Poker Chips

General information about home poker chips is shown below the list of links to poker chip suppliers. Check out my Poker Chip Review page for reviews of poker chips and information about specific poker chips.

Poker Chip Suppliers

Types of Poker Chips

There are several different categories of home poker chips ranging from plastic chips costing pennies apiece, to high-end casino-quality chips costing a couple dollars each. Here is a brief summary of the different types of poker chips that are available for the home market. The chips are arranged in rough order, from the cheapest to the most expensive. Click on an image to read my review of that poker chip.

Plastic Poker Chips

The least expensive poker chips are the Bicycle or Hoyle plastic poker chips which cost about $3-4 for 100 chips. They are not very impressive, they are hard to stack and count, and you have to worry about players bringing their own chips to your tourney. It's just way too easy for a player to slip a couple extra chips into his pocket before coming to your game. These chips weigh about 2 grams each and come in the standard red, white, and blue colors.

Diamond Poker Chips

Diamond (or Super-diamond) poker chips are one step up from the plastic poker chips, but it's a huge step up! Some players even prefer these diamond chips over the standard 11.5g Suited/Dice composite poker chips. These chips weight anywhere from 6 to 9 grams each, although 11.5g versions are also available. These chips are one solid color and do not feature any edge spots. They are the same diameter and thickness as casino chips and fit perfectly in poker chip racks.

Some players find that these chips have a better feel and sound to them than the 11.5g Suited/Dice chips. The Diamond chips are made of a plastic/clay composition and do have a 'plastic' feel to them but are not nearly as slippery or hard-bodied as the 11.5g composites. The sound of the Diamond chips is much better than the sound of a typical (metal insert) 11.5g composite - there is none of that 'metallic ring' that is so evident when playing with the metal insert chips.

Diamond poker chips are fine for a home poker tournament and are probably the best overall value for your money (Faux Clays are a close second). The cost is about $9 per 100 chips and eBay auctions can cost under $50 for 500 Diamond chips with a case. There are several different manufacturers of these chips, and there are slight differences between the chips. You should probably buy all the chips you need at one time to ensure that all your chips match. Diamond chips cost about 6-10� each. Visit my review of Diamond poker chips page for more information.

Faux Clay Poker Chips

These low-cost chips are quite popular, especially for people who need lots of chips! For the price, they have a great feel and sound and some people prefer these chips over the 11.5g composite poker chips.

There is a pronounced injection mold 'pimple' on each chip. You can see the pimple at the 12 o'clock position in the recessed groove of both images shown above. There is a cross-hatch pattern on the surface of these chips. This gives the chip a better feel and makes it less slippery than a composite chip. Like the Diamond chips, these chips come in one solid color and do not have any edge spots.

These chips do not contain a metal insert and have much less of a 'ringing' sound than composite chips with a metal insert. These chips actually have a bit of a thud to them. The Faux Clay chips cost about 10� each but can sometimes be found for as low as 5� each. See my Faux Clay poker chip review for more information.

Cardinal Poker Chips

These chips are a cross between the plastic poker chips and the 11.5g composite Suited poker chips. They have the look and feel of an 11.5g composite, but are lighter and somewhat more cheaply made. These chips can be found in many department stores. See my Cardinal poker chip review for more information.

Suited or Dice 11.5g Composite Poker Chips

The most popular chips sold today are the Suited or Dice poker chips in a weight of 11.5 grams. These chips are made in China using a plastic composite resin with a metal disk inside for added weight. They have a slippery plastic feel and have a metallic 'clink' or 'ring' sound to them rather than the 'clunk' or 'thud' sound of a casino quality clay chip. They are slick and don't stack nearly as well as clay chips. The 11.5g composite chips are slightly larger than traditional casino poker chips and might not fit into smaller poker chip racks. Make sure to check out my Poker Chip Racks page for more information.

Most 11.5 gram composite poker chips contain a metal slug embedded into the plastic (composite) of the chip. The metal is needed to give the chip additional weight over and above the weight of the plastic.

Suited/Dice chips are great for home use and most inexperienced poker players are truly impressed ... but they are not 'casino-quality' or 'clay' poker chips. Clay has nothing to do with these chips and it is surprising that they can be advertised as such. It is often stated that 11.5 grams is the official casino weight but this is not true - standard casino weight is 9 to 10 grams per chip. In addition, composite poker chips are generally not used in casino's - instead real clay or ceramic poker chips are used. Don't let the advertising fool you!

Having said all that, many first-time poker players use 11.5 gram chips for their home games and are more than happy with them! To purchase real clay chips costs at least two to three times as much money and that's just for the plainest of clay chips! Home tournaments are usually played between friends and the Suited or Dice poker chips will do just fine. Cost is about 8-15� per chip but can be as much as 35� per chip, depending on the design.

