Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Just wondering if anyone keeps maybe a $1 chip or somethin from each casino they go to. I was thinking about starting up a little collection like this. Don't know how a casino would take me walking out with some of their chips though, but I don't think they'd mind.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

You bought the chips. They're yours for whatever purpose you wish to use them. The casino/cardroom obviously prefers you spend them on the premises. But no one will stop you from taking "one." Just don't take it off the table while you're playing.

I make it a point to take a chip from places I've played at. Even the places where I've lost money... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Here's a good link if you want to learn about serious collectors: http://www.ccgtcc.com/

I'm not a serious collector.... I just have a few saved from places I've played, mostly $1.

I do like to use the following as card holders when I play B&M:

Bellagio $1 blue
Bike $1 blue, $2 green, $5 yellow (when not at Foxwoods)
Borgata $10 blue
Commerce $1 blue
Mirage $1 blue

and others as the mood hits

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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Just wondering if anyone keeps maybe a $1 chip or somethin from each casino they go to. I was thinking about starting up a little collection like this. Don't know how a casino would take me walking out with some of their chips though, but I don't think they'd mind.

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I have one $1 chip from the Luxor. I liked the Egyptian stuff on it. Its differen than the chips I'm used to seeing so I kept it.

For a while I had a $5 chip from the first session I ever played. I was playing 3/6 kill and a few guys had some reds. I won a big pot that had a couple in it and when I cashed out, I kept one. I later used that chip as part of a reload in an NL tourny at that casino. I ended up in a 6way chop for 1st place, so I guess it was a lucky chip.

Taking one from everywhere you play sounds cool. Wish I had done it.

FishNChips

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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Don't know how a casino would take me walking out with some of their chips though, but I don't think they'd mind.

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I believe it's *technically* illegal to take chips out of a casino in New Jersey, but nobody will care about $1 chips.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I'm curious. If you use a chip from another casino as a chip protector, does that chip play? I considered doing this if I ever did start a collection, but I don't wanna lose them in a pot if I do lol.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I'm curious. If you use a chip from another casino as a chip protector, does that chip play? I considered doing this if I ever did start a collection, but I don't wanna lose them in a pot if I do lol.

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The obvious answer is no, but it actually does depend.

If I was playing a NL game at the Wynn and I was using a yellow ($1k) bellagio chip to protect my cards, I actually believe it would play. In vegas, casino chips (at least the high denomination ones) are pretty much interchangeable (I can cash Bellagio chips at Wynn and vice versa), at least by the chips runners. I would check if this holds true for chips you just have sitting on teh table, but I believe it would.

If it's a chip from another city, I doubt it would play, but make sure people realize it's not a real chip from that casino if the colors are similiar.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

[ QUOTE ]
Just wondering if anyone keeps maybe a $1 chip or somethin from each casino they go to. I was thinking about starting up a little collection like this. Don't know how a casino would take me walking out with some of their chips though, but I don't think they'd mind.

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I've even got $1 chips from before I started playing poker. I've got ~60 of them now from casinos in CA, NV, and NJ. I'm not a big collector, though, so some of them are in not-so-good condition (and some of them SHOULD be...who wants a perfectly clean Taj or Horseshoe chip? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I'm curious. If you use a chip from another casino as a chip protector, does that chip play? I considered doing this if I ever did start a collection, but I don't wanna lose them in a pot if I do lol.

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Put it in a case. It will protect it and it clearly is not in play.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

IIRC the Mirage was using Bellagio $1 (and probably other) chips when I was there a year ago. If you look carefully they have similar rim markings owing to the rooms' common Steve Wynn-influenced heritage. I wouldn't expect to bring in, say, a brown $1 from the Orleans and play it at the Mirage. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

But this is part of the reason so many blue chips are in my list of favorite card-protectors -- since I don't play the Borgata $40/80, I'm pretty safe from confusion on the East Coast. Also, the Bike $2 is a bright green that looks nothing like the quarters at Foxwoods or the AC rooms I've been in.

Never has anyone interpreted these chips as part of my stack.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I have one $1 chip from the Luxor. I liked the Egyptian stuff on it. Its differen than the chips I'm used to seeing so I kept it.
FishNChips

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Me too! The luxor $1 chips look great.

I also have all four versions of the metal $1 chips they used to use at Binions Horseshoe. I love em...one even has a picture of Benny.

I started doing it a few years ago
 

It's a neat way to remember your travels. I am missing one from Monte Carlo (blackjack), Amsterdam and a few others. But, maybe some day I can go back and get them.

My next mission is to get a display case I can keep them in.

My father keeps golf balls from all the courses he's played. It's a sick collection.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

casinos actually want you to take their chips and they make a lot of money from people collecting them. The chip costs less than $1 for them to make, so every time some buys 1 for a dollar and leaves with it them make money.

Sort of like the federal government printing those novelty quarters from each state. The government makes a boatload of money because of people collecting them and taking them out of circulation.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I have one $1 chip from the Luxor. I liked the Egyptian stuff on it. Its differen than the chips I'm used to seeing so I kept it.
FishNChips

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Me too! The luxor $1 chips look great.

