How to choose poker chips ?

Firstly, you need to know that there are various types of poker chips sold in the market and the prices tend to varying quite a lot. To save you from being confused over which type of chips to buy, Poker Manic has summarised the checklist for buying the type of poker chip that is suitable for your needs.

Usually customers choose poker chips according to it’s:

·        Make (plastic, acrylic, pure clay, clay composite, ceramics)

·        Patterns or colours (usually the more colourful, the more expensive)

·        Weight of the chips (typical is 11.5 grams, usually the heavier the more expensive).

·        Style (economical, home or casino style)

Of course the premier chips are the true casino grade chips which cost a great deal more while the more affordable, yet giving you a good feel are the home grade chips. For your average family home game, a 500-piece set should do just fine.

An average Family Home Poker Game

3 to 4 players, purchase at least 300 chips

5 to 6 players, purchase at least 500 chips

7 to 8 players, purchase at least 700 chips

Economic Resin Composite Chips

Economical chips are made out of acrylic or plastic. They are light weighted and come in a variety of colors. These can be commonly found in the Mahjong shops that you see and the quality and looks tend to be minimal. 

There is another type of composite chips called the Resin, ABS or PVC Composite chips with metal slugs (coin centers).

• They are made through PVC/ ABS Plastic Injection moulding

• They have the same weight as most clay composite chips, but DON’T BE FOOLED! They are much cheaper than clay composite chips

• You can readily identify them with their multi-coloured plain design

• They tend to be quite slippery which make them hard to form a high stack out of them during games and to perform chip tricks

• Some examples of the common chips sold are:
  • Dice-striped

  • Royal Suited

  • Suited

  • Classic 8-striped Dual etc

Home Style Chips

Home Style Poker Chips which are made out of CLAY COMPOSITES.

·        They are the common poker chips that customers purchase for home poker games

·        They have an average weight of 10-11.5grams, giving you the same weight and feel during poker games

·        They usually either come in plain without denomination colourful designs or with denominations that have either a waterproof logos/ laser stickers/ traditional hot gold stamping

·        For plain colourful chips, you need assign whatever value you wish to each colour  of the poker chip when you sit down to play a game of poker

Casino Style Chips

Casino Style chips are further divided into pure clay, clay composite and the latest ceramic poker chips.

The latest trends of chips are those with multi-colours. Very few chips on the market today have 3 colors and we are proud be one of those shops that offer not only 3 coloured but FOUR coloured clay chips! These are truly unique and one of a kind.

1)    Pure Clay chips (no metal slugs) are the preferred chips used in most casinos.

• They are molded through the process of compression

• They are the most expensive of the chip types. Most clay poker chips often break down after a long period of use, but with proper care, they can last longer

• Usually after a few months of use, these pure clay chips will round out and have a vintage look

• Pure clay chips are usually lighter in weight about 10 grams.

• Typical famous pure clay casino grade chips are:
  • Paulson® (Most professional and the most expensive)

  • Dunes Commemorative

  • Desert Palms®

  • James Bond Fantasy and many more

  • 12 Stripes Full Clay chips

2)    Clay composite chips with metal slugs (coin centers) are molded through the process of injection moulding.

• Unlike pure clay chips, they can be imprinted with full-face graphics which is quite hard to do on pure clay chips

• Clay composite casino style chips are by far, one of the most popular chips that customers purchase

• The grades of chips tend to follow those used in the actual casinos

• The typical weight ranges from 11.5grams to as heavy as 14 grams, giving you the true “casino feel”, and produces “clack” sounds when stacked or dropped. The heavier poker chips tend to be more expensive as well

• However, their consistency in quality may vary unlike ceramic chips

• Typical famous casino grade chips are:

• 4-Colour Edge Spot

• Tri-colour Monte Carlo Chips

• Coin Inlay Jackpot Casino

• NexGen™ (Pro, Edge Spot, Multi-Coloured, and Lucky Bee)

• High roller

• WPT™

• Welcome to Las Vegas

• 4 Aces Poker

• ESPN® poker chips and many more

      3)    Ceramic chips are one of the latest lines of poker chips, giving an average  weight of 10 grams.

• They have a nice silky feel with killer graphics designs

• They produce this “clink” sound when stacked or dropped

• They have consistent in quality and cost more expensive than most clay composites chips

• Ceramic chips are usually used for customised printing of your own chips and cost more expensive

• Typical famous ceramic casino grade chips are:

• Nevada Jacks

• Ceramic Coconut

• Grand Royale
• Fully Customised Ceramic Chips 
• Desert Sands Casino etc