Number of Poker Chips and Colors needed in a Set

The two big questions when buying a poker chip set are “How many chips do I need?” and “What colors should I get?”. This depends on what type of game (tournament or cash) and how many people usually play.

Tournaments – The number of chips for tournament play is typical about 50 per person. The number of colors you will need depends on how big of tournaments you run. Smaller tournaments up to about 12 people, you could use just three colors. From 12 to 25, you will want to use at least four colors. From 25 to 100, you will want to use at least 5 colors.

Cash Game – When playing a cash game you generally want about 80-100 chips per person. As far as chip colors go, you could do the whole set one color, but you may want a few of ano ther color too.

Clay Poker Chips

Poker Chips - Denominations or Not

Another thing to consider when you are looking to purchase a poker chip set is whether you want denominations on them or not. Here’s what to think about:

Denominations – The benefit of denominations is that it eliminates any confusion of the value of the chips. Most chip styles have denominations of $1, $5, $10, $25, $100, $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. Some sets include chip denominations that are under $1.

No Denominations – The benefit of non-denominational chips is that it gives you flexibility. Any color can equal any value. For example, if you play both tournaments and cash games, the chip values needed for each game can be different.

Poker Supplies

How to select a Poker Chip Set

If you are in the market for a poker chip set, it can be an overwhelming process. There are a lot of choices out there; clay, plastic, ceramic, 300 chip sets, 500 chip sets, 1000 chips sets, denominations, no denominations and then all of those chip colors. What is right for you?

First, we will take a look at chip materials.

Poker Chip Materials

Composite Poker Chips – This is basically a plastic chip. They are made from a compressed PVC material. These chips are strong and will last a long time. The edges will not wear down quickly. These chips are a great choice for places like poker leagues, were they get a great amount of use. Composite poker chips generally are less expensive too, but not always. The feel of composite poker chips is generally a slippery feel.

Clay Poker Chips - Most casinos use clay poker chips. Clay chips come in a wide range of quality and costs. Clay poker chips have composite materials in them to add strength and durability. Less expensive clay chips generally contain more composite materials in them. Clay chips edges will begin to wear and become rounded. Clay poker chips have a less slippery feel to them. They have a “soapy” feel and tend to stack better than composite chips.

Ceramic Poker Chips – a ceramic chip is clay chip, but denser and with the graphics being part of the chip. Several casinos use ceramic chips. The feel of a ceramic chip is like a smooth stone. These chips are generally more expensive.

Poker Chip Mania