Casino Chip of the Day
October 31st, 2012 at 10:38:47 AM
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Quote: teddysFunny you say you like CC, since I applied for a job with the Nevada Supreme Court. I was having trouble envisioning myself living in Carson City. I gather most people commute from Reno (is that any better?) Never heard back from them after filling out their LONG application...
I think you've got it backwards...people commute FROM CC and SouthWard TO Reno...
And on them catching on...I don't think anyone cared...shit, the dealers all told us "You're what's keeping us in business!"
Gambling calls to me...like this ~> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nap37mNSmQ
October 31st, 2012 at 8:33:06 PM
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State: Nevada
City: West Wendover
Casino: Peppermill
Today's chip comes from another of the casinos in West Wendover, NV. Peppermill casino opened in 1985, and is home to 823 gaming machines and 26 table games. This Peppermill, like Montego Bay, is owned and operated by Peppermill Casinos, inc., which also owns the Reno Peppermill and several other properties in northern NV.
I didn't really pay attention on the Montego Bay chip, but I did notice on the Peppermill chip that the chips say "Wendover." There is no Wendover, NV - the city of Wendover is in Utah. I'm really not sure what to make of the lack of "west" on the chips, but the city in Nevada is West Wendover. If a location was to be listed I'd have expected them to have listed the actual city in which the casino was located.
I stopped by the Peppermill right before I visited Montego Bay. My experience there was pretty short, as it was incredibly dead (at ~2am). I played 1 shoe of BJ, colored up, and left. This is the point where I started to realize exactly how tired I was, as I colored up without keeping a souvenir chip. I realized the oversight at the cage, and had the cashier give me 3 $5s and 5 $1s. Then I bought in for $6, pocketed the $5 chip and tipped the $1 chip for the dealer's effort.
My chip is a red (pink?) Paulson TH&C from the 2005 series. I haven't had a chance to start my photo replacement project, but this chip is the one that put me over the top on the choice to buy a real actual digital camera. On my phone, this was the clearest of about 20 attempts at the photo. I can't figure out what made this one chip so bad, but i got mad all over again yesterday when I pulled the image for this post.
I prefer the look of the 1985 series, but none were available (some of the $1 chips were from the older series).
City: West Wendover
Casino: Peppermill
Today's chip comes from another of the casinos in West Wendover, NV. Peppermill casino opened in 1985, and is home to 823 gaming machines and 26 table games. This Peppermill, like Montego Bay, is owned and operated by Peppermill Casinos, inc., which also owns the Reno Peppermill and several other properties in northern NV.
I didn't really pay attention on the Montego Bay chip, but I did notice on the Peppermill chip that the chips say "Wendover." There is no Wendover, NV - the city of Wendover is in Utah. I'm really not sure what to make of the lack of "west" on the chips, but the city in Nevada is West Wendover. If a location was to be listed I'd have expected them to have listed the actual city in which the casino was located.
I stopped by the Peppermill right before I visited Montego Bay. My experience there was pretty short, as it was incredibly dead (at ~2am). I played 1 shoe of BJ, colored up, and left. This is the point where I started to realize exactly how tired I was, as I colored up without keeping a souvenir chip. I realized the oversight at the cage, and had the cashier give me 3 $5s and 5 $1s. Then I bought in for $6, pocketed the $5 chip and tipped the $1 chip for the dealer's effort.
My chip is a red (pink?) Paulson TH&C from the 2005 series. I haven't had a chance to start my photo replacement project, but this chip is the one that put me over the top on the choice to buy a real actual digital camera. On my phone, this was the clearest of about 20 attempts at the photo. I can't figure out what made this one chip so bad, but i got mad all over again yesterday when I pulled the image for this post.
I prefer the look of the 1985 series, but none were available (some of the $1 chips were from the older series).
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 1st, 2012 at 8:01:56 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Sparks
Casino: Rail City
Today's chip comes from Rail City in Sparks, NV. Rail city opened in 1997 and has 900 gaming machines and (at least) 9 gaming tables. Casino City lists 9 tables at Rail City, but my recollection is that there were about twice that. Rail City is currently owned by Affinity Gaming, following the disposition of the Herbst bankruptcy in 2010.
I've been to Rail City 3 times. I visited once to collect a chip and played quite a bit on the day before I drove to Wendover. That earned me a string of offers that were worth using, and I did return to use one immediately before WovCon ][. The timing there was unfortunate, because I apparently lost this chip and a handful of chips from CA but I didn't realize that before WovCon][, so I needed to return a third time. I did that 2 weeks ago. I kept this most recent visit pretty short, playing 1 shoe of BJ and leaving. At the time, I didn't know when/if I'd ever return to Reno. In retrospect, I wish I'd played a bit more since I'll return soon enough to collect a Fernley Nugget chip. Rail City is an interesting casino in that it isn't memorable in any way. It's just sort of - there. And I doubt that's a good thing in suburban Reno, especially with JA's Nugget right across the freeway.
My chip is a Paulson TH&C, from the 1997 series - the only series yet issued. I understand that Paulson is a prolific manufacturer of chips, but I don't know if there's been a string like this yet in this thread where so many chips in a row have been Paulson chips.
City: Sparks
Casino: Rail City
Today's chip comes from Rail City in Sparks, NV. Rail city opened in 1997 and has 900 gaming machines and (at least) 9 gaming tables. Casino City lists 9 tables at Rail City, but my recollection is that there were about twice that. Rail City is currently owned by Affinity Gaming, following the disposition of the Herbst bankruptcy in 2010.
I've been to Rail City 3 times. I visited once to collect a chip and played quite a bit on the day before I drove to Wendover. That earned me a string of offers that were worth using, and I did return to use one immediately before WovCon ][. The timing there was unfortunate, because I apparently lost this chip and a handful of chips from CA but I didn't realize that before WovCon][, so I needed to return a third time. I did that 2 weeks ago. I kept this most recent visit pretty short, playing 1 shoe of BJ and leaving. At the time, I didn't know when/if I'd ever return to Reno. In retrospect, I wish I'd played a bit more since I'll return soon enough to collect a Fernley Nugget chip. Rail City is an interesting casino in that it isn't memorable in any way. It's just sort of - there. And I doubt that's a good thing in suburban Reno, especially with JA's Nugget right across the freeway.
My chip is a Paulson TH&C, from the 1997 series - the only series yet issued. I understand that Paulson is a prolific manufacturer of chips, but I don't know if there's been a string like this yet in this thread where so many chips in a row have been Paulson chips.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 2nd, 2012 at 4:58:03 PM
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Quote: rdw4potusState: Nevada
City: Sparks
Casino: Rail City
My chip is a Paulson TH&C, from the 1997 series - the only series yet issued. I understand that Paulson is a prolific manufacturer of chips, but I don't know if there's been a string like this yet in this thread where so many chips in a row have been Paulson chips.
Take heart rdw, this is a "short" cane version of the Paulson THC, which we haven't seen in a while.
I appreciate your dedication to completing the "state" set. It would be cool to see them in a single display. Maybe you need to get an iPhone5 with that panoramic picture capability...
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 2nd, 2012 at 8:03:32 PM
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State: Nevada
City: West Wendover
Casino: Rainbow
Today's chip comes from the Rainbow Casino in West Wendover, NV. It's owned by Peppermill Casinos, and shares the same lovely interior decor as the Peppermill and Montego Bay. Translation: the name is apt. Rainbow opened in 1995, but feels like something out of a 1970s flashback. I'm not sure if this is what ummm...Utahers? Utahans? People from Utah think casinos should be like, or what, but pretty much every casino in West Wendover rocks this same psychedelic vibe. As a weary (read: exhausted!) traveler, it sort of hurt my head - and that's before it literally hurt my head when I walked into the wall at Montego Bay.