I also have all four versions of the metal $1 chips they used to use at Binions Horseshoe. I love em...one even has a picture of Benny.

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You know they recently changed their rack.

Those of you are are collecting here are some links you might be interested in.

www.ccgtcc.com
www.Thechipboard.com

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

In Atlantic City and all of Nevada, the chips are considered to be gaming equipment which is the property of the casino. The gambler never "owns" them. Technically, the casinos could demand them back, but of course, they never do.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I have been doing it for a bit, and starting collecting them from NY clubs. Of course, that is not an option anymore. I have even posted here several times to see if anyone has any extra chips from any defunct NY clubs, but no one has responded.

But, if anyone has any to sell, please send me a pm. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I keep all the "extra" chips that could not be paid
out in $100 increments. I literally had a giant
shopping bag full of $1 $2 & $5 chips. It was
great fun walking into the room with the bag! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I did, however, grab a few racks and take them up to
the food area where I transferred them before going to
the tables...I just might bring the bag to the table next
time just for the look on peoples faces (maybe adding
"they look real don't they?")

-ZEN

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

[ QUOTE ]
Just wondering if anyone keeps maybe a $1 chip or somethin from each casino they go to. I was thinking about starting up a little collection like this. Don't know how a casino would take me walking out with some of their chips though, but I don't think they'd mind.

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Only thing I save is thongs from chicks I bang!

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I have one $1 chip from the Luxor. I liked the Egyptian stuff on it. Its differen than the chips I'm used to seeing so I kept it.
FishNChips

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Me too! The luxor $1 chips look great.

I also have all four versions of the metal $1 chips they used to use at Binions Horseshoe. I love em...one even has a picture of Benny.

[/ QUOTE ]

They have new chips. Chipcos are gone.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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casinos actually want you to take their chips and they make a lot of money from people collecting them. The chip costs less than $1 for them to make, so every time some buys 1 for a dollar and leaves with it them make money.

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't NJ casinos have to keep the cash on hand to pay off any chip they've ever issued?

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I've got a pretty nice collection. When my friends go on vacation they all bring back 10 $1.00 chips. Curently my collection looks like this:
Harrah's New Orleans
The Palms
Bike
Resorts East Chicago
Niagra Falls
Foxwoods

Ritchie Z

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I have one $1 chip from the Luxor. I liked the Egyptian stuff on it. Its differen than the chips I'm used to seeing so I kept it.
FishNChips

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Me too! The luxor $1 chips look great.

I also have all four versions of the metal $1 chips they used to use at Binions Horseshoe. I love em...one even has a picture of Benny.

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They have new chips. Chipcos are gone.

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BOOOO
Why did they do this? I wish I had got one when I was there in august.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I'm curious. If you use a chip from another casino as a chip protector, does that chip play? I considered doing this if I ever did start a collection, but I don't wanna lose them in a pot if I do lol.

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Not at my local place, but the dealers always like to check out what casino it's from.

I keep one $1 chip from every place I go.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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casinos actually want you to take their chips and they make a lot of money from people collecting them. The chip costs less than $1 for them to make, so every time some buys 1 for a dollar and leaves with it them make money.

Sort of like the federal government printing those novelty quarters from each state. The government makes a boatload of money because of people collecting them and taking them out of circulation.

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This is correct. Its also why many casinos issue collectable limited edition chips (i.e. Mirage, MGM, Stardust). They want you to take them home.

Examples here: http://www.oldvegaschips.com/newchips.htm

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I do this.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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casinos actually want you to take their chips and they make a lot of money from people collecting them. The chip costs less than $1 for them to make, so every time some buys 1 for a dollar and leaves with it them make money.

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't NJ casinos have to keep the cash on hand to pay off any chip they've ever issued?

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I believe so. My thought was then when they replace their chip designs they are no longer responsible for exchanging the older chips.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

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I'm curious. If you use a chip from another casino as a chip protector, does that chip play? I considered doing this if I ever did start a collection, but I don't wanna lose them in a pot if I do lol.

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The obvious answer is no, but it actually does depend.

If I was playing a NL game at the Wynn and I was using a yellow ($1k) bellagio chip to protect my cards, I actually believe it would play. In vegas, casino chips (at least the high denomination ones) are pretty much interchangeable (I can cash Bellagio chips at Wynn and vice versa), at least by the chips runners. I would check if this holds true for chips you just have sitting on teh table, but I believe it would.

If it's a chip from another city, I doubt it would play, but make sure people realize it's not a real chip from that casino if the colors are similiar.

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I had two $100 ceasar's chips on the table at flamingo (not intended to be in play) and the dealer actually made a fuss about how they certainly aren't in play and may actually confuse other people.

Its interesting that you say high denomination chips are interchangable.
quarters and less seem to be as well, but when I tried to change my 100s at aladdin, I was told that they won't take anything black or higher.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
casinos actually want you to take their chips and they make a lot of money from people collecting them. The chip costs less than $1 for them to make, so every time some buys 1 for a dollar and leaves with it them make money.

Sort of like the federal government printing those novelty quarters from each state. The government makes a boatload of money because of people collecting them and taking them out of circulation.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is correct. Its also why many casinos issue collectable limited edition chips (i.e. Mirage, MGM, Stardust). They want you to take them home.

