Casino Chip Madness 2017: Best Casino Inlay of All Time - Nomination Thread (2 Viewers)

[jbutler]

Maybe this should be split into two competitions: one for designs that apply across an entire set of chips, and one for a single denominational inlay from a set featuring significantly different inlays?

The first category could include sets like the Dunes, or Treasures, whose denoms all differ only slightly, e.g. by color, or printed denomination.

The second would evaluate single extremely strong inlay designs from sets whose other chips or denoms might be significantly weaker. An example (for me) is the Mesquite Star large star $25, which is without a doubt my favorite $25 ever -- but I wouldn't take the small star lower denoms as gifts.

Just a suggestion -- it'll be fun either way.

Could be interesting, but I think there are too few sets with all unique chips that would fall into the latter category, so probably a better idea to just throw them all into the mix here.

Plus, I kind of think of the ability to keep the quality consistent over multiple different chips in a set as part of the strength of the full inlay design of the set. In that way, a single design can include several different iterations (as mentioned in the OP, the PNYs, for instance). It can be kind of a high variance design strategy depending both on the ability to come up with good designs for all chips and also on whether people like the multiple-chip design. When executed well and people love them, huge win. If executed poorly or people don't like the idea, the overall design will rate more poorly.

I'm still thinking about this and I'd be open to suggestions (from Larry or anyone else) as to how to handle sets with multiple designs across denominations. My initial statement in the OP was that I would post only a single chip in the voting threads, but maybe that's not the best course.

To take an example in which I have an interest given my nomination, the Caesars Atlantic City set is only such a good design imo because of the multiple designs. I'm sure many feel the same about the PNY inlay(s). Seems like a slight to the sets that fall in this category to present just a single chip. But I also wouldn't want to set it up unfairly to those sets with only one design. People would be looking at nine different Ritz chips versus one single Kings Castle chip.

For the moment I'll stick with my original plan and just leave the job of posting different chips from the set to people advocating for the set in the thread, but I'm not wedded to this as a rule.

 

[atomiktoaster]

Just a few options, not sure if they're my personal GOAT inlays, but I do like them:

Mohegan Sun $1 and $10

If BJ counts, Borgata (are ceramics eligible too?)

 

[jbutler]

Just a few options, not sure if they're my personal GOAT inlays, but I do like them:

Mohegan Sun $1 and $10

If BJ counts, Borgata (are ceramics eligible too?)

Definitely Bud Jones chips count! Great noms. Mohegan was on my shortlist as well, but had to be cut. Wouldn't mind seeing it make a run.

 

[AWenger]

This brought to mind the contest where the best state flags are judged -- simple, with "other key principles of good design like use of basic colors, meaningful symbolism and being distinctive enough to be seen from afar or while moving." Adapting this for poker chip inlays, I'd say the inlay has got to have a fairly noticeable logo or graphic on it, not just text, along with a fairly large, noticeable denomination. For starters, I immediately thought: Empress and Mapes, and then soon after added Eldorado Club and California Bell Club.

Related question -- is this for the best casino inlay for any single chip, or all chip denoms taken together.

I'll also second the Mirage palm-tree design and Flamingo chip(s) posted earlier, and Dunes makes my cut, too. Some of the chips posted above I hadn't seen before, but also like are the old Sahara, Boulder Club, and the Mint, but I'm not sure those get on my list (yet).

For more modern-looking graphics/fonts, I'm actually digging the Mohegan Sun, MGM Grand, and the Seven Cedars chips posted above.

Sorry, Condado Beach (logo too small), Nevada Lodge (cool font, but text only), and old Bellagio inlay (only graphic is the little thingy on the left & right), you wouldn't make my cut.

Empress
Classic art-deco inspired logo, color matched denominations, shaped inlays.
(I know there's a mix of primary & secondary here)

Eldorado Club (Gardena, California) - I'll nominate the Paulson $1
I always liked this inlay, handwritten font, and logo. They also kept it mostly consistent through older TR King chips and newer Paulson chips.

