Casino Chip of the Day
December 14th, 2014 at 5:31:47 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Stateline (Lake Tahoe)
Casino: Horizon Casino & Resort
Today's chip of the day comes from the Horizon Casino & Resort in Stateline, NV. Horizon was located on US 50 on the south end of Lake Tahoe, next to Harvey's.
The property opened in 1965 as Del Webb's Sahara Tahoe. Webb was as the time also the owner of the Sahara in Las Vegas. One article I read referred to it as "Lake Tahoe's first Vegas-style casino." I don't know if that's because of its large hotel/resort design or its apparently extensive use of neon signage. In 1983, it was renamed Del Webb's High Sierra and given a western theme. For all you techno-geeks out there, the High Sierra CD-ROM format (later ISO 9660) was developed when the group met at the hotel in 1985. In 1990, the hotel (but not the land) was sold to Columbia Sussex, which renamed it Horizon. Horizon's hotel had more than 500 rooms and its casino included 800 slot machines and 45 table games. However, as a result of the global recession and a downturn in gaming, in mid-2009 Horizon removed its table games and reduced its slot machine count to 200.
Columbia Sussex would later become Tropicana Entertainment, and assign the lease and operation of Horizon to an LCC called Lake Tahoe Realty I. Lake Tahoe Realty's lease expired on 3/31/2014, and it was announced that it would not be renewed. Horizon closed its doors on 4/1/2014. The Park Companies, owner of the land, took over the property under the name NevaOne LLC and has entered into an agreement with Warner Hospitality to rebrand the casino as a Hard Rock. The Hard Rock Lake Tahoe is scheduled to open on 1/28/2015. The intention is that the property will be less gaming-oriented than before, and the casino floor has been reduced from 40,000 to 25,000 square feet. The casino will open with 500 slots and 24 table games.
The chip is a sky blue Paulson H&C (SCV with a curved hat rim) with a white inlay. There are no inserts.
City: Stateline (Lake Tahoe)
Casino: Horizon Casino & Resort
Today's chip of the day comes from the Horizon Casino & Resort in Stateline, NV. Horizon was located on US 50 on the south end of Lake Tahoe, next to Harvey's.
The property opened in 1965 as Del Webb's Sahara Tahoe. Webb was as the time also the owner of the Sahara in Las Vegas. One article I read referred to it as "Lake Tahoe's first Vegas-style casino." I don't know if that's because of its large hotel/resort design or its apparently extensive use of neon signage. In 1983, it was renamed Del Webb's High Sierra and given a western theme. For all you techno-geeks out there, the High Sierra CD-ROM format (later ISO 9660) was developed when the group met at the hotel in 1985. In 1990, the hotel (but not the land) was sold to Columbia Sussex, which renamed it Horizon. Horizon's hotel had more than 500 rooms and its casino included 800 slot machines and 45 table games. However, as a result of the global recession and a downturn in gaming, in mid-2009 Horizon removed its table games and reduced its slot machine count to 200.
Columbia Sussex would later become Tropicana Entertainment, and assign the lease and operation of Horizon to an LCC called Lake Tahoe Realty I. Lake Tahoe Realty's lease expired on 3/31/2014, and it was announced that it would not be renewed. Horizon closed its doors on 4/1/2014. The Park Companies, owner of the land, took over the property under the name NevaOne LLC and has entered into an agreement with Warner Hospitality to rebrand the casino as a Hard Rock. The Hard Rock Lake Tahoe is scheduled to open on 1/28/2015. The intention is that the property will be less gaming-oriented than before, and the casino floor has been reduced from 40,000 to 25,000 square feet. The casino will open with 500 slots and 24 table games.
The chip is a sky blue Paulson H&C (SCV with a curved hat rim) with a white inlay. There are no inserts.
December 15th, 2014 at 6:28:41 AM
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Quote: ChipmanSpiffThe property opened in 1965 as Del Webb's Saraha Tahoe. Webb was as the time also the owner of the Saraha in Las Vegas.
Looks like a repeated typo, unless this is a pair of casinos I never heard of before.
Thanks as always, though, for providing the Horizon chip and the background.
December 15th, 2014 at 8:38:40 AM
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Quote: DocQuote: ChipmanSpiffThe property opened in 1965 as Del Webb's Saraha Tahoe. Webb was as the time also the owner of the Saraha in Las Vegas.
Looks like a repeated typo, unless this is a pair of casinos I never heard of before.
Yeesh, I need to do a more careful proofreading before I post. I went back and edited the original to fix the typos. Thanks, Doc.
December 15th, 2014 at 11:49:13 AM
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Of course, on the earlier reading I myself missed the other typo in the short blurb I quoted. Guess neither one of us merits a job as an editor. :-)
This one I'll leave for you and the others to find without my putting it in bold.
This one I'll leave for you and the others to find without my putting it in bold.
December 16th, 2014 at 5:12:07 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Crystal Bay (Lake Tahoe)
Casino: Cal-Neva Lodge
Today's chip of the day comes from the Cal-Neva Lodge in Crystal Bay, NV. Crystal Bay is a small town of 300 residents on Highway 28 on the north end of Lake Tahoe, right at the California/Nevada state line (hence the casino's name).
The Cal-Neva is one of the most legendary of Nevada's casinos. It was originally built in 1926, and had dizzying number of owners over the years. The lodge was originally owned by Robert Sherman, a California businessman, but sold in 1928 to Norman Blitz, another California businessman, who then sold it in 1930 to Bill Graham and Jim McKay. Graham and McKay were jailed in 1934 for mail fraud, and control passed to a liquor smuggler named Elmer Remer. The lodge burned down in 1937, but was quickly rebuilt, and ownership passed to a Sanford Adler.
In the 1950s ownership changed again, to Wingy Grober, a friend of Joe Kennedy. This was the beginning of the Cal-Neva's luxury era, as Grober's ownership and friendship with the Kennedys brought in many celebrities. In 1960, Frank Sinatra decided to buy the place, and it was then that the secret tunnel between Sinatra's chalet and the casino was built. Sinatra's gaming license was revoked by the NGC when mobster San Giancana was spotted on the premises. Giancana was in the NGC's "Black Book" and was not permitted on any casino property.
There were numerous further owners after that - investment companies mostly, including Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Investments. The Cloud family bought the property in 1980 but lost their gaming license in 1983 due to a scandal involving some tampering with slot machines. It was sold to Cobalt Capital, but quickly defaulted to Hibernia Bank when it was found that the loan was guaranteed with fraudulent documents. They sold it to Charles Bluth, yet another California businessman, who set about to renovate the property. As of 2011, the gaming license was in the name of Strategic Gaming Management, LLC, but the property appears to have been purchased in 2013 by Criswell-Radovan, LLC. The casino was closed in September, 2013, for a lengthy renovation. It was originally scheduled to re-open in December, 2014, to coincide with Sinatra's 99th birthday, but has been pushed back until at least summer of 2015.
