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Ayecarumba
Ayecarumba
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February 20th, 2014 at 8:59:48 PM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

2007 was Chinese new year 4704? Have we covered the reason for or start of the Chinese calendar? Why does the year start when it does? What happened 4704 years ago? Also, that's just not a pig. Maybe that dog-faced man with a battle axe really likes pigs...



According to the U.S. Naval Observatory and JPL, it was an alignment of the Sun, Moon, and five planets at dawn on March 5, 1953 B.C.
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Doc
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February 20th, 2014 at 11:55:20 PM permalink
Uh,... please check my arithmetic. How does starting a calendar in 1953 B.C. result in 2007 A.D. being year 4704?
geoff
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February 20th, 2014 at 11:59:23 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

Uh,... please check my arithmetic. How does starting a calendar in 1953 B.C. result in 2007 A.D. being year 4704?



It's a different calendar. Specifically it's a lunar calender so the dates wouldn't work out exactly correct.
Wizard
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February 21st, 2014 at 6:17:54 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: MGM
Year: 2007 (Pig)


"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Ayecarumba
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February 21st, 2014 at 8:26:11 AM permalink
If you are going to make a limited number of CNY chips, 8888 or 888 are the appropriate quantities. 3500 or 1288 just seem weird.

That is one happy pig. I guess cartoon pigs just don't wear pants.
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Doc
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February 21st, 2014 at 9:17:59 AM permalink
Quote: geoff

It's a different calendar. Specifically it's a lunar calender so the dates wouldn't work out exactly correct.


I still don't really understand. There still appears to be about a 16% discrepancy in the number of years. Do the lengths of lunar and solar years differ by that much? To me, solar/lunar only explains perhaps half the discrepancy.
Ayecarumba
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February 21st, 2014 at 4:59:11 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

I still don't really understand. There still appears to be about a 16% discrepancy in the number of years. Do the lengths of lunar and solar years differ by that much? To me, solar/lunar only explains perhaps half the discrepancy.



Here is a link to an alternate explanation, which relates year one to the, "Yellow King", a.k.a., the first king of China. This explanation puts the first day of the calendar around the winter solstice in late December 2698 BC.
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Doc
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February 21st, 2014 at 5:59:53 PM permalink
Well, 2698+2008-1 (for no year "zero")=4705, which matches up pretty well with the 4706 that it says on the 2008 Palms chip. I guess I can accept a 2698 B.C. start of a Chinese calendar better than I do a 1953 B.C. start.
Wizard
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February 22nd, 2014 at 6:24:44 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Wynn
Year: 2007 (Pig)


"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Doc
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February 22nd, 2014 at 7:24:22 AM permalink
What with my several off-sequence questions/posts about the Chinese calendar, I really need to thank the Wizard once again for this nice series of commemorative chips he has been posting. There have been 30 of them thus far, and there had been none prior to the Wizard's presentation.

In today's LVA QoD, the Chinese New Year chips are among the items they discuss as a "recently departed or or soon-to-vanish element of 'classic' Las Vegas" that they really will miss.
teddys
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February 22nd, 2014 at 7:48:40 AM permalink
Cute piggie.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
Konbu
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February 22nd, 2014 at 8:15:35 AM permalink
猪 = pig

boar = 野猪 (wild pig)
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teddys
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February 22nd, 2014 at 8:21:05 AM permalink
Quote: Konbu

猪 = pig

boar = 野猪 (wild pig)

Konbu, any insight on what this figure is on this chip?
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
Wizard
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February 22nd, 2014 at 9:25:46 AM permalink
Quote: Doc

What with my several off-sequence questions/posts about the Chinese calendar, I really need to thank the Wizard once again for this nice series of commemorative chips he has been posting.



You're welcome. It looks like I have about seven more to go and then I'm done. Y'all might start thinking about who I should hand the baton to next.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Konbu
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February 22nd, 2014 at 12:45:01 PM permalink
Sorry no idea about the pig.
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geoff
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February 22nd, 2014 at 7:38:27 PM permalink
Quote: teddys

Konbu, any insight on what this figure is on this chip?



I'm fairly certain it's Zhu_Bajie (Known as pigsy in English).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie
Konbu
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February 23rd, 2014 at 8:28:11 AM permalink
Agreed. It's a ugly drawing though... Hold on, zhubajie is supposed to be ugly, I guess...
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Wizard
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February 23rd, 2014 at 8:37:19 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Palms
Year: 2005 (Rooster)




My last six chips will not be in any particular order.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Doc
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February 23rd, 2014 at 9:01:25 AM permalink
Quote: Wizard

My last six chips will not be in any particular order.


