Hey Dan. I was in AC a little while ago. If you are looking to pick up some $1 chips, I found a fairly easy way to do it. All of the casinos have one of those "Wheel Of Fortune" type games. I would drop a $10 or $20, ask for singles, bet the minimum on one spin and pocket the rest. The only problem is that the "Wheel" is often not open during the afternoon.
You may want to pick up some extra $1 Showboat chips. When I was there they were still using the "back-up" chips (scan below). No idea if or when they will change these.
Make sure you stop at the Irish Pub for a good(and certainly cheap) meal. Don't wear sunglasses inside. 
