Custom Chip Set for Home Game (1 Viewer)

boozymelon

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I’m creating a custom chip set for a home game. I was going to go with chip lab but was convinced to come on here and get some advice.

My budget is 3k usd for chips.

I’ll be running 1/2 PLO and 2/3 NL I need enough chips to run 2 tables. I was thinking about getting the following breakdown of chips.
1: 400 (white or blue)
5: 1000 (red)
25: 400 (green)
100: 200 (black)

I wanted to get some advice on graphics for my chips as well. I wanted to incorporate the whale emoji. I attached some rough drafts of what I thought would be good. I’ve been told there are some awesome creative types who can help with designs.

Do you think my chip breakdown will allow me to run 2 tables?
Is my 3k usd budget enough for me to get custom clay chips?
What’s the best way to get some help with the chip art?
 
Oh boy, glad you came here. I know there are a few who like Chip Lab, but my opinion is they are an enormous ripoff! I would rather have 40 cents a chip ceramic Chinese cards mold than those plastic chip lab chips.

I'm sure others who play your stakes will chime in. I'm more of a micro stakes player, but I think you can easily reduce your chip count. Depending on what spot patterns you want, I think you might be able to get Classic Poker Chip customs for pretty close to that budget if you reduce the count.

Let's look at just one table. Then we can double.

$1 x 200 = $200
$5 x 300 = $1500
$25 x 100 = $2500
$100 x 50 = $5000

That's $9200 per table and 650 chips. Double that and you're at 1300. Do you normally have over $9000 on each table? If so, then add another 100 hundos and you've got $14,000 per table. Surely that's enough, isn't it?

$3000 / 1300 = $2.30 per chip. $3000 / 1400 = $2.14 per chip. You can definitely get the CPC stock designs like Rounders, Atlantic Club, Chesterfield and others within your budget. Customs will be a little more, but I'm not sure how much more. I think it's pretty resonable if you just change the inlay art, but keep the stock chip designs. But don't hold me to that. Others here who have bought from CPC can better answer that question.

Edit: fixed a math error in my original answer.
 
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Sorry, forgot to make my main point. I can't see any reason why you need 500 $5s and 200 $25s per table. 300 and 100 ought to be plenty. But that's just me and I'm not experienced playing at those stakes. Let's see what some other members here think.
 
The PLO game often runs with a straddle and plays 1/2/5. We have some donators who will occasionally come and dust off 5k+ in an evening. So do need to be able to cover quite a bit of money. You make a good point though, can still definitely reduce the number of chips.

I would love CPC with a custom inlay but I’m from Australia so 3k usd is already a big outlay for me.
 
Forgot to include the initial design.
 

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I would try to get those breakdown numbers down like @TX_Golf_N_Poker suggests and get your per chip budget up.

Hadn’t heard of Chip lab before but it looks like a complete rip off. Those ”clay chips” they offer are NOT compression molded clay like CPC offers.

If you’re going for ceramics, turn your eyes to brpropoker.com instead or search for ”cards mold” on this site.
 
One of our local card rooms uses Chip Lab chips. They’re just run of the mill shitty plastics with custom inlays. Hard pass.

CPC is the way to go if you want real clay chips. Might cost a bit more, but if it’s the only set you’re going to have, they’re worth every cent.
 
FYI, I have zero experience with BR Pro Poker custom ceramics, but I did find this thread with a couple custom examples. I'm not sure, but I think these run less than $1 per chip, so well within your budget even if you got the full 2000 chips from your original post.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/my-customs-from-br-pro-poker.84281/

I do have experience with the Chinese Cards Mold ceramics that I mentioned earlier. They run less than 40 cents a chip and you can literally have them printed with absolutely anything. Whatever you can imagine. I designed a custom tournament set with cards mold chips. What I like about cards mold over the more expensive customs from BR Pro Poker is that they have a debossed image and center ring, so they somewhat emulate an actual clay chip in that way.

Here is a thread with lots of examples of chips that PCF members had designed and made.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/cards-mold-showcase.69344/

Here's a photo of my custom tournament chips.