That's fine. In the post #2 index, these chips are all listed alphabetically by casino and within that by year.

I find it interesting that, unlike the other chips, this one from Palms does not have the year 2005 listed anywhere.
Ayecarumba
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February 23rd, 2014 at 3:18:35 PM permalink
Interesting that it is a B&G product. I think this may be the first CNY without a Hat and Cane.
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Doc
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February 24th, 2014 at 11:19:06 AM permalink
Quote: Ayecarumba

Interesting that it is a B&G product. I think this may be the first CNY without a Hat and Cane.


A lot of these commemorative chips certainly look like Paulson products, but I have only noted four so far (Venetian '09 and '12, Palazzo '10, and Harrah's '09) that actually have a hat and cane logo molded into the chip. Did I miss some?

Of course, the Wizard isn't posting UV images of his chips, so I don't have any idea how many of them have hidden hats and canes.
Wizard
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February 24th, 2014 at 6:00:45 PM permalink
Quote: Doc

I find it interesting that, unlike the other chips, this one from Palms does not have the year 2005 listed anywhere.



Meanwhile they do indicate the Chinese year. Speaking of which, did they ever have a year zero? How about the Jewish calendar?
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Wizard
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February 24th, 2014 at 6:01:58 PM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Four Queens
Year: 2005 (Rooster)




As I vaguely recall, the Four Queens was making a half an effort to go after the Asian market about this time. They even had a tiles game. They quit issuing $8 chips not to long after this.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
geoff
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February 24th, 2014 at 6:03:14 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

Meanwhile they do indicate the Chinese year. Speaking of which, did they ever have a year zero? How about the Jewish calendar?



I don't know what the Chinese calender, but the Jewish calendar started with the year 1.
Wizard
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February 24th, 2014 at 6:03:58 PM permalink
Quote: geoff

the Jewish calendar started with the year 1.



Oy!
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Doc
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February 24th, 2014 at 9:27:35 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

It looks like I have about seven more to go and then I'm done. Y'all might start thinking about who I should hand the baton to next.


I think the Wizard is down to five Chinese New Year chips now, so we do need to start thinking again of who should post when. Before the Wizard started this set, rdw4potus was approaching the end of his collection, so it seems quite reasonable to go back and let him complete that.

However, I now have 10 chips from casinos that have not yet been covered. I would very much like to post one of those very soon, like right after the Wizard's last chip and before rdw starts posting chips again, but the other 9 can certainly wait until later for their turn. While rdw is finishing up, we can establish the sequence of other members who have indicated they have chips to post.

At this point, my notes say that AcesAndEights, Konbu, and Tomspur have offered to post their chips. If there is anyone else who has something to contribute, please let me know either in this thread or by PM.
Wizard
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February 25th, 2014 at 11:30:54 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Four Queens
Year: 2004 (Monkey)


"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Doc
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February 25th, 2014 at 12:00:46 PM permalink
Looks like time for more input from Konbu. Google Translate (for what it's worth) tells me that "monkey" is 猴子 in both traditional and simplified Chinese writing. The first half of that set looks like what appears (partially obscured) on the Four Queens chip. If I ask Google Translate for alternate translations, it does give me just the first character of this set. So what does the second character add/modify about "monkey"?
Konbu
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February 25th, 2014 at 5:23:50 PM permalink
猴子 is just the colloquial way, especially in spoken form.

Same thing for chicken = 鸡 (simplified) and 雞/鷄 (traditional), and with 子 added after as well. The right side of these characters 雞/鷄 have the same meaning of avian/bird, all the way back when large and small seal script was used before the Qin dynasty.

Rooster would be 公鸡 (dad chicken) and hen would be 母鸡 (mom chicken)
I CD-ROM.
Ayecarumba
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February 25th, 2014 at 10:28:25 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Four Queens
Year: 2004 (Monkey)




I'm digging the monkey. He's got a, "Dr. Seuss" vibe.
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Wizard
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February 26th, 2014 at 4:47:55 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Four Queens
Year: 2006 (Dog)




The only $8 CNY chip in my collection that is brass in the middle as opposed to fully clay.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Wizard
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February 27th, 2014 at 10:34:24 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Palms
Year: 2003 (Ram)




This will be my second to last chip. As you can see, it is the same on both sides.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Ayecarumba
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February 27th, 2014 at 4:15:30 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Palms
Year: 2003 (Ram)




Any significance to the blue color? It just looks weird. On the other hand, I really like the Four Queens with the brass insert. Very classy look.