The Cal-Neva is one of the first casinos I ever visited as a kid (the first was probably Harrah's at the other end of the lake). My family went to Lake Tahoe in the early 1980s, and I specifically remember what is probably the casino's strangest feature: a small part of the building sits on the California side of the state line, and there was a line running down the floor, with slot machines backed up to it within a fraction of an inch. Aside from the novelty value, I never quite understood the point of that. The logistics are probably tough enough to have your structure and business span two cities, counties, and states, but it had to make some people nervous to have gaming that close to a state where slot machines were illegal (at the time there was no house-banked tribal gaming in the U.S.). Strangely, I don't remember that being there when I picked up this chip in the early 2000s. At the time, the casino included 180 slots and 11 table games, though it appears the tables were removed around 2009 or so.
The chip is a red Chipco with a linen finish and a colorful drawing of the lake in the center. The writing identifies the lodge as "America's Oldest Operating Casino since 1926" which is five years before Nevada legalized gambling, and it does appear from at least some histories of the lodge that it did in fact have illegal gambling during this period. While the Cal-Neva did have $1 chips at various times, I don't know if any were available when I visited.
City: Crystal Bay (Lake Tahoe)
Casino: Cal-Neva Lodge
Today's chip of the day comes from the Cal-Neva Lodge in Crystal Bay, NV. Crystal Bay is a small town of 300 residents on Highway 28 on the north end of Lake Tahoe, right at the California/Nevada state line (hence the casino's name).
The Cal-Neva is one of the most legendary of Nevada's casinos. It was originally built in 1926, and had dizzying number of owners over the years. The lodge was originally owned by Robert Sherman, a California businessman, but sold in 1928 to Norman Blitz, another California businessman, who then sold it in 1930 to Bill Graham and Jim McKay. Graham and McKay were jailed in 1934 for mail fraud, and control passed to a liquor smuggler named Elmer Remer. The lodge burned down in 1937, but was quickly rebuilt, and ownership passed to a Sanford Adler.
In the 1950s ownership changed again, to Wingy Grober, a friend of Joe Kennedy. This was the beginning of the Cal-Neva's luxury era, as Grober's ownership and friendship with the Kennedys brought in many celebrities. In 1960, Frank Sinatra decided to buy the place, and it was then that the secret tunnel between Sinatra's chalet and the casino was built. Sinatra's gaming license was revoked by the NGC when mobster San Giancana was spotted on the premises. Giancana was in the NGC's "Black Book" and was not permitted on any casino property.
There were numerous further owners after that - investment companies mostly, including Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Investments. The Cloud family bought the property in 1980 but lost their gaming license in 1983 due to a scandal involving some tampering with slot machines. It was sold to Cobalt Capital, but quickly defaulted to Hibernia Bank when it was found that the loan was guaranteed with fraudulent documents. They sold it to Charles Bluth, yet another California businessman, who set about to renovate the property. As of 2011, the gaming license was in the name of Strategic Gaming Management, LLC, but the property appears to have been purchased in 2013 by Criswell-Radovan, LLC. The casino was closed in September, 2013, for a lengthy renovation. It was originally scheduled to re-open in December, 2014, to coincide with Sinatra's 99th birthday, but has been pushed back until at least summer of 2015.
The Cal-Neva is one of the first casinos I ever visited as a kid (the first was probably Harrah's at the other end of the lake). My family went to Lake Tahoe in the early 1980s, and I specifically remember what is probably the casino's strangest feature: a small part of the building sits on the California side of the state line, and there was a line running down the floor, with slot machines backed up to it within a fraction of an inch. Aside from the novelty value, I never quite understood the point of that. The logistics are probably tough enough to have your structure and business span two cities, counties, and states, but it had to make some people nervous to have gaming that close to a state where slot machines were illegal (at the time there was no house-banked tribal gaming in the U.S.). Strangely, I don't remember that being there when I picked up this chip in the early 2000s. At the time, the casino included 180 slots and 11 table games, though it appears the tables were removed around 2009 or so.
The chip is a red Chipco with a linen finish and a colorful drawing of the lake in the center. The writing identifies the lodge as "America's Oldest Operating Casino since 1926" which is five years before Nevada legalized gambling, and it does appear from at least some histories of the lodge that it did in fact have illegal gambling during this period. While the Cal-Neva did have $1 chips at various times, I don't know if any were available when I visited.
December 17th, 2014 at 5:33:37 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Crystal Bay
Casino: Jim Kelley's Nugget
Today's chip of the day comes from Jim Kelley's Nugget in Crystal Bay, NV. The Nugget is located on Highway 28 next to the Crystal Bay Casino on the north end of Lake Tahoe, just a few hundred feet from the California state line.
The Nugget was originally known as the Sierra Lodge. Stanley Parsons, a restauranter, bought the place in 1953. He then sold it in 1962 to Jim Kelley, who renamed the place The Nugget. Kelley also owned the Nugget casino in Reno, having relocated from Idaho in 1953 when his slot business was shut down by the local authorities. Seeing the increased business in the Tahoe area due to Frank Sinatra's ownership of the Cal-Neva, Kelley felt that was a good market to be in, and eventually sold his Reno casino to focus solely on Crystal Bay. Jim passed away in 1993, but the Nugget is still entirely owned by the Kelley family.
The Nugget is a fairly small casino - at the time I would have visited in 2003, it had 130 slots and a couple of poker tables. And therein lies the mystery... I specifically remember my trip to Crystal Bay, though I don't remember whether the Nugget was on my todo list or if I found it by surprise. I even have a mental image of walking inside. But I don't remember anything else. I generally don't like playing poker to get a chip, but I guess I must have. It appears that the casino removed its tables in early 2009 or so.
Both sides of the chip are shown below. The chip is a blue Paulson RHC. One side has an inlay in graduated shades of light purple, with an image of an old man with a beard shooting a hole in some cards thrown in the air. The reverse is a more plain white inlay with the name and city of the casino. There are two triangle-shaped inserts, in orange and green.
City: Crystal Bay
Casino: Jim Kelley's Nugget
Today's chip of the day comes from Jim Kelley's Nugget in Crystal Bay, NV. The Nugget is located on Highway 28 next to the Crystal Bay Casino on the north end of Lake Tahoe, just a few hundred feet from the California state line.
The Nugget was originally known as the Sierra Lodge. Stanley Parsons, a restauranter, bought the place in 1953. He then sold it in 1962 to Jim Kelley, who renamed the place The Nugget. Kelley also owned the Nugget casino in Reno, having relocated from Idaho in 1953 when his slot business was shut down by the local authorities. Seeing the increased business in the Tahoe area due to Frank Sinatra's ownership of the Cal-Neva, Kelley felt that was a good market to be in, and eventually sold his Reno casino to focus solely on Crystal Bay. Jim passed away in 1993, but the Nugget is still entirely owned by the Kelley family.
