It does seem like a personal preference thing, but I would use $20s and $2000s.
My case for the $20s, which is not particular strong, is:
- A stack of twenty $1s equals a $20 chip. It just seems to flow.
- It's just a bit easier to get $20s in play rather than $25s, given that the gap from $5 to $25 is wider. As soon as the bet gets to $20 the next denom is in play when using $20s vs waiting until a $25 bet for the $25s to come into play. I would think you would see somewhat fewer $5s in pots to have to stack and split.
- Going to $20s puts a few more higher denom chips in play vs the stacks being dominated by just $1s and $5s and the fractional blinds chips. It's just slightly more difficult to build stacks of $25s vs stacks of $20s
And I agree with your thinking, Xbobdog, on the $2000 chip. I think the case for a $2000 chip vs a $1000 chip is much stronger than a $20 over a $25. How many cash sets have $10 chips? Not many. Why? Because, as most will remark, a $10 chip is just two $5 chips. Well, guess what, a $1000 chip is just two $500 chips. Yet in tourney chips, you typically see what amounts to $5s, $10s and $50s in the form of $500s, $1000s and $5000s. It's counter to the same rationale that leads everyone to having a $20 or $25 chip between the $5 and $50 chip instead of a $10 chip. Youl'll need fewer chips using $2000, or $2500, chips, as well..
As for your perspective on what looks/seems right based on what casinos are using, when I joined the forum 8 months ago, I could not get into the Cali colors, now I prefer a blue $1 over a white $1s. I'm loading up on orange $5s, even though I once thought $5s were suppose to be red. I preferred Paulson over
TRK and now I'm buying TRKs. My tastes and what seems "normal" to me has evolved since, and because of, joining the forum. Look at an orange Mapes and tell me a $5 needs to be red!