Edit: Can you tell the age of a ram by counting the "rings" on its horns?
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Wizard
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February 28th, 2014 at 8:43:59 AM permalink
State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Four Queens
Year: 2001 (Snake)




This will be my last entry in the $8 Chinese New Year series. I simply don't have any more. This particular one is my oldest.

I do have some CNY chips that are not $8, like the current $1 Wynn chip, and some $5 ones from Harrah's in Reno. I also have at least one $8 chips that isn't for CNY, but I think intended for $4/$8 Texas Hold 'Em. However, I won't be making official "chip of the day" posts for them.

With that, I'll just leave the baton on the ground for the next guy to pick it up, whoever that is.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
Doc
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February 28th, 2014 at 10:39:11 AM permalink
Thanks for the great set of chips, Wiz! And a bit by chance, I suppose, there were 36 total CNY chips posted, giving a nice 9x4 box in the index. I won't be disappointed at all, though, if someone eventually has more of these to post in this thread.

As for the near-term future, I will post a chip of the day tomorrow, then on Sunday rdw4potus will resume posting the remainder of his collection. That should take two weeks or so, and during that time I will check with the others who have offered to post their chips and try to set things up.

Again, if there is someone else with chips to post from casinos not yet covered in this thread, let me know by PM or a post here so that we can get you on the schedule.
Doc
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March 1st, 2014 at 8:26:56 AM permalink
State: Colorado
City: Black Hawk
Casino: Saratoga


Back last July, when rdw4potus posted about the Fitzgeralds Casino in Black Hawk, CO, he commented, "It appears to me that this property has changed names and is now the Saratoga casino." I lamented, "Oh, jeez! Are you telling me I have to go back to Black Hawk?"

Both he and I posted images of Fitzgeralds chips, since that was all we had. Today, however, we have a chip from the Fitzgeralds replacement casino (after a change of ownership), the Saratoga.

No, I have not (yet) been back to Black Hawk, and I have never been to the renamed Saratoga Casino there. Instead, I received this chip as a gift from Buzzard, who attended the Grand Opening. Thanks very much, Buzz!

The Saratoga Casino in Black Hawk opened on June 27, 2013 – exactly 29 days after I was in Black Hawk and visited the Fitzgeralds. The Saratoga is owned by the same folks that own the Saratoga Casino and Raceway in Saratoga Springs, NY, where the casino is a slots-only establishment not covered by this thread.

Now, some eight months after it opened, the Saratoga in Black Hawk is still using the web site fitzgeraldsbh.com. Seems as if a professional organization could have spent fifty bucks to purchase a new domain name and had fitzgeraldsbh.com traffic re-routed to the site under the name of the new place. Guess I just don't understand the whole field of "business image."

In one of his combined reviews and mini-rants here, Buzzard described the "new" casino this way:
Quote: Buzzard

Saratoga Harness Racing has bought Fitzgeralds. Blackjack tables now closely surrounded by slots to extent that players often get bumped by traffic. Bye Bye party pit with 6/5 BJ and Buffalo Bonus on 6 of 8 tables.

Hello 3 Electonic 6/5 BJ tables, one split only, $2 minimum, $15 max ( WTF ) and $5 max Royal Match.

And the ever-popular Let It Ride Electronic table.



Buzzard had offered this chip to me back last August then kindly delivered it in February. A $5 commemorative grand opening chip, it is a red RHC Paulson with three pairs of edge inserts in white and gold, with very nice horse racing images on the center inlays. Surrounding the photos of the horses is a red ring that matches the base color of the chip.

Of course, the Black Hawk casino does not have a horse track. And I think the New York facility has only a harness racing track, so I guess I don't follow the connection for the photo of the jockey riding directly on the horse. Reminds me of that line in The Music Man:
Quote: Harold in "Ya Got Trouble"

Not a wholesome trottin' race, no, but a race where they set down right on the horse! Like to see some stuck-up jockey boy sittin' on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil, well I should say!



Thanks again, Buzzard!

Buzzard
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March 1st, 2014 at 12:48:13 PM permalink
Stick to collecting chips, Doc. Saratoga meet in the fall for thoroughbreds features several Grade 1 races. And they occasionally have Steeplechase races. Next trip to Blackhawk I will check out the casino and see if they are as unsuccessful as Penn National has been since acquiring Bullwhackers, Silver Hawk, and Bronco Billy's.