The Nugget is a fairly small casino - at the time I would have visited in 2003, it had 130 slots and a couple of poker tables. And therein lies the mystery... I specifically remember my trip to Crystal Bay, though I don't remember whether the Nugget was on my todo list or if I found it by surprise. I even have a mental image of walking inside. But I don't remember anything else. I generally don't like playing poker to get a chip, but I guess I must have. It appears that the casino removed its tables in early 2009 or so.
Both sides of the chip are shown below. The chip is a blue Paulson RHC. One side has an inlay in graduated shades of light purple, with an image of an old man with a beard shooting a hole in some cards thrown in the air. The reverse is a more plain white inlay with the name and city of the casino. There are two triangle-shaped inserts, in orange and green.
December 20th, 2014 at 6:16:44 PM
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State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Casino: Piñon Plaza
Today's chip of the day comes from the Piñon Plaza Hotel, Casino, and Bowling Center in Carson City, NV. Piñon Plaza was the predecessor to the Gold Dust West, which Doc discussed here. Piñon Plaza was located near the intersection of US 50 and US 395, on the east side of Carson City. At least, that is the location of the site today - I don't think the US 395 bypass existed when I first visited there years ago. (This section of US 395 is being upgraded to become I-580, which incidentally will knock Carson City of the short list of state capitals not served by the Interstate Highway System.)
Doc already provided about as much history as can be found. Piñon Plaza opened in 1995 and featured a modest sized casino including 300 slots and 8 table games. The 150 room motel was, at some point, branded as a Best Western. This is also one of those fairly unusual casino properties with a bowling alley (32 lanes, at least today). It appears whoever owned the casino sold it in 2006 to Jacobs Entertainment, a gaming operator who also owned The Gold Dust West casinos in Reno and Elko, several casinos in Colorado, race wagering facilities in Virginia, and video gaming in Louisiana. The casino was rebranded into the Gold Dust West family in late 2006 or early 2007.
As for the name itself, it's unclear why this particular casino would have the Piñon name, but in general, the single-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) is native to the southwest, particularly the valleys of central Nevada, and is one of two of Nevada's state trees. The annual picking of pinyon nuts from the trees was a major social event for the native Washoe people of the area. I don't know, however, if the specific location of the casino is somehow relevant.
I originally had a $5 chip circa 2003, but later picked up a $1 chip. According to MOGH, their $1 chips were issued in 2004, so I must have visited this casino twice, before and after that time. I can't say I have any particular memory of it, so I have no exciting anecdotes to share.
The chip is a white Paulson RHC with a white inlay. There is a multi-colored pattern forming the shape of a bird (a Thunderbird, perhaps?). There is also a pine tree with a sun behind it.
City: Carson City
Casino: Piñon Plaza
Today's chip of the day comes from the Piñon Plaza Hotel, Casino, and Bowling Center in Carson City, NV. Piñon Plaza was the predecessor to the Gold Dust West, which Doc discussed here. Piñon Plaza was located near the intersection of US 50 and US 395, on the east side of Carson City. At least, that is the location of the site today - I don't think the US 395 bypass existed when I first visited there years ago. (This section of US 395 is being upgraded to become I-580, which incidentally will knock Carson City of the short list of state capitals not served by the Interstate Highway System.)
Doc already provided about as much history as can be found. Piñon Plaza opened in 1995 and featured a modest sized casino including 300 slots and 8 table games. The 150 room motel was, at some point, branded as a Best Western. This is also one of those fairly unusual casino properties with a bowling alley (32 lanes, at least today). It appears whoever owned the casino sold it in 2006 to Jacobs Entertainment, a gaming operator who also owned The Gold Dust West casinos in Reno and Elko, several casinos in Colorado, race wagering facilities in Virginia, and video gaming in Louisiana. The casino was rebranded into the Gold Dust West family in late 2006 or early 2007.
As for the name itself, it's unclear why this particular casino would have the Piñon name, but in general, the single-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) is native to the southwest, particularly the valleys of central Nevada, and is one of two of Nevada's state trees. The annual picking of pinyon nuts from the trees was a major social event for the native Washoe people of the area. I don't know, however, if the specific location of the casino is somehow relevant.
I originally had a $5 chip circa 2003, but later picked up a $1 chip. According to MOGH, their $1 chips were issued in 2004, so I must have visited this casino twice, before and after that time. I can't say I have any particular memory of it, so I have no exciting anecdotes to share.
The chip is a white Paulson RHC with a white inlay. There is a multi-colored pattern forming the shape of a bird (a Thunderbird, perhaps?). There is also a pine tree with a sun behind it.
January 5th, 2015 at 8:43:13 AM
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Quote: DocState: Missouri
City: St. Louis
Casino: River City
[post of 2-7-2013]
In a few months plan to be in the St. Louis area. Is there a consensus that this is the "nice" casino around there [in case the wife comes along?]. Are we better advised to try a different casino, especially if it is just me and my brother?
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
January 5th, 2015 at 8:56:35 AM
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Oh, by far the nicest.Quote: odiousgambitQuote: DocState: Missouri
City: St. Louis
Casino: River City
[post of 2-27-2010]
In a few months plan to be in the St. Louis area. Is there a consensus that this is the "nice" casino around there [in case the wife comes along?]. Are we better advised to try a different casino, especially if it is just me and my brother?
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
January 5th, 2015 at 9:51:09 AM
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Quote: odiousgambitQuote: DocState: Missouri
City: St. Louis
Casino: River City
[post of 2-27-2010]
Just for clarification, the 2-27-2010 date was when I joined this forum. My post about the River City casino was on 2-7-2013.
January 5th, 2015 at 11:01:05 AM
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Quote: DocMy post about the River City casino was on 2-7-2013.
oops, fixed
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
January 5th, 2015 at 11:02:47 AM
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Quote: teddysOh, by far the nicest.
been to any others in that local scene?
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
January 5th, 2015 at 11:22:50 AM
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The casino portion of Lumiere Place is also very nice. It is much closer to the downtown area. I have not been in either of the hotels.
January 5th, 2015 at 12:56:56 PM
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Lumiere's hotel is pretty good. There's also a 4 seasons attached to the property. And an America's Best Value Inn right across the street. So they've got all angles covered.
River City's hotel reminds me a lot of Green Valley Ranch. It's great, but the public parts of the hotel overshadow the actual rooms.
River City is by far the fanciest casino in town, but it's a little remote. Lumiere is the second nicest casino in town (and quite a bit more upscale than the others), and is very centrally located. If you'd like to also go to a bar, or catch a game, or go to a non-casino restaurant, Lumiere might be the better destination.
River City's hotel reminds me a lot of Green Valley Ranch. It's great, but the public parts of the hotel overshadow the actual rooms.
River City is by far the fanciest casino in town, but it's a little remote. Lumiere is the second nicest casino in town (and quite a bit more upscale than the others), and is very centrally located. If you'd like to also go to a bar, or catch a game, or go to a non-casino restaurant, Lumiere might be the better destination.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
January 5th, 2015 at 1:37:09 PM
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If you decide to visit Lumiere Place, please let me know whether they have changed their chips to reflect that they now belong to Tropicana Entertainment. That post-name-revision chip is a big "?" in my list of chips I might get some day.