I visited Rainbow and it's 1,100 slot machines and 34 table games at about 1:30 am on the night/morning when I visited Montego Bay and Peppermill. Rainbow was my first stop in West Wendover, because it was the first casino I saw when I exited the freeway. In retrospect, that was a bad choice - or at least an odd choice - because Red Garter was one way while Peppermill was the other way down the street. i kind of started in the middle. I played BJ at Rainbow. I wish I was more awake at the time, because the dealer wasn't paying any attention at all. She was busy watching the TV behind me. She was very nice, but it was like i was inconveniencing her by wanting to actually gamble during the graveyard shift. Many times, she pulled an extra card after her hand was pat or busted. She didn't burn that card but instead used it as the next card out of the shoe. We were heads up, so it became my card. One time it was an ace, and I didn't raise my bet. i got BJ, realized what had happened, and left mad at myself later.
My chip is from the 2009 series, and is yet another Paulson TH&C. The MOGH doesn't have older chip images, which makes me wonder if the tables at Rainbow have only been there for a few years. This is yet another case of the chip listing Wendover, NV as the casino's home. But the internet insists that city doesn't exist. Even City-Data.com has no listing, and they just parse Census data. I take that to mean that the Census Bureau doesn't think that Wendover, NV exists either.
City: West Wendover
Casino: Rainbow
Today's chip comes from the Rainbow Casino in West Wendover, NV. It's owned by Peppermill Casinos, and shares the same lovely interior decor as the Peppermill and Montego Bay. Translation: the name is apt. Rainbow opened in 1995, but feels like something out of a 1970s flashback. I'm not sure if this is what ummm...Utahers? Utahans? People from Utah think casinos should be like, or what, but pretty much every casino in West Wendover rocks this same psychedelic vibe. As a weary (read: exhausted!) traveler, it sort of hurt my head - and that's before it literally hurt my head when I walked into the wall at Montego Bay.
I visited Rainbow and it's 1,100 slot machines and 34 table games at about 1:30 am on the night/morning when I visited Montego Bay and Peppermill. Rainbow was my first stop in West Wendover, because it was the first casino I saw when I exited the freeway. In retrospect, that was a bad choice - or at least an odd choice - because Red Garter was one way while Peppermill was the other way down the street. i kind of started in the middle. I played BJ at Rainbow. I wish I was more awake at the time, because the dealer wasn't paying any attention at all. She was busy watching the TV behind me. She was very nice, but it was like i was inconveniencing her by wanting to actually gamble during the graveyard shift. Many times, she pulled an extra card after her hand was pat or busted. She didn't burn that card but instead used it as the next card out of the shoe. We were heads up, so it became my card. One time it was an ace, and I didn't raise my bet. i got BJ, realized what had happened, and left mad at myself later.
My chip is from the 2009 series, and is yet another Paulson TH&C. The MOGH doesn't have older chip images, which makes me wonder if the tables at Rainbow have only been there for a few years. This is yet another case of the chip listing Wendover, NV as the casino's home. But the internet insists that city doesn't exist. Even City-Data.com has no listing, and they just parse Census data. I take that to mean that the Census Bureau doesn't think that Wendover, NV exists either.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 3rd, 2012 at 9:27:07 PM
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State: Nevada
City: West Wendover
Casino: Red Garter
Today's chip comes from the Red Garter casino in West Wendover, NV. The Red Garter is the farthest West of the casinos in West Wendover, farther West even than the exit off of I-80. It was the second casino that I visited (after Rainbow) on the day I visited West Wendover. The Red Garter has an interesting ownership history. it was opened in 1981 (according to MOGH) and was owned by Full House Inc from 1983-2004, when it was sold to Holder Hospitality. Holder ran into financial difficulties both including and apart from this casino property, and they considered closing the Red Garter several times most recently in 2009. They took the property into bankruptcy in early 2010, and sold the casino to David Ensign (half-brother of John Ensign, the former senator).
Most of West Wendover's casinos are tacky and very colorful, but they're nice enough once you realize that the decoration methodology is intentional. Sadly, that's not the case for the Red Garter. It's just a craphole. A really ugly, cramped, rundown craphole. I think part of the problem stems from the fact that it's a bit of a frankenstein's monster of a casino - it's been added onto and remodeled so many times that there's no flow or logic to it at all. it's still pretty small, too. Wikipedia says that Ensign has been in the process of re-remodeling the casino, so maybe it's better now. But when I visited in 2011, it was on par with the Western in Las Vegas.
Casino City says that the Red Garter has 514 gaming machines and 12 table games. One thing that is interesting about the table games is that there are 9 (!) single deck BJ tables in that pit. I played single deck BJ on my trip, mostly because the only other option would have been roulette. It was so unbelievably smoky in the casino, I'm not even sure if I made it through 3 shuffles before I left to head to the Peppermill.
My chip is a Paulson TH&C from the 2010 series. It's easily one of the most plain chips in my collection, which is rare for a chip produced so recently. the MOGH has a note that says that the previous version's chips were shredded under the NGC's supervision and replaced with this series. I can't find anything that says why, but the timing seems to line up with the bankruptcy and sale to Mr. Ensign.
City: West Wendover
Casino: Red Garter
Today's chip comes from the Red Garter casino in West Wendover, NV. The Red Garter is the farthest West of the casinos in West Wendover, farther West even than the exit off of I-80. It was the second casino that I visited (after Rainbow) on the day I visited West Wendover. The Red Garter has an interesting ownership history. it was opened in 1981 (according to MOGH) and was owned by Full House Inc from 1983-2004, when it was sold to Holder Hospitality. Holder ran into financial difficulties both including and apart from this casino property, and they considered closing the Red Garter several times most recently in 2009. They took the property into bankruptcy in early 2010, and sold the casino to David Ensign (half-brother of John Ensign, the former senator).
Most of West Wendover's casinos are tacky and very colorful, but they're nice enough once you realize that the decoration methodology is intentional. Sadly, that's not the case for the Red Garter. It's just a craphole. A really ugly, cramped, rundown craphole. I think part of the problem stems from the fact that it's a bit of a frankenstein's monster of a casino - it's been added onto and remodeled so many times that there's no flow or logic to it at all. it's still pretty small, too. Wikipedia says that Ensign has been in the process of re-remodeling the casino, so maybe it's better now. But when I visited in 2011, it was on par with the Western in Las Vegas.
Casino City says that the Red Garter has 514 gaming machines and 12 table games. One thing that is interesting about the table games is that there are 9 (!) single deck BJ tables in that pit. I played single deck BJ on my trip, mostly because the only other option would have been roulette. It was so unbelievably smoky in the casino, I'm not even sure if I made it through 3 shuffles before I left to head to the Peppermill.
My chip is a Paulson TH&C from the 2010 series. It's easily one of the most plain chips in my collection, which is rare for a chip produced so recently. the MOGH has a note that says that the previous version's chips were shredded under the NGC's supervision and replaced with this series. I can't find anything that says why, but the timing seems to line up with the bankruptcy and sale to Mr. Ensign.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 4th, 2012 at 12:05:22 AM
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I enjoyed my time at Red Garter. Nice blackjack game, with foreign exchange student dealers whom I think were mostly looking for spouses in the States so they could get visas. I played for a few hours, not counting (although I probably could have), and got a hotel comp. The hotel is about as nice as the casino. (Not very.)
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
November 4th, 2012 at 7:43:55 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Elko
Casino: Red Lion
Today's chip comes from the Red Lion casino in Elko, NV. The Red Lion opened in 1982 and is home to 350 slot machines and 12 table games. The Red Lion is not in downtown Elko, but is instead on the north edge of town near I-80. At the time the casino was built, highway access would have been among the only reasons to locate in this part of town. But now, there's a fair amount of strip malls and other shopping that has sprung up around the casino. That creates an odd effect, where the casino is among the older buildings in the area.
I visited the Red Lion in the evening of the day on which I drove from Reno to Wendover. I was in Elko from about 8-10pm on that day, and the Red Lion was stop #1. I didn't stay at the Red Lion, but i was intrigued by the hotel. In short, it's huge (220 rooms). Much larger than I'd expected in a city that size, or attached to a casino that size. I guess between Great Basin College and the airport and it's county-seatness, Elko is a hub for the area. As it was, all I did was play a bit of BJ and grab a burger at Red Lion before heading downtown to continue my journey.
