2021: Best Substitute for Paulson Chips? (Similar to Top Hat & Cane) (2 Viewers)

[vectorbased]

Thank you all for your input. Such a great community!

As I mentioned earlier, I own about 1000 new Paulson Top Hats, which I've decided not to use at this point.
Yes, my goal is to build a "Paulson-Quality" set but not with Paulsons: clay, similar weight (I think they're 10grams), texture, style.
I'm willing to spend up to $1 / chip. I would think there should be some reasonable choices.
I will definitely research CPC (http://www.classicpokerchips.com/stock/index.htm); they seem to have a decent selection.

Wish Paulson would come back though!

 

[BearMetal]

At $1 / chip? I don't know if you're going to find anything equivalent.

 

[kmccormick100]

Thank you all for your input. Such a great community!

As I mentioned earlier, I own about 1000 new Paulson Top Hats, which I've decided not to use at this point.
Yes, my goal is to build a "Paulson-Quality" set but not with Paulsons: clay, similar weight (I think they're 10grams), texture, style.
I'm willing to spend up to $1 / chip. I would think there should be some reasonable choices.
I will definitely research CPC (http://www.classicpokerchips.com/stock/index.htm); they seem to have a decent selection.

Wish Paulson would come back though!

Play with your Paulsons.

 

[Josh Kifer]

This is false.
Personally I think compressed clays are best. And while older Paulsons from the 80s and early 90’s are my favorite chips, I would much prefer CPCs (on certain molds) to any chip Paulson has produced in the last 15-20 years.

Agreed. Have my updoot

 

[Josh Kifer]

Which molds?

Jockey, MD50, SCrown, H mold......

 

[BearMetal]

Jockey, MD50, SCrown, H mold......

Really the H-Mold??? I would not have expected that.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Really the H-Mold??? I would not have expected that.

I adore my HMolds. Really any CPC mold that stays away from the outer edge breaks in Fabulously. MD50 is epic. I really wanna make another set....

 

[Mmerk1]

...a tale as old as time. New member asks a legitimate question and existing members end up squabbling about something else.

Real talk though... as you can see opinions differ and it’s largely in the eye of the beholder. Pick your spending limit $/chip and get samples of chips that fall below that amount. Personally my new favorite (minus leaded chips) are “cards mold” chips from China that cost ~$0.32/chip. I wouldn’t say they’re an equivalent to Paulsons but they sure are my favorite substitute right now.

Welcome to PCF @vectorbased

Thank you. Hosted a cash game for the first time in 15 years. Bought some monte carlos to surprise the guys with something other than plastic chips which they loved However I now have a new hobby and down the rabbit hole I go. I am from Evansville Indiana and I’d love to find some Casino Aztar cash game chips for nostalgia.

 

[allforcharity]

Several members have said that Jockey mold is closest to THC for playability.

 

[wolfpack]

you won't get new cpc for $1/chip or even used if you want edgespots or inlays.

you can fid some older solids hot stamped for less. I got 600 L mold and plan to mill them.

 

[Goldfish]

I am a Paulson fanatic, but eventually want to buy a custom set of CPCs, however, I wish they would make more mold choices available for 43 mm chips, like the small crown mold. I understand that may be cost prohibitive, but a guy can still hope....

 

[BearMetal]

I am a Paulson fanatic, but eventually want to buy a custom set of CPCs, however, I wish they would make more mold choices available for 43 mm chips, like the small crown mold. I understand that may be cost prohibitive, but a guy can still hope....

Seeing that they only run their 2 44m molds like once a year, I doubt we'll see a new 44mm mold anytime soon. I'm with you; I'm a Paulson slut, but I just placed my first CPC scrown order; would have been dope to get 44mm ...

 

[mnebesny]

Hey @vectorbased - welcome to the forum! CPC is "Classic Poker Chips" and you can find them on the Marketplace Vendors section.

Yeah, I have the mold samples, but it's hard to get a feel for them with only a single chip. DSQ, HHR seem to be universally loved.

There's also Key West, if you want non-custom CPC chips at a reasonable price. They have samples too...

Edit: It occurred to me I should probably explain better. Key West is a site vendor who sells a stock-ish design of CPC chips. Gives you a way to get off the shelf compression mold clay chips. You benefit from economies of scale price-wise, and it also means you can add to your set in the future, as opposed to a TCR sale, where it's hard to add on to your set later.

 

[vectorbased]

At $1 / chip? I don't know if you're going to find anything equivalent.

Ordered a couple samples from CPC. Pretty sure I'll purchase a set soon.

 

[vectorbased]

My current set

 

[Mr_Y3RAC]

I would just play with my chips. Imo they are too nice to just sit in a cupboard But everyone has a different opinion just my thoughts...

Edit: Chips are made to be played with. Same with cars, they dont just break if you use them responsibly.

 

[vectorbased]

I would just play with my chips. Imo they are too nice to just sit in a cupboard But everyone has a different opinion just my thoughts...

Edit: Chips are made to be played with. Same with cars, they dont just break if you use them responsibly.

Agree. But they're just so nice when they're new!

 

[Mr_Y3RAC]

Agree. But they're just so nice when they're new!

I'm currently building myself a mint rhc set. I know it will be hard to see people toss them around and shuffle with them but it would hurt me more to see them just collect dust on the shelf...

