Poker chips harvesting (1 Viewer)

masayako

masayako

High Hand
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Hi everyone,

I have a rather silly question and a proposal. Not sure if it makes sense, but I feel like I should ask? Is the act of Poker chips harvesting legal? If so, and when so many of us love Paulson's, why don't we setup a network of "local contacts" to harvest chips of commonly used denoms and help each other out? e.g. LV members can help harvesting LV chips while getting AC chips from fellow PCF members? All we do is to pay each other shipping cost. Has anyone tried that approach here in PCF? Just thinking out loud. Thanks!
 
pltrgyst said:
Don’t bet the farm on that. In some jurisdictions, chips are the property of the casino.
Click to expand...

I thought this was true everywhere (at least in the US). Are there states where "buying" chips is actually considered a purchase, and thus you own the chips?
 
The last "local contact", a Las Vegas resident screwed a bunch of members by taking monies for chips never received.

Bad circumstances (possible drug problems) may have been involved.

Also, @pltrgyst is correct. I know that in Las Vegas (and likely elsewhere), chips are the property of the casino. However, nobody has ever been prosecuted to the best of my knowledge for taking chips, sometimes in racks, right out the door. But there are a few things to look at here...
  • only $1 (or smaller) chips may represent a loss to the casino. Reports vary on how much a casino actually pays per chip (including custom molds, shipping, fees for gaming commission approval, etc.)
  • Large denominations may require the cage to call to the floor to make sure the chips were paid out. Leave today and return tomorrow and the floor may not know who you are. So if you walk with a rack of $100s, then decide later you dont want them... :jawdrop: :dead:
  • Harassing an old lady because you saw her pocket a souvenir chip is likely to end that casino's revenue from that particular social security check.
  • Walk out the door with $300 in chips, and the casino is taking the gamble that you will return. Those checks are now advertising dollars spent that are almost guaranteed to get someone back in the door.
Now, this is walking with 300 x $1 chips in a sizable casino. A casino may get anxious if you return daily, and walk out with 300 each day, without playing. 25¢ chips are rumored to be very difficult to get out the door in bulk. Small casinos may politely ask for the chips back before you leave.
 
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I completely agree to everyone's comment so far. With that said, I am particularly interested in 25¢, 50¢ chips, those are the ones that are more desirable to home game uses for most average ppl..
 
masayako said:
I'll be happy to harvest 2 racks of each:
25¢ - 200
50¢ - 200
$1 - 200
Click to expand...

Have you harvested before? I only ask because, it's not as easy as it sounds. I had to go through 300-500 chips to harvest 1 rack of VF+ chips with no flea bites. I found that it was like having a part-time job, while I was on vacation. Started out as fun, but became less so each day.
 
ADS Aviator said:
Have you harvested before? I only ask because, it's not as easy as it sounds. I had to go through 300-500 chips to harvest 1 rack of VF+ chips with no flea bites. I found that it was like having a part-time job, while I was on vacation. Started out as fun, but became less so each day.
Click to expand...

I have harvested twice with the hotel I stayed in. I find it easier to transport the chips back to my room. It takes me about 1-1.5 hr for a $1 rack. Definitely not saying it's an easy task. I did not get lots of beat-up chips in both cases, considered myself lucky. In your case, what's the obstacle?
 
masayako said:
I completely agree to everyone's comment so far. With that said, I am particularly interested in 25¢, 50¢ chips, those are the ones that are more desirable to home game uses for most average ppl..
Click to expand...
Those would be the most difficult to harvest.......not many casinos use them, the ones that do watch them like a hawk and limit the numbers at he tables as well as the games they are used in.

there's a reason you don't see $25 racks of quarters for sale
 
RowdyRawhide said:
Those would be the most difficult to harvest.......not many casinos use them, the ones that do watch them like a hawk and limit the numbers at he tables as well as the games they are used in.

there's a reason you don't see $25 racks of quarters for sale
Click to expand...

Totally agree. It'll be a challenge indeed.
 
pltrgyst said:
Don’t bet the farm on that. In some jurisdictions, chips are the property of the casino.
Click to expand...
Legally however they'd have a hard time pushing the case given that they can't prove your intent to not return them and that they let hundreds if not thousands of the people do the same thing everyday unchallenged.
 
What casinos still use fracs? I remember playing at a cheap $1 blackjack table somewhere in Vegas (bachelor party - can't remember much) where natural blackjack paid out with a $1 chip and 50c coin. By the end of the night, all I had was 2 or 3 50c coins!
 
Darson said:
What casinos still use fracs? I remember playing at a cheap $1 blackjack table somewhere in Vegas (bachelor party - can't remember much) where natural blackjack paid out with a $1 chip and 50c coin. By the end of the night, all I had was 2 or 3 50c coins!
Click to expand...

