Nolan Dalla Responds

[Johnny Hughes]

I wrote to Nolan Dalla. Here is his response to having his $5000 chip turned down at the window at the MGM Grand:

Thanks Johnny!

I went down to the Nevada Gaming Board today. It looks like I am in serious danger of losing the money. Law states that chips are casino property and that the casino has an obligation only to the player who played with the chip, and no one else. This is an important precedent that needs to be understood by all gamblers, not to ever accept any chips as an exchange or payment and also be wary of cashing any and all large denomination chips. Frankly, I will NEVER take a chip higher than $500 again from any source. As far as I am concerned, the MGM Grand is not to be trusted.

Again, I appreciate the kind words.


-- Nolan

Nolan Dalla is one of the very top poker writers: a man with a heart, a remarkable sense of humor, and a well known high standard of ethics. He played around the outlaw games in Dallas and other parts of Texas long before the poker boom. You might want to yahoo Nolan Dalla to read his many poker writings. He is a lot of fun to play with. Since he is trying hard at the poker table to entertain, it is hard to put him on a hand. He'll play the hind leg of a jack when he's had a thimble or two of gin.

Johnny Hughes

[BKiCe]

i hope you remembered to ask him if he wants to collaborate on Riding the White Line: A Texas Road Gambler's Reflections on a Lifetime of Hustling

[PokerPaul]

I always liked nolan dalla as a writer. He was never afraid to tell you how it really is, and not just blindly always paint a rosy picture of the poker world.

I sure hope he can get that chip back to the player who gave it to him and get his $$ back.

And why wouldnt MGM pay him? Are these chips very easy to counterfeit? If so i would understand, cuz no way for MGM to know from video surv. that he received that chip from a live player on floor unless the exchange took place there.

[greg nice]

shiittty

[Jason Strasser (strassa2)]

it seems to me that the logical thing to do would be to cash the chip in the pit and play a few hands of BJ then go ahead and cash out.

[shaniac]

this is total [censored]...

[SlackerMcFly]

Note to self: Color down at every opportunity.

[shaniac]

[ QUOTE ]
it seems to me that the logical thing to do would be to cash the chip in the pit and play a few hands of BJ then go ahead and cash out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, that too...Actually, the Bellagio starts asking questions if you are cashing out 3K or more, so I try to keep the amount below that. So it's a pain in the ass. Professional gamblers should not be under any obligation to "prove" to casinos that the chips they've obtained are legitimate.

[wisehandpoker]

[ QUOTE ]
this is total [censored]...

[/ QUOTE ]

qft

As for why they'd refuse it, I know that some casinos require any cash outs of $10K or more be reported for taxation purposes, so this might be happening to avoid laundering, tax avoidance and like. Still [censored] though.

[so sick bro]

I knew the name looked familiar I just turned my head directly to the right and noticed the "One of a Kind" Stuey Ungar book sittign right there with this guys name on it