 

[BearMetal]

I'm currently building myself a mint rhc set. I know it will be hard to see people toss them around and shuffle with them but it would hurt me more to see them just collect dust on the shelf...

You can always buy 2 sets; 1 for play, and 1 for ogling.

 

[justincarothers]

There are some good options here for less than $1 a chip and all paulson

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/black-friday-sale.64636/

 

[mnebesny]

You can always buy 2 sets; 1 for play, and 1 for ogling.

Or you could could buy 2 sets because...you know...2 sets > 1 set

 

[raynmanas]

Agree. But they're just so nice when they're new!

If that's a usable breakdown for your game, just play with them! The amount of wear you are going to put on them in a typical home game is very minimal, unless you are playing multiple times a week for years. Chips were made to be played with.

It's kind of funny though, I have a buddy that is one of the hosts of the league I am in. He has a set of ASM Roman molds that he had made probably 15 years ago now? Anyway when he got them he was so excited for them to see a lot of use and eventually round out and be like nice worn-in casino chips. 15 years and probably 400 tournaments later, those things are still sharp as can be.

 

[cpac54]

Agree. But they're just so nice when they're new!

I hear you. I just bought a brand new bedroom set - I plan to sleep on the floor though, because the bed is so nice when it's new.

 

[Nanook]

My current set

If I owned that set, I know what I would do. I would have that set in m2m sales like instantly. I can't tell you why, but I can tell you that people here go bonkers over sets like that. Take that money and either buy a Custom set from CPC or put together a Custom set of Paulsons made up of either chips found in m2m or through sales on TCR & such.

Compression molded chips at $1/chip is going to be tough, but it can be done. There are currently $1 Paulsons available through TCR @ 60c ea. All other denominations are currently sold out, but Jim is having another sale that will most likely start in a couple weeks. Be patient and buy mostly the most common chips (used $1's & $5's) & you can keep the cost somewhat reasonable.

 

[raynmanas]

There are currently $1 Paulsons available through TCR @ 60c ea.

I realized this earlier today and bought 3 racks "just in case"

 

[Nanook]

I realized this earlier today and bought 3 racks "just in case"

60c/chip for Paulsons seems kinda like a "can't go too wrong" price.

I do think we will see some very affordable chips, as well as some not so affordable chips, in the upcoming TCR sale. I have reason to believe that there are a LOT of chips that Jim is going to be unloading

 

[raynmanas]

I do think we will see some very affordable chips, as well as some not so affordable chips, in the upcoming TCR sale. I have reason to believe that there are a LOT of chips that Jim is going to be unloading

The big difference between this and the HSI sale is there are no secondaries below $25, so there is probably going to be significantly less mint chips to obtain. HSI had not one but two secondary $1s, so there are tons of them, hence the insanely low price.

 

[Coyote]

I hear you. I just bought a brand new bedroom set - I plan to sleep on the floor though, because the bed is so nice when it's new.

You could still use the bed for rare special occasions, like sex with guests



On a more serious note, and answering to the OP, Paulsons (especially older, leaded ones) are the best chips in the world, but they are not available from the source anymore (which means praying, begging, waiting to get lucky, getting fleeced by profiteers if new and un-informed, and buying/selling back and forth to get what you finally want at the breakdown you need.)

The world's second best chips, and the very best chips the public can buy from a business today are CPCs.
Several molds with two concentric circles (HHR, Jockey, A-mold, B-mold) can sound very nice.
Less colors available, but they can work marvelously if properly matched to each other.

My wallet has voted two custom CPC sets and two Paulson sets (one custom-overlabelled and one historic heavy-leaded hot-stamped).
Putting together the custom-labelled Paulson set was an ordeal, especially from outside North America, and I 'd never do it again.
If I have any money to spend on luxury items ever again, it will be more custom CPCs. Making my own chips is most important for me.

If Paulson ever offered customisable chips to the public again, offering color samples and a designing tool, I 'd prefer their 90-color palette to CPC's 38-strong one, at the risk of going insane or broke (or both).

 

[Nanook]

The big difference between this and the HSI sale is there are no secondaries below $25, so there is probably going to be significantly less mint chips to obtain. HSI had not one but two secondary $1s, so there are tons of them, hence the insanely low price.

Well, that is a good point. I have no idea why so many secondary $1's for HSI's.

There may not be as good a selection of mint chips or maybe not even any new low denominations to be had, but there will be lots if chips. JACK Cincinnati sold for 740mil and HSI sold for only 250mil so that should be at least somewhat of an indication of how the two places compare in size and amount of business they were doing at the time of sale. I'm not sure how all that correlates to #'s of chips but I'm confident there are a lot of chips one way or another.

 

[raynmanas]

Well, that is a good point. I have no idea why so many secondary $1's for HSI's.

There may not be as good a selection of mint chips or maybe not even any new low denominations to be had, but there will be lots if chips. JACK Cincinnati sold for 740mil and HSI sold for only 250mil so that should be at least somewhat of an indication of how the two places compare in size and amount of business they were doing at the time of sale. I'm not sure how all that correlates to #'s of chips but I'm confident there are a lot of chips one way or another.

jim did reveal some racks of new chips in the lower denoms in the teaser thread, so some mint will exist. but you are right, overall this is probably a big load. and even the used chips will be relatively nice, they haven't been in circulation all that long.