Cash Game Chip Denomination Breakdown Question (1 Viewer)

[jmui852]

Hi Guys,

I am planning on getting a set of 500 / 600 chips for my home game, and am wondering if someone can help me out by telling me how many chips of each denomination to get? We usually play 2/5 or 5/10, and very occasionally will play 10/20 (once in a blue moon).

If I were to get denomination in $1 / 5 / 25 / 100 / 500 / 1000 / 5000, how many of each should I get if I were to do 500 / 600 chips? Would really appreciate if you guys can help me out with the breakdown (for both 500 and 600 chips please). Thanks!

Regards,
J

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

What are your starting stacks? How many times do people normally rebuy?

 

[DJ Mack]

And how big is your crew?

 

[Marius L]

Maybe you should consider a change from 2/5 to 5/5, and remove the 1$ chips in favor or higher denominations, since 1$ chips would only be used for the small blind in your lowest game, and totally useless in a 5/10 and 10/20 game. My group does this, and it really doesn't change how the game play. This will free up a 100+ chips that you can now spread among your other denominations.

Breakdown would depend on how big your game plays, like chippy mchiperson also asked what is the min/max/standard buyin amount, and how many rebuys?

Assuming 100bb buy ins, and two rebuys pr player. 10 players:
500 chips
150 5s
150 25s
150 100s
40 500s
10 1000s
total bank: 50500. (Maybe a bit short for a crazy big 10/20 game, but should be enough. you can always add a few 5000s, to just top it off.)

600 chips
200 5$
200 25$
150 100$
40 500$
10 1000$
Almost same amount of total bank as above, so same thing goes for adding some 5000s if you feel its not enough.

 

[upNdown]

Maybe you should consider a change from 2/5 to 5/5, and remove the 1$ chips in favor or higher denominations, since 1$ chips would only be used for the small blind in your lowest game, and totally useless in a 5/10 and 10/20 game. My group does this, and it really doesn't change how the game play. This will free up a 100+ chips that you can now spread among your other denominations.

Breakdown would depend on how big your game plays, like chippy mchiperson also asked what is the min/max/standard buyin amount, and how many rebuys?

Assuming 100bb buy ins, and two rebuys pr player. 10 players:
500 chips
150 5s
150 25s
150 100s
40 500s
10 1000s
total bank: 50500. (Maybe a bit short for a crazy big 10/20 game, but should be enough. you can always add a few 5000s, to just top it off.)

600 chips
200 5$
200 25$
150 100$
40 500$
10 1000$
Almost same amount of total bank as above, so same thing goes for adding some 5000s if you feel its not enough.

Would you consider going with $20's instead of $25's?

 

[Mental Nomad]

There's good starter advice in this thread.

Let us know how many players and buy-ins to refine it - the right advice is different for a 6-player game where people only buy in once or twice, versus a 10-player game where nearly everyone is ready to come in four or five times.

 

[jmui852]

Number of players varies, could be anywhere from 6-10. And as 2/5 is the most common game, I don't intend to ditch the 1 dollar chips. What I had in mind was:

100 1s
125 5s
175 25s
125 100s
50 500s
25 1000s

Also this in Hong Kong dollars not USD haha. People usually buy in maybe twice on average? Max 3 times but it has rarely happened (almost never). Any suggestions please feel free to make suggestions as I am all ears. Not exactly sure how to do it properly with 500 chips though.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Number of players varies, could be anywhere from 6-10. And as 2/5 is the most common game, I don't intend to ditch the 1 dollar chips. What I had in mind was:

100 1s
125 5s
175 25s
125 100s
50 500s
25 1000s

Also this in Hong Kong dollars not USD haha. People usually buy in maybe twice on average? Max 3 times but it has rarely happened (almost never). Any suggestions please feel free to make suggestions as I am all ears. Not exactly sure how to do it properly with 500 chips though.

If my math is right, that's a bank of 68100. Worst case scenario three buy-ins per players and ten players, if your buy-in is 2270 or less you should be ok.

 

[Mental Nomad]

If the $1 is strictly for the small blind, but you're dead-set on having it, I'd recommend cutting them to 50 or even fewer - even if getting 600 chips.

Also, I'd consider getting a pink snapper ($2.50 chip) as the small blind, instead. If you do that, you can easily get by with only 20 of them. Remember, you only need one small blind per pot - that's two $1 chips or one $2.50.

Next...you mention that your crew averages two buy-ins, on average, with 3rd buy-ins being rare. However, you haven't said how big those buy-ins are. Are they buying in twice for $500 in chips at $5/$10 (merely 50 BBs twice), or are they buying in for $2000 in chips twice (200 BB twice.) Both are completely reasonable buy-ins at a $5/$10 game, but you can see it can make a big difference in the bank you need in chips.

 

[jmui852]

I'm planning on getting stock China Clay chips so won't have the option of getting a 2.5 dollar chip. Currently most of our games are 2-5 and very occasionally we play 5-10. Almost never played 10-20 but going forward I hope to get some 10-20 games going but I think that's pretty much as big as it would ever get (we prolly would never play 25-50 as we tend to keep the games friendly amongst friends). I thought about getting less 1's, but if at 50, and assuming we lose a chip here and there, 10 players might not even have 5 of those chips himself (say I lose a few and some people only get 4, then u simply cannot round up to a 500 dollar buy in as there are no 2 dollar chips). Hope this helps.

 

[jmui852]

If my math is right, that's a bank of 68100. Worst case scenario three buy-ins per players and ten players, if your buy-in is 2270 or less you should be ok.

Maybe I can get 5 less 25 dollar chips and get 5 5,000 dollar chips instead? That would make sense right? In case we have bigger games in the future.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

Sure, or you could do 25 less ones and 25 more 1000 chips to cover yourself even further.

