The story of ESPN Tilt chips (as best I know it) (1 Viewer)

Captain Lou

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I was asked in another thread about the ESPN Tilt chips I mentioned, so I started this thread to keep that one on topic. :)

The Colorado Casino was the fictional hotel where the “World Championships” were played in the ESPN miniseries “Tilt” which ran in 2005. ESPN had an option for a second season, and was taking so much time making up their minds that a second ending was filmed for season one that ties up all the loose ends and was never aired (it is on the DVDs). Interesting side note: the show was actually filmed in Toronto. In the end, ESPN declined the second season so the production company did what production companies normally do when their work is done: they sold off their equipment in batches.

Supposedly the chips were not supposed to be in one of the trailers that was sold, but there they were. The buyer wasn’t interested in the chips so they did what everybody else does with stuff they don’t want: they put them on eBay. There was quite a feeding frenzy over them.

There were a couple of sets of chips used in the series made by BCC: one used in a cash game in the first episode that are called ESPN Diamonds because of the label. The other were the Colorado Casino chips featured throughout the show (there were both cash and tournament variants). I recently sold a few sets of my Diamond chips to help fund the purchase of a custom set.

I have 2300 of the Colorado Casino chips that will remain in residence in my collection. Unfortunately, BCC is long gone so finding more of them to fill out my set is about as likely as my winning the WSOP main event two years in a row. LOL But if you know anyone who might want to part with them.... please let me know!

Here's a look at my collection:
http://www.scorebooksoftware.com/ColoradoCasino.jpg

Cheers,
Lou
 
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I remember stumbling upon and watching the Tilt series through Comcast on-demand about 6-8 years ago or so. That was well before I knew much about chips, so I don't even remember even looking at chips or what these chips looked like. These days when I watch TV or movies, I pause and slo-mo everytime casino tables or chips come up, so I can get a better view.

Thanks for sharing -- very nice collection!
 
The show was actually ran in 2005 not 1995. Regardless, I watched it as well as anything poker back then.

Thanks for sharing the set. Do you know how many total were made?
 
The show was actually ran in 2005 not 1995. Regardless, I watched it as well as anything poker back then.

Thanks for sharing the set. Do you know how many total were made?
Thanks for the heads up - I fixed the post.

Actually, I thinking of selling them off... I need to pay down some debt as we are looking at moving into a new house. Have someone local interested, just not sure what their value is these days...
 
Dunno what you might get for them locally, but a really nice one-of-a-kind tourney set of BCC inlays would likely sell here on PCF for at least $1.50 per chip, maybe more if an auction or if broken down into two or three smaller sets..

However, you might consider listing them here raffle-style (70 tickets at $50 each) with a $3500 BIN.

ColoradoCasino.jpg


@Jackstraw
 
What is the denomination breakdown of the total set? I'm guessing it's at least the following, plus another 300 chips or so:

240 x $5
400 x $25
480 x $100
460 x $500
200 x $1000
10 x $5000
90 x $10000

I'd be interested in a subset of 400 chips:

120 x $25
120 x $100
60 x $500
100 x $1000
 
I had 1000 of these - bought them off eBay and think they were the first two 500 chip sets sold. $225 for each set. Of course stupidly sold them in a weak moment.....to get other chips I had to have which I then stupidly sold again....to get other chips......

You get the picture.
 
I remember a poker pro who posted on another site about the show "Tilt" when it first came out on ESPN. "The show is unrealistic." Why did he say this, it seemed well put together?

"If TJ Cloutier walked through a casino carrying several racks of chips, he would be overwhelmed by all the people who lent him money and got stiffed!"
 
This show sits on my dvd shelf. I rewatch it every couple of years. Links appear to be broken in this thread, does anyone have any links to the chips? Has anyone tried replicating them?
 
This show sits on my dvd shelf. I rewatch it every couple of years. Links appear to be broken in this thread, does anyone have any links to the chips? Has anyone tried replicating them?

The company that made the chips is long gone (Blue Chip Company). I have seen some china clays that look kind of close though.

A while back I asked Gear if they could re-produce the labels, but they respectfully declined due to possible copyright issues.
 
A friend of mine was a technical consultant for that show. At least, I think it was that one. He lived in Toronto.
He's dead now, so I can't really ask him.
 
They were bought out by GPI in the market consolidation some years ago. I don't know if any of their molds are still being offered to casinos (Sun and Flame molds were reasonably popular).
GPI currently offers the Blue Chip budget line of chips (low-value denominations and no-value chips only, with very resticted spot patterns and colors) to their casino customers, using the old BCC sun mold (now referred to by GPI as the Flower mold).
 

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