The streak of Paulson chips has ended! My Red Lion chip is a Bud Jones, from the 1982 series. I'm somewhat proud of myself for having found this chip. it's 30 years old, but was basically near-mint despite being in-play at the BJ table. There are no edge chips and only very minimal scratching on the metalic insert. it did take some searching to find a chip that wasn't scratched/scuffed to a much more substantial degree.
City: Elko
Casino: Red Lion
Today's chip comes from the Red Lion casino in Elko, NV. The Red Lion opened in 1982 and is home to 350 slot machines and 12 table games. The Red Lion is not in downtown Elko, but is instead on the north edge of town near I-80. At the time the casino was built, highway access would have been among the only reasons to locate in this part of town. But now, there's a fair amount of strip malls and other shopping that has sprung up around the casino. That creates an odd effect, where the casino is among the older buildings in the area.
I visited the Red Lion in the evening of the day on which I drove from Reno to Wendover. I was in Elko from about 8-10pm on that day, and the Red Lion was stop #1. I didn't stay at the Red Lion, but i was intrigued by the hotel. In short, it's huge (220 rooms). Much larger than I'd expected in a city that size, or attached to a casino that size. I guess between Great Basin College and the airport and it's county-seatness, Elko is a hub for the area. As it was, all I did was play a bit of BJ and grab a burger at Red Lion before heading downtown to continue my journey.
The streak of Paulson chips has ended! My Red Lion chip is a Bud Jones, from the 1982 series. I'm somewhat proud of myself for having found this chip. it's 30 years old, but was basically near-mint despite being in-play at the BJ table. There are no edge chips and only very minimal scratching on the metalic insert. it did take some searching to find a chip that wasn't scratched/scuffed to a much more substantial degree.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 5th, 2012 at 4:23:41 PM
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That's a fine looking chip rdw! I think the metal insert Bud Jones chips are my favorites.
I'm wondering what the minimum population-to-gaming position ratio is, in order to sustain a casino. Elko's population is way under 20,000, yet there are 5 casinos in the area. Are they counting on tourist/trucker traffic to/from SLC?
I'm wondering what the minimum population-to-gaming position ratio is, in order to sustain a casino. Elko's population is way under 20,000, yet there are 5 casinos in the area. Are they counting on tourist/trucker traffic to/from SLC?
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 5th, 2012 at 7:00:20 PM
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Well, I made it back to the USofA today and got home this evening. I fired up the computer just so I could check out the status of this thread. Have to admit -- I am quite impressed with the job that RDW has done in my absence. Maybe I should go on hiatus more often, just to improve the quality level of the thread.
I just hope that I can wake up tomorrow morning and stagger in to vote for someone.
RDW, let me know when you have finished with your Nevada collection, and I will pick things back up with my chips from Delaware. I appreciate the way you have handled things.
Edit 6/2/13: I finally got back to Las Vegas for WoVCon ]I[ and picked up a chip from the Alamo Casino in Las Vegas during that visit. I'm posting it here, because this is the first place I posted in this thread after rdw4potous posted his chip from the Alamo.
My souvenir is a white RHC Paulson hat and cane chip with four wide edge inserts, two each in red and light blue. One center inlay has a drawing of the Alamo mission in San Antonio, while the other has a photo of an "Alamo Casino" that doesn't look anything like the building down at Blue Diamond Road and Dean Martin Drive. Is that maybe a photo of the Alamo Casino in Sparks?
Second edit: The answer to that question is provided by rdw4potus here.
An even later edit (Oct. 2013):I have finally added a few more Nevada chips to my collection, including chips from ten casinos that rdw4potus covered in this thread during my absence -- some just a little later than this point in the thread. Rather than trying to post them at various appropriate places, I posted and discussed them all here and just added this edit in case someone is looking at this thread a gazillion pages (really just 165 pages) earlier, closer to where that casino was initially covered.
I just hope that I can wake up tomorrow morning and stagger in to vote for someone.
RDW, let me know when you have finished with your Nevada collection, and I will pick things back up with my chips from Delaware. I appreciate the way you have handled things.
Edit 6/2/13: I finally got back to Las Vegas for WoVCon ]I[ and picked up a chip from the Alamo Casino in Las Vegas during that visit. I'm posting it here, because this is the first place I posted in this thread after rdw4potous posted his chip from the Alamo.
My souvenir is a white RHC Paulson hat and cane chip with four wide edge inserts, two each in red and light blue. One center inlay has a drawing of the Alamo mission in San Antonio, while the other has a photo of an "Alamo Casino" that doesn't look anything like the building down at Blue Diamond Road and Dean Martin Drive. Is that maybe a photo of the Alamo Casino in Sparks?
Second edit: The answer to that question is provided by rdw4potus here.
An even later edit (Oct. 2013):I have finally added a few more Nevada chips to my collection, including chips from ten casinos that rdw4potus covered in this thread during my absence -- some just a little later than this point in the thread. Rather than trying to post them at various appropriate places, I posted and discussed them all here and just added this edit in case someone is looking at this thread a gazillion pages (really just 165 pages) earlier, closer to where that casino was initially covered.
November 5th, 2012 at 8:40:12 PM
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Quote: AyecarumbaThat's a fine looking chip rdw! I think the metal insert Bud Jones chips are my favorites.
I'm wondering what the minimum population-to-gaming position ratio is, in order to sustain a casino. Elko's population is way under 20,000, yet there are 5 casinos in the area. Are they counting on tourist/trucker traffic to/from SLC?
I think the metal Bud Jones chips might be my favorites as well. I think I slightly prefer a rounded edge, and these never show the edge wear that some other chips do, but the face of these chips is superior.
Elko, little as it is, does serve as something of a hub. It's the biggest city for a looooooong way in all directions. It's certainly larger than Wendover/West Wendover and Jackpot. I'm pretty sure you have to go to Fallon, Sparks, Twin Falls, Tooele, St. George, or North Las Vegas, to find a larger city. The closest of those is Twin Falls, which is 165 miles away.
As far as population to position ratio, Searchlight has 2 casinos and a population of like 375, I think. And some of the OK casinos are very much in the middle nowhere. WinStar obviously serves Dallas, but it's just a casino in a field in Southern OK.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 5th, 2012 at 9:11:42 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Beatty
Casino:Stagecoach
Today's chip comes from the Stagecoach Casino in Beatty, NV. The Stagecoach, which opened in 1983, features 152 gaming machines and 7 table games. The 7 table games are remarkable. There's what looked to my novice eye to be a full-size craps table, and a Money Wheel, along with BJ. No roulette, no TCP, but Money Wheel. I'm not sure how that ever got placed in this casino - nor am I sure how a craps table this large was necessary - but it was a very interesting site.
I visited the Stagecoach last spring, on a drive from LA to Vegas via Bishop, CA. On that drive, I attempted to visit the Methuselah Tree, but the road to the grove was still closed for the season. I didn't even consider that there would be a problem that far south, and the weather was quite nice at 8500Ft elevation where the turnoff is, but the road was closed. It was a very beautiful drive, nonetheless, and its one that I'd recommend anyone to take if given the chance. Just be prepared to pay a kings-ransom for fuel along the US395 corridor in CA - it's like those people think that just because they're on the only road in the area and in the middle of 3 national parks, gas should be expensive or something:-)
I arrived in Beatty at around 4pm, and the table games pit at Stagecoach opened at 6. I asked if I could buy a chip at the cage instead of waiting, but they said no. So I got to spend a couple hours in the area. I walked up and down the road, visited a couple shops, and waited. I'd driven for the entire day to that point, and for about 16 hours the day before, so I was happy to walk around. Finally, I played a couple shoes of BJ and grabbed my chip.
The chip is a Paulson TH&C, from 1983. That appears to be the only series of chips available. I suppose that makes sense since this is a bit of an out-of-the-way location. Strangely (sadly?) the edge on the chip is nearly perfect. Actually, the chip barely looks used at all. That just can't be a good thing for a 30 year old facility.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 5th, 2012 at 9:15:42 PM
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Quote: DocWell, I made it back to the USofA today and got home this evening. I fired up the computer just so I could check out the status of this thread. Have to admit -- I am quite impressed with the job that RDW has done in my absence. Maybe I should go on hiatus more often, just to improve the quality level of the thread.
