Buying chips in Australia - advice needed (3 Viewers)

Nedkelly

High Hand
Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Messages
52
Reaction score
44
Location
Brisbane, Australia
G‘day fellas,

My first post after lurking for a couple weeks. Love the website. Greetings from Australia!

After a long hiatus, I’m starting up a home game again! Tournament to start with (to attract players) then hopefully cash game down the track if we all agree. Starting with 8-10 players and if things go well I will host 2-3 table tourneys In the future.

I have a nice table on its way, so now it’s time to chip up. Unfortunately in Australia we have very few poker supply outlets. Because of the weight, international shipping costs are a problem. I basically have two options.

jackspoker.com.au

pokershop.com.au

I’m going to start with a T25 set of around 600 chips. With a view to possibly expanding to 1000 if things go gangbusters. I don’t know a great deal about poker chips (except they feel sexy in my hand, sound wonderful clacking together) and I love playing cards! I have a sample set of four different styles, two styles are ceramic and two styles are clay. I’ve had the stacks on my kitchen bench for over a month so I (and my 18yo son) could play them and see what I like. My thoughts so far;

Clay 14g, sticker inlay, not embossed/stamped - I liked these the most initially. The weight. The sound, they clack more than click if that makes sense. They feel and sound more expensive/proffesional.

Ceramic 10g, no sticker, flat, not embossed/stamped - initially these felt kinda cheapish/childish, because of the light weight and the clicky sound. But I am starting to warm to them! Also, I can get them fully customised for aus$1 per chip.

I would be forever grateful if you chip nerds would take a look at those suppliers and after you stop laughing at the pathetic supply of chips in Australia, give me your thoughts. Also on the week to week use of these chips.

Sorry about the long winded noob post and thanks for your time.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    212.9 KB · Views: 414
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    216.6 KB · Views: 454
I think the ceramics look nice, but you have the most information. You might buy a barrel of the ceramics you like and of the clays, might provide more information.
 
Welcome!

There are lots of fellow Australian members on here that can probably give you a hand with getting samples for evaluation. Take your time when doing this, because you are potentially making large purchases over time. There is a lot to learn here.

Weight has nothing to do with quality. The term "clay" when used in mass-market chip advertising is meaningless.

Count on about 500-600 chips for a single table cash game for up to 10 people. A single table T25-base T10-20K tournament can be done with 300-400 chips, and 3 tables can probably be done with about 1000, depending on how efficient you make the starting stacks and how much change-making you will tolerate.
 
G‘day fellas,

My first post after lurking for a couple weeks. Love the website. Greetings from Australia!

After a long hiatus, I’m starting up a home game again! Tournament to start with (to attract players) then hopefully cash game down the track if we all agree. Starting with 8-10 players and if things go well I will host 2-3 table tourneys In the future.

I have a nice table on its way, so now it’s time to chip up. Unfortunately in Australia we have very few poker supply outlets. Because of the weight, international shipping costs are a problem. I basically have two options.

jackspoker.com.au

pokershop.com.au

I’m going to start with a T25 set of around 600 chips. With a view to possibly expanding to 1000 if things go gangbusters. I don’t know a great deal about poker chips (except they feel sexy in my hand, sound wonderful clacking together) and I love playing cards! I have a sample set of four different styles, two styles are ceramic and two styles are clay. I’ve had the stacks on my kitchen bench for over a month so I (and my 18yo son) could play them and see what I like. My thoughts so far;

Clay 14g, sticker inlay, not embossed/stamped - I liked these the most initially. The weight. The sound, they clack more than click if that makes sense. They feel and sound more expensive/proffesional.

Ceramic 10g, no sticker, flat, not embossed/stamped - initially these felt kinda cheapish/childish, because of the light weight and the clicky sound. But I am starting to warm to them! Also, I can get them fully customised for aus$1 per chip.

I would be forever grateful if you chip nerds would take a look at those suppliers and after you stop laughing at the pathetic supply of chips in Australia, give me your thoughts. Also on the week to week use of these chips.

Sorry about the long winded noob post and thanks for your time.
I love those Port Royal chips, as it looks like it would be cost prohibitive to get a sample set shipped here, mind describing how they feel?
 
