Favorite cash set and ideas in the $2-$3/chip range? (2 Viewers)

[Eloe2000]

I am only six months off from playing on dice chips but now already have a CPC tourney set (ready to be replaced by THC solids I have already purchased but not milled yet) and I have an RHC cash set to tide me over while I work on a nicer Paulson cash set. I currently can justify $2-$3 chips which gets me into the THC range but well below the big baller group buy chips and most likely below nice shaped inlay sets.

At $2-$3 it seems like I can get some decent fantasies like THCs like Scandia or other Paulson mold like CDI 05 or PCR , etc. I am definitely a fan of color, so something like Scandia chips are great but have not come up much lately. CDI 98 are gorgeous but I may just be out of the range for those. I would love shaped inlays if I can find them in this range. Unfortunately I am out of the range of WTHC.

FWIW it would be used between .25/.25-$1/$1 so primarily concerned with $1s, $5s, and $25s (I can deal with fracs separately).

I am curious what I might not be aware of out there and what with your knowledge what you would be looking for in a set in this range so as I don't regret it and can be happy for a while with it. .

 

[BGinGA]

THC mold cash sets can be hard to come by, and many casino sets contain at least one RHC chip in the lower denom lineup.

Here are the most readily-available sets, but not all will be in your price range (actual casino sets marked with *):

• Aurora Star
• Big Top Poker
• Casino Aztar * (RHC $5)
• Casino de Isthmus City
• Casino de Mexico
• Empress Casino *
• Empress Star
• Fabulous Las Vegas
• Horseshoe Casino Gardena
• Le Cove Resort & Casino
• President Casino Admiral * (RHC $1)
• Pyramid Casino
• Scandia Casino
• Sunset Beach
• Viva Las Vegas

There are a few others (20th Century, Lakeshore Inn, Starlite Cruises, Royal Venture Cruise Lines, Gran Derby, Kings Casino, Delta Club, Skyway Park Bowl, etc.