 

[jmui852]

Sure, or you could do 25 less ones and 25 more 1000 chips to cover yourself even further.

They only have 25 1,000s left, rest are sold out. So what do u suggest my ideal breakdown to be? For both 500 and 600 chips.

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

They only have 25 1,000s left, rest are sold out. So what do u suggest my ideal breakdown to be? For both 500 and 600 chips.

75 1s
125 5s
175 25s
125 100s
70 500s
25 1000s
5 5000s

I would never suggest less chips lol

 

[BGinGA]

I'm planning on getting stock China Clay chips so won't have the option of getting a 2.5 dollar chip. Currently most of our games are 2-5 and very occasionally we play 5-10. Almost never played 10-20 but going forward I hope to get some 10-20 games going but I think that's pretty much as big as it would ever get (we prolly would never play 25-50 as we tend to keep the games friendly amongst friends).

Are these no-limit games or fixed-limit games?

 

[jmui852]

No limit

 

[jmui852]

75 1s
125 5s
175 25s
125 100s
70 500s
25 1000s
5 5000s

I would never suggest less chips lol

Do I need 70 500s? Would that be too much? Should I get 50 of that and more of the other chips? Thanks!

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

The more higher denom chips the bigger the bank. You have to figure out what you need, then go from there.

 

[Mental Nomad]

I thought about getting less 1's, but if at 50, and assuming we lose a chip here and there, 10 players might not even have 5 of those chips himself

If you buy 50 singles, and and lose twelve of them so you only have 38 left, and have a full table of 10 people, and the small blind has one single and needs change to make the $2 blind... then you are still guaranteed that someone can make change.

37 chips divided evenly among nine player means 8 players with 4 chips and one player with 5.

I'd get 50 singles and put the extras into a more useful denomination.

 

[Jambine]

2-5 no limit? You need lots of 5 and 25. Minimum one dollar chips since they are only going to be blinds.
.....unless you have some crazed players who want to bet $14 into a $12 pot

 

[Mental Nomad]

Also, even when someone doesn't have two singles available for their small blind... you may not actually need change. They can put up a $5 and wait until it comes around to them... and if they call, they don't need change!

 

[jmui852]

Ok I think I will go with 50 $1 chips, good call. What about the rest? Thinking 50 $500 and 25 $1,000 (well they only have 25). What would your take be on $5, $25, and $100?

 

[BGinGA]

What I had in mind was:

100 1s
125 5s
175 25s
125 100s
50 500s
25 1000s

I'm planning on getting stock China Clay chips

If your game plays so large that you actually need $500 and $1000 chips (or even $100 chips), then using stock china clay chips is massive stupidity from a security aspect.

 

[David94sc]

$1 - 60
$5 - 500
$100 - 20
$500 - 20

Trust me!

 

[Chippy McChiperson]

He said earlier it was in Hong Kong dollars Dave. $1 USD = $7.75 HKD right now. His 2/5 game sounds kind of comparable to a loose .25/.50 game over here.

 

[jmui852]

If your game plays so large that you actually need $500 and $1000 chips (or even $100 chips), then using stock china clay chips is massive stupidity from a security aspect.

If your game plays so large that you actually need $500 and $1000 chips (or even $100 chips), then using stock china clay chips is massive stupidity from a security aspect.

Why is using China clay chips a stupidity from a security perspective?

 

[BGinGA]

Because I can secretly introduce a $1000 chip into your game for 35c USD and get a handsome return for my investment. Even a $25 chip results in my massive profit and your loss.

 

[TroyMan]

If this is a cash game, then do you really need $500s, $1000s, and $5000s?

Sounds like you need to have enough $1s so that you are not swapping out to much to post the small blind. I'd go with at 100, even though you might get by with less. You need more $5s than anything else, so something like 200-300. Next up is $25s, maybe 100 of those. And then a barrel of $100s, if you need to increase the size of the bank.

100 - $1s
300 - $5s
100 - $25s

That's a $4100 cash bank.

If you go to 600 chips, then split the last hundred between $1s and $25s. Maybe include a barrel or two of hundreds if you really need that much bank, or add one just for the fun of it.

 

[Mental Nomad]

Thinking 50 $500 and 25 $1,000 (well they only have 25).

Don't forget that it is a time-honored tradition in cash poker to use high-denomination bills on the table.

It's perfectly acceptable to have stacks of chips for small denoms, and a couple $1,000 HK notes on the table. Etiquette demands that high-value chips and/or high-value notes be place so that other players can easily see them, but it's perfectly acceptable. They don't slow down the game, because they're generally only relevant on all-in plays; the bulk of the play will still happen with the chips.

One other thought - it's also very acceptable to build a 500 piece cash set without the top denoms now, and get them later if and when you need them.

Advantages to this approach:

1. No spending extra money on unnecessary chips now.
2. No need to reduce useful small-denoms for unnecessary big chips.
3. When and if your game grows and you need big denoms, you still have options, even if the originals are no longer available;
3a. Get a custom set for the big game. Once you have the money to play such a game, a custom set is a reasonable expense, and is great for security.
3b. Get a custom item just for the high denoms - such as oversized $1k chips in a personalized design, or better yet, $1k plaques.

Custom plaques can be ordered in smaller quantities, and I find that most players love them for high denoms. They can be difficult to handle if you have many low-denomination plaques, but a small stack of big-value plaques plays well and is very popular. It's my preferred arrangement.

 

[Jambine]

Don't forget that it is a time-honored tradition in cash poker to use high-denomination bills on the table.........

Too true. We usually play $.25 / $.50 NL and I have no black in that set. 400 $1s, $2,500 in $5's and $10,000 in $25 that rarely come into play. Even at higher stakes there is usually only a few thousand out in $25's. Just bring up a C-note or two between hands