G‘day fellas,

My first post after lurking for a couple weeks. Love the website. Greetings from Australia!

After a long hiatus, I’m starting up a home game again! Tournament to start with (to attract players) then hopefully cash game down the track if we all agree. Starting with 8-10 players and if things go well I will host 2-3 table tourneys In the future.

I have a nice table on its way, so now it’s time to chip up. Unfortunately in Australia we have very few poker supply outlets. Because of the weight, international shipping costs are a problem. I basically have two options.

jackspoker.com.au

pokershop.com.au

I’m going to start with a T25 set of around 600 chips. With a view to possibly expanding to 1000 if things go gangbusters. I don’t know a great deal about poker chips (except they feel sexy in my hand, sound wonderful clacking together) and I love playing cards! I have a sample set of four different styles, two styles are ceramic and two styles are clay. I’ve had the stacks on my kitchen bench for over a month so I (and my 18yo son) could play them and see what I like. My thoughts so far;

Clay 14g, sticker inlay, not embossed/stamped - I liked these the most initially. The weight. The sound, they clack more than click if that makes sense. They feel and sound more expensive/proffesional.

Ceramic 10g, no sticker, flat, not embossed/stamped - initially these felt kinda cheapish/childish, because of the light weight and the clicky sound. But I am starting to warm to them! Also, I can get them fully customised for aus$1 per chip.

I would be forever grateful if you chip nerds would take a look at those suppliers and after you stop laughing at the pathetic supply of chips in Australia, give me your thoughts. Also on the week to week use of these chips.

Sorry about the long winded noob post and thanks for your time.
Welcome. Where in Australia are you based? Personally I wouldnt spend my $ on any of those options you mentioned. There are better options for around the ~$1 price point. Happy to help. Feel free to PM me for more info.
 
Thanks for the replies. Yeah I’m starting to like the Port Royals also. They seem well made, smooth edges. The are flat when I stack them Amd try to bend/squeeze the edge. They are in house design from jacks poker.

Budget around $500-$1000 for 700 chips (Aussie dollars)
 
In that budget range, I would forget the Aus suppliers and look at some of the US suppliers like Apache Poker Chips, just knowing that you'll have to pay ~$200 in shipping...is what it is.
 
I'm curious to know what you ended up with. I'm in Australia as well.

I'd like something that feels similar to the Casino chips. It seems that despite the internet telling me that 39mm is the standard size for Casino chips the ones at the Treasury in Brisbane are actually 40mm.
 
I'm curious to know what you ended up with. I'm in Australia as well.

I'd like something that feels similar to the Casino chips. It seems that despite the internet telling me that 39mm is the standard size for Casino chips the ones at the Treasury in Brisbane are actually 40mm.
Which Casino feel are you after?

Generally, American casino 'feel' = Clay chips, particularly Paulson chips.

Australia & European casino 'feel' = High-Quality Injection Molded Plastic chips. There is a mixture of Manufacturers depending on what part of the world you are from.
Australian 'plastics' in the past were primarily a mixture of manufacturers, with the higher denoms made by Bud Jones. More recently Australian 'plastic; chips have been made by Matsui and what I suspect is Dolphin chips.

Check out this Australian Chip Guide / International Chip Guide and post a pic or link to the chips you are looking to replicate the feel of and Ill be able to tell you which chips you should be looking for.
https://www.australianchipguide.com/ (not completely up to date atm)
http://chipguide.themogh.org/cg_home2.php

Note. This site has a heavy bias towards clay chips given that most members here are familiar with clay chips and are generally considered superior for a lot of different reasons. Most likely if you get the opportunity to feel clay chips yourself that your preferences will change also. I personally like both and let my budget decide heavily what chips I like and have in my own collection.

The is a small Australian contingent around with plenty of experience and who are more than happy to help a fellow Aussie get started. If you need any assistance or have any questions please post in a thread or send a me PM.
 
Last edited:
Hi, thanks for the info. I've noticed the online preference towards the clay chips, but what I'm wanting is the feeling of playing at the casino and in Brisbane that means the Treasury. https://www.australianchipguide.com/viewcasino.php?id=46 : those are the chips people associate with gambling in here. =)

So I'm looking for something like the $10, $25, $100 and $500 shown on that page.
 