I just hope that I can wake up tomorrow morning and stagger in to vote for someone.
RDW, let me know when you have finished with your Nevada collection, and I will pick things back up with my chips from Delaware. I appreciate the way you have handled things.
Welcome back! I hope your vacation went well. Can you walk a straight line on dry land yet?
I count 6 more chips after today's, which i just posted. That would get us through next Sunday.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 6th, 2012 at 6:49:20 AM
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The trip went very well, and I seem to have regained my land legs. Added four chips to my collection: one from the ship and one each from Monaco, Spain, and Portugal. The ship had a number of chips in play from other casinos with that same cruise line. I'm not sure why that is -- it's not as if someone plays for a while on one ship and wanders down the street to play on another one, the way they might on Fremont Street. I didn't keep any of those, because they would not represent casinos where I played or even visited.
I also saw a modest number of other casinos in Spain, but no others with table games were open during the hours that I was able to spend ashore. I had anticipated those schedule conflicts before making the trip -- I've encountered the same thing on other cruises. We hit four ports in Italy (including one in Sicily and one in Sardinia), but there are no casinos in any of those locations, as best I could determine. The ship was not scheduled to stop in Sardinia at the time we left home. That was a replacement stop for the canceled visit to Tunisia -- canceled due to "civil unrest". Is that expression an oxymoron?
Unless I hear otherwise, I'll start posting my Delaware chips next Monday.
I also saw a modest number of other casinos in Spain, but no others with table games were open during the hours that I was able to spend ashore. I had anticipated those schedule conflicts before making the trip -- I've encountered the same thing on other cruises. We hit four ports in Italy (including one in Sicily and one in Sardinia), but there are no casinos in any of those locations, as best I could determine. The ship was not scheduled to stop in Sardinia at the time we left home. That was a replacement stop for the canceled visit to Tunisia -- canceled due to "civil unrest". Is that expression an oxymoron?
Unless I hear otherwise, I'll start posting my Delaware chips next Monday.
November 6th, 2012 at 6:53:47 AM
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Welcome back!
Have you checked out DT yet?
Cruise addicts with chips left over from ship A use them on ship B, maybe. And the cruise line finds it easier to keep them where they land rather than return them to the proper ship. Of course, they could use a generic chip "CRUISE LINE NAME Casino."
Have you checked out DT yet?
Quote: DocThe ship had a number of chips in play from other casinos with that same cruise line. I'm not sure why that is --
Cruise addicts with chips left over from ship A use them on ship B, maybe. And the cruise line finds it easier to keep them where they land rather than return them to the proper ship. Of course, they could use a generic chip "CRUISE LINE NAME Casino."
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
November 6th, 2012 at 7:07:24 AM
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Quote: NareedHave you checked out DT yet?
Perhaps it has something to do with my 3+ week absence from the internet or maybe my mental state from being at sea in so many time zones during that period. But I have no idea what "DT" refers to. I guess that likely means I haven't yet checked it out, but it's difficult for me to answer with any certainty. Clue me in?
November 6th, 2012 at 7:32:15 AM
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Quote: DocPerhaps it has something to do with my 3+ week absence from the internet or maybe my mental state from being at sea in so many time zones during that period. But I have no idea what "DT" refers to.
Why should I be the only one befuddled? :)
Seriously, the Wizard setup a new board for off topic discussion at diversitytomorrow.com (all questions about it should be asked of the Wizard himself).
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
November 6th, 2012 at 8:23:25 AM
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Thanks, Nareed. I do now remember some comments about a new forum prior to my travels. I have not checked it out and have not yet felt a compulsion in that direction.
November 6th, 2012 at 8:24:37 AM
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On the one cruise I took, I was a bit surprised that the chips had the name of the ship rather than just the name of the line. I think it added a slight touch of class. Emphasis on "slight."Quote: NareedCruise addicts with chips left over from ship A use them on ship B, maybe. And the cruise line finds it easier to keep them where they land rather than return them to the proper ship. Of course, they could use a generic chip "CRUISE LINE NAME Casino."
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
November 6th, 2012 at 9:18:58 AM
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If I were in charge of the shipboard casino, I would provide a variety of chip designs to encourage folks to keep them as souvenirs rather than redeem them for cash. Of course, only the $5 or higher denominations would be different.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 6th, 2012 at 10:00:14 AM
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Quote: AyecarumbaIf I were in charge of the shipboard casino, I would provide a variety of chip designs to encourage folks to keep them as souvenirs rather than redeem them for cash. Of course, only the $5 or higher denominations would be different.
So, the Hooters model. Hey, wait a minute...want to open a cruise line?? :-)
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 6th, 2012 at 10:14:31 AM
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Quote: rdw4potusSo, the Hooters model. Hey, wait a minute...want to open a cruise line?? :-)
No, but I'll be happy to take pictures...
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 6th, 2012 at 10:37:11 AM
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Welcome back Doc! Glad your trip was a success.
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
November 6th, 2012 at 10:38:21 AM
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Welcome back, but be warned I NEVER play poker with a guy named DOC !
Shed not for her
the bitter tear
Nor give the heart
to vain regret
Tis but the casket
that lies here,
The gem that filled it
Sparkles yet
November 6th, 2012 at 11:58:31 AM
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Quote: BuzzardWelcome back, but be warned I NEVER play poker with a guy named DOC !
I'd be more worried sitting next to a guy with the handle "Aces and Eights"...
November 8, 2012 marks the 125th anniversary of Doc Holliday's passing away from TB. Time to dust off the "Tombstone" DVD.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 6th, 2012 at 1:22:17 PM
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Doc Holliday died in bed at a Colorado hotel/sanatorium at the age of 36.
As he lay dying, Holliday is reported to have asked the nurse attending him at the Hotel Glenwood for a shot of whiskey. When she told him no, he looked at his bootless feet, amused. The nurses said that his last words were, "Damn, this is funny." Holliday died at 10 am, November 8, 1887. He was 36. It was reported that no one ever thought that Holliday would die in bed with his boots off.
As he lay dying, Holliday is reported to have asked the nurse attending him at the Hotel Glenwood for a shot of whiskey. When she told him no, he looked at his bootless feet, amused. The nurses said that his last words were, "Damn, this is funny." Holliday died at 10 am, November 8, 1887. He was 36. It was reported that no one ever thought that Holliday would die in bed with his boots off.
Shed not for her
the bitter tear
Nor give the heart
to vain regret
Tis but the casket
that lies here,
The gem that filled it
Sparkles yet
November 6th, 2012 at 3:35:21 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Winnemucca
Casino:Winners
In honor of election day, I am skipping ahead in the alphabet for today’s chip. Today’s chip of the day is from Winners Casino in Winnemucca, NV. Winners features 204 gaming machines and 10 table games. The pit at winners features three card poker, blackjack, and live craps. I believe this is the only craps table between Sparks and Elko.
I visited Winners on my way across Northern Nevada from Fallon to Wendover. It’s a small but inviting place. I was surprised to see Winners nearly full in the late afternoon/early evening (about 4:30) when I stopped in. I’m not sure if that’s more a comment on the economy of Winnemucca or the following of Winners. I played BJ at Winners after waiting for 10 minutes or so for a seat to open up at one of the tables. The game was fast and friendly. At first I thought the other players knew each other, but as the game went on it became clear that they’d just been talking at the table. They were talking a lot, and had the dealer and pit pretty involved as well. If I’d wanted to stick around and count, I doubt it would have been noticed.
My chip from Winners is one of two that were in circulation on the table that I played on. Mogh has some great samples of both chips. My chip is a dark pinkish Paulson TH&C. There is also a brick red variation in play. I thought about grabbing one of each, but instead took the cleanest chip I could find. MOGH says that my chip is a LCV, while the redder version is an SCV.
City: Winnemucca
Casino:Winners
In honor of election day, I am skipping ahead in the alphabet for today’s chip. Today’s chip of the day is from Winners Casino in Winnemucca, NV. Winners features 204 gaming machines and 10 table games. The pit at winners features three card poker, blackjack, and live craps. I believe this is the only craps table between Sparks and Elko.