Examples here: http://www.oldvegaschips.com/newchips.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

The casino that has been most successful at getting customers to take chips home with them has been the Palms as of late. Using sex to sell chips =/ A lot of people take their $5, $25, and sometimes even $100 chips home with them. This is great for business. I got my hands on a georgeous playboy $100 chip from Palms, but I cashed it in anyway [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Chipr777 who posts in this forum (works as dealer/floor at Horseshoe-Tunica) says he has a collection of chips from various casinos....Something like 3k or 4k chips from different casinos or something like that I think.

Not sure though...maybe it was only 1k.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I have a lowest domination (usually $1) chip from everywhere I have played. I agree with the others that it is a great memento. I have them displayed in a case on my "I Love Me" wall at home. I travel a bit so I have a lot of chips from overseas casinos as well: Egypt, Kenya, Bulgaria, Poland (no poker at any of these though!). I never tried to hide that I was taking one but I wasn't obvious about it either. I've used a 50 Schilling chip (about $.50) from Kenya as a card protector before. It was a great conversation piece because it looked like no chip I had ever seen before and couldn't be confused with any chips that were in play. I stopped using it though because it was drawing too much attention. Any other exotic chips out there?

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Chips humm

I have about $1k worth in chips at home. 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, 7's, 8's (yes, 7's and 8's), 10's, 20's, 25's all in my collection. I dont go higher but if I'm ever hurting for $, I can ebay or take them back to most of the casinos. (some are out of state).

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Thanks for the replies guys! Guess I have a lot of catching up to do if I want to catch up to some of you.

Gonna start with the casinos around L.A. and branch out.

I'd like to hear about some other collections too if you haven't posted yet and are being shy.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I heard about a guy once asking about the following

Take like $1000 to casino and get a whole bunch of chips

Take them home and use them over the weekend for a home game, whatever, etc.

Take them back to the casino and cash in later.

Kinda a cheap ass but hey, I think it was a good idea.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Funny story on this note. A guy that ran a now defunct NYC poker room thought it would be nice to have some large unit Borgata chips on hand. This way if someone who was an AC player cashed in a big win they didn't have to walk out with a giant wad of cash. This would be expecially helpful at the end of the night when the drawer was short on $100 bills and you were giving a guy $3000 in $20's.

So he gives a friend who was going to Borgata $20,000 and asks him to bring some chips back. The guy buys 8 racks of green chips and stuffs them in a bag. It was quite the priceless moment when he was holding a bag of 800 quarters asking his friend what the hell he thought he was going to do with them.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

I have kept a $1 chip from every place I have ever played poker. Only about 20 or so casinos so far though

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Playing at the Horsehoe-Tunica a few months ago there was some guy (decent player) who said that he'll sometimes take a half-decent $5 chip home (fairly new in other words)...wash it a little bit...and sell it on e-bay for $10.


Obviously if you don't get a bid that is worthwhile you can just bring it back to the casino for $5 I guess.


Not sure if this guy was for real or not.
Also not sure if you might be able to find someone willing to pay $125 for a $100 chip...or willing to pay $550 for a $500 chip.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

You definately need to start taking home a chip from every place you play. I take a $5 or a $2 or a $1 from the first pot I win. If I'm bored sometime, I'll pull out my chips and remember the Casino and/or pot that I won. The Wynn has those cool $3 chips too.

Side story: I was playing a $1/$3? nl game at the Wynn, (200 buy-in). One of my first hands I get A/9 and the flop in A/9/3 rag. The eight seat bets $20. I go all-in, but I hold back a $3 chip. The dealer tells me to put it in the pot. I ask her if I can keep it for a souviener. She tells me no. The eight seat player is watching me the whole time and calls with A/K. Rags come out, and I pocket my $3 chip.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Anyone frequent the Palms in Vegas? They have a lot of differnt cool collector type chips (ltd. editions, celebs/music types on them).. but they are the $5 ones. Only been to Palms twice but so far I have seen No Doubt, Nelly, Playboy girls, etc. on them. I always make it a point to take the ones I like home with me.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

[ QUOTE ]
Playing at the Horsehoe-Tunica a few months ago there was some guy (decent player) who said that he'll sometimes take a half-decent $5 chip home (fairly new in other words)...wash it a little bit...and sell it on e-bay for $10.


Obviously if you don't get a bid that is worthwhile you can just bring it back to the casino for $5 I guess.


Not sure if this guy was for real or not.
Also not sure if you might be able to find someone willing to pay $125 for a $100 chip...or willing to pay $550 for a $500 chip.

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Wouldn't be shocked if this were true. For some people, since they just want the chip, its cheaper/easier to pay a little "handling" charge than to go down and pick it up themselves.

Re: Keeping Chips from Casinos
 

Yes, I keep a $1 chip from everywhere I play. It's a fun and cheap souvenir.

Don't worry even a little bit about "taking chips off the table." Nobody cares when you tip the waitress with a $1 chip, and this is the same thing. I just sorta look through my chips for a clean one during some downtime and pocket it. Good times.