Yes, I'm nerdily bringing the discussion back onto the basic thread topic. ;-)
Yes, I'm nerdily bringing the discussion back onto the basic thread topic. ;-)
January 5th, 2015 at 3:30:05 PM
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>Yes, I'm nerdily bringing the discussion back onto the basic thread topic. ;-)
in any case, input appreciated
in any case, input appreciated
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
January 5th, 2015 at 3:53:03 PM
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The smiley was supposed to indicate a bit of sarcasm. It has been pointed out quite a few times that this thread has potential as a travel guide.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:41:09 AM
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Almost a month since Chipman's last visit. Might have to send Doc on vacation if posts here don't resume soon:-)
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
January 16th, 2015 at 10:29:27 AM
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Quote: rdw4potusAlmost a month since Chipman's last visit. Might have to send Doc on vacation if posts here don't resume soon:-)
I apologize for the lack of posts - just had a busy and difficult couple of weeks. I'll try to resume shortly.
January 17th, 2015 at 3:05:40 PM
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Quote: rdw4potusAlmost a month since Chipman's last visit. Might have to send Doc on vacation if posts here don't resume soon:-)
Well, I'm in Nevada now, and I've added five chips to my collection, several of which are from casinos not yet covered in the thread. If Chipman isn't active yet, I'll start posting in a few days when I get home.
January 17th, 2015 at 7:54:44 PM
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Quote: DocWell, I'm in Nevada now, and I've added five chips to my collection, several of which are from casinos not yet covered in the thread. If Chipman isn't active yet, I'll start posting in a few days when I get home.
Doc, feel free to message me when you're back, and I'll be happy to yield the thread if I've started posting again. You'll probably save me some effort, since as far as I know I have every chip possible to get in Nevada today, so if there are some not yet in covered in this thread, I was going to get to them soon enough.
I'm sure you can all use the break, because eventually I'll get to Washington state, which is about 80 cardrooms worth of "I can't find anything online about this place."
January 17th, 2015 at 9:10:07 PM
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Quote: ChipmanSpiff
.....eventually I'll get to Washington state, which is about 80 cardrooms worth of "I can't find anything online about this place."
Woooooot. I've been to a few here, but wasn't collecting then.
“Man Babes” #AxelFabulous
January 17th, 2015 at 11:07:04 PM
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Quote: odiousgambit
In a few months plan to be in the St. Louis area. Is there a consensus that this is the "nice" casino around there [in case the wife comes along?]. Are we better advised to try a different casino, especially if it is just me and my brother?
Missed this earlier. Yeah, I would say River City is the nicest overall. Also has a nice beerhouse outside the casino with ~60 beers on tap. All St. Louis casinos are decent, but each one have their own pluses/minuses depending on what matters to you. If you're looking for a nice hotel room, I wouldn't pick Hollywood though. Its the only place I've actually stayed in; it's nice enough for me, but I think they're the oldest rooms of the 4 casinos.
One other thing of note. Ameristar/Hollywood are about 10 minutes apart and are pretty convenient to visit in the same night. River City/Lumiere are about 20 minutes apart.
January 18th, 2015 at 5:07:15 AM
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Quote: tringlomaneMissed this earlier.
Thanks for the feedback; as it turns out, the St. Louis stop is pretty much dead in the water, and I don't mean the thing about them being on barges LOL.
Now seeking information on how to find class III and avoid class II in Oklahoma.
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
January 18th, 2015 at 9:16:04 PM
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Wow, lots of great chips from ChipmanSpiff since I last read this thread! Great username too.
Reading about all those tiny casinos off the beaten path in Nevada reminds me of Blackjack Autumn which was an enjoyable book.
Reading about all those tiny casinos off the beaten path in Nevada reminds me of Blackjack Autumn which was an enjoyable book.
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
January 19th, 2015 at 6:41:12 PM
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Well, I'm home from the Pacific Time Zone travel and almost caught up on sleep. I have photographed my new chips and uploaded the images to my hosting site, so pretty soon I should be able to post a few new chips of the day. In the interim, I will note that two of the new additions to my collection are from casinos already covered in this thread.
I dropped by the Linq and picked up a chip identical to the one that ChipmanSpiff posted here. I still can't identify the manufacturer's logo, even with the chip in my hand and viewing it through a magnifying glass. I did verify that there is nothing on this chip that fluoresces under UV light.
Edit 1/28/15: Finally came to my senses and realized that this logo is from Icon chips.
My wife and I had an afternoon with nothing particular for us to do, so we took a ride out to Beatty and visited the Stagecoach casino, which rdw4potus had covered here. He posted a $5 chip with the comment:
I came home with a $1 token from a blackjack table. There were two dealers (or a dealer and a supervisor) there in mid/late afternoon, but there were no players at all until I showed up. It was like maybe I ruined their all-shift break. At least the one that dealt to me got some minor tokes instead of none at all.
They have a craps table, set up with a divider to make the table short enough that one dealer can handle the game. I asked whether they use the metal tokens on that table when it is in operation, since most places find that tossed metal tokens tend to tear up the felt. The reply was that they don't operate the table at all and don't have a dealer that knows how to deal the game. When they did operate the game, they had clay chips in play. The MOGH chip guide shows several $1 designs and even a 25¢ chip for a "bird" game. However, I wasn't able to get one for my collection -- they are kept locked up, and I think that might have something to do with NGC controls. I had a similar experience when I wanted to get a chip from a Carson City casino that had closed their table games; they were not allowed to break out a chip and sell it to me.
I think the token shown below falls quite in line with rdw's comment about minimal wear for the amount of time this has likely been available for play. Click on these images to see the larger ones, and see if you don't agree.
The LM mint mark at the bottom of the second image of the token stands for the Lombardo Mint, which I discussed a bit in this post after finally figuring out that it wasn't the "Lombardi" mint, as it is spelled several places on the web where they discuss gaming tokens.
I dropped by the Linq and picked up a chip identical to the one that ChipmanSpiff posted here. I still can't identify the manufacturer's logo, even with the chip in my hand and viewing it through a magnifying glass. I did verify that there is nothing on this chip that fluoresces under UV light.
Edit 1/28/15: Finally came to my senses and realized that this logo is from Icon chips.
My wife and I had an afternoon with nothing particular for us to do, so we took a ride out to Beatty and visited the Stagecoach casino, which rdw4potus had covered here. He posted a $5 chip with the comment:
Quote: rdw4potusThe 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.
I came home with a $1 token from a blackjack table. There were two dealers (or a dealer and a supervisor) there in mid/late afternoon, but there were no players at all until I showed up. It was like maybe I ruined their all-shift break. At least the one that dealt to me got some minor tokes instead of none at all.
