First stop in Reno was the Alamo Travel Center, exit 22. Wanted one of their chips but they were the BTS variety so dropped a few $ and skeedaddled, looked like a good place to get into a fistfight if’n you wanted. My method of gathering chips is to play for them at the tables, I’d only buyin for $30, play a few hands and leave. Just the way I like to collect.

Fitzgerald’s didn’t know who I was, internet reservation number or not. After trying to stick me in what sounded a closet, I got a $4 upgrade that turned out to be pretty good. $28 found me in a good sized room on the 15th floor looking at Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus. At my feet was Commercial Row and the dreaded train tracks! Since I live 7 blocks from a RR crossing and 18 blocks from tugboats whistling at drawbridges, I never noticed any trains while asleep. I wanted to try Fitzgerald’s since I fell in love with several of the women dealing there when I went to Jim Fredrickson’s Reno show last Sept. They were all on vacation this week I guess. Sigh. Lincoln Fitzgerald is also one of my favorite Nevada characters also.

Anyhoo, both Fitzgerald’s and the Eldorado were celebrateing Give Mark Money Days! Played and won, played and won, etc.. The Eldo chips are very impressive in real life and worth adding to your collection. Couldn’t justify keeping a black chip though. Never cared for Fitzgerald’s chips but did pocket a very good example of their $25 millennium chip to go with the $5 Y2K I found on the table my last trip. Actually I had two and kept the best, I would imagine that these green chips got booted out of the cage not too long ago.

Walked into the new Golden Phoenix Tues at 7pm and there was NO one playing table games! Craps, roulette, and card dealers staring at me…creepy. A handful of slot players. Woeful.