Entry-level chipping drugs to get ’em hooked (1 Viewer)

Taghkanic

4 of a Kind
Supporter
Joined
Jul 11, 2017
Messages
6,949
Reaction score
9,613
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
I have a friend—very successful player, who also has a steady day job—who keeps admiring my Paulsons. He hosts his own game (2/5 NLHE, sometimes 5/10 limit games) with dice chips, and is ready to upgrade... But though he has plenty of cash for a finer set, he seems not to want to spend more than $500, maybe $1,000 tops for a cash set.

I thought Majestics might be a good starter upgrade, at about 39c per chip.

I also suggested he take a look at Hobbyphilic’s annual 10-best videos to get a feel for other entry/mid-level options, and whet his appetite for non-dice chips.

He keep saying, “But I’d really like to get something like your cash set” (PCR v2s) but got sticker shock when he started looking at Paulson sets on eBay. I’ve explained to him that a nice Paulson set for his type of game (which needs a lot of 5s and 25s) is going to be $2K minimum unless he gets lucky, maybe more like $3-4K.

I pointed him to CPCs stock chip options as well, if he could go up to more like $1,500 for a mix of Atlantics or the like that would work for his stakes.

Lastly, I’ve tried to explain that if he wants a primo Paulson set it’s either going to cost a lot more, or he’s going to have to put in a lot of work monitoring sites like this to piece together a set over time... That since Paulson is not making chips for the home market, it can really take some effort to find enough of each color/denom to get what you want.

What other suggestions might I give him? I’d really like to spread the chip habit to some of the other games I play in. (This guy’s best friend also hosts a 1/2 cash game... with dice chips. If I can get one hooked, might get the other too...)
 
Even at a friendly discount, they would have been more than he’s ready to spend... so far. Also, I think he covets something with edgespots like my PCR cash set. My goal now is to get him into some mid-grade option. Confident this would lead eventually to fullblown chip addiction.
 
Spirit molds, Majestics, Milanos or the 8vs from ABC are probably the only CCs I'd suggest. Relabel projects are a great way to stay within that budget.

The Mardi Gras chips @Potsie1 has for sale are also a nice option in that range.

As to Paulsons... piecing together a mixed cash set is part of the fun. For me personally, the whole process of buying, selling and trading is far more satisfying than if I'd just bought someone's collection or set.

It's fun because while my set is very playable, it's never going to be done. I'm always going to be looking to upgrade or move on from racks and barrels other chippers might need more than I do...

So my advice is to tell your buddy about the classifieds on this site and let him see how deep the rabbit hole goes for himself :)
 
The Key West chips are great, and the blue $1's are face value, and if he joins PCF, he gets a discount on all other denoms.

But his best bet is to join the forum and "put in a lot of work monitoring sites like this to piece together a set over time." You know...like an insane chipper! :D
 
Same here. A recent poker acquaintance, to whose game I was invited, is a well-to-do guy with an excellent taste and a very nice apartment overlooking the whole city of Athens.
Extremely nice guy and a good, well-read player who has also been to Vegas. In the process of becoming a friend of mine.
Shocked to see that in his game they play .50/1E (multiply by 3 to get the equivalent impact on the average pocket in the US) with dice chips.

Onlly solution is to gradually talk them into spending what they should, on chips:)
Custom-labelled Majestics, or, much better, off-the-shelf CPCs / Key Wests make lots of sense, but they won't listen at this point of time.
 
Ceramic hybrids aren't a bad place to start! https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/all-my-chips-sale.40550/#post-752735
20190406_144332-jpg.272475
 
a well-to-do guy with an excellent taste and a very nice apartment overlooking the whole city of Athens.
Custom-labelled Majestics, or, much better, off-the-shelf CPCs / Key Wests make lots of sense, but they won't listen at this point of time.
Does he have a Lamborghini in the driveway? Amazes me that people who have means to enjoy the finer things in life will play with crappy dice chips.
 
The funny part is that this guy will think nothing of shoving for $1K with a flush draw on the flop... and rebuy instantly for the same amount if he misses. Yet doesn’t want to spend $2.5-$3K for a “real” set... Which could last 20 years, or could be resold at the same price or better in 3-5 years if somehow he has buyer’s remorse.

I need to try to explain to him that you’re not really *buying* chips, you’re borrowing them, with a deposit...
 
Save your buddy some $; borrow a set of CC and/or ceramics, and let him compare them to your Paulson set.

If he feels the difference, he’ll probably want to skip CC/ceramics and go straight to nice clay chips.

If he’s fine with CCs/ceramics, there are lots of sets on here in his price range.

@jja412’s Mayfair set looks awesome, and is what I’d want if I was in the market. There’s also the 43mm CCs that Apache is running, and the semi-custom ceramics from ABC.
 
My goal now is to get him into some mid-grade option.

Elite or Monacos? Under a buck a chip. In stock so he can just click and ship. IMHO they feel much better than the CC's.

Plus they're not quite as nice as your Paulsons so he'll still feel the difference and keep Jonesing for the real stuff until he gives in.
 
Last edited:
Some people that are into playing poker couldn’t care less about the chips. I have friends like this and I use to be the same way. What was I thinking!!!
 
Get some used Paulson's. Playing with beautiful bike tires brings me more joy then CCs.... A solid 500-600 chip set wouldn't be nearly the expense as CPC customs. Easy sell when he wants to upgrade.
 
Some people that are into playing poker couldn’t care less about the chips. I have friends like this and I use to be the same way.