They have a craps table, set up with a divider to make the table short enough that one dealer can handle the game. I asked whether they use the metal tokens on that table when it is in operation, since most places find that tossed metal tokens tend to tear up the felt. The reply was that they don't operate the table at all and don't have a dealer that knows how to deal the game. When they did operate the game, they had clay chips in play. The MOGH chip guide shows several $1 designs and even a 25¢ chip for a "bird" game. However, I wasn't able to get one for my collection -- they are kept locked up, and I think that might have something to do with NGC controls. I had a similar experience when I wanted to get a chip from a Carson City casino that had closed their table games; they were not allowed to break out a chip and sell it to me.
I think the token shown below falls quite in line with rdw's comment about minimal wear for the amount of time this has likely been available for play. Click on these images to see the larger ones, and see if you don't agree.
The LM mint mark at the bottom of the second image of the token stands for the Lombardo Mint, which I discussed a bit in this post after finally figuring out that it wasn't the "Lombardi" mint, as it is spelled several places on the web where they discuss gaming tokens.
January 20th, 2015 at 8:10:46 AM
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State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: SLS
By the time I posted my chip from the Sahara casino in August 2012, that place had been closed for more than a year. I commented:
Well, the Fontainebleau still looks dark, and the plot where I think the Wet ‘n Wild was located is still rather Dry ‘n Boring. Nevertheless, something did indeed happen with the Sahara.
The old facility had been operating under that name for almost sixty years and had been sold in 2007 to SBE Entertainment (Sam Nazarian) and Stockbridge Real Estate Group. It was closed in May 2011 with the declaration that the hotel was not economically viable. In February 2013, Nazarian announced groundbreaking for a $415 million renovation/conversion to create the SLS Las Vegas, which opened August 23, 2014. While there are several other SLS hotels in the country, I don’t think I have ever heard what SLS stands for (“Sam likes Sam”??), and I guess I’m too lazy to research it thoroughly.
I stopped by to check out the SLS Las Vegas during my recent visit to the city for the WoV 2015 Winter Event. The renovation seemed to have been nicely done, and I was amused by the watering hole in the lobby area – it is named the Monkey Bar, promotes “monkey business”, and is decorated with “portraits” of great apes wearing business suits.
I played $5 craps at mid-afternoon, accepted a card to their theCODE players’ club, and had one of the very few winning sessions of my entire trip. I also added a souvenir chip to my collection.
The chip is blue with three white, triangular edge inserts and a white center inlay. The perimeter has molded into it the designations “SLS Las Vegas” and “Nevada”, while the center inlay has SLS and $1 in blue. Both sides of the chip are identical.
The chip is from Paulson and has the top hat and cane logo clearly visible in blue at top center. However, this chip seems different from other Paulson chips. The center inlay is so incredibly smooth and slick that it feels like one of the plastic injection molded chips. I don’t know whether it is just a different center inlay material or some difference in the manufacturing process.
Nothing on this chip fluoresces under UV light.
City: Las Vegas
Casino: SLS
By the time I posted my chip from the Sahara casino in August 2012, that place had been closed for more than a year. I commented:
Quote: DocI haven't been keeping up with the news, but it seems to me that something is likely to open someday at the Sahara, particularly if the Fontainebleau ever opens and something goes in on the Wet 'n Wild site.
Well, the Fontainebleau still looks dark, and the plot where I think the Wet ‘n Wild was located is still rather Dry ‘n Boring. Nevertheless, something did indeed happen with the Sahara.
The old facility had been operating under that name for almost sixty years and had been sold in 2007 to SBE Entertainment (Sam Nazarian) and Stockbridge Real Estate Group. It was closed in May 2011 with the declaration that the hotel was not economically viable. In February 2013, Nazarian announced groundbreaking for a $415 million renovation/conversion to create the SLS Las Vegas, which opened August 23, 2014. While there are several other SLS hotels in the country, I don’t think I have ever heard what SLS stands for (“Sam likes Sam”??), and I guess I’m too lazy to research it thoroughly.
I stopped by to check out the SLS Las Vegas during my recent visit to the city for the WoV 2015 Winter Event. The renovation seemed to have been nicely done, and I was amused by the watering hole in the lobby area – it is named the Monkey Bar, promotes “monkey business”, and is decorated with “portraits” of great apes wearing business suits.
I played $5 craps at mid-afternoon, accepted a card to their theCODE players’ club, and had one of the very few winning sessions of my entire trip. I also added a souvenir chip to my collection.
The chip is blue with three white, triangular edge inserts and a white center inlay. The perimeter has molded into it the designations “SLS Las Vegas” and “Nevada”, while the center inlay has SLS and $1 in blue. Both sides of the chip are identical.
The chip is from Paulson and has the top hat and cane logo clearly visible in blue at top center. However, this chip seems different from other Paulson chips. The center inlay is so incredibly smooth and slick that it feels like one of the plastic injection molded chips. I don’t know whether it is just a different center inlay material or some difference in the manufacturing process.
Nothing on this chip fluoresces under UV light.
January 20th, 2015 at 12:12:30 PM
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Although the edge and center inserts of the SLS chip are described as "white", they appear peach/flesh. Could it be that the material has some sort of anti copy property built in? (of course it could also be that my monitor is wonky, but the white in other images appears fine.)
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
January 20th, 2015 at 2:06:01 PM
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I frequently get a little bit of color shift on these close-up photos, but the whites on this chip look fairly clean on my monitor. I don't see anything that I would call "peach" or "flesh" or such. Not sure whether our computers are showing different things to us or we just have different tolerances for white tones. Perhaps we could use some input from others on what they see. I really doubt there is any special anti-copy feature based on the colors here. Mostly I just think of it as one more example that not all "white" chips are white, at least not in Nevada -- this one is blue!
January 20th, 2015 at 2:21:50 PM
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Quote: DocState: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: SLS
Here's the MOGH's image:
If that's the same chip, then there's a lot of color shift going on.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
January 20th, 2015 at 2:33:02 PM
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Quote: AyecarumbaAlthough the edge and center inserts of the SLS chip are described as "white", they appear peach/flesh. Could it be that the material has some sort of anti copy property built in? (of course it could also be that my monitor is wonky, but the white in other images appears fine.)
Quote: DocI frequently get a little bit of color shift on these close-up photos, but the whites on this chip look fairly clean on my monitor. I don't see anything that I would call "peach" or "flesh" or such. Not sure whether our computers are showing different things to us or we just have different tolerances for white tones. Perhaps we could use some input from others on what they see. I really doubt there is any special anti-copy feature based on the colors here. Mostly I just think of it as one more example that not all "white" chips are white, at least not in Nevada -- this one is blue!
Looks flesh or peach to me as well.
"So drink gamble eat f***, because one day you will be dust." -ontariodealer
January 20th, 2015 at 2:33:42 PM
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Quote: rdw4potusIf that's the same chip, then there's a lot of color shift going on.
I guess finding a decent photographer might be a bit like finding a cop when you need one. I've been admitting to color shifts in my photos since the very first chip I posted in this thread. I have no idea whether it has to do with ambient lighting, flash at very close range, something about the close-up lens, or something else.