Hi, thanks for the info. I've noticed the online preference towards the clay chips, but what I'm wanting is the feeling of playing at the casino and in Brisbane that means the Treasury. https://www.australianchipguide.com/viewcasino.php?id=46 : those are the chips people associate with gambling in here. =)

So I'm looking for something like the $10, $25, $100 and $500 shown on that page.
Bud Jone V7s are your poison!
 
Well in the end I ended up settling for the Port Royals - ceramic. 66c per chip. Bought them locally in Australia. I like them.

I‘m certainly no ”Chipper“ I’m starting up a home game and just wanted to get some half decent chips at a reasonable price and delivery time. Now of course I bought a tournament set, thinking I’ll get a tourney started up. But no, I cold only muster about 5-6 players for our first game, so we ended up playing 50c/$1 limit! So now I want a damn limit set!

I drool over the pictures of clays on this site, but I’ve bought a table, chip set etc etc. I have to keep the costs somewhat reasonable, especially when it’s going to be hard work getting this game up and running with some regularity.

Back on topic, there are a couple of shops in Australia. I have a sample set from Jacks Poker if you wanna shuffle. A few ceramic amd a few composite/plastic, the plastic ones are similar to the feel amd sound of treasury casino chips. After shuffling for a month or so, I ended up liking the ceramics better.

PS. I played limit in my game to protect the beginners. I had a few blokes who literally didn’t know a flush from a straight, amd a couple who can play somewhat. I worked a treat, with the rookie taking home some winnings amd of course I lost three buy ins.
 
@Nedkelly Hi mate, not sure if you've bought your chips yet but I can offer some insight, as I was contemplating the same thing (I'm down in Melbourne).

I used to live in the UK, so I have a ton of sample chips (some CPC rounders chips too), but when I moved back home I quickly realised our options are very limited.... I immediately discounted the 14g fake "clay" chips, but we have access to stock ceramics & custom ceramics and I actually a sample set from each of the sets you linked above from JacksPoker. One thing I immediately noticed was JacksPoker have different grades of ceramics:
  • "Ceramic" - Port Royals/JPT - basically these have sharp edges are more "glossy". They also have slightly inconsistent/off-centre printing (maybe 1 in 10 chips)
  • "Luxury Ceramic" - Artemis Club/Mercury Macau - these feel really really nice and have soft/rounded edges (there's like a 0.01mm "break" between the face of the chip and the edges) with a matte finish.
  • "Casino Grade Ceramic" - Valentino/Lucky Dragon - or for the Americans here, these are the BrPro chips (I have a sample set of Tiki Kings) very similar to the luxury ceramic. The only difference I noticed was the edges are slightly more rounded with no "break". These are also the chips that Pokershop.com.au uses.
  • "Casino Hybrid Ceramic" - I didn't get a sample set of these.
I was actually kind of dumb and impatient, so I bought a 500 chip set of the Port Royals during the EOFY sale from JacksPoker lol...

I don't regret it, but after shuffling CPCs and the Tiki Kings everyday I got frustrated and ordered another set of Casino Grade Ceramics..... Personally, I don't like any of the designs for the Casino Grade Ceramics on JacksPoker, so I went through Pokershop.com.au and got Rob there to make me a custom set. :wtf:

Basically, what I'm trying to say is... get more sample sets and compare the differences before you pull the trigger because there is a HUGE difference between the normal ceramics from JacksPoker and the Casino Grade Ceramics.
 
Thanks @EpicAS...that’s great info. I didn’t bother ordering a sample of the higher priced chips from Jacks because I had a budget in mind. Basically I’m starting a home game from scratch. I spent $1300 on the damn table, before I’ve even had a single game. I have spoken to Rob through email and eventually I will get a custom set. He has card amd diamond mold.

The big problem there is, I don’t want to rush on a design/denomination etc. I would like the game to develop somewhat, so I can get a feel for it and feedback from the players (if this makes sense). Plus, I’m not sure how this game will grow, as far as limit/NL, stakes etc. For the immediate future it will be micro stakes (basically teaching blokes how to play) so I can’t buy a set amd then in 12 months time (hopefully) we are playing higher stakes amd I need different denom.