I think it’s a lot like people’s taste in food or alcohol. People are fine with what they are used to, unless/until they get exposed to something better. And even then, sometimes they don’t take to the better stuff, or consider it a luxury.

I grew up in the 1970s with bland, all-American, meat-and-potato food. I didn’t even like eating tomatoes or cheese (except, weirdly, on pizza) until I was in my late teens. We would go out for Chinese maybe twice a year, and that was the extent of the “ethnic” food I was exposed to early in my youth. However, when I was entering high school, a Vietnamese family moved into my small town and opened a restaurant, and the food was so good it was almost impossible not to like.

Same with alcohol: plain old American beers and cheap gin/vodka/whiskey were fine by me well into my 20s, until I started dating a British woman who was a food, wine and Scotch snob, and I was forced to adapt. If I’m at a basic bar watching football, I might still order a Budweiser just for the heck of it, but otherwise I’ve moved on to better stuff (though I really can’t deal with echt beer snobbery and try not to fall into that trap).

Some people when they get exposed to better quality stuff immediately think, “Whoa, I’ve really been missing out!” Others reject it as either unnecessary, weird, or even distasteful. I remember when the first place in my hometown opened up where they made their own pasta from scratch, a lot of people thought “Why would you bother? Just get Ronzoni at the Grand Union for 1/4 the price.” Now I see upscale, locally-produced, high-quality products like that all over the place.

Same with the first sushi place in my area—most locals thought it was “gross” and would only order tempura, if they went at all.

What I find odd with chips is that anyone who ever plays in casinos is probably going to get exposed to Paulsons. So few people have the excuse of never having handled better chips. It just may not occur to them, “Hey, I wonder if I could get something like these for my own game.”
 
I think it’s a lot like people’s taste in food or alcohol. People are fine with what they are used to, unless/until they get exposed to something better. And even then, sometimes they don’t take to the better stuff, or consider it a luxury.

I grew up in the 1970s with bland, all-American, meat-and-potato food. I didn’t even like eating tomatoes or cheese (except, weirdly, on pizza) until I was in my late teens. We would go out for Chinese maybe twice a year, and that was the extent of the “ethnic” food I was exposed to early in my youth. However, when I was entering high school, a Vietnamese family moved into my small town and opened a restaurant, and the food was so good it was almost impossible not to like.

Same with alcohol: plain old American beers and cheap gin/vodka/whiskey were fine by me well into my 20s, until I started dating a British woman who was a food, wine and Scotch snob, and I was forced to adapt. If I’m at a basic bar watching football, I might still order a Budweiser just for the heck of it, but otherwise I’ve moved on to better stuff (though I really can’t deal with echo beer snobbery and try not to fall into that trap).

Some people when they get exposed to better quality stuff immediately think, “Hey, I’ve been missing out!” Others reject it as either unnecessary, weird, or even distasteful. I remember when the first place in my hometown opened up where they made their own pasta from scratch, a lot of people thought “Why would you bother? Just get Ronzoni at the Grand Union for 1/4 the price.” Now you upscale, locally-produced, high-quality products like that all over the place. Same with the first sushi place in my area—most people thought it was “gross” and would only order tempura, if they went at all.

What I find odd with chips is that anyone who ever plays in casinos is probably going to get exposed to Paulsons. So few people have the excuse of never having handled better chips. It just may not occur to them, “Hey, I wonder if I could get something like these for my own game.”
I'm that asshole that drinks a 140 bottle of whiskey with a Miller high Life. Hahaha
 
I'm that asshole that drinks a 140 bottle of whiskey with a Miller high Life. Hahaha

Actually playing poker is one of the few times I prefer a watery, weak American beer... Helps me relax without getting tipsy. Some of the guys I play with show up with six-packs of stuff with like 8.5% alcohol content, and it can’t be good for their game.
 
Actually playing poker is one of the few times I prefer a watery, weak American beer... Helps me relax without getting tipsy. Some of the guys I play with show up with six-packs of stuff with like 8.5% alcohol content, and it can’t be good for their game.

Well, if it can't be good for their game, then at least it's good for yours!
 
$1k can get nice set of used RHC Paulson cash game chips for sure!

Cleveland Horseshoe will definitely fit the bill.
 
I was thinking maybe Cleveland Horseshoes for him as well. After the recent flood of Jacks, seems like the Horseshoes have dipped in value.
 
Does he have a Lamborghini in the driveway? Amazes me that people who have means to enjoy the finer things in life will play with crappy dice chips.
Apartment buildings in the posh centre of Athens never had any garage space. If you own an expensive car in the centre of Athens you just pay 250E per month (at least) for the closest parking space. Again, not a place for a sports car with almost zero ground clearance.
Well-to-do people in the centre spend their money in fine dining and -sometimes- poker. :)
Suburban people of distinctly filthy village provenance, like me, spend a lot more on intelligent shock absorbers. :)
 
Par a dice chips would work. (as well as Cleveland Horseshoes)
IMG_2637.jpg


There have been some racks of 25's and 100's around
 
I’m interested to hear where you land on this. You all have me hooked but budget constraints (and my ocd) is going to make this a long project. My initial goal was to get a decent mid level set- which I haven’t done. Instead you guys have me looking at the shiny objects.
 
The chip exchange still has Horseshoe Cincinnati chips for sale. He could get a large cash set to handle his 1/2 game for around $500. Then he can always sell them here when he is sufficiently hooked on nice chips and wants to upgrade.
 

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