Bronco Billy's is now leased to Sasquash and Silver Hawk is closed. Bullwhackers is a shell of it's former self.

That's all for this review and mini-rant.

But it is a pretty chip !
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
Doc
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March 1st, 2014 at 12:57:19 PM permalink
Yep, it's definitely a pretty chip. And thanks for the correction on the NY facility. All I could find in a brief perusal of their web site was discussion of harness racing, with the season supposedly opening tomorrow. Do they race the horses in snow?
Buzzard
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March 1st, 2014 at 5:35:14 PM permalink
Yes they do ? I was at Pimlico one snowy day when the track announcer said, " They are off. And you are on your own. " A white out.
Also a jockey got suspended the day after a foggy race. Freddy Kratz Sr.was aboard a long shot in a race that went past the finish line twice. So he stopped his horse in a fog bank and waited till he heard the horses coming around the stretch turn and rode to the finish line, a daylight winner. LOL
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
beachbumbabs
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March 1st, 2014 at 5:47:07 PM permalink
Quote: Buzzard

Yes they do ? I was at Pimlico one snowy day when the track announcer said, " They are off. And you are on your own. " A white out.
Also a jockey got suspended the day after a foggy race. Freddy Kratz Sr.was aboard a long shot in a race that went past the finish line twice. So he stopped his horse in a fog bank and waited till he heard the horses coming around the stretch turn and rode to the finish line, a daylight winner. LOL



Oh, man, that's hysterically funny. That actually happened, and they paid the tickets, huh? Or did they catch on before they paid off?
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
Buzzard
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March 1st, 2014 at 7:50:24 PM permalink
They paid out. That's why the old man got a 30 day suspension. I was at Timonium one time, Freddie SR. and Jr. both had mounts in same race. I was at the stretch turn. Sr broke a horse on top and appeared to be whipping him , but it was all an act. Jr. made a move on the turn, was even with Sr. at head of stretch. That's when the old man hollered, " Ha,Ha. I fooled you. ", whipped the horse for real and won going away.
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
Ayecarumba
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March 2nd, 2014 at 4:46:46 PM permalink
Quote: Wizard

State: Nevada
City: Las Vegas
Casino: Four Queens
Year: 2001 (Snake)





Does anyone recognize the skyline in the Wizard's chip? It doesn't appear to be Las Vegas.
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rdw4potus
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March 2nd, 2014 at 8:43:45 PM permalink
State: Missouri
City: Cape Girardeau
Casino: Isle


Today's chip of the day comes from the Isle casino in Cape Girardeau, MO. Cape Girardeau is on I-55 between Saint Louis and Memphis. It's pretty much due west of Paducah/Metropolis, though there's no good way from one city to the other. The Isle opened in October of 2012 and is the newest casino in Missouri. The casino has 1000 machines, 34 tables, and 4 restaurants.

Here's a picture of the casino:



I visited the Isle in September as a part of a multi-city tour of the midwest. I drove a loop from Chicago to Columbus to Tunica and back to Chicago over a 3 day period. I drove from Metropolis to Cape Girardeau via a series of county roads. The casino is in downtown Cape Girardeau, right on the river (I suppose it has to be on the river...). It's a bit away from the heart of downtown, but they did a reasonable job of making it safely walkable from the bars and restaurants in the area.

I played BJ at the Isle. I wound up exactly even. I was $5 under my win limit, then $5 over my loss limit, then left because of my time limit. There were two other people at the table when I played. It was a young couple, and the girl was basically naked. I'm not sure if a bikini and flipflops actually met the casino's dress code, but that's what she had on. It was her first time gambling, and she was absolutely on fire. She wasn't playing well at all (bad decisions and also wrong signals, touching cards & bets, etc.), but she just couldn't lose.

I have two chips from the Isle. I'm not sure why, but they have two chips in play. The MOGH shows that they were both issued when the casino opened, and they're on identical Paulson RHC blanks. They're also both identical on both sides, which sort of makes me wonder if they were mis-printed as AA BB instead of AB AB.


"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
NokTang
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March 2nd, 2014 at 9:11:08 PM permalink
Quote: rdw4potus

the girl was basically naked. I'm not sure if a bikini and flipflops actually met the casino's dress code, but that's what she had on. It was her first time gambling, and she was absolutely on fire. She wasn't playing well at all (bad decisions and also wrong signals, touching cards & bets, etc.), but she just couldn't lose.