20210626_233329.jpg
 
I've used both ChipLab and BRPro. ChipLap WAS great back in the day when they were selling Chipco chips. They no longer do. BRPro is definitely the way to go.
 
Those customs are amazing and more in my price range. Those casa mangoes are unreal.
If you are considering going down the Cards Mold path, here is another thread with tons of info.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...ramics-master-consolidated-info-thread.65544/

For custom Cards mold chips I highly recommend you hook up with one of our member designers. There are several who have extensive experience designing chips using Tina and the cards mold manufacturer in China. Their fees for design work are extremely reasonable. I think there is a list in the first post of the thread linked above.

And since you are in Australia, let me connect you with some other local PCF members that were considering a group buy. Not sure where this ended up as it was started quite a while ago. But either way, these guys should be able to offer you some advice if you post in this thread. By piggy-backing your order with that of a couple of other guys, you can all save a lot on the shipping costs from China. You may also be able to get some samples from someone in this thread.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/ceramic-cards-mold-group-buy-australia-eoi-only.78365/
 
If you are considering going down the Cards Mold path, here is another thread with tons of info.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...ramics-master-consolidated-info-thread.65544/

For custom Cards mold chips I highly recommend you hook up with one of our member designers. There are several who have extensive experience designing chips using Tina and the cards mold manufacturer in China. Their fees for design work are extremely reasonable. I think there is a list in the first post of the thread linked above.

And since you are in Australia, let me connect you with some other local PCF members that were considering a group buy. Not sure where this ended up as it was started quite a while ago. But either way, these guys should be able to offer you some advice if you post in this thread. By piggy-backing your order with that of a couple of other guys, you can all save a lot on the shipping costs from China. You may also be able to get some samples from someone in this thread.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/ceramic-cards-mold-group-buy-australia-eoi-only.78365/
When they say Tina is that a specific user or a chip design style?
I think I’m going to place my own order as if I’m not going to get actual clays I think I would like to get the actual design I like.

This has been amazing, I’m so excited.
 
When they say Tina is that a specific user or a chip design style?

Tina is the sales contact at the Chinese company that makes the custom "Cards Mold" chips described in the first link. These chips are referred to interchangably as Cards Mold or Tina chips.

These can be any design you want - I've got ~1000 of my custom set going into production next week so I'm pretty excited also :)
 
Tina is the sales contact at the Chinese company that makes the custom "Cards Mold" chips described in the first link. These chips are referred to interchangably as Cards Mold or Tina chips.

These can be any design you want - I've got ~1000 of my custom set going into production next week so I'm pretty excited also :)
How long is the wait on having them made?
Did you get your design made here?
Do you mind if I ask your price per chip?
 
How long is the wait on having them made?
Did you get your design made here?
Do you mind if I ask your price per chip?

Once they arrive I'll know how long it all took from ordering but the estimate is around a month.

You can follow the journey of my design in this thread. I put the main elements together myself but then engaged the wonderful @mattross1313 to turn those designs into something Tina would except. Matt also connected me with Tina. Hiring a designer to help you out is highly recommended.

My chips are mostly 39mm with some 43mm thrown in but they averaged ~43p (GBP) per chip including shipping. Prices may vary due to a few factors but mine were in the same ballpark as others I have seen.
 
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How long is the wait on having them made?
You're in the sweet spot now! Back when we placed out first BIG group buy order, it was early in the pandemic. Supply chain issues were massive. From placing the order to getting my chips was almost a full year... The big GBs are shipped by boat, so that takes some time and then they sat in port waiting to clear customs. It was a nightmare, but even still, it was worth it once I got my chips. Today shipments to the US are typically received about a month after the order is placed. Most people opt to pay a little more for air shipment when they are ordering just for themselves.
Did you get your design made here?
Spend a little time in the "master consolidated Info" thread that I linked above. Definitely use a designer and take your time getting just what you want. The cost to print simple chips is no cheaper than the cost to print something really cool. Get something you will love forever.