Mapes
Unique hand-drawn font & logo, black inlay with white border, simple but elegant design using only the colors black and white.
A few takeaways: the Chip Guide should get a better example for the $5 chip, that's not off-center. Interestingly, I don't think I ever noticed this before, but the 5 in the $5 denom doesn't match the 5 in the $25 denom - one has an upward slant on the upper part of the 5, the other a downward slant. (Note, I may have some bias -- do the inlays just seem better to me because the colors are awesome?)

California Bell Club
Simple bell graphic, custom handwritten style font and denom, the metallic gold border on the inlay is unique and looks great (when it's in good shape - see $2, $10, and $25 below), shaped inlays for denoms $10 and up. I'm not really a big fan of the orange/red inlay and border color on the hundo, but I can live with it.

 

[bivey]

@72o
No love for seven cedars 50c, $1, and $5. All of the chip in the lineup are quite nice!

 

[72o]

@72o
No love for seven cedars 50c, $1, and $5. All of the chip in the lineup are quite nice!

Yeah you're right...added. (y) :thumbsup: I tried to pick my favorite of the bunch but it is probably better to represent the whole line. Some of the best hot stamps as well but the're not relevant here.

 

[PAZ]

OK, here we go....in no particular order (but TR Kings first, of course) Sands, Union Plaza, The Mint, New China Club, Kings Castle, Tropicana, Boulder Club, Playboy Club, The Vineyard and Winner's Circle Casino. I would have put a Mapes in there but there is already a lot of love for them. I'm sure they'll make the cut and this way I can slip something else in.

 

[jbutler]

OK, here we go....in no particular order (but TR Kings first, of course) Sands, Union Plaza, The Mint, New China Club, Kings Castle, Tropicana, Boulder Club, Playboy Club, The Vineyard and Winner's Circle Casino. I would have put a Mapes in there but there is already a lot of love for them. I'm sure they'll make the cut and this way I can slip something else in.

View attachment 75207

So fucking baller that @PAZ actually has all of his top ten chips and can just take a photo.

It's like you're just chilling and randomly ask someone if he could live anywhere in the world where he'd want to live and he's like, "I dunno I'm pretty torn between my place on the Upper West Side and my apartment in Milan...or maybe my beach house in Maui. But I think I'd have to say the place in Beverly Hills because that's where I keep all my Teslas."

 

[72o]

So have all the decent inlays already been nominated? Or, like I've come to realize I guess, casino inlays are generally boring without chip context? Which is funny because I typically like boring inlays with just a little flare. The Bourbon St. inlay comes to mind as a perfect example of an inlay that I love. But by itself isn't anything to write home about.


I've edited my previous post with a few.

 

[gopherblue]

OK, here we go....in no particular order (but TR Kings first, of course) Sands, Union Plaza, The Mint, New China Club, Kings Castle, Tropicana, Boulder Club, Playboy Club, The Vineyard and Winner's Circle Casino. I would have put a Mapes in there but there is already a lot of love for them. I'm sure they'll make the cut and this way I can slip something else in.

View attachment 75207

Oh, man, that Playboy Club chip!

 

[upNdown]

This brought to mind the contest where the best state flags are judged -- simple, with "other key principles of good design like use of basic colors, meaningful symbolism and being distinctive enough to be seen from afar or while moving." Adapting this for poker chip inlays, I'd say the inlay has got to have a fairly noticeable logo or graphic on it, not just text, along with a fairly large, noticeable denomination. For starters, I immediately thought: Empress and Mapes, and then soon after added Eldorado Club and California Bell Club.

Related question -- is this for the best casino inlay for any single chip, or all chip denoms taken together.

I'll also second the Mirage palm-tree design and Flamingo chip(s) posted earlier, and Dunes makes my cut, too. Some of the chips posted above I hadn't seen before, but also like are the old Sahara, Boulder Club, and the Mint, but I'm not sure those get on my list (yet).

For more modern-looking graphics/fonts, I'm actually digging the Mohegan Sun, MGM Grand, and the Seven Cedars chips posted above.

Sorry, Condado Beach (logo too small), Nevada Lodge (cool font, but text only), and old Bellagio inlay (only graphic is the little thingy on the left & right), you wouldn't make my cut.

Empress
Classic art-deco inspired logo, color matched denominations, shaped inlays.
(I know there's a mix of primary & secondary here)

Eldorado Club (Gardena, California) - I'll nominate the Paulson $1
I always liked this inlay, handwritten font, and logo. They also kept it mostly consistent through older TR King chips and newer Paulson chips.

