Resorts World, NV, Las Vegas

Casino Chip collector and man about town Gregg Fisher has once again been bursting through the doors of a newly opened casino / resort (this time with his lovely wife accompanying him!).  News of the grand opening was music to his ears and arrived at Resorts World, NV, just 12 hours after it opened and had a glowing appraisal of it, deeming it ‘the best on the strip’. High praise indeed! In fact it’s the first new resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip in over a decade. With tens of food and drink options, three Hilton hotels, and a 117,000-square-foot casino, to say that the resort has a lot to offer would be an understatement.

So early was the casino chip world record holder to the venue that opened up a table for him. Without pause he captured images of their chips, and indeed the venue as a whole. This is a $4.3 billion resort (yes, you read that correctly!), so is appropriately ‘easy on the eye’. Opening on 24th June and described as combining a blend of technology and luxury urban appeal, visually Resorts World certainly stands out from the crowd. Some of the impressive images taken by Gregg on the day are below ‘hot off the press’ style. Enjoy!

Gregg Fisher – Casino Chip World Record Display

An update from Gregg Fisher and his display. His Guinness world record holding collection will feature as part of the Casino Chip & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club (ccgtcc) annual convention. Held at South Point Hotel/Casino, Las Vegas from 17th to 19th June if you’re in the area do check it out. As you can see Gregg has been kind enough to give a meaning nod to HotChip.co.uk as part of his display. We’re honoured!

Golden Gate Casino – New $1 Chip

The one and only Gregg Fisher (world record holder for the largest collection of $1 casino chips) has been taking the opportunity to build on his record breaking collection. This time by visiting the Golden Gate Casino in downtown Las Vegas, as the venue has a new $1 chip.

Keep an eye out for another update from Gregg in a week or so, as he’ll be putting his Guinness world record holding collection of display at the Casino Chip & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club (ccgtcc) annual convention at South Point Hotel/Casino, Las Vegas from 17th – 19th June.

Movies – The Hustler

‘The Hustler’ is 1961 drama film, produced by 20th Century Fox, directed by Robert Rossen and starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie and George C. Scott, each of whom received an Academy Award nomination. ‘The Hustler’ tells the story of ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson, a cocksure, but highly skilful pool player, who establishes a reputation as he travels the country with his manager, Charlie Burns (Myron McCormick) but, nonetheless, harbours the ambition of beating the best player in the country, Minnesota Fats (Gleason).

Shot on location, entirely in New York City, ‘The Hustler’ devotes roughly one-third of its 134-minute running time to two pool matches between Felson and Fats. In his first encounter with Fats, after 25 hours, despite drinking a whole bottle of JTS Brown bourbon, from the bottle, Felson is $18,000 ahead, but it loses it all by refusing to stop playing until the ‘Fat Man’ says the game is over. Dubbed a ‘born loser’ by Bert Gordon (Scott), a cold, vicious gambler and stakehorse, Felson accepts an offer to be taught how to play ‘major league’ pool; his ‘education’ involves, at one occasion, having his thumbs broken for flaunting his talents to a less hustler.

Nevertheless, the path inevitably leads him back to a rematch with Minnesota Fats and, in the final showdown between the two, a focused and sober Felson stakes his whole $3,000 bankroll on a single game. Felson wins that game and many more, so many, in fact, that as the hands of the clock reach six o’clock Fats concedes defeat. Felson launches into an emotional criticism of Gordon, which effectively costs him his future as a big-time pool player, but he and Fats part on gracious terms.