I visited Winners on my way across Northern Nevada from Fallon to Wendover. It’s a small but inviting place. I was surprised to see Winners nearly full in the late afternoon/early evening (about 4:30) when I stopped in. I’m not sure if that’s more a comment on the economy of Winnemucca or the following of Winners. I played BJ at Winners after waiting for 10 minutes or so for a seat to open up at one of the tables. The game was fast and friendly. At first I thought the other players knew each other, but as the game went on it became clear that they’d just been talking at the table. They were talking a lot, and had the dealer and pit pretty involved as well. If I’d wanted to stick around and count, I doubt it would have been noticed.
My chip from Winners is one of two that were in circulation on the table that I played on. Mogh has some great samples of both chips. My chip is a dark pinkish Paulson TH&C. There is also a brick red variation in play. I thought about grabbing one of each, but instead took the cleanest chip I could find. MOGH says that my chip is a LCV, while the redder version is an SCV.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 7th, 2012 at 12:46:26 PM
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Is the logo on the insert faded, or is it actually printed with a gray color?
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 7th, 2012 at 12:51:23 PM
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Quote: AyecarumbaIs the logo on the insert faded, or is it actually printed with a gray color?
I think it's supposed to be silver, but sure does look gray. The $5 is printed jet black.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 7th, 2012 at 8:33:25 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Fallon
Casino: Stockman's
Today's chip of the day comes from the Stockman's Casino in Fallon, NV. Stockman's opened in 1960, and is home to 265 gaming machines and 5 table games. Stockman's has a great frontage on US50, about 1 mile west of the Fallon Nugget. Along with the Bonanza casino (slots only) Stockman's is among the largest and most accessible casinos in Fallon.
I visited Stockman's in the early afternoon on the day I drove to Wendover. I'd hoped to get an early morning start, but the tables at Stockman's didnt open until noon. So I retreated to Reno and ran a couple errands in town (read: visited Peppermill and Atlantis) and returned to Fallon at about 1:30. Stockman's has a bit of an odd vibe. From the outside, it looks sort of like those mostly-a-restaurant "casinos" that you see in the vegas suburbs. But all that's in the building here is an actual casino. I played TCP at Stockman's. Only one of the BJ tables was open when I returned, and it was full. I had some fun with the dealer. I usually only look at my bottom card and play semi-blind if that card is a K or A. The dealer was going NUTS trying to tell me it was a bad way to play because I didn't "know" if I had a good hand. I just said "I know enough..."
My Stockmen's chip is a Bud Jones that was issued in 2007. I'm not wild about the script font, but I do like the color on the inserts. I wouldn't have thought that went with red until I saw it on red...
City: Fallon
Casino: Stockman's
Today's chip of the day comes from the Stockman's Casino in Fallon, NV. Stockman's opened in 1960, and is home to 265 gaming machines and 5 table games. Stockman's has a great frontage on US50, about 1 mile west of the Fallon Nugget. Along with the Bonanza casino (slots only) Stockman's is among the largest and most accessible casinos in Fallon.
I visited Stockman's in the early afternoon on the day I drove to Wendover. I'd hoped to get an early morning start, but the tables at Stockman's didnt open until noon. So I retreated to Reno and ran a couple errands in town (read: visited Peppermill and Atlantis) and returned to Fallon at about 1:30. Stockman's has a bit of an odd vibe. From the outside, it looks sort of like those mostly-a-restaurant "casinos" that you see in the vegas suburbs. But all that's in the building here is an actual casino. I played TCP at Stockman's. Only one of the BJ tables was open when I returned, and it was full. I had some fun with the dealer. I usually only look at my bottom card and play semi-blind if that card is a K or A. The dealer was going NUTS trying to tell me it was a bad way to play because I didn't "know" if I had a good hand. I just said "I know enough..."
My Stockmen's chip is a Bud Jones that was issued in 2007. I'm not wild about the script font, but I do like the color on the inserts. I wouldn't have thought that went with red until I saw it on red...
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 8th, 2012 at 8:30:36 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Elko
Casino: Stockmen's
Today's chip comes from the Stockmen's Casino in Elko, NV. Stockmen's opened in 1944 and burned down in early 1957. It was enlarged and rebuilt and opened in it's current form later in 1957. The casino is home to 170 gaming machines and 6 to 9 table games. This ends a streak of internal consistency at Casino City. They list 6 table games at Stockmen's, including 7 blackjack tables, 1 TCP table, and 1 craps table. Oh, well. Stockmen's is located, for lack of a better description, behind the Commercial Casino in downtown Elko. Both Stockmen's and the Commercial are part of the Northern Star casino chain, which also includes the Model T in Winnemucca.
I visited Stockmen's and Commercial shortly after I visited the Red Lion. Both Stockmen's and the Commercial are fun and historic casinos. Stockmen's has table games, while Commercial has a giant stuffed bear. I should mention, I suppose, that I'm covering the two together because they feel quite a bit like one property with two buildings. I was originally not going to go to Commercial, since there were no tables, but the ACG had mentioned the bear and it was just across the parkinglot from Stockmen's so i stopped in. The bear is pretty cool. Even with the advertisement about the "giant stuffed bear," it still managed to be bigger than I'd expected. Big enough that it was kind of creepy being within eye-shot of the bear. I think I actually spent more time at Commercial walking around than i spent playing at Stockmen's.
I played BJ at Stockmen's for about half an hour. It took quite a while to find a chip that was nice enough to keep. My chip is a Paulson TH&C from the 1997 series. Normally, Paulson chips wear pretty evenly and the edges get rounded and don't really chip or crack. But here, the edges were badly chipped on many chips. I picked this one because the edge was relatively nice and it was just dirty. Luckily for me, most of the dirt/gunk on this chip came off when I cleaned it. I may try again when my tools arrive in the mail.
The MOGH page for Stockmen's shows two older chip series. Interestingly, neither one features a red $5 chip. I don't think I've seen that in NV before, but it's common in some other places - like CA - to have yellow or orange $5 chips.
City: Elko
Casino: Stockmen's
Today's chip comes from the Stockmen's Casino in Elko, NV. Stockmen's opened in 1944 and burned down in early 1957. It was enlarged and rebuilt and opened in it's current form later in 1957. The casino is home to 170 gaming machines and 6 to 9 table games. This ends a streak of internal consistency at Casino City. They list 6 table games at Stockmen's, including 7 blackjack tables, 1 TCP table, and 1 craps table. Oh, well. Stockmen's is located, for lack of a better description, behind the Commercial Casino in downtown Elko. Both Stockmen's and the Commercial are part of the Northern Star casino chain, which also includes the Model T in Winnemucca.
I visited Stockmen's and Commercial shortly after I visited the Red Lion. Both Stockmen's and the Commercial are fun and historic casinos. Stockmen's has table games, while Commercial has a giant stuffed bear. I should mention, I suppose, that I'm covering the two together because they feel quite a bit like one property with two buildings. I was originally not going to go to Commercial, since there were no tables, but the ACG had mentioned the bear and it was just across the parkinglot from Stockmen's so i stopped in. The bear is pretty cool. Even with the advertisement about the "giant stuffed bear," it still managed to be bigger than I'd expected. Big enough that it was kind of creepy being within eye-shot of the bear. I think I actually spent more time at Commercial walking around than i spent playing at Stockmen's.
I played BJ at Stockmen's for about half an hour. It took quite a while to find a chip that was nice enough to keep. My chip is a Paulson TH&C from the 1997 series. Normally, Paulson chips wear pretty evenly and the edges get rounded and don't really chip or crack. But here, the edges were badly chipped on many chips. I picked this one because the edge was relatively nice and it was just dirty. Luckily for me, most of the dirt/gunk on this chip came off when I cleaned it. I may try again when my tools arrive in the mail.
The MOGH page for Stockmen's shows two older chip series. Interestingly, neither one features a red $5 chip. I don't think I've seen that in NV before, but it's common in some other places - like CA - to have yellow or orange $5 chips.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 9th, 2012 at 6:14:29 AM
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It's interesting that these two, apparently, unrelated casinos should have almost identical names.
