March Update

Six new chips to add to the blog, courtesy of my brother (@ATRoss14) and the internet.  They are:

1.  Soaring Eagle - Mt. Pleasant, MI - new house chip.  My brother stopped by the Eagle a few weeks ago and brought me back the new house chip.  I haven't been to Soaring Eagle in years, instead opting for Detroit and Battle Creek, but I'm sure nothing has changed.  Automatic shuffle machines, high table minimums, unfriendly staff and lots of smoke.  Put that on a billboard!

2.  The Mirage - Las Vegas - 25 Years.  The Mirage opened in the middle of the Las Vegas strip in 1989.  It helped kicked off the new era of modern, upscale Strip casinos.  I've always liked gambling there and once even saw Steve Lyons wandering around.

3.  Hard Rock - Las Vegas - Puma.  How could I not get a chip with a sweet pair of Puma kicks on it?

4.  Hard Rock - Las Vegas - Eminem.
5.  Hard Rock - Las Vegas - Hootie and the Blowfish (New Years Eve 1996).

Just your standard 'musician on a chip' chips.

6.  Riviera - Las Vegas - older house chip.  The Riviera Casino is set to close May 4 (just two days after the Kentucky Derby!).  So I went back and looked for some of their older house chips and found this one.  I've never stayed at the Riviera, I'm sure I've played a little there but really, I only remember that there was a Burger King in their Food Court.  And I never ate at their food court.

That brings my chip total up to 470.

Hollywood, FL

My second chip from the Sunshine State is in the books.  While on Spring Break in southern Florida, @LangeM77 and @taralayne0412 got me the house chip from the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL.  Looks just like the Tampa one except for the location print.  Doesn't have the grim history of the Tampa location, which is where Anna Nicole Smith died, but I'm sure impromptu dance contests pop up at any moment.  Maybe if Anna Nichole Smith had been in Hollywood and not Tampa, David Caruso would have found the killer.  Anyways, glad to have this chip in my collection and glad those two are still going on Spring Break - even though they've been out of high school for nearly 20 years.  Woo!  Spring Break!

Hard Rock - Tampa, FL

This will be the first chip for frame #5. Yes, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa is my 253rd five dollar chip. It's also where Anna Nicole Smith died. I didn't know that when we were there. We stopped in one night after a spring training game and it was odd. No roulette or craps. Blackjack minimums were $50! And the tables were full. There was also some type of dance contest going on in front of one of their bar/restaurants. It was crazy. Mostly because I didn't win, but also just because it was going on. I'm not sure if it was a sponsored thing or an impromptu breakdown or what. So, we packed up quickly and hit Thee Doll House. Should have stayed at the casino, as bad as it was. But that's a story for a different blog.