Poker Chip Case Reviews
Here are some reviews of poker chip cases. Most poker chip sets come in a vinyl or aluminum case, but these
tend to be of very low quality. Many of the carrying handles break under the weight of the poker chips and the manufacturing is
a bit shoddy. Many poker players eventually upgrade their case to a nice wood or plastic case.
from Royal Poker Supply
This is a 600-chip version of the 1000-chip birdcage that is reviewed below. This case will hold six 100-chip racks of poker chips of
either the standard size racks or the Chipco size. The clear plastic boxes of 100 chips will not fit in this
case, you must use the acrylic racks. You must purchase the poker chip racks separately, they are not included with the birdcage.
Unlike the 1000-chip carrier, the 600-chip carrier splits open from the top and includes a lock. The 600-chip carrier
is held together by metal clasps, much like the clasps found on aluminum poker chips cases.
 There are rubber feet on the bottom of the
case. The carrier appeared sturdy and did not seem at all flimsy. The handle seemed strong enough to comfortably carry 600 poker chips.
The case measures 8.75" x 6.75" x 6.75". The racks do not move around too much and do not tip over or spill the poker chips.
 I regularly receive emails from readers who are searching for one of
these 600-chip bird cages - they are somewhat hard to find, even on the internet. I am happy that Royal Poker Supply sent me a case for
review since I can now easily refer everyone looking for these cases to this vendor. The price is excellent at $24.95.
Aluminum Poker Chip Case
from
ChipsAndGames.com
This is the first review that I have published on aluminum poker chip cases, so this review will contain a bit more background
information on aluminum poker chip cases.
The biggest problem with many aluminum and vinyl poker chip cases is the weak carrying handle. The handles have
a tendency to break, and dropping a case full of poker chips can easily cause damage to your case. The vinyl handles seem to be much
worse than the metal handles.
Some cases have metal straps that wrap around the edges, thereby giving extra support to the case and making it less flimsy.
Most cases have metal corner protectors that wrap around the corner and provide protection from bumps and bangs but some cases
have plastic protectors, which are not quite as tough. Some cases have key locks, others have combination locks, and some have
no locks at all. There is usually a waffle type of foam padding under the lid of the case. This foam presses against the top of
the chips when the lid is closed, thereby holding the chips in place in their rows.
Most poker chip cases available on the market today have one or two areas in which to store a deck or two of
playing cards and many cases also include an area to store dice. I never could understand why an area for dice is included in a
poker chip case? The areas meant to hold a deck of playing cards will usually hold one cardboard box of the Bee/Bicycle type
but will not hold a box of plastic playing cards. The plastic boxes that plastic cards come in are a bit larger
in size than the cardboard boxes that paper cards come in. This means that you might be able to store one or two decks
of paper cards in your case, but not one or two decks of plastic cards, at least not if you want to store them in their
original box. Some of the international cardboard boxes such as Gemaco might not fit due to their larger size. What does this
mean? It means that I am usually on the lookout for poker chip cases that I can modify to store a setup (2 decks) of plastic
playing cards, in their original plastic storage box. Some cases are made of pre-molded plastic and cannot be easily altered but other
cases have separate dividers that are easier to modify.
The poker chip cases sent to me by ChipsAndGames differ in that they have wood underneath the "felt",
compared to most aluminum cases, which have a much softer plastic/Styrofoam construction. The wood leads to a longer life for the
case, since the chip rows will not bend or distort over time. All the ChipsAndGames cases have metal handles and several have
additional banding on the edges.
I removed two of the dividers in the 650-chip case (shown to the right) so that I could fit a setup (2 decks) of Copag cards
in their plastic box. It took a bit of pressure to remove the dividers and I do not think that they would ever come out on
their own. The dividers are stapled into the base of the unit and I easily removed the staples easily using a pair of pliers. This
allowed me to squeeze 650 poker chips, 2 decks of Copag playing cards (in their plastic box) and a dealer button into the case.
The ChipsAndGames aluminum cases have small ribbons attached under the areas where you store playing cards and
dice. This helps lift the item from the case and is a nice touch. Contrary to what their websites states, the felt inside the cases
that I received are black, not green. All the aluminum poker chip cases are equipped with locks.