Sometimes I wonder why I bloody bothered... Its because I love sittin round playing poker with men! I’m gonna stick with limit poker with these new guys, its the best way to teach. I don’t want someone who has never played to come over, lose 2/3 buy ins in the first hour and then he won’t come back. Limit protects that.
 
Well in the end I ended up settling for the Port Royals - ceramic. 66c per chip. Bought them locally in Australia. I like them.

I‘m certainly no ”Chipper“ I’m starting up a home game and just wanted to get some half decent chips at a reasonable price and delivery time. Now of course I bought a tournament set, thinking I’ll get a tourney started up. But no, I cold only muster about 5-6 players for our first game, so we ended up playing 50c/$1 limit! So now I want a damn limit set!

I drool over the pictures of clays on this site, but I’ve bought a table, chip set etc etc. I have to keep the costs somewhat reasonable, especially when it’s going to be hard work getting this game up and running with some regularity.

Back on topic, there are a couple of shops in Australia. I have a sample set from Jacks Poker if you wanna shuffle. A few ceramic amd a few composite/plastic, the plastic ones are similar to the feel amd sound of treasury casino chips. After shuffling for a month or so, I ended up liking the ceramics better.

PS. I played limit in my game to protect the beginners. I had a few blokes who literally didn’t know a flush from a straight, amd a couple who can play somewhat. I worked a treat, with the rookie taking home some winnings amd of course I lost three buy ins.
I have bought a set of port royals too, and they’re fantastic for the price in my opinion. Very nice quality ceramic chips with the perfect weight. I love the quarters and 100s.
 

Attachments

  • 7EF95B58-FE1D-44AC-AD84-BB6D44A005EE.jpeg
    7EF95B58-FE1D-44AC-AD84-BB6D44A005EE.jpeg
    226.4 KB · Views: 269
G‘day fellas,

My first post after lurking for a couple weeks. Love the website. Greetings from Australia!

After a long hiatus, I’m starting up a home game again! Tournament to start with (to attract players) then hopefully cash game down the track if we all agree. Starting with 8-10 players and if things go well I will host 2-3 table tourneys In the future.

I have a nice table on its way, so now it’s time to chip up. Unfortunately in Australia we have very few poker supply outlets. Because of the weight, international shipping costs are a problem. I basically have two options.

jackspoker.com.au

pokershop.com.au

I’m going to start with a T25 set of around 600 chips. With a view to possibly expanding to 1000 if things go gangbusters. I don’t know a great deal about poker chips (except they feel sexy in my hand, sound wonderful clacking together) and I love playing cards! I have a sample set of four different styles, two styles are ceramic and two styles are clay. I’ve had the stacks on my kitchen bench for over a month so I (and my 18yo son) could play them and see what I like. My thoughts so far;

Clay 14g, sticker inlay, not embossed/stamped - I liked these the most initially. The weight. The sound, they clack more than click if that makes sense. They feel and sound more expensive/proffesional.

Ceramic 10g, no sticker, flat, not embossed/stamped - initially these felt kinda cheapish/childish, because of the light weight and the clicky sound. But I am starting to warm to them! Also, I can get them fully customised for aus$1 per chip.

I would be forever grateful if you chip nerds would take a look at those suppliers and after you stop laughing at the pathetic supply of chips in Australia, give me your thoughts. Also on the week to week use of these chips.

Sorry about the long winded noob post and thanks for your time.
Great post and this kind of stuff is fun for a lot of us. I am guessing most of us on here have been made fun of at the poker table for how much we like or dislike certain poker chips. Potentially useless information but i have quite a few different chips at home many casino chips and both casino chips and home game chips ceramic and clay. I have weighed many of my chips and the casino chips are generally weighing between 9-10 grams so if you are wanting an authentic casino weighted chip that would be a good number to look at. Many on here like ceramic chips and i think ceramics are some of the best looking artwork-wise but i find many of them to be too slippery when i play. For me (just my opinion and preference) i would buy a china clay like the milano chip if i was going to buy chips for my game on the cheap or i would buy paulson chips for a better but definitely more pricey set. What i love about a real clay set is that they “hold” better when stacked. I can bump a set of ceramics and they are all over the place and i can bump my pauslons the same way and my tower of chips just shifts a little. When you are just playing with your buddies it hardly matters what chips you purchase as long as you are all having fun.