January 20th, 2015 at 3:34:57 PM
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Quote: DocI guess finding a decent photographer might be a bit like finding a cop when you need one. I've been admitting to color shifts in my photos since the very first chip I posted in this thread. I have no idea whether it has to do with ambient lighting, flash at very close range, something about the close-up lens, or something else.
I have the same issues in many of my pics as well. It was a little better for me against a white background, but things still seem to redden.
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
January 21st, 2015 at 8:44:00 AM
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State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Westgate Las Vegas
I was not around Las Vegas early enough to collect a souvenir chip from the days this facility operated under its original name as the International Hotel, but I have described this casino and its history while posting chips from two of its incarnations, the Las Vegas Hilton and the Las Vegas Hotel, the latter commonly called just the LVH. Since 2004, the property had belonged to Colony Capitol.
According to the ever-reliable Wiki, the LVH was sold at a foreclosure auction in October 2012 to the only bidder, a partnership of Goldman Sachs and Gramercy Capital. In 2013, they announced the place would be affiliating with Red Lion Hotels, but instead the place was sold in June 2014.
The Wiki article claims that, “Goldman Sachs and Colony sold the resort to Westgate Resorts.” So what the heck happened to Gramercy Capital and how the heck did Colony get involved again after losing the place in a foreclosure auction? I don’t know whether this was another casino-ownership slight of hand or just another Wiki article screw-up.
In any case, Westgate Resorts renamed the place Westgate Las Vegas on July 1 of last year. There was a lot of publicity about the changing of the huge sign out front from “LVH” to “Westgate.”
In this post last fall, I mentioned adding the Westgate to my list of chips I might get some day but noted that while the MoGH Chip Guide had a page reserved for chip images, they only said “Scans needed.” I noted that the Westgate web site described the casino as “LVH Casino at Westgate Las Vegas Resort” and asked whether anyone knew whether Westgate would ever really be operating the casino or just the hotel. After some limited discussion here, I basically forgot about the topic.
While I was recently in Las Vegas and was sitting with my wife waiting for brunch to be delivered to our table, I checked the MoGH Chip Guide again on my phone and found that new chips were indeed on display. That discovery dictated one of our stops for the afternoon, and I picked up my new souvenir while playing a breakeven session of $5 craps.
The chip is a rather dark blue Paulson, quite a bit darker than it appears in these photos (another of those "color shifts", I suppose), with three medium edge inserts in brown, orange, and yellow. The brown edge insert doesn't look right it the photos either; it really is a dark brown, and it is the insert on the left in the first image and toward the lower right in the second image. The outer ring of the chip has the Westgate name molded into it twice on each side. The center inlays are significantly undersized, and they are different on the two sides. One includes a photograph of the main tower and the sign out front, with the denomination and the surrounding labels of “Las Vegas Resort • Casino” and “Las Vegas, NV”. The other side shows an outline of the sign in brown (yes, sort of an olive-brown, not the peach or whatever it looks like in the photo) with a “WR” logo, the designation “Westgate Las Vegas Resort • Casino”, and the denomination.
The only definite indication I have found that this is a Paulson chip is a tiny blue top hat and cane logo hidden in the darkness of the photo, to the right of the denomination mark and below the hotel tower. Under UV light, the blue clay fluoresces, but the edge inserts do not, and nothing fluoresces on either of the center inlays.
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Westgate Las Vegas
I was not around Las Vegas early enough to collect a souvenir chip from the days this facility operated under its original name as the International Hotel, but I have described this casino and its history while posting chips from two of its incarnations, the Las Vegas Hilton and the Las Vegas Hotel, the latter commonly called just the LVH. Since 2004, the property had belonged to Colony Capitol.
According to the ever-reliable Wiki, the LVH was sold at a foreclosure auction in October 2012 to the only bidder, a partnership of Goldman Sachs and Gramercy Capital. In 2013, they announced the place would be affiliating with Red Lion Hotels, but instead the place was sold in June 2014.
The Wiki article claims that, “Goldman Sachs and Colony sold the resort to Westgate Resorts.” So what the heck happened to Gramercy Capital and how the heck did Colony get involved again after losing the place in a foreclosure auction? I don’t know whether this was another casino-ownership slight of hand or just another Wiki article screw-up.
In any case, Westgate Resorts renamed the place Westgate Las Vegas on July 1 of last year. There was a lot of publicity about the changing of the huge sign out front from “LVH” to “Westgate.”
In this post last fall, I mentioned adding the Westgate to my list of chips I might get some day but noted that while the MoGH Chip Guide had a page reserved for chip images, they only said “Scans needed.” I noted that the Westgate web site described the casino as “LVH Casino at Westgate Las Vegas Resort” and asked whether anyone knew whether Westgate would ever really be operating the casino or just the hotel. After some limited discussion here, I basically forgot about the topic.
While I was recently in Las Vegas and was sitting with my wife waiting for brunch to be delivered to our table, I checked the MoGH Chip Guide again on my phone and found that new chips were indeed on display. That discovery dictated one of our stops for the afternoon, and I picked up my new souvenir while playing a breakeven session of $5 craps.
The chip is a rather dark blue Paulson, quite a bit darker than it appears in these photos (another of those "color shifts", I suppose), with three medium edge inserts in brown, orange, and yellow. The brown edge insert doesn't look right it the photos either; it really is a dark brown, and it is the insert on the left in the first image and toward the lower right in the second image. The outer ring of the chip has the Westgate name molded into it twice on each side. The center inlays are significantly undersized, and they are different on the two sides. One includes a photograph of the main tower and the sign out front, with the denomination and the surrounding labels of “Las Vegas Resort • Casino” and “Las Vegas, NV”. The other side shows an outline of the sign in brown (yes, sort of an olive-brown, not the peach or whatever it looks like in the photo) with a “WR” logo, the designation “Westgate Las Vegas Resort • Casino”, and the denomination.
The only definite indication I have found that this is a Paulson chip is a tiny blue top hat and cane logo hidden in the darkness of the photo, to the right of the denomination mark and below the hotel tower. Under UV light, the blue clay fluoresces, but the edge inserts do not, and nothing fluoresces on either of the center inlays.
January 21st, 2015 at 11:02:15 AM
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This hotel was cast as the "Whyte House" hotel in the 1971 James Bond movie, "Diamonds Are Forever". The old Las Vegas Hilton sign, in silhouette behind the Westgate logo, was at one time, the world's largest.
I don't know who holds that title now.
I don't know who holds that title now.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
January 22nd, 2015 at 9:28:05 AM
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State: California
City: Twenty-Nine Palms
Casino: Tortoise Rock
The Tortoise Rock Casino is owned and operated by the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, and it is located immediately adjacent to the north side of the Joshua Tree National Park. The same tribe owns and operates the Spotlight 29 Casino to the south side of the park. When I presented my chip from the Spotlight 29 back in October 2012, I reported on some difficulties they had encountered in establishing their casino in Twenty-Nine Palms:
Less than two years after I expressed that skepticism, they were able to open their new casino, perhaps taking the revised name from the challenge the native reptile presented to their efforts. At least in this case I am not aware of a local geological feature known as Tortoise Rock, equivalent to Camel Rock in New Mexico.