Mapes
Unique hand-drawn font & logo, black inlay with white border, simple but elegant design using only the colors black and white.
A few takeaways: the Chip Guide should get a better example for the $5 chip, that's not off-center. Interestingly, I don't think I ever noticed this before, but the 5 in the $5 denom doesn't match the 5 in the $25 denom - one has an upward slant on the upper part of the 5, the other a downward slant. (Note, I may have some bias -- do the inlays just seem better to me because the colors are awesome?)

California Bell Club
Simple bell graphic, custom handwritten style font and denom, the metallic gold border on the inlay is unique and looks great (when it's in good shape - see $2, $10, and $25 below), shaped inlays for denoms $10 and up. I'm not really a big fan of the orange/red inlay and border color on the hundo, but I can live with it.

I love the California Bells.

 

[pltrgyst]

My hands-down, all-time favorite inlays are on this chip:

... and my runners-up would be:

and

plus

and the Vineyards.

Other favorites--

For elegant simplicity, the label of my favorite blue $1 ever:

pursued by this more complex Luxor label, the Paris, and the MGM:

For a label consistent across an entire series of chips, it would be the Divis, plus the Treasure Casinos, and Grand Victorias:

And for a series with a 7/8 inch label, and best integration of the casino name with a graphic, the Highway 9s:

For the all-time boneheaded design, back to New Jersey, backing this beauty for a western-themed mixed set:

with this abomination:

wtf were they thinking?

 

[72o]

Forgot about the Bahamias somehow. That hundo is awesome. And I really like that Paris dollar.

 

[bentax1978]

And for a series with a 7/8 inch label, and best integration of the casino name with a graphic, the Highway 9s:

That hundo is awesome.

Please don't encourage him.

Those hundred dollar chips are terrible; You should get rid of them ASAP.

 

[jbutler]

Okay a couple of the big hitters who I knew would come with some solid noms - @PAZ and @pltrgyst - have spoken. Not gonna call anyone out, but I know we've got several more guys with sick knowledge and great taste around here...

 

[pltrgyst]

Geez, old age -- there are probably many great labels I forgot, but one that leaped right out at me as soon as I posted was the outstanding chips being designed for Harrah's, New Orleans. The $5 is especially beautiful, and has been produced in label sizes from 7/8 to giant, If you like bold colors, these are hard to beat.

to

Not to mention the $500 and $1000:

 

[gmunny]

Reno:

There is also a $500 hundo. Nice cog inlay, too.

 

[jbutler]

Again reconsidering my earlier plan to put only the $1 chip in the OP. I might do four chips for each set: $1/5/25/100. At least that way, if the set is designed to incorporate multiple inlay designs, that would be apparent in the OP used for voting.

Anyone have any strong opinion one way or the other?

 

[bentax1978]

Again reconsidering my earlier plan to put only the $1 chip in the OP. I might do four chips for each set: $1/5/25/100. At least that way, if the set is designed to incorporate multiple inlay designs, that would be apparent in the OP used for voting.

Anyone have any strong opinion one way or the other?

I would (somewhat strongly) prefer to vote on sets (1/5/25/100) as opposed to just the $1 chip.

 

[jbutler]

I would (somewhat strongly) prefer to vote on sets (1/5/25/100) as opposed to just the $1 chip.

More I think about it, more it makes sense if the intention is to consider the full inlay design and if that full design encompasses multiple chips with different features.

I'll go this route wherever possible (i.e., where scans/photos of all chips are available) at this point unless I hear a solid argument against.

 

[Forty4]

I too would like to see the set as a whole, but there is an argument for a single chip best inlay ever, and by single I mean 1 (chip) not $1.

 

[jbutler]

I too would like to see the set as a whole, but there is an argument for a single chip best inlay ever, and by single i mean 1 (chip) not $1.

Yeah @pltrgyst raised that possibility - best single chip inlay of all time - but in this thing we're going to go best full set inlay design. So in some sets one chip would be sufficient because there was only one graphic across all denoms, but in some you'd need to present multiple chips so people can recognize that the intent of the design was to present multiple unique graphics throughout the set.

