Hard Rock Hollywood/Tampa Poker Chips? (1 Viewer)

[TroyMan]

Has anyone ever seen someone with a set of Seminole Hard Rock (Hollywood or Tampa) Chipco ceramic chips?

I'd like to acquire some, but I'm wondering if my search will be futile. I'm looking for a bunch of $1, $5 and possibly some $25 chips. I've seen a some postings for a few chips here and there, but more as collector items and not in sufficient quantities to make a game out of 'em.

I recognize that I can post a wanted ad in the classified section, and I'll do that, but I'm just wondering whether i can realistically expect to get a response?

 

[pltrgyst]

You might not want to. On my first visit to HR Tampa, about six years ago, those Chipcos were the poorest condition chips I'd ever seen in a real casino (which excludes only a few kitchen-sized California card rooms).

Anthony can probably tell you about their more recent condition.

Unless you have a personal Seminole connection, you might consider the reasonably available HR Albuquerque chips instead...

 

[TroyMan]

Hey, I first just want to thank you for taking the time to respond. This is my first post on here and I wasn't sure how it was going to go.

I don't have a Seminole connection, but I think it's cool that you considered that as a possibility. It just happens that those are the only two real casino chips that I possess and I like the look and feel of them better than the samples of the consumer ceramic that I've purchased. Of those, the Archetypes are probably the ones that I like the best. I also have samples of Rounders Casino and Crystal Oyster. They're not quite as buttery smooth as the Hard Rocks, but I'm guessing that the feel of the HRs came from the chips actually having been in play, and that the chips rubbing up against each other, along with the oils from people's hands, is what has given them that nice feel. I actually took 3000 grit sand paper to a side of one of the samples I received and it then felt closer to the HRs.

I got the two chips in the picture around 2006 and they're in great shape. That was 2 years after the HR Hollywood casino opened, so I could see how there may have been a lot of wear put on the casino chips between when I was there and when the chips were taken out of use. I may have not given that enough consideration.

Assuming that the Albuquerque chips are on the same Chipco blank, then taking another look at those is not a bad suggestion. The only thing I'm not particularly crazy about on those chips is the fact that artwork differs on the front and back, whereas the Seminole ones have the same artwork on both sides. Other than the artwork, are the HR Albuquerque chips, in fact, the same Chipco chips as the Hollywood/Tampa ones?

Other than the HR Albuquerque, are there any other Chipco casino chips that I should be considering? I have a thousand of the Paulson Pharaoh's that I bought maybe 9 years ago, or so. I like them well enough, but I just want to add a ceramic set of about 300-400 chips for home non-tourney games. Something like 200-250 $1s, 100 $5s, and 40 $25s and maybe 10 $100s would be ideal.

Thank again for replying to the initial post and providing that tip.

 

[pltrgyst]

You might just hang around here for a while and see what's offered. While Paulsons and TRKs get most of the love here, Chipco and other ceramic chips come along from time to time. One site sponsor, PGI, bought Chipco's assets when they went out of business. They and sponsors GOCC and ABC produce custom ceramic chips, often on SunFly blanks. The best part of non-Chipco ceramics to me is that they don't have the telltale Chipco white ring around the circumference.

One of the site sponsors, the Chip Room, gets his hands on ex-casino Chipcos now and then. He just sold over 24,000 Chipco chips from a recently-closed WA casino.

I have at least six ceramic sets, including my favorites:

View media item 4206View media item 1286
,... and these 43mm Sunfly stock chips -
View media item 1309
... and these, from New York, which pop up from time to time in quantity-

http://www.themogh.org/cg_chip2.php?id=NYRORP

You can also get custom ceramics made for under a buck apiece, no matter how silly:
View media item 1279

 

[TroyMan]

Those are some nice looking chips. It sounds like I'm going to need to get back into research mode and perhaps buy some new samples. I really haven't done that since just before purchasing my Paulson Pharoahs. The #1 consideration for me is the feel of the chips. I love the feel of those two Hard Rock Hollywood Chipcos that I have.As long as I can get something else of the same size, weight, and buttery texture and with graphics that are decent, then that would be fine.

 

[TroyMan]

pltrgyst - Have you seen the Albuquerque chips. If so, other than the artwork, are they the same Chipco chip as the Hollywood/Tampa chips (i.e. same blanks)?

 

[pltrgyst]

pltrgyst - Have you seen the Albuquerque chips. If so, other than the artwork, are they the same Chipco chip as the Hollywood/Tampa chips (i.e. same blanks)?

Yes, I have a small set of them. They're Chipcos.

 

[CdnBeerLover]

I believe GOCC uses their own blanks, and are pretty close to Chipco. I would suggest trying to get a sample set from someone to compare the feel.

 

[BiGGyT]

http://www.themogh.org/cg_chip2.php?id=FLTASH

looks like the chipcos were replaced in 2008 with paulsons. If you are set on the Hard Rock, probably the Albuquerque are the only ones you will find in quantity. As far as other chipco sets, many out of Washington and sometimes the Mardi Gras Queen (MGQ) can be found on eBay. There are some home sets like Crystal Oyster that also can be found from time to time.

Good luck in your search, like you, I wanted a set of chipcos, so I bought a crap ton of MGQs.

BiGGyT

 

[TroyMan]

I believe GOCC uses their own blanks, and are pretty close to Chipco. I would suggest trying to get a sample set from someone to compare the feel.

Thanks, I'll give GCOC a look, but it'll depend on how close they are to Chipco. For example, for me, Nevada Jacks, or something like that, is not close enough.

 

[TroyMan]

http://www.themogh.org/cg_chip2.php?id=FLTASH

looks like the chipcos were replaced in 2008 with paulsons. If you are set on the Hard Rock, probably the Albuquerque are the only ones you will find in quantity. As far as other chipco sets, many out of Washington and sometimes the Mardi Gras Queen (MGQ) can be found on eBay. There are some home sets like Crystal Oyster that also can be found from time to time.

Good luck in your search, like you, I wanted a set of chipcos, so I bought a crap ton of MGQs.

BiGGyT

Yep...I have an affinity for the 2004 issue and the Hollywood chip, in particular. Once I meet the post requirements, I'm going to post a wanted add for them. I am open to other Chipco real casino chips though.

Question - who is the biggest supplier of ceramic poker ships to casinos today? Or...now that Chipco is out of business, is there anyone who makes a chip that is on par or better than the Chipco chips.?

 

[TroyMan]

http://www.themogh.org/cg_chip2.php?id=FLTASH

looks like the chipcos were replaced in 2008 with paulsons. If you are set on the Hard Rock, probably the Albuquerque are the only ones you will find in quantity. As far as other chipco sets, many out of Washington and sometimes the Mardi Gras Queen (MGQ) can be found on eBay. There are some home sets like Crystal Oyster that also can be found from time to time.

Good luck in your search, like you, I wanted a set of chipcos, so I bought a crap ton of MGQs.

BiGGyT

And Crystal Oyster just doesn't do it for me. I happen to already have a sample of that one that I bought many years ago, when I bought the Archetype samples.

 

[CdnBeerLover]

GOCC was formed by former Chipco employees, at least according to their introductory post on ChipTalk (http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/threads/not-just-a-lurker-anymore.85624/). And they do customs. There have been a few sets made (Nine Dragons, Aviator Club, Paymaster, etc) that would give you an idea of the feel. I own a Chipco set (Royal Yak) and a number of GOCC samples. In my opinion, they are pretty close in terms of feel.