main Street in Porterville. There have been many card rooms in the life of Porterville, but that is history now. I played at the Mint in probably the late 80s, I know it was after hold'em was legalized. It is difficult to follow the whole Mint story, and it looks like it turned into an ugly story, later complications over the fate of the license and lawsuits between private parties and the Indian casino. The Mint was the last card room to operate in this Tulare County town, ending in a location on Olive Ave. I would guess it was about a year ago that they finally changed the sign and it is now another type of business, after sitting there for a long time with no poker game.
I'm going to link two news articles. This is a lot of reading and would probably not interest very many readers, so be warned that you'll probably only want to read them if you are a die-hard card room enthusiast or perhaps someone from the Porterville area who would appreciate the history. Other than that you would probably find it boring.
I did notice that one of the articles mentioned the Paul Bunyon motel card game that I mentioned above in a reply about the game in Goshen-Visalia.
http://tinyurl.com/hr8v4tv
http://tinyurl.com/h8m36m5
City: Porterville
Casino: The Mint
The Mint was a cardroom/bar on Main Street in Porterville. There have been many card rooms in the life of Porterville, but that is history now. I played at the Mint in probably the late 80s, I know it was after hold'em was legalized. It is difficult to follow the whole Mint story, and it looks like it turned into an ugly story, later complications over the fate of the license and lawsuits between private parties and the Indian casino. The Mint was the last card room to operate in this Tulare County town, ending in a location on Olive Ave. I would guess it was about a year ago that they finally changed the sign and it is now another type of business, after sitting there for a long time with no poker game.
I'm going to link two news articles. This is a lot of reading and would probably not interest very many readers, so be warned that you'll probably only want to read them if you are a die-hard card room enthusiast or perhaps someone from the Porterville area who would appreciate the history. Other than that you would probably find it boring.
I did notice that one of the articles mentioned the Paul Bunyon motel card game that I mentioned above in a reply about the game in Goshen-Visalia.
http://tinyurl.com/hr8v4tv
http://tinyurl.com/h8m36m5
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 31st, 2016 at 7:31:07 AM
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The "Sundowner" in Visalia.
On page 395 of this thread rdw4potus posted an informative article about the "Sundowner" in Visalia. There's been a couple card rooms at this address in the past and I don't know what the different names were. There was a "Mr.G's" close to it, but I remember never being able to find it.
Rdw4potus showed the chips they were using when he visited, they were labeled "Tagus Cardroom", which was a short-lived card room opened in the late 80s when hold'em started. It was next to a motel. I know the landowner who owns a lot of property there, walnut trees, etc., and he may have owned the Tagus property too. The building had numerous uses over the years and I think they had high hopes to turn it back into something sharp, but it didn't happen. It closed, became very run down. Something tells me they had a farmers market there eventually, I may be wrong. I would guess they bulldozed the whole thing maybe five years ago or so because I remember it was in the news. It was off of Hwy 99, south of Goshen just a few miles where the Deuce (another card room) is now.
But anyway, I am posting this mainly because I found a picture of the "Sundowner", or whatever it is called, on my hard drive and Rdw4potus's post was lacking a photo.
The Bellagio it ain't.
So here it is, strip joint and all:
On page 395 of this thread rdw4potus posted an informative article about the "Sundowner" in Visalia. There's been a couple card rooms at this address in the past and I don't know what the different names were. There was a "Mr.G's" close to it, but I remember never being able to find it.
Rdw4potus showed the chips they were using when he visited, they were labeled "Tagus Cardroom", which was a short-lived card room opened in the late 80s when hold'em started. It was next to a motel. I know the landowner who owns a lot of property there, walnut trees, etc., and he may have owned the Tagus property too. The building had numerous uses over the years and I think they had high hopes to turn it back into something sharp, but it didn't happen. It closed, became very run down. Something tells me they had a farmers market there eventually, I may be wrong. I would guess they bulldozed the whole thing maybe five years ago or so because I remember it was in the news. It was off of Hwy 99, south of Goshen just a few miles where the Deuce (another card room) is now.
But anyway, I am posting this mainly because I found a picture of the "Sundowner", or whatever it is called, on my hard drive and Rdw4potus's post was lacking a photo.
The Bellagio it ain't.
So here it is, strip joint and all:
'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.
July 31st, 2016 at 10:00:04 PM
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I had talked about a chip collecting trip that I was planning for July through OK, LA and parts of MS. It got pushed back a bit but I will be taking the trip on August 15. If all goes to plan I will add 54-56 chips which will include 17 new chip of the days and possibly two more but I believe one has closed its tables and the other uses chips from a neighbor casino. I will do a trip report again as I go and I will post my schedule closer to the 15th.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
August 1st, 2016 at 10:54:29 AM
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I forgot to mention that I was surprised at how many Oklahoma casinos have not been covered in this thread yet. I thought that Rdw had done his rounds of OK years ago but I guess he only did a portion of them. Also one of my new chips will be from Louisiana, have fun trying to figure out which one Doc.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
August 1st, 2016 at 11:05:56 AM
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Thanks for your contributions, bobbartop. It is interesting to see old chips and learn about its history. I should have posted my last chip sooner, but I've been busy. Please allow me to slip it in before I forget!
I CD-ROM.
August 1st, 2016 at 11:06:32 AM
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Category: Caribbean
City: Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Casino: Ocean Casino
Ocean Casino is located in Aguadilla, on the grounds of the former Ramey Air Force Base. This is now Rafael Hernandez Airport, or BQN, and the gateway to the western PR, having taken over from the Mayaguez airport. Aguadilla is home to Crash Boat beach, with nice clear water, and is also close to the town of Rincon, a world famous surfing spot.
The casino is located inside the Marriott Courtyard hotel. It has a craps table at $5-200 with only 2x field (I have not seen 3x field in PR), and a number of BJ (I forgot how many) tables, all of which are CSM. Some tables also had the 21+3 sidebet.
City: Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Casino: Ocean Casino
Ocean Casino is located in Aguadilla, on the grounds of the former Ramey Air Force Base. This is now Rafael Hernandez Airport, or BQN, and the gateway to the western PR, having taken over from the Mayaguez airport. Aguadilla is home to Crash Boat beach, with nice clear water, and is also close to the town of Rincon, a world famous surfing spot.
The casino is located inside the Marriott Courtyard hotel. It has a craps table at $5-200 with only 2x field (I have not seen 3x field in PR), and a number of BJ (I forgot how many) tables, all of which are CSM. Some tables also had the 21+3 sidebet.
I CD-ROM.
August 1st, 2016 at 11:19:50 AM
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That chips looks like it is from Chipco. I enjoyed all your write ups Konbu, thanks for sharing those with us!
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
