Tips For Selecting the Perfect Poker Chips
There are many things to consider when selecting Poker Chips for your game room or Poker nights. You want to make sure that you get chips that lets everyone know how much you enjoy and respect the game of Poker. Not too mention you want chips that impresses your guests. Listed below are several questions to answer before making that purchase of Poker Chips.
How many players do you normally have at your game?
As a general guideline, you should have no less than 40-50 chips per person, though we recommend going with 75-100 chips per person if you can.
How often are you going to play?
If you are going to play often (on a weekly basis), composite chips are probably the way to go. They are more durable than clay chips and will not chip and scuff as easily thus lasting longer and saving you money in the long run.
What is your budget?
Only if you are on a very tight budget should you consider buying plastic chips. Composite chips are very durable and if you buy a set of them you will probably never have to replace it.
Clay composite chips are the most expensive, but also have the best playing feel according to most players.
Do you want chips with a design or theme?
Because composite chips are very hard they are able to display sharp and detailed design. On the other hand, the design on clay chips vary slightly from chip to chip, as the clay material spreads out the color. Not even the clay chips in a casino all look the same. Another design issue to keep in mind is whether or not you want a sticker on your chips. The stickers have a perfect design whereas the color design on clay chips varies a little from chip to chip. When purchasing poker chips with a sticker, it is important to closely check that the sticker is absolutely centered. It is a sign of poor quality if it is not.
Do you want pre-printed values on your chips?
An advantage of using chips with no printed value is that you can assign the value you prefer to different colors. This is especially an advantage if you play different levels and with different number of players each time. A benefit to using chips with printed values is that players don’t have to remember the values of the different colors.
Do you want to impress your friends?
The casinos in Las Vegas (and in the rest of the world for that matter) use clay chips and naturally your friends will be impressed if they get to use the same kind of poker chips in a poker game at your house.
Does the sound make a difference to you?
Clay chips create a “thunk” sound when they are splashed against the pot, while composite chips give off more of a “ping” sound.
Do you want to do tricks with your chips?
The slippery surface of composite chips is more suitable for chip tricks than the dull surface of clay composite chips.
What weight do you prefer?
Heavy poker chips generally provide a better tactile feel and are more suitable for chip tricks. Normally heavy chips are more expensive than lighter ones. On average American casino chips weighs 9 to 10.5 grams.