11.5g Composite Poker Chips

The 11.5 gram composites are the most common type of poker chip sold on the internet. They are available in many styles and label designs. You should pay attention to the design of the chip and to the design of the edge spots when making your decision on which style of poker chips to purchase. The most basic composite poker chip, the Suited poker chip, does not have any edge spots, but most of the other 11.5 composites do. Some of the chips have no label at all, others have paper labels, others have vinyl labels, some have engraving, and some have gold hot-stamping. Almost all of them have a metal insert similar to the one shown in the image above.

These chips are mass produced in China by various manufacturers. They range in price from 8� per chip to as much as 50� per chip, with the average price being about 15� to 25� each. Keep in mind that you can purchase blank versions of real clay chips for about 50� per chip.

11.5g Composite (no metal insert) Poker Chips

These chips are identical to the 11.5g composite chips, except they do not contain a metal insert. Some weigh less than 11.5 grams but some weigh more. In general, these chips have a somewhat softer texture to them than the typical 11.5 gram metal insert chips. You can usually leave a mark on the chip by scratching your fingernail across the surface, even though the mark is easily rubbed out. Some of these chips can be broken in half with your fingers, and a lot of effort, but this can only be done intentionally and should never be a problem.

These chips are not much of an improvement when compared to their metal insert equivalents. They might sound a bit better (less of a ring) and they might feel a bit better (softer) but they still have the look and feel of a typical 11.5g composite chip. They are better, and you should probably buy these versions of the chip, rather than the metal insert versions, but they are nothing special. They usually have nicer labels than the metal insert chips, but the feel and texture are almost identical. The cost of these chips varies greatly depending on the style of the chip.

NexGen Poker Chips

These are very popular poker chips that are one step up from the 11.5g composites. They have traditional edge spots, which most of the 11.5g composite chips lack. Unfortunately, they have the same basic texture and slipperiness of the 11.5g composite chips. They weigh about 12 grams each and have the same sound as an 11.5g composite.

These chips are popular with people who wish to apply their own homemade labels to a cheap poker chip. There is a recessed center on this chip which can easily accommodate a paper label. On many other poker chips, the center area of the chip is not recessed, which makes it harder to apply a homemade paper label. See my Custom Labels page for more information. These chips cost about 15-20� each. See my NexGen poker chip review for more information.

13-gram Poker Chips

These are a variation on the 11.5 gram composite poker chips. They have nice, traditional edge spots, but are similar to the 11.5 gram composites and NexGen poker chips in most respects. Like the NexGen's, they are usually a bit softer in texture than the 11.5 gram composites. These chips cost about 25� each. Read my 13 gram poker chip review for more information.

All-in Poker Chips

These chips are made of clay and they do not have a metal insert. The clay is very soft and you can break the chips in half with your fingers if you try very hard. See my All-in poker chips review for more information. These chips weigh about 10.5 gram each and cost about 30� per chip.
The All-in website appears to be dead as of July 2006.

Nevada Jack Composite Poker Chips

These chips are similar to the ceramic poker chips (Chipco) except for the much rougher finish on the surface of the chip. The texture of these chips feels a bit like sandpaper, rather than the smooth porcelain feel of a ceramic chip. They are a good alternative to the ceramic chips, but at a cheaper price. Either style of chip costs about 60� each. Read my review of Nevada Jacks Composite poker chips or my review of the Desert Sands poker chips for more information. The Desert Sands poker chips can be customized with your own graphics and shipped to you within two weeks for 69� per chip, which is fantastic service for a customized poker chip of this quality.

Blue Chip Company Poker Chips

Blue Chip manufactures several styles of chips for the home poker chip market. They make the Modern Clay chips for Sidepot.com and the Nevada Jacks chips for Nevada Jack. They make a version of the Vineyard Casino poker chip that is also available in Paulson and Chipco (ceramic) versions. They also manufacture the popular James Bond poker chips as well as several Fan of Cards or Viva Las Vegas type poker chips. The price of these chips varies greatly with the style of chip chosen. Prices start at about 75� per chip.

Ceramic Poker Chips

Ceramic poker chips, mostly made by Chipco, are fully customizable poker chips that are made of a ceramic compound that looks and feels like porcelain. They have a smooth surface that can accommodate beautiful graphics that are hard to reproduce on other types of poker chips. Many casinos use ChipCo Protech poker chips. They have a bit slicker feel than a clay chip, but it is this smooth finish that allows stunning graphics to be painted on to the chip. These chips cost over 75� cents per chip and weigh 10 grams each. Some of them could be considered little works of art!

R.T. Plastics Poker Chips

These chips are usually classified as clay chips, but seem to have more in common with very high-end composite poker chips. The labels on these chips are usually spectacular and this is what sets these chips apart from others. These chips cost about 89� each.