Jerry's Nugget had $0.50 BJ chips in their Black Jack trays instead of a half dollar coins when I was there in Oct. Dealer let me buy 2 without playing.
 
Oasis of the Seas uses 50¢ chips in their 2/5NL games, but only for rake so they're not available in quantity. Plus they're somewhat plain ceramics, so better options are out there. (Didn't stop me from bringing one home from my last cruise, though...)

IMG_20181022_143039.jpg
 
ADS Aviator said:
I miss both of these places every time I go. I couldn't care less for SLS & Cromwell.
Click to expand...

I feel like modern Las Vegas has a bit of an identity crisis. The older places like Golden Nugget and Caesars have tons of history and define the city. Then there are many new places like Park MGM and Cromwell that just don't fit anywhere. I would include SLS in that category of awkward new properties that really don't fit anywhere.

Planet Hollywood is a new property that did it right and found a cool niche in the city.
 
Lemonzest said:
I feel like modern Las Vegas has a bit of an identity crisis. The older places like Golden Nugget and Caesars have tons of history and define the city. Then there are many new places like Park MGM and Cromwell that just don't fit anywhere. I would include SLS in that category of awkward new properties that really don't fit anywhere.

Planet Hollywood is a new property that did it right and found a cool niche in the city.
Click to expand...
It's definitely not the same. "Old" Vegas (1950s-1970s) was not the same as 1970s Vegas, when old hotels/casinos were torn down for Mega Hotels. In the 1990s, the Mega Resorts morphed into themed Mega-resorts, that many could simply call cheezy - but it was thing.

Now another transformation is taking place. Like the 1970s morphing from "Old" Vegas to "Mega-Resort" Vegas, the shift is not a welcome change to the fans of the previous incarnation of Las Vegas. Losing the "cheezy" is sad to us, but is welcome to those new to the town.

Soon enough, the Las Vegas Strip will resemble the Mall of America... but with gambling, alcohol, and shows. Not an entirely a bad concept. Probably the only place I would ever go to the mall.
 
Poker Zombie said:
It's definitely not the same. "Old" Vegas (1950s-1970s) was not the same as 1970s Vegas, when old hotels/casinos were torn down for Mega Hotels. In the 1990s, the Mega Resorts morphed into themed Mega-resorts, that many could simply call cheezy - but it was thing.

Now another transformation is taking place. Like the 1970s morphing from "Old" Vegas to "Mega-Resort" Vegas, the shift is not a welcome change to the fans of the previous incarnation of Las Vegas. Losing the "cheezy" is sad to us, but is welcome to those new to the town.

Soon enough, the Las Vegas Strip will resemble the Mall of America... but with gambling, alcohol, and shows. Not an entirely a bad concept. Probably the only place I would ever go to the mall.
Click to expand...

Yea I think you hit the nail on the head. Walking through the miracle mile in Planet Hollywood or the mall in Caesars seems pretty generic. They are just a little bit nicer versions of any other shopping mall.

I am not against Vegas evolving, obviously it can't remain the way it was in the 70s-80s. I would just like to see it become something that is still unique and interesting. A good example was Siegfried & Roy at the MGM. This was a one of a kind experience that demanded people's attention. Even a few years ago there was still some lions at the MGM behind glass.
 
ReallyGoodUsername said:
Legally however they'd have a hard time pushing the case given that they can't prove your intent to not return them and that they let hundreds if not thousands of the people do the same thing everyday unchallenged.
Click to expand...
Most casinos have a written and/or posted policy that gaming chips and equipment (ie, racks) are property of the casino and cannot be removed from the premises. Removal is considered theft. In many cases, this policy is required by the governing gaming authority.

And some places do challenge.
 
Darson said:
What casinos still use fracs? I remember playing at a cheap $1 blackjack table somewhere in Vegas (bachelor party - can't remember much) where natural blackjack paid out with a $1 chip and 50c coin. By the end of the night, all I had was 2 or 3 50c coins!
Click to expand...

Canterbury Park still has 50c, but only see poker action on the occasional 2/4 stud game. They don't have snappers in the pit so they get used there too.

http://themogh.org/cg_chip_search.php?ccg=147932

In the stud game they only have one or two per player on the table so they don't let too many out.
 
Poker Zombie said:
Soon enough, the Las Vegas Strip will resemble the Mall of America... but with gambling, alcohol, and shows. Not an entirely a bad concept. Probably the only place I would ever go to the mall.
Click to expand...

Rumor about 10 years go that Harrah's wanted to build near MOA on the old Met Center site. We ended up with IKEA instead.
 
BGinGA said:
Most casinos have a written and/or posted policy that gaming chips and equipment (ie, racks) are property of the casino and cannot be removed from the premises. Removal is considered theft. In many cases, this policy is required by the governing gaming authority.

And some places do challenge.
Click to expand...
Hmmm good to know never seen it but worth a challenge!
 

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