What the heck is a "stockman" anyway?
Hmmm... According to Wikipedia:
Well, I guess that explains the bull on the logo of Stockmen's chip...
What the heck is a "stockman" anyway?
Hmmm... According to Wikipedia:
Quote:Occupation:
Stockman (Australia), a person who looks after livestock on a station
Rancher, an owner of a North American livestock ranch operation
Cowman (profession), owner or operator of a cattle business
Dairy farmer, owner and/or manager of a dairy farm
Stock contractor, in the United States, contractor who supplies livestock, especially for rodeo
Shepherd, a person who looks after sheep in the fields
Well, I guess that explains the bull on the logo of Stockmen's chip...
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
November 9th, 2012 at 6:28:20 AM
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Just in case it isn't obvious, I am reading and enjoying these write-ups and chip images, but I don't have much of anything to say. Essentially by definition, I don't have chips of my own to post for any of these casinos that RDW is covering, and I have never been to any of them in order to have tales to tell. I should note that I am as surprised as Ross was that the Alamo casino south of Las Vegas has table games, and that place is now on my list of casino chips I need to get. I am not confident that I will ever convince my wife that we should loop the state of Nevada to visit all of these other places just to satisfy my irrational collecting habit, but some day we will likely get back to the Reno/Sparks area to pick up the rest of the ones from around there.
November 9th, 2012 at 9:02:39 AM
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Quote: DocI am not confident that I will ever convince my wife that we should loop the state of Nevada to visit all of these other places just to satisfy my irrational collecting habit.
It's all in the marketing Doc. Tell her it's the "Tour de Nev".
Of course, I take no responsibility for disposing of your corpse after you pull into the parking lot of the "VaVaVoom" club after 6 straight hours on the "Loneliest Highway in America".
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 9th, 2012 at 1:52:45 PM
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It really is a pretty drive across northern nevada, especially the part on US50. It's just hard to plan so that the driving can happen during the day when the play needs to happen at night at a couple of the casinos. Maybe in June, when it's lightest longest.
As far as the Alamo goes. I was shocked, just utterly shocked, to discover that there was a Vegas casino that I'd missed. There will always be name changes and ownership changes, etc., to keep up with, but I never would have thought that I'd just missed a casino.
Edit: The answer to Doc's edited question above is that yes, the Alamo in Sparks is depicted on the chip from the Alamo in Vegas. This is odd, because the Alamo from Sparks is not depicted on the chip from the Alamo in Sparks...
Re-edit: I guess the building is on the $1 chip from Sparks, just not the $5 or $25 chips which feature Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
As far as the Alamo goes. I was shocked, just utterly shocked, to discover that there was a Vegas casino that I'd missed. There will always be name changes and ownership changes, etc., to keep up with, but I never would have thought that I'd just missed a casino.
Edit: The answer to Doc's edited question above is that yes, the Alamo in Sparks is depicted on the chip from the Alamo in Vegas. This is odd, because the Alamo from Sparks is not depicted on the chip from the Alamo in Sparks...
Re-edit: I guess the building is on the $1 chip from Sparks, just not the $5 or $25 chips which feature Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 9th, 2012 at 8:29:48 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Gardnerville
Casino: Topaz Lodge
Today's chip comes from the Topaz Lodge casino, which is nominally in Gardnerville, NV. In reality, it's 22 miles south of town on the shores of Topaz Lake on the California border. Topaz Lodge has 200 slot machines and 6 table games. Topaz Lodge opened in 1953, closed in 1966, and reopened in 1967. Actually, I'm a little confused about that original opening date. Everything on the interweb points to a 1953 opening, BUT, the casino issued a 50th anniversary "1952-2002" chip 10 years ago.
I visited Topaz Lodge from around 11:30 until midnight, after having visited Casino West in Yerington, and before heading up to Carson Valley Inn in Minden. This all occurred on the evening when I was too tired to drive back out to Harvey's and stayed in Carson City instead. To give a sense of how tired/clueless I was, at the time that I visited Topaz Lodge, I had no idea that I was on the shores of a (pretty big) lake or that I was only a few blocks from California. I drove past Topaz Lodge a few weeks ago, this time during the day - that is one pretty lake!! In retrospect, this is where I probably should have stayed that first night. I was in no shape to drive all the way back up to Carson. But, in my partial defense, I also assumed that I was in Gardnerville and not 22 freaking miles south of town. All I'd brought was a list of addresses for the GPS, with no relative distance info, and I knew Gardnerville was only 15 miles from Carson City.
Anyway, Topaz Lodge has craps, BJ, and 3 card poker in their pit. They were closing down the pit, and all but one BJ table had been frozen out and closed when I arrived. I had to talk my way into the BJ game by promising to leave either when the pit closed or when the other player wanted to leave, whichever was first. I played the rest of the shoe I started in and one more shoe and then they shut it down. The other guy was betting green and losing. He was mighty pissed that they were making him strand "his money" on the table for the night. I was happy enough to take my souvenir and head to my next stop.
My chip is a Paulson TH&C from the 1990 series. it's a little dirty, even after an attempted cleaning. But, it does have a nice uniformly worn edge like I've been talking about. I think I like chips like this because that edge wear is the only way that I have any chance in hell of being able to shuffle chips. You'd think between the fish on the chip and the "Topaz Lake" location, I'd have at least considered that there might have been a lake nearby. Can't say that happened.
City: Gardnerville
Casino: Topaz Lodge
Today's chip comes from the Topaz Lodge casino, which is nominally in Gardnerville, NV. In reality, it's 22 miles south of town on the shores of Topaz Lake on the California border. Topaz Lodge has 200 slot machines and 6 table games. Topaz Lodge opened in 1953, closed in 1966, and reopened in 1967. Actually, I'm a little confused about that original opening date. Everything on the interweb points to a 1953 opening, BUT, the casino issued a 50th anniversary "1952-2002" chip 10 years ago.
I visited Topaz Lodge from around 11:30 until midnight, after having visited Casino West in Yerington, and before heading up to Carson Valley Inn in Minden. This all occurred on the evening when I was too tired to drive back out to Harvey's and stayed in Carson City instead. To give a sense of how tired/clueless I was, at the time that I visited Topaz Lodge, I had no idea that I was on the shores of a (pretty big) lake or that I was only a few blocks from California. I drove past Topaz Lodge a few weeks ago, this time during the day - that is one pretty lake!! In retrospect, this is where I probably should have stayed that first night. I was in no shape to drive all the way back up to Carson. But, in my partial defense, I also assumed that I was in Gardnerville and not 22 freaking miles south of town. All I'd brought was a list of addresses for the GPS, with no relative distance info, and I knew Gardnerville was only 15 miles from Carson City.
Anyway, Topaz Lodge has craps, BJ, and 3 card poker in their pit. They were closing down the pit, and all but one BJ table had been frozen out and closed when I arrived. I had to talk my way into the BJ game by promising to leave either when the pit closed or when the other player wanted to leave, whichever was first. I played the rest of the shoe I started in and one more shoe and then they shut it down. The other guy was betting green and losing. He was mighty pissed that they were making him strand "his money" on the table for the night. I was happy enough to take my souvenir and head to my next stop.
My chip is a Paulson TH&C from the 1990 series. it's a little dirty, even after an attempted cleaning. But, it does have a nice uniformly worn edge like I've been talking about. I think I like chips like this because that edge wear is the only way that I have any chance in hell of being able to shuffle chips. You'd think between the fish on the chip and the "Topaz Lake" location, I'd have at least considered that there might have been a lake nearby. Can't say that happened.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 9th, 2012 at 11:11:21 PM
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Are there other fish on the different denominations of chips? It would make me consider collecting the whole set. On the other hand, it could be a "mascot" for the hotel.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 10th, 2012 at 8:12:21 AM
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Quote: AyecarumbaAre there other fish on the different denominations of chips? It would make me consider collecting the whole set. On the other hand, it could be a "mascot" for the hotel.