I do think yours and Larry's suggestion is a good idea for a future contest. Tons of great single designs out there if you include commemoratives and other one-offs.

 

[RowdyRawhide]

More I think about it, more it makes sense if the intention is to consider the full inlay design and if that full design encompasses multiple chips with different features.

I'll go this route wherever possible (i.e., where scans/photos of all chips are available) at this point unless I hear a solid argument against.

Yeah @pltrgyst raised that possibility - best single chip inlay of all time - but in this thing we're going to go best full set inlay design. So in some sets one chip would be sufficient because there was only one graphic across all denoms, but in some you'd need to present multiple chips so people can recognize that the intent of the design was to present multiple unique graphics throughout the set.

I do think yours and Larry's suggestion is a good idea for a future contest. Tons of great single designs out there if you include commemoratives and other one-offs.

OK now I am confused is this thread the single best (1 Chip) inlay or the the best inlay(s) (sets) OAT??

 

[RowdyRawhide]

Yeah @pltrgyst
I do think yours and Larry's suggestion is a good idea for a future contest. Tons of great single designs out there if you include commemoratives and other one-offs.

After rereading I think this means sets of inlays for future??

 

[gmunny]

Great idea about inlays. I actually start collecting obsolete singles because i love the 50s and 60s art styles, designs, logos, etc. There are too many to choose from but here are some of my favorites.


[URL=http://s205.photobucket.com/user/greg_ike/media/Casino%20Chips/My%20Collection/aa%20Las%20Vegas/ABCD/ClubBingo25LasVegas.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[jbutler]

OK now I am confused is this thread the single best (1 Chip) inlay or the the best inlay(s) (sets) OAT??

After rereading I think this means sets of inlays for future??

Current contest: best inlay design. Most designs will be same inlay across all denoms; some will change denom to denom. "Design" refers to the overall conceptual design for the full rack, whether it be uniform or changing.

 

[jbutler]

Great idea about inlays. I actually start collecting obsolete singles because i love the 50s and 60s art styles, designs, logos, etc. There are too many to choose from but here are some of my favorites.

That love Club Bingo design.

 

[Adam Crowley]

The only argument I can think of against is that from a design standpoint, a set that has different inlanys across a range of chips, has an advantage over a set with only one inlay.

This stems from the fact that is is harder to design multiple inlays and tie them all together.

 

[jbutler]

The only argument I can think of against is that from a design standpoint, a set that has different inlanys across a range of chips, has an advantage over a set with only one inlay.

This stems from the fact that is is harder to design multiple inlays and tie them all together.

I can understand that view, but I think there are two considerations that cause it to not be an unfair fight:

(1) lots of people will have a bias in favor of a set with a consistent design across all denoms; and
(2) as you note, designing multiple images is a bit of a high wire act: you can go way wrong very easily, but when it works it can be fantastic, so it's only fair that the set enjoy the spoils or suffer the defeat.

 

[pokerplayingpisces]

Geez, old age -- there are probably many great labels I forgot, but one that leaped right out at me as soon as I posted was the outstanding chips being designed for Harrah's, New Orleans. The $5 is especially beautiful, and has been produced in label sizes from 7/8 to giant, If you like bold colors, these are hard to beat.

to

Not to mention the $500 and $1000:

Gorgeous chips! The high denom chips look fantastic in stacks! I was fortunate enough to see them in person when I was in NOLA for the Broncos/Saints game. The Saturday before the game we played in the daily Harrah's tourney. After I busted, I went to the craps table, as I really didn't want to wait for a 1/3 table to open up. I was at the craps table for about 20 minutes, when this guy rolls up with a bunch of $100s and 1Ks. I was one off the dealer, and this guy slides in between the dealer and me, and starts betting (he was a don't player). The guy must have asked for a marker, cause a few minutes pass, and the pit boss shows up with a clipboard, and asks him to sign. When he was done, the pit boss passed him a barrel of $500s. He and the house keep winning, and he had a gorgeous stack of high denom chips! I've never seen so much money in casino currency before in person!
I had to leave Sunday, but friends stayed, and said the games were soft of Monday. Here's a couple of pics of their live stacks;