There are a few of the designers listed in that thread. But there are quite few other guys that design cards mold, and all of them that I have seen are really good. I've personally used @timinater and @Johnny5 Both are awesome. Tim did my customs in the post above and John did the extremely popular Aria's tribute design.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...roup-buy-pny-mirage-bellagio-fracs-etc.96312/
This is another very recent GB thread. The first post lists several other designers for the chips that are offered there. If you see a design style that fits what you like, just ask in that thread and someone will tell you who the designer was.
Do you mind if I ask your price per chip?
That recent thread above lists prices in the first post. I believe that's an "all-in" price. As in cost of the chip, shipping to the GB organizer, and possibly reshipping to the buyer. But maybe not reshipping. There are also probably designer fees and maybe shipping supplies built in tho that price. But generally we just say about 40 cents a chip, and that's going to be real close to total cost. I think just the chip alone (39mm cards mold) is about 32 cents paid to Tina.

Once you are about ready to order, Tina will give you an accurate shipping quote if you are ordering direct. Also the cost per chip is a little higher for smaller orders than it is for group buys. Even 2000 chips is a small order compared to some of our GBs. My Aria's GB was 33,000 chips and others have had orders that were even bigger.
 
Crown details.PNG

This is my local casino chip, do you think a Tina mold, could produce something of a similar quality.
I don't want the holo inlay or any of that, just want to know if Tina will give me a comparable quality chip
 
Also with the Tina chip molds, I’ve read that there can be some issues with the alignment of the pips on the edge and face, is there anything you can do to ensure they line up as much as possible?
 
Welcome!
You might check out the New Member's page found in my signature. It will help you with basics on design and has links to designers.

for 3k (not including shipping) you could cover two tables with BRPro ceramics, you should check out the gallery and see what you like and don't like.
 
View attachment 1022530
This is my local casino chip, do you think a Tina mold, could produce something of a similar quality.
I don't want the holo inlay or any of that, just want to know if Tina will give me a comparable quality chip
Those look like high end plastics from Abbiati or Matsui. No, the Tina ceramics will not be that level of quality, Those are around $2 each or more chips.

There is a Matsui group buy for Sands casino tribute chips going on right now. You might still be able to get in on it if this is the quality level that you want. Here's the link.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/matsui-43mm-sands-casino-group-buy-order-thread.96778/
 
Those look like high end plastics from Abbiati or Matsui. No, the Tina ceramics will not be that level of quality, Those are around $2 each or more chips.

There is a Matsui group buy for Sands casino tribute chips going on right now. You might still be able to get in on it if this is the quality level that you want. Here's the link.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/matsui-43mm-sands-casino-group-buy-order-thread.96778/
That's alright I think if I was spending that much I would go CPC. I am going to get custom Tina's for now and then potentially upgrade to CPC down the line/
 
I’m thinking about making some changes to the spots and I need your thoughts. Should I go with the originals or make the changes
 

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I'm still concerned about dirty stacks issues. There's a common spot colour over all the chips. Many chips have very similar shades of base and edge spot colour, the problem of which is exacerbated by the same spot pattern throughout.

Cash chips use spot pattern diversity to adequately differentiate denoms. Tournament chips often have same patterns (as they do not have cash value).
 
I would definitely go heavy on your 5's. For 2 tables, 1000 sounds about right....maybe even more.

I think your initial numbers look pretty good. If you are doing a drop and have a dedicated dealer, you might need more 1's, depending on how often you would cycle them back out of the box, and also to have plenty for tipping the dealers. I would also throw in a couple barrels of $500's, just to be sure if you have guys dropping thousands. You never know when a couple whales will want to play big.
 
I would definitely go heavy on your 5's. For 2 tables, 1000 sounds about right....maybe even more.

I think your initial numbers look pretty good. If you are doing a drop and have a dedicated dealer, you might need more 1's, depending on how often you would cycle them back out of the box, and also to have plenty for tipping the dealers. I would also throw in a couple barrels of $500's, just to be sure if you have guys dropping thousands. You never know when a couple whales will want to play big.
This is over kill but I like to play with lots of chips so I think this is what I’m going to run.

Means I could probably cover 5/5 if we go there.
 

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