Around this time last year we did Casino Chip Madness 2016 to determine the best full set of casino chips of all time and came away with the relatively uncontroversial Mapes as the winner. They were and are particularly popular right now, but I think they were a deserving set (final voting thread here).
Before that, in Custom Chip Madness 2014, back on ChipTalk, we did the greatest all time single custom chip (not set) and awarded the honor to @Redbelly's beautiful - and at the time groundbreaking - T25k (final voting thread here)
And I believe the first Custom Chip Madness was in 2012, also on ChipTalk, when we voted for the greatest all time custom chip set and determined, at least at that moment in time, that the Duy's Palace set by @viet rounder was the GOAT (final voting thread here).
So for CCM 2017, let's do another Casino Chip Madness, but this time we aren't looking at the full set. This time we're judging inlay design only. So no matter how many flashy high denom chips a casino might have, they're still competing on the same level playing field as some podunk riverboat casino in the midwest.
The only qualification is that the inlay must have been designed and chips must have been produced with the intent to operate a legal, commercial gaming establishment. So PNYs are eligible even though the casino never opened, but The Bank chips from Ocean's Thirteen are ineligible because the casino was fictional and the set I just designed for my old game in Jersey are ineligible because they are not used in a legal, regulated gaming establishment.
The process will be a standard sweet 16 bracket. Everyone will list their top ten in no particular order in this thread and I'll take everyone's nominations and seed the sweet 16 according to the support each set gets in this thread.
The deadline for submission of top tens will be Monday, January 16, 2017 at 12pm, EST. Rules for posting your top tens are below. Please see in particular number 5. Photos are not required, but are HIGHLY encouraged. When someone just says "Bellagio" I don't know if they mean first or second edition. For the sake of clarity in order to get your nominations counted, please use photos.
Not necessarily a rule you need to worry about, but a note on voting thread procedure: even though this is an inlay-only vote, it would be silly to try to post a photo of an inlay without the surrounding chip. IMO you need that context to understand how the inlay works in relation to the chip.
For voting threads all head-to-head competitions will feature one photo of each chip (or two if the chip has alternating sides). I will use photos of $1 chips for all sets for voting threads so as to further control for spot level, color, etc. as much as reasonably possible. If a set has no $1 chip (very rare), I will use the lowest available denomination higher than $1. If a set has different inlays for all denominations (PNY, Ritz, Bahamia, etc.), I will still only post one photo (or two if alternating sides) in the OP. People are free to add whatever photos they would like in the thread, of course, but I feel that a one chip to one chip comparison is the best way to handle the voting OPs.
The bracket will proceed in one week intervals. Nominations will close on Monday, January 16. The Sweet Sixteen will be posted that night with voting to conclude on Monday, January 23. Same procedure for the Elite Eight with voting to conclude on Monday, January 30. Then the Final Four ending on Monday, February 6, and a champion crowned at the close of the Main Event round on Monday, February 13.
Before that, in Custom Chip Madness 2014, back on ChipTalk, we did the greatest all time single custom chip (not set) and awarded the honor to @Redbelly's beautiful - and at the time groundbreaking - T25k (final voting thread here)
And I believe the first Custom Chip Madness was in 2012, also on ChipTalk, when we voted for the greatest all time custom chip set and determined, at least at that moment in time, that the Duy's Palace set by @viet rounder was the GOAT (final voting thread here).
So for CCM 2017, let's do another Casino Chip Madness, but this time we aren't looking at the full set. This time we're judging inlay design only. So no matter how many flashy high denom chips a casino might have, they're still competing on the same level playing field as some podunk riverboat casino in the midwest.
The only qualification is that the inlay must have been designed and chips must have been produced with the intent to operate a legal, commercial gaming establishment. So PNYs are eligible even though the casino never opened, but The Bank chips from Ocean's Thirteen are ineligible because the casino was fictional and the set I just designed for my old game in Jersey are ineligible because they are not used in a legal, regulated gaming establishment.
The process will be a standard sweet 16 bracket. Everyone will list their top ten in no particular order in this thread and I'll take everyone's nominations and seed the sweet 16 according to the support each set gets in this thread.
The deadline for submission of top tens will be Monday, January 16, 2017 at 12pm, EST. Rules for posting your top tens are below. Please see in particular number 5. Photos are not required, but are HIGHLY encouraged. When someone just says "Bellagio" I don't know if they mean first or second edition. For the sake of clarity in order to get your nominations counted, please use photos.
(1) All your nominations must be in the same post. Your first post to include any nominations will be your only post counted, so continue to edit it if you have to add/remove later. No nominations posted in second or third posts will be counted unless they are also edited into your first nomination list in this thread. Feel free to post plenty otherwise advocating for sets - just limit your nominations to one post.
(2) You are limited to 10 nominations. If you list more than 10, only the first 10 listed will be counted.
(3) Any list posted or edited after the above stated deadline is void and will not be counted.
(4) Nominations must be for certain casinos and certain editions of chips. So if someone nominates the Dunes, they must specify the edition that they intend to nominate and that edition's inlay will be nominated.
(5) You are VERY much encouraged to post a photo or scan of each of your nominated inlays. Doing so guarantees I will know which inlay you intend to nominate so I can properly tally the nominations. ChipGuide is your friend. I will do my level best to figure out which you mean, but I won't go chasing you down for clarification, so please post a photo.
(2) You are limited to 10 nominations. If you list more than 10, only the first 10 listed will be counted.
(3) Any list posted or edited after the above stated deadline is void and will not be counted.
(4) Nominations must be for certain casinos and certain editions of chips. So if someone nominates the Dunes, they must specify the edition that they intend to nominate and that edition's inlay will be nominated.
(5) You are VERY much encouraged to post a photo or scan of each of your nominated inlays. Doing so guarantees I will know which inlay you intend to nominate so I can properly tally the nominations. ChipGuide is your friend. I will do my level best to figure out which you mean, but I won't go chasing you down for clarification, so please post a photo.
Not necessarily a rule you need to worry about, but a note on voting thread procedure: even though this is an inlay-only vote, it would be silly to try to post a photo of an inlay without the surrounding chip. IMO you need that context to understand how the inlay works in relation to the chip.
For voting threads all head-to-head competitions will feature one photo of each chip (or two if the chip has alternating sides). I will use photos of $1 chips for all sets for voting threads so as to further control for spot level, color, etc. as much as reasonably possible. If a set has no $1 chip (very rare), I will use the lowest available denomination higher than $1. If a set has different inlays for all denominations (PNY, Ritz, Bahamia, etc.), I will still only post one photo (or two if alternating sides) in the OP. People are free to add whatever photos they would like in the thread, of course, but I feel that a one chip to one chip comparison is the best way to handle the voting OPs.
The bracket will proceed in one week intervals. Nominations will close on Monday, January 16. The Sweet Sixteen will be posted that night with voting to conclude on Monday, January 23. Same procedure for the Elite Eight with voting to conclude on Monday, January 30. Then the Final Four ending on Monday, February 6, and a champion crowned at the close of the Main Event round on Monday, February 13.
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