The 30,000 sq. ft. casino opened on 3/31/14, and the Wizard included it in an addendum to his WoO blog entry on casinos in the Palm Springs area.
After visiting Las Vegas recently, my wife and I drove down to Palm Springs for one night (we enjoy the weekly, Thursday-night VillageFest street fair there) and stopped by the Tortoise Rock casino on our way. I managed to lose a little more of my funds at their Spanish 21 table, even though I don’t go in for side bets.
My souvenir chip is a white plastic injection molded chip from Gemaco. When I tried to check their web site to find the model number for this chip, I had a bit of a surprise. There I read the statement that, “GEMACO is now part of GPI”, or Gaming Partners International. Clicking on any of the links (casino currency, accessories, about us, etc.) takes you to the GPI web site, which makes hardly any mention of Gemaco having been absorbed.
I did find two news articles on their site. One noted that on 3/13/14, GPI announced, “it has entered into a Binding Letter of Intent to acquire the assets of GemGroup Inc.”, and the other noting that on 7/1/14, GPI “announced today that it has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of GemGroup Inc. and Subsidiaries.” Perhaps Tortoise Rock was the last new customer for Gemaco.
In the course of checking out those news items on the GPI site, I also learned that in June 2013 they had acquired the Blue Chip Company’s manufacturing assets. Blue Chip was the origin of the Sun mold, which was on several chips presented in this thread, by rdw4potus, by me, and perhaps by others. That news article states that, “This transaction is part of GPIC's previously announced strategy to use its strong cash position to acquire companies, products or technologies to enable it to grow its product offerings.” Gobble up the smaller competition, I suppose.
In any case, my white Gemaco souvenir chip has blue edge decorations and identical center inlays on both sides of the chip. The image includes a desert scene with a palm tree to the left and a Joshua tree to the right. Floating in the sky is a tortoise that appears to be an assembly of rocks or gems. Below that image are the name of the casino, the denomination, and the town and state.
I am not sure whether the sky area of the center inlay fluoresces under UV light or whether it just reflects very well the light that my UV lamp emits in the visible spectrum. The glow of the sky area is much more significant than is evident in this photo.
This concludes presentation of my most recent set of additions to my chip collection. Whenever ChipmanSpiff or any of the other members who have said they have chips to present are ready, have at it.
City: Twenty-Nine Palms
Casino: Tortoise Rock
The Tortoise Rock Casino is owned and operated by the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, and it is located immediately adjacent to the north side of the Joshua Tree National Park. The same tribe owns and operates the Spotlight 29 Casino to the south side of the park. When I presented my chip from the Spotlight 29 back in October 2012, I reported on some difficulties they had encountered in establishing their casino in Twenty-Nine Palms:
Quote: Doc… they have tried to establish another casino there to be known as the Nüwü. Unfortunately, they encountered substantial opposition from the neighboring community, which has had the support of their senator. I thought the efforts had ended when an impact statement determined that construction on the chosen site would adversely impact the habitat of the endangered desert tortoise. They then tried to establish an off-reservation casino, in the town of Joshua Tree, but that encountered opposition also. They were still trying to figure out a way to open another casino as late as this year, but I don't know whether there is any way to be successful against that much opposition. If a casino is ever built, I'm skeptical of its chances of success in such a remote location, with other casinos already in place in the more populated areas.
Less than two years after I expressed that skepticism, they were able to open their new casino, perhaps taking the revised name from the challenge the native reptile presented to their efforts. At least in this case I am not aware of a local geological feature known as Tortoise Rock, equivalent to Camel Rock in New Mexico.
The 30,000 sq. ft. casino opened on 3/31/14, and the Wizard included it in an addendum to his WoO blog entry on casinos in the Palm Springs area.
After visiting Las Vegas recently, my wife and I drove down to Palm Springs for one night (we enjoy the weekly, Thursday-night VillageFest street fair there) and stopped by the Tortoise Rock casino on our way. I managed to lose a little more of my funds at their Spanish 21 table, even though I don’t go in for side bets.
My souvenir chip is a white plastic injection molded chip from Gemaco. When I tried to check their web site to find the model number for this chip, I had a bit of a surprise. There I read the statement that, “GEMACO is now part of GPI”, or Gaming Partners International. Clicking on any of the links (casino currency, accessories, about us, etc.) takes you to the GPI web site, which makes hardly any mention of Gemaco having been absorbed.
I did find two news articles on their site. One noted that on 3/13/14, GPI announced, “it has entered into a Binding Letter of Intent to acquire the assets of GemGroup Inc.”, and the other noting that on 7/1/14, GPI “announced today that it has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of GemGroup Inc. and Subsidiaries.” Perhaps Tortoise Rock was the last new customer for Gemaco.
In the course of checking out those news items on the GPI site, I also learned that in June 2013 they had acquired the Blue Chip Company’s manufacturing assets. Blue Chip was the origin of the Sun mold, which was on several chips presented in this thread, by rdw4potus, by me, and perhaps by others. That news article states that, “This transaction is part of GPIC's previously announced strategy to use its strong cash position to acquire companies, products or technologies to enable it to grow its product offerings.” Gobble up the smaller competition, I suppose.
In any case, my white Gemaco souvenir chip has blue edge decorations and identical center inlays on both sides of the chip. The image includes a desert scene with a palm tree to the left and a Joshua tree to the right. Floating in the sky is a tortoise that appears to be an assembly of rocks or gems. Below that image are the name of the casino, the denomination, and the town and state.
I am not sure whether the sky area of the center inlay fluoresces under UV light or whether it just reflects very well the light that my UV lamp emits in the visible spectrum. The glow of the sky area is much more significant than is evident in this photo.
This concludes presentation of my most recent set of additions to my chip collection. Whenever ChipmanSpiff or any of the other members who have said they have chips to present are ready, have at it.
January 22nd, 2015 at 10:42:47 AM
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Can you drive through the Joshua Tree National Park to get from Spotlight 29 to Tortise Rock? The highway seems like a roundabout way to get from one to the other, as you have to drive all the way around the border of the park. At least it felt like a long drive...
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
January 22nd, 2015 at 12:59:13 PM
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Yes, it is possible to drive through the park to get from one casino to the other, but that's not necessarily an easier or quicker route. Exit #168 from I-10 leads you to a road through the park. That's about 22 miles to the east of the Spotlight 29. I think I have only been on that route once.
According to Google Maps, going from the Spotlight 29 to the Tortoise Rock via the western route (I-10W & CA62E) is 71.8 miles and an estimated 1 hr. 13 minutes. The eastern route (I-10E & Pinto Basin Rd.) is 68.0 miles and an estimated 1 hr. 33 minutes. I suppose its partially a matter of whether you're willing to spend twenty minutes to see some back country and save 3.8 miles.
You have to pay the park fee, of course, to pass through it.
According to Google Maps, going from the Spotlight 29 to the Tortoise Rock via the western route (I-10W & CA62E) is 71.8 miles and an estimated 1 hr. 13 minutes. The eastern route (I-10E & Pinto Basin Rd.) is 68.0 miles and an estimated 1 hr. 33 minutes. I suppose its partially a matter of whether you're willing to spend twenty minutes to see some back country and save 3.8 miles.
You have to pay the park fee, of course, to pass through it.
January 24th, 2015 at 5:43:45 PM
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Quote: DocWhenever ChipmanSpiff or any of the other members who have said they have chips to present are ready, have at it.
Thanks, Doc. Sorry for the lapse on my part - I'll be resuming ASAP.
January 24th, 2015 at 6:46:16 PM
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Before ChipmanSpiff resumes posting new chips, I thought I would once again post the image of how my chips are displayed on the desktop of my home office. The image below includes the 432 chips that now represent "my collection." Yes, it's beginning to get a little crowded, but there's still room for 192 more chips in a close-packed array in that space.
To the right edge are three chips that I received as gifts (not included in the count) and four tokens that are "duplicates" -- souvenirs from casinos from which I subsequently got clay chips that are displayed in the "real" collection array.
My photographic skills do not appear adequate to get such an image with each individual chip clearly visible. If you click on the image below (and maybe again on the image that appears), you will get a larger image that may allow you to identify some of the individual chips, but they still aren't clear. You'll need to wade through all of my chip-of-the-day posts in this thread to see them individually.
I have posted similar images a number of times in the past. For anyone interested in the progression of the collection, I have repeated those images below behind spoiler buttons. A couple of these also have links to larger images. There has only been a 2.37% increase in the count since the last time I made such a post, so you probably can't notice any recent change at all.
To the right edge are three chips that I received as gifts (not included in the count) and four tokens that are "duplicates" -- souvenirs from casinos from which I subsequently got clay chips that are displayed in the "real" collection array.
My photographic skills do not appear adequate to get such an image with each individual chip clearly visible. If you click on the image below (and maybe again on the image that appears), you will get a larger image that may allow you to identify some of the individual chips, but they still aren't clear. You'll need to wade through all of my chip-of-the-day posts in this thread to see them individually.
I have posted similar images a number of times in the past. For anyone interested in the progression of the collection, I have repeated those images below behind spoiler buttons. A couple of these also have links to larger images. There has only been a 2.37% increase in the count since the last time I made such a post, so you probably can't notice any recent change at all.
January 24th, 2015 at 7:24:40 PM
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Beautiful. What is that bright orange chip? It seems to really stand out for some reason on my monitor, almost to the point of being out of place?
January 24th, 2015 at 7:58:58 PM
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Quote: DocIf you mean the chip in the fourth row, about the center of the photo left-to-right, that's my chip from the Carson Nugget, visible in detail here. In that post I made some comments about the color.
Yes, that's it. Thanks. It really stands out.
Can you kindly repeat your policy/practice regarding $1.usd chips vs.$5.usd chips?
January 24th, 2015 at 8:16:22 PM
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I initially collected only $1 chips. My rationale was simple -- I'm a cheapskate, and a $1 chip served my collecting purpose as well as a $5 or $100 chip would. If you are interested in how I started, read my long-winded post about my Bellagio chip. I only had one chip prior to that one and wasn't a collector at all.
I now have several chips in denominations other than $1. There are three chips with Euro denominations and several $5 chips. Most of those are from Caribbean casinos where the chips in use do not necessarily match the casino. I have sometimes kept multiple souvenir chips from such casinos. I also have a $5 chip from the Margaritaville Casino at Resorts Atlantic City, since that is only an area of the Resorts casino, and they only produced chips with the Margaritaville name in the $5 denomination.
I now have several chips in denominations other than $1. There are three chips with Euro denominations and several $5 chips. Most of those are from Caribbean casinos where the chips in use do not necessarily match the casino. I have sometimes kept multiple souvenir chips from such casinos. I also have a $5 chip from the Margaritaville Casino at Resorts Atlantic City, since that is only an area of the Resorts casino, and they only produced chips with the Margaritaville name in the $5 denomination.
January 25th, 2015 at 1:34:22 AM
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Quote: DocI initially collected only $1 chips. My rationale was simple -- I'm a cheapskate, and a $1 chip served my collecting purpose as well as a $5 or $100 chip would. If you are interested in how I started, read my long-winded post about my Bellagio chip. I only had one chip prior to that one and wasn't a collector at all.
I now have several chips in denominations other than $1. There are three chips with Euro denominations and several $5 chips. Most of those are from Caribbean casinos whether the chips in use do not necessarily match the casino. I have sometimes kept multiple souvenir chips from such casinos. I also have a $5 chip from the Margaritaville Casino at Resorts Atlantic City, since that is only an area of the Resorts casino, and they only produced chips with the Margaritaville name in the $5 denomination.
My small chip collection is back in a Florida warehouse. I hope upon return to the U.S.A. I can post some photos. I only collected $5.usd chips as many casino's used coins for $1.usd except for generic roulette chips. I also recall collecting brand new chips for special events such as a BBQ at Harvey's in Lake Tahoe. As we are in a lull of sorts...
Do you recall the "Nob Hill Casino" near the what is now Harrah's in Las Vegas? I also have Playboy Casino chips both from Atlantic City and Nassau. I'll get home soon and find my collection, and again, thanks for this thread. It brings back so many memories of winning trips.
January 25th, 2015 at 9:22:37 AM
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Quote: NokTangDo you recall the "Nob Hill Casino" near the what is now Harrah's in Las Vegas? I also have Playboy Casino chips both from Atlantic City and Nassau.
The Nob Hill closed more than a dozen years before my first visit to Las Vegas.
I would like to have visited and collected a souvenir chip from the Playboy Club Casino when it existed at the Palms (2006-2012). However, to the best of my knowledge they only issued a few Playboy commemorative chips and didn't have them as the normal chips in play, instead just using the regular Palms chips. I never did make it to that Club; nightclubbing isn't really my thing.
January 27th, 2015 at 12:09:28 AM
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If anybody wants to up their denominations, Palace Station has some brand new 500s. Edges so crisp you can cut a dehydrated thumb on them. -_-
January 27th, 2015 at 6:13:49 AM
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Quote: VenthusIf anybody wants to up their denominations, Palace Station has some brand new 500s. Edges so crisp you can cut a dehydrated thumb on them. -_-
How much are they going for? :-)
Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth. - Mahatma Ghandi
January 27th, 2015 at 10:53:34 AM
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Quote: 1BBHow much are they going for? :-)
I'm not sure. Far as I can tell, they pay you to take them away...?
January 27th, 2015 at 11:00:35 AM
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Feels like it usually costs me a grand or two to gain the right to walk away with a $500 chip. Maybe these are discounted because they're new?
"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