I copied this off of google for a more exact differentiation between the clay and ceramics and i know you could have done this yourself but not everyone thinks anout the chip make up that much so i thought this might be information that might be helpful to you.

Ceramic chips are made from ceramic and plastic materials, while clay chips are made from clay and a mixture of things like chalk and sand to give them strength. Ceramic chips are perfectly flat and have a smooth surface. Clay chips are textured and usually have an inlay where the design is imprinted.

Good luck mate!!
 
Hey guys,

Bumping this as I'd appreciate any more comparisons between the different chips you can buy from the Australian vendors.

I was given a set of the Crown Millions from Jacks Poker as a present which I really like but I would like to upgrade eventually to a set of premium ceramic chips. I have 1 of the Mercury Macau chips as well which is a "Luxury Ceramic" mould which is really nice but hard to gauge how much I really like them with only the 1 chip.

After reading this thread and lurking elsewhere on PCF, I think I like the idea of going in on a group buy of the Aria moulds as I love the design.
 
Hey guys,

Bumping this as I'd appreciate any more comparisons between the different chips you can buy from the Australian vendors.

I was given a set of the Crown Millions from Jacks Poker as a present which I really like but I would like to upgrade eventually to a set of premium ceramic chips. I have 1 of the Mercury Macau chips as well which is a "Luxury Ceramic" mould which is really nice but hard to gauge how much I really like them with only the 1 chip.

After reading this thread and lurking elsewhere on PCF, I think I like the idea of going in on a group buy of the Aria moulds as I love the design.
Hey mate! Welcome to PCF!
So the Crown Millions from Jacks are metal slugged (I think), weighing on the heavier side, 14g.
The Mercury Macau are Ceramic Hybrids (manufactured by Sunfly if I’m not mistaken). From Jacks, they have some variations/different designs of the Ceramic Hybrids, e.g. the Lucianos, Casino Royales, Ascona.

If you are after the Cards Mold Arias, these are ceramic chips and different to both the crown millions and ceramic hybrids.

I would strongly recommend you order samples to try (get a shuffle stack of 10-20 chips).
 
Hey mate! Welcome to PCF!
So the Crown Millions from Jacks are metal slugged (I think), weighing on the heavier side, 14g.
The Mercury Macau are Ceramic Hybrids (manufactured by Sunfly if I’m not mistaken). From Jacks, they have some variations/different designs of the Ceramic Hybrids, e.g. the Lucianos, Casino Royales, Ascona.

If you are after the Cards Mold Arias, these are ceramic chips and different to both the crown millions and ceramic hybrids.

I would strongly recommend you order samples to try (get a shuffle stack of 10-20 chips).
Are there any from Jack's range that you'd say are comparable to the Cards Mold Arias (that's if you're familiar with them)? My issue as well is that I don't love any of the designs from Jack's range but I suppose the best way to go about it would be to buy samples, settle on my favourite and then go the custom design route.
 
Are there any from Jack's range that you'd say are comparable to the Cards Mold Arias (that's if you're familiar with them)? My issue as well is that I don't love any of the designs from Jack's range but I suppose the best way to go about it would be to buy samples, settle on my favourite and then go the custom design route.
To be honest, the cards mold chips feel better than any of the normal ceramics in the jacks range (in my opinion). I used to have a set of the Port Royals from Jacks and they come the closest in terms of feel (and sharp edges).

Did you have a budget in mind?
 
I feel like I'm well and truly down the rabbit hole already and only been browsing PCF for a few days lol. I'm sure i'll burrow deeper and deeper as time goes on.

Budget wise, happy to spend whatever honestly. I know they're gonna be used a lot.
 
Yes indeed! Admittedly, I felt pretty stupid after typing that and going on to see how much Paulson's sell for. :wow:

What have I gotten myself into haha
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top Bottom