Seen this many times in the Caribbean casinos. They let the girls win because they want them to stay in the casino. The recently discussed Revel in Atlantic City should have tried this marketing ploy.
Doc
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March 3rd, 2014 at 8:09:32 AM permalink
The Isle casino in Cape Girardeau is on my list of chips to get. In July 2012, I drove northward from Tunica to Southland Park casino in West Memphis, to the Lady Luck casino in Caruthersville, right past Cape Girardeau to the River City casino in St. Louis. Three months later, they opened the Isle. Guess that wasn't quite so untimely as the Saratoga opening in Black Hawk just 29 days after my visit!

Maybe I'll get back to Cape Girardeau this summer.


Edit 7/31/14: I finally got to visit the Isle in Cape Girardeau. I posted my souvenir chip from this casino, along with a bunch of others, in this post.
rdw4potus
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March 3rd, 2014 at 8:36:29 PM permalink
State: Missouri
City: Saint Louis
Casino: Hollywood


Today's chip of the day comes from the Hollywood casino in Saint Louis, MO. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's in Maryland Heights; but, the chip says Saint Louis on it. This property is the former Harrah's location.

Here's a picture of the property:



I visited the Hollywood and picked up my chip a couple days after I stopped at the Isle in Cape Girardeau. It's pretty much unchanged from when it was a Harrah's, though there was some construction work happening in the lobby area. There were scaffolds everywhere, and one of the other patrons remarked "there went my luck! Making me walk under ladders on the way to the slots..." I had to laugh at that comment.

I played BJ for about an hour when I collected my chip, then left to head to my next stop.

My chip from Hollywood is a Paulson RHC. I was a little surprised how worn it was since the casino had only been open for about a year when I visited.

"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
Doc
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March 4th, 2014 at 8:17:37 AM permalink
Yes, the Hollywood in Maryland Heights (though "St. Louis" gives us out-of-staters a better idea of where it is) is also on my list of chips to get. Yesterday my wife and I talked about a trip this summer that would get us to both Cape Girardeau and St. Louis to pick up these two chips, probably within less than 24 hours of each other. I would also like to get out to pick up chips from Kansas City, but I think we would have to cut the trip shorter than that.

I mean we would likely take the route to MO from NC via Biloxi, MS (Harrah's Gulf Coast and Golden Nugget) and Bossier City, LA (Margaritaville) and come home by way of Rising Sun, IN and Cincinnati, OH. That would be almost a week-long loop as is, and my wife didn't seem too happy yesterday about the idea of extending it to also loop Missouri and drop by the Tulsa area. That's one of the problems of having a wife with sanity.


Edit 7/31/14: I finally got to visit the Hollywood St. Louis. I posted my souvenir chip from this casino, along with a bunch of others, in this post.
Konbu
Konbu
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March 4th, 2014 at 6:40:28 PM permalink
I wanted to collect from the indian casinos in northern CA along 101 but just could not muster up the energy for the drive. At least I already have River Rock from Geyserville CA.
I CD-ROM.
rdw4potus
rdw4potus
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March 4th, 2014 at 8:06:22 PM permalink
State: Missouri
City: La Grange
Casino: Mark Twain


Today's chip of the day comes from the Mark Twain casino in La Grange, MO. This property was previously owned and operated by Herbst under their Terrible's name. It reverted to the Mark Twain name when it was sold off following Herbst's bankruptcy.

I revisited the property and collected this chip on my way from Saint Louis to Chicago last September. It's about 130 miles north of Saint Louis, which means I arrived about two hours after I left the Hollywood in Maryland Heights/Saint Louis. Every time I visit this casino (which is in La Grange), I get the ZZ Top song stuck in my head. On this visit, the guy next to me at the UTH table was humming the song as well.

My chip from the Mark Twain casino is a Bud Jones product. This chip features some of the smallest print I've ever seen on a casino chip, with the city name written under the word "casino" on each side.

"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
rdw4potus
rdw4potus
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March 5th, 2014 at 5:55:20 PM permalink
Google has recently realized that it would be nice if there were a way to both store and share photos via their many services. Previously, Picasa stored and edited, Drive stored and allowed access (but didn't host for external posting like in this thread), and Google+ was just shite. Now, Picasa is Google Photos. It has many of Drive's attributes, and allows for storing, linking, and sharing photos. It also has a button called "auto awesome." I couldn't resist pushing that button, and the results are pretty awesome. It looks for similar images, and creates a moving GIF slideshow. Here's what it did with the chip from the Gila River casinos in AZ.


"So as the clock ticked and the day passed, opportunity met preparation, and luck happened." - Maurice Clarett
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