The $1 chip features an image of 2 mountains, but the $25 chip does have a fish image on it. I think they just have the 3 denominations.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 10th, 2012 at 11:08:19 AM
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I think that's the most interesting comment about the place. Surely tells you a lot about the table limits and clientele....Quote: rdw4potusI think they just have the 3 denominations.
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
November 10th, 2012 at 11:41:07 AM
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Quote: DJTeddyBearI think that's the most interesting comment about the place. Surely tells you a lot about the table limits and clientele....
I was kind of glad to see the MOGH just listing 3 denominations of chips. My recollection from that evening was that the angry guy had stacks and stacks of green that he left with (still down maybe $1000 from the hands we shared), and I was starting to doubt that I'd recalled that correctly.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 10th, 2012 at 8:02:52 PM
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State: Nevada
City: West Wendover
Casino: Wendover Nugget
Today's chip of the day comes from the final casino in West Wendover - the Wendover Nugget. The Wendover Nugget opened in 2004, and is home to 865 gaming machines and 37 table games. Wendover Nugget is across the street from Montego Bay, and is just on the Nevada side of the UT/NV border. I spent the night at the Quality Inn in Wendover, which is 1 block east of the Wendover Nugget.
The Nugget was much larger and slightly nicer than I expected based on my experience with other "nugget" casinos. Though, I was generally impressed with the size of the Wendover casinos. I was expecting Pahrump-level casinos, and Wendover is more like Primm or Mesquite in terms of property sizes. I suppose the level of quality is about the same as Primm as well. That's harder to judge since Primm has a cowboy motif and Wendover has a...I don't even know what to call it...70's motif, I guess? Whatever you want to call the Wendover motif - vomit, disco, neon - the casinos really are pretty nice. I'd say that only the Red Garter was below average.
I didn't stay long at the Nugget, since I was beyond exhausted and I could literally see my hotel from the parkinglot. I played a little bit of BJ, collected my chip, and left. It was a bit hard to find a chip. Mostly, because there were several promotional series in play, but also because I was tired and my head still hurt from walking into the wall at Montego Bay.
My chip is a Chipco production, from the 2004 series. There are many promotional series also in play, and I would say that fewer than 10% of the chips in the tray were from the basic series. Of those, many were badly worn. This chip was the nicest once I could find. It's odd to think of, but many of the chips I collected earlier in the day were 30 years old and in great shape. This one was barely 7 years old and is quite worn - and others were even worse!
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 11th, 2012 at 9:40:39 AM
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I also went to Topaz Lodge. The tables were closed when I was there. I do remember they had some very attractively priced restaurant specials, and I did take advantage. The tacos were very tasty, and the restaurant overlooked the lake.
For some reason, I thought the mountains I was looking at were Yosemite, but the reception gal corrected me. They are the Silverlight mountains or something. Still pretty spectacular.
For some reason, I thought the mountains I was looking at were Yosemite, but the reception gal corrected me. They are the Silverlight mountains or something. Still pretty spectacular.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
November 11th, 2012 at 7:52:36 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Sparks
Casino: Western Village Inn
Today's chip comes from the Western Village Inn in Sparks. Western Village Inn opened in 1987, and is home to 790 gaming machines and 9 table games. Western Village Inn is owned by Peppermill, but I recall the decor being much more muted than at the other Peppermill properties.
I visited Western Village Inn on the day after my trip to Topaz Lodge, et al. I was surprised by the table games pit at Western Village Inn. There's a craps table and a roulette table and 7 BJ tables. Only 2 BJ tables were open when I visited. all other tables were closed. Given the size of the pit, I expected a wider variety of games. I was also surprised to see the craps table closed, though I guess one of the two BJ tables was vacant during my visit as well. I sat at that empty table and played a couple shoes to collect my chip.
This was one of the easier chips in my collection to select. My chip is from the 2011 series, which was brand new at the time of my visit. When all of the chips in the tray are near-mint, it sure is easy to find a satisfactory souvenir:) There is one problem - I don't know what this chip is. It looks most like a Bud Jones mold to me, but MOGH seems to suggest that it's a house mold. And the only identifying mark is a "G" on the front.
This is my last chip from NV, at least until I succeed in snagging a Texas Station, Arizona Charlie's Boulder, or Aliente Hotel + Casino chip. So, assuming it still works for him, Doc will resume his lead of this thread tomorrow by displaying his chips from Delaware.
City: Sparks
Casino: Western Village Inn
Today's chip comes from the Western Village Inn in Sparks. Western Village Inn opened in 1987, and is home to 790 gaming machines and 9 table games. Western Village Inn is owned by Peppermill, but I recall the decor being much more muted than at the other Peppermill properties.
I visited Western Village Inn on the day after my trip to Topaz Lodge, et al. I was surprised by the table games pit at Western Village Inn. There's a craps table and a roulette table and 7 BJ tables. Only 2 BJ tables were open when I visited. all other tables were closed. Given the size of the pit, I expected a wider variety of games. I was also surprised to see the craps table closed, though I guess one of the two BJ tables was vacant during my visit as well. I sat at that empty table and played a couple shoes to collect my chip.
This was one of the easier chips in my collection to select. My chip is from the 2011 series, which was brand new at the time of my visit. When all of the chips in the tray are near-mint, it sure is easy to find a satisfactory souvenir:) There is one problem - I don't know what this chip is. It looks most like a Bud Jones mold to me, but MOGH seems to suggest that it's a house mold. And the only identifying mark is a "G" on the front.
This is my last chip from NV, at least until I succeed in snagging a Texas Station, Arizona Charlie's Boulder, or Aliente Hotel + Casino chip. So, assuming it still works for him, Doc will resume his lead of this thread tomorrow by displaying his chips from Delaware.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 12th, 2012 at 8:16:35 AM
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Perhaps I can provide a little more info on the source of the Western Village chip. Of course, this info does not come from a personal expertise of any sort, but rather from another resource I have found: Reno Casino Chips, which has a lot of info about Northern Nevada casino chips. That site says that this Western Village chip is provided by GEMACO, and I think I identified the pattern on that company's site as their design #139.25.16.31. It would be necessary also to specify colors and the center inlay, but at least they are offering to sell chips with the same dot pattern and edge markings as this Western Village chip.
Yes, I will resume posting chips from my collection a little later today, but I can't do that without expressing how impressed I have been with the way rdw4potus has handled the presentation of his Nevada chips over the past month. After posting chips since back in March, I am well aware of how difficult it is to come up with something reasonable to say about a chip or a casino or something else relevant to this thread every day, even given that you have a specific topic and image to start from. Thanks again, rdw, and you can look forward to posting the rest of your collection starting a few months from now.
At present, my collection represents 309 casinos, and I have already posted chips from 174 of them (146 from Nevada and 28 from other states) unless I lost count somewhere. Posting the remainder of them one per day should take until late March 2013. At the moment, I have medium and small images for about thirty more chips loaded on the internet and ready for me to write up something to go with them. Of course, some chips require multiple images because they are different on the two sides or have hidden UV images. I have photos of all of the others on my computer, but they require a little editing before I upload them.
My wife and I haven't made full plans for any travels that would conflict with my posting chips, but (knowing the way we do things) there will surely be one or two trips that come up during that period. We have briefly talked about a visit back to Harrah's Cherokee and to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville later this month, but that should only result in my posting one day's chip late in the evening. We have also talked about a trip back to Biloxi and maybe Baton Rouge some time this winter. I would pick up a couple more chips on that trip, but probably not in time to have them appear in sequence with the other Louisiana and Mississippi chips.
Later today, we'll start with Delaware ....
Yes, I will resume posting chips from my collection a little later today, but I can't do that without expressing how impressed I have been with the way rdw4potus has handled the presentation of his Nevada chips over the past month. After posting chips since back in March, I am well aware of how difficult it is to come up with something reasonable to say about a chip or a casino or something else relevant to this thread every day, even given that you have a specific topic and image to start from. Thanks again, rdw, and you can look forward to posting the rest of your collection starting a few months from now.