The prices are 300 chips -$14, 500 chips - $15, 650 chips - $18, 700 chips - $23, 750 chips - $25, and 1000 chips
- $35. Shipping one case to the Detroit, Michigan area costs $7.37. These seem like very reasonable prices to me.
ChipsAndGames
offer discounts on anywhere from 6 to 10 cases bought at the same time.
 300-chip Wood Poker Chip Case
from
ChipsAndGames.com
These are poker chip cases that are made by cigar humidor manufacturers. There is a very glossy finish and a solid
feel to this case. The spade on the lid is very intricate and gives the case a classy look.
The inside of this poker chip case is the usual
molded plastic with a felt-like cloth. There is room for two decks of cards and a row of dice. There is felt on the entire
bottom of the box. There is a latch that keeps the lid closed but there is no lock. There is room for 300 poker chips in six rows
of (2 x 25) chips. The box is 16" x 9" 3.25" in size and costs $34.99 and shipping to Detroit, Michigan costs
$7.51.
750-chip Mahogany Case
This lovely poker chip case was sent to me by
Sidepot.com. The first thing that
I noticed about this case was the highly polished mahogany finish. The shiny finish and the contoured corners give it a very elegant
look. The removable chip tray has the same shiny mahogany finish on it's side panels. This is somewhat unusual for poker chip cases,
the inside tray is usually made of a cheaper quality wood and finish.
This case feels heavier and more substantial than any other poker chip case
that I have handled. There are felt pads on the four legs and
where the top cover meets the base of the unit. The chip tray is surrounded by felt, a very nice feature, and even the dealer button
hole has felt on the bottom. When you open this case, it has a bit of a vacuum feel and sound to it. The top cover fits perfectly
snug as does the chip tray. Everything is very snug and perfectly aligned. The brass fittings seem very tight and secure. All ten
poker chip slots fit 77 Chinese made dice/suited chips or 79 ASM Horsehead chips.
You can store two decks of cards and a dealer button in the bottom of the case. There are little slots carved out of the wood near
the decks to assist in removing the cards with your finger. The slot for the dealer button will only fit the cheapo white dealer
plastic pucks and there is no small finger slot to help lift the dealer button out. Any cardboard playing card box will fit in the
storage slots provided, even the Bike Trophy, which is the largest cardboard box that I own. Plastic single-deck cases, such
as the Royal, will not fit. You can also store several decks of playing cards on top of the bottom storage area. I could fit another
three decks of cardboard boxes on top of the two decks stored in the bottom slots, resulting in a total of five cardboard boxes. I
could alternatively fit two bridge size Copag double-deck plastic cases on top of the two decks stored in the bottom slots.
The poker size plastic cases would not fit and the KEM double-deck cases also did not quite fit. If using Copag cards,
you could store two decks of cards in the slots provided and another 4 decks of bridge size cards in the double-deck cases. Not bad
storage for a poker chip case! The photo on the left shows two decks of cards and a dealer button in the bottom of the case. The
photo on the right shows the same two decks of cards, with a deck of Gemaco and a double-deck of bridge size Copag's at the top.
This case comes with the typical small skeleton key and a felt cover. The cover will help keep dust off, but this case is probably
something that you want to leave uncovered because of it's fine mahogany finish. I'm a bachelor and I'll probably have to go
out and buy some Pledge wood polish for this beauty! The case does not have any carrying handles. I suppose you could fit your hands
under the curved bottom but it is not the type of case that you would want to travel with or carry around. It is meant to be
showcased on your bar or in your poker room. The price is $150.
This varnished mahogany wood poker chip case was sent to me by Sidepot.com.
It holds 600 chips and there is also room to store up to eight decks of playing cards or other accessories. The mahogany wood is
shiny and has a very dark, rich look to it. The tray is very sturdy and does not bend, even when loaded with 400 poker chips.
 This case is a little wider than most other
poker chip cases. It measures 16.5" x 9" x 5". There is felt on the bottom of the case and tray and on the side handles
(to protect the wood from scratching). The case was shipped in a cardboard box with Styrofoam packing. There was no damage in shipping.
The wood is 9/16 inch thick. The case is very sturdy and the brass handles seem very secure and there appears to be no risk of them
breaking while carrying a case full of poker chips. The brass hinges also seem very sturdy. There is no 'play' in the box when you
move it around. The case comes with a skeleton key so that it may be locked.