T.R. King Poker Chips

These are real clay poker chips made by the T.R. King Company. They weigh about 9.5 grams and have a traditional casino look and feel to them. They are a bit smaller than other real clay casino quality poker chips - they are about 38.5mm in diameter compared to the more standard 39mm and they are also a bit thinner. Make sure that you check out my Poker Racks page before you buy racks for these chips. These are very high quality home poker chips. They cost 90� and more.
As of the summer of 2006 it appears that the TR King site is closed.

ASM Poker Chips

ASM (PokerChipsOnline.com) manufactured the poker chips that were used in the movie 'Rounders'. Their chips range in price from 50� for a blank chip with no label or edge spots to $1.10 for a chip with three edge spots and customized labels. They have their own design people who will work with you to create your own poker label. These chips weigh about 9.5 grams each and a re available in several different molds. See my ASM poker chip review for more information. Visit the My Own Chips page for an in-depth review of the customized ASM poker chips that I purchased for this website!

Metal Poker Chips

There are several types of metal chips. Most metal chips are similar to the chips in the top row and contain a metal slug that is inserted into a composite poker chip. The Nevada Club poker chip, in the bottom row, is a solid metal (the bronze areas) covered by composite (the black areas). The Tangiers poker chip is an all-metal chip, there is no composite on this chip whatsoever - it weighs in at a whopping 16 grams! These chips range in price from 60� and up, the Tangiers chip costs 89�.

Paulson Poker Chips

There's nothing quite like playing poker with real clay casino quality poker chips ... and that is what Paulson chips are! Clay chips have the best weight and feel to them. They are not slick and do not have a plastic, mass produced, assembly-line feeling to them. They stack and shuffle better and separating chips is much easier. These chips weigh 10 grams and cost $1 and up per chip. See my Paulson poker chip review for more information. See my Paulson differences page for even more information.

Plaques/Jetons

These types of poker chips are more common in Europe than they are in North America and add a certain elegance to any poker night! More and more plaques are beginning to become available from several poker chip suppliers. The round green chip is a mother-of-pearl poker chip that is also used more commonly in Europe than anywhere else. Poker plaques are becoming a bit of a status symbol amongst poker players and cost about $7 and more. Visit my Egyptian's poker chip review or my Dal Negro poker chips review for more information about poker plaques.

Obtain Your Poker Chips at a Casino

An easy way to obtain casino quality poker chips is ... to buy them in a casino! Just walk into any casino and buy a couple hundred of the lowest denomination chips available. Most casino have $1 chips and some even have 50� chips. Pick out the cleanest chips (they will be disgustingly dirty!) and take them home. Just walk right out of the casino with them. Do this at several different casinos during your next trip to Las Vegas and you'll come home with a unique set of chips for your home poker games. It will probably cost you $1 per chip, unless you can find 50� cent chips.

A disadvantage of this strategy is that most of the casino $1 chips are fairly simple in design. Most of the $1 chips are white so you might have to shop around from casino to casino, looking for chips that contrast in color. Another disadvantage is that all your chips will have denominations of $1 printed on them. A big advantage of this strategy is that if you get bored with your chips, simply go back to the casino and cash in your chips for a full refund! Here is a Sidepot.com webpage of images of casino chips but you should also check out the Poker Chip Information links at the bottom of this page.

Poker Chip Cases

You will probably need a poker chip case to store your chips. Storing chips in a shoebox or some other type of box is just too much of a hassle. There are four basic types of cases - wood, vinyl. aluminum and acrylic. Reports are that many of the lower priced chip sets come with case handles that are not very sturdy. You can also store your chips in a chip carousel or the smaller 100 chip clear acrylic cases or racks. Forget about the free cards you get with some chip sets, they're usually crap. Visit my Poker Chip Cases page for more information.

Poker Chip Racks

I recommend buying one large case and then ordering additional chips in the smaller 100 chip cases or racks. This makes it easier to carry, for instance, 100 black chips to the table to cash out some of the smaller denomination chips. You don't really need a chip case at all ... store all your chips in the small 100 chip racks and use a gym bag with a shoulder strap or piece of luggage to move them around. Visit my Poker Chip Racks page for more information.

Poker Chip Labels

You might consider buying cheap poker chips and then placing your own label on the chip. Visit my poker chip Custom Labels page for more information.

Poker Chip Reviews

HomePokerTourney Poker Chip Reviews
21 Ace Poker Chip Reviews
Chip Talk Forum
PokerCHIPreviews.com

Poker Chip Information

Antique Gambling Chips & Gambling Memorabilia
Australian Chip Guide
CCGTCC (The Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club, Inc.)
CCGTCC Chip Cleaning Guide
Chip Guide.com
Chip Talk Forum
PokerChipForum

Chip Tricks

21 Ace chip tricks
Chip Tricks Online
Kings Cascade (Chip trick videos, a Pre-flop Decision Simulator spreadsheet and ... juggling!)
Poker Chip Tricks.com
Tricks With Chips