At present, my collection represents 309 casinos, and I have already posted chips from 174 of them (146 from Nevada and 28 from other states) unless I lost count somewhere. Posting the remainder of them one per day should take until late March 2013. At the moment, I have medium and small images for about thirty more chips loaded on the internet and ready for me to write up something to go with them. Of course, some chips require multiple images because they are different on the two sides or have hidden UV images. I have photos of all of the others on my computer, but they require a little editing before I upload them.
My wife and I haven't made full plans for any travels that would conflict with my posting chips, but (knowing the way we do things) there will surely be one or two trips that come up during that period. We have briefly talked about a visit back to Harrah's Cherokee and to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville later this month, but that should only result in my posting one day's chip late in the evening. We have also talked about a trip back to Biloxi and maybe Baton Rouge some time this winter. I would pick up a couple more chips on that trip, but probably not in time to have them appear in sequence with the other Louisiana and Mississippi chips.
Later today, we'll start with Delaware ....
November 12th, 2012 at 8:25:06 AM
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Quote: DocPerhaps I can provide a little more info on the source of the Western Village chip. Of course, this info does not come from a personal expertise of any sort, but rather from another resource I have found: Reno Casino Chips, which has a lot of info about Northern Nevada casino chips. That site says that this Western Village chip is provided by GEMACO, and I think I identified the pattern on that company's site as their design #139.25.16.31. It would be necessary also to specify colors and the center inlay, but at least they are offering to sell chips with the same dot pattern and edge markings as this Western Village chip.
That certainly makes sense to me. It explains the "G" at the 4 o'clock position on the chip quite nicely.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 12th, 2012 at 9:26:52 AM
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Quote: rdw4potus
State: Nevada
City: West Wendover
Casino: Wendover Nugget
My chip is a Chipco production, from the 2004 series. There are many promotional series also in play, and I would say that fewer than 10% of the chips in the tray were from the basic series. Of those, many were badly worn. This chip was the nicest once I could find. It's odd to think of, but many of the chips I collected earlier in the day were 30 years old and in great shape. This one was barely 7 years old and is quite worn - and others were even worse!
I also echo Doc's thanks to you rdw for your entertaining entries. I enjoy them very much, and appreciate how hard it is to come up with material every day.
As for this Chipco from the Wendover Nugget, it is interesting to me that the design in the middle is not worn like the edge. When I have looked at Chipco products in the past, it appeared that the faces were smooth. In other words, there wasn't a "rim" around the edge of the insert area. This would result in wear across the face of the chip since they would be stacked and unstacked constantly.
However, the example you have has wear around the "rim" but not in the center. Is the edge actually raised?
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
November 12th, 2012 at 9:43:57 AM
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Quote: AyecarumbaQuote: rdw4potus
State: Nevada
City: West Wendover
Casino: Wendover Nugget
My chip is a Chipco production, from the 2004 series. There are many promotional series also in play, and I would say that fewer than 10% of the chips in the tray were from the basic series. Of those, many were badly worn. This chip was the nicest once I could find. It's odd to think of, but many of the chips I collected earlier in the day were 30 years old and in great shape. This one was barely 7 years old and is quite worn - and others were even worse!
I also echo Doc's thanks to you rdw for your entertaining entries. I enjoy them very much, and appreciate how hard it is to come up with material every day.
As for this Chipco from the Wendover Nugget, it is interesting to me that the design in the middle is not worn like the edge. When I have looked at Chipco products in the past, it appeared that the faces were smooth. In other words, there wasn't a "rim" around the edge of the insert area. This would result in wear across the face of the chip since they would be stacked and unstacked constantly.
However, the example you have has wear around the "rim" but not in the center. Is the edge actually raised?
I was surprised by how hard it was to find things to say. Especially since virtually all of those chips were collected during one 2 day trip, so I couldn't even really keep talking about the travel aspects of things.
I think this is a case where the lack of quality of my cell-phone camera may actually help the chip's appearance. The face of the chip is a bit worn, but certainly not as worn as the rim, which is stark white. You can kind of see the dark pink/red color on the edge of the chip - that's what the face should look like as well. This was the best copy of the non-promotional chip that I could find. Others were MUCH worse, even virtually unreadable. I really don't know what would lead to this non-uniform wear - shuffling, maybe?
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
November 12th, 2012 at 10:21:03 AM
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State: Delaware
City: Wilmington
Casino: Delaware Park
One of my favorite tag lines from a TV series was from the 1980s "The A Team", on which each time things worked out favorably but mostly through happenstance, team leader Col. John "Hannibal" Smith would quip, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Well, this isn't so much a case of a plan coming together as it is just happenstance and such, but today's chip from Wilmington's Delaware Park racino has almost an identical design to the Western Village chip from Sparks, NV that we were discussing just two hours ago. This one has three of those "pliers tip" edge markings instead of the four seen previously. Unfortunately, recognizing this similarity just leads to more complications/contradictions.
I can find this chip design identified on the GEMACO web site as pattern #139.25.13.31 (note the "13" instead of the "16" that was for the Western Village chip pattern.) However, the MOGH web site says that the Delaware Park chip is from an RTP mold, and we have already learned that RTP is for R.T. Plastics of Las Vegas. Does that mean that the MOGH page is in error or that there is a connection between R.T. Plastics and GEMACO? I know so little about either company that I can't reasonably discuss the second part of that question, but all of the Delaware Park chips shown in the MOGH catalog are of similar-but-different patterns, all are listed as RTP, and (I think) all can be found on the GEMACO web site.
I have visited Delaware Park only once, on a day in 2010 that I was driving from New Jersey to North Carolina and briefly visited all three of the Delaware casinos that had recently opened. Without digging into things, I don't think I could describe one from the other from my blurred memory. My records indicate I lost just $5 playing craps at Delaware Park. That makes the chip shown in the image below my version of a souvenir $5 chip. ☺
As a reminder, on my chip postings, if you want to see the larger image, just click on the small one.
City: Wilmington
Casino: Delaware Park
One of my favorite tag lines from a TV series was from the 1980s "The A Team", on which each time things worked out favorably but mostly through happenstance, team leader Col. John "Hannibal" Smith would quip, "I love it when a plan comes together."
Well, this isn't so much a case of a plan coming together as it is just happenstance and such, but today's chip from Wilmington's Delaware Park racino has almost an identical design to the Western Village chip from Sparks, NV that we were discussing just two hours ago. This one has three of those "pliers tip" edge markings instead of the four seen previously. Unfortunately, recognizing this similarity just leads to more complications/contradictions.
I can find this chip design identified on the GEMACO web site as pattern #139.25.13.31 (note the "13" instead of the "16" that was for the Western Village chip pattern.) However, the MOGH web site says that the Delaware Park chip is from an RTP mold, and we have already learned that RTP is for R.T. Plastics of Las Vegas. Does that mean that the MOGH page is in error or that there is a connection between R.T. Plastics and GEMACO? I know so little about either company that I can't reasonably discuss the second part of that question, but all of the Delaware Park chips shown in the MOGH catalog are of similar-but-different patterns, all are listed as RTP, and (I think) all can be found on the GEMACO web site.
I have visited Delaware Park only once, on a day in 2010 that I was driving from New Jersey to North Carolina and briefly visited all three of the Delaware casinos that had recently opened. Without digging into things, I don't think I could describe one from the other from my blurred memory. My records indicate I lost just $5 playing craps at Delaware Park. That makes the chip shown in the image below my version of a souvenir $5 chip. ☺
As a reminder, on my chip postings, if you want to see the larger image, just click on the small one.
November 12th, 2012 at 10:32:26 AM
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BTW, I also want to say thanks for the "anonymous" assistance from the admin who kept updating the index of chips in post #1 of this thread during my absence. I have now resumed that responsibility, at least for my own chip postings, so you can blame me for future discrepancies in the list.
November 12th, 2012 at 10:39:21 AM
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Quote: DocMy records indicate I lost just $5 playing craps at Delaware Park. That makes the chip shown in the image below my version of a souvenir $5 chip. ☺
Check your math. Don't you have to add the $1 for the chip itself, meaning you left $6 at that casino??? LOL :)
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