 The top tray holds eight slots of 50 chips each. The
bottom holds another four slots of 50 chips - making for a total capacity of 600 poker chips. The slots in the top rack actually
hold 54 ASM poker chips or 53 Chinese-made 11.5 gram chips. The slots on the bottom hold 50 ASM chips or 50 Chinese-made 11.5 gram
chips (very tightly). This is not uncommon in wood poker chip cases - often, the slots hold more chips than normal. If you want to
keep each slot to the same 50 chips, you need to use chip spacers (little acrylic disks) to fill the empty space.
There is space to hold poker accessories in the bottom of the case. There is enough space to
hold eight decks of playing cards as well as a dealer button, card protector, or several other smaller objects. Decks of paper
playing cards fit perfectly in the space provided. Plastic playing cards will also fit except for those decks that come in boxes
slightly larger than normal. Modiano and Dal Negro paper boxes fit well but the Kem and Gemaco just barely fit. None of the hard
plastic playing card boxes will fit, for example the KEM or Copag double-sets will not fit in the space provided.
Overall, the quality of this case is very good. It is very sturdy and has an elegant look to it. When you get tired of storing your
chips in an aluminum case with a broken handle, you will probably start looking for a wood case like this. The price is $90.
This is the type of poker chip case that you see used in many casinos. This is the 1000 chip carrier, there is also a 600 chip
carrier available, but it is somewhat hard to find. The big benefit of this case is that it is clear plastic and showcases your chips so
that everyone can view them. Wood cases only allow you to view the poker chips while the case is open.
The case will hold ten 100-chip racks of poker chips of either the standard size racks or the Chipco
size. The clear plastic boxes of 100 chips will not fit in this case, you must use the acrylic racks. There is no other
convenient way to keep the chips in this case without the use of the ten racks. The clear plastic slides up, over the top of
the carrier to remove the chips.
The plastic is very sturdy and I cannot imagine it would break without a hard, sharp blow of some kind. The handle
is sturdy and does not feel like it will break. This is contrary to most vinyl or aluminum cases where the handle almost always breaks
off under a full load of poker chips. There is no lock on the case but you can use a padlock on the top handle to keep it secured.
The case measures 13" x 10" x 8". There is room on top of the poker chips to place a couple decks of
cards or other small poker accessories. The racks do not move around too much and do not tip over or spill the poker chips. You must
buy the racks separately, they do not come with the birdcage.
This carrier is a good alternative to a wood poker chip case. The big advantage of this type of carrier is that you can view your
chips through the clear acrylic, making it more attractive when sitting on your bar or poker table. It is good for traveling although
you might want to wrap the handle in cloth if you are going to carry it for a great distance. The price is $75.
 This is a case that I have owned for about five years. I
bought it on the internet at a store that is no longer open. The beauty of this case is that you can view the chips through the clear
acrylic, making it a fantastic display case to sit on a table or bar.
This 600-chip clear acrylic case is just a little larger than most vinyl or aluminum cases that are available today.
The hinges are fairly sturdy but I have never really put that much pressure on them to test their strength. When I open the case, I use
both hands on the top and place it down gently. It almost feels like handling a sheet of Plexiglas. I would not want to drop this case
on the floor, or on someone's foot, even when empty of chips.
There is no room inside the case for any other items such as dealer buttons or decks of playing cards. The handle
is no better than the handle that you find on most vinyl or aluminum cases, meaning that I would not trust it. This case usually
sits on my bar and stays there. I use smaller containers to move poker chips to and from the poker tables. When I do lift
the case, I use both hands and carry the case horizontally, even when full of chips. I never carry the case vertically, mostly because
of the weak handle. Also, there is a lot of empty space between the poker chips in the slots and the top of the case. This means that
when you carry the case vertically, the poker chips will fall out of the slots. When the slots are full, the poker chips will stay put
in the slots, but if there is some empty space in the slots - they'll all come tumbling down! There is a lock on the top of the case.
I like this case because it makes a fantastic display case for my poker chips. It always sits on my bar and I
never use it for moving chips. I would not recommend that you use it for traveling. You are much better off with a 'birdcage'
type of poker chip case for traveling with your poker chips.
Please contact me to have your poker chip case reviewed on
this page. You will have to send me a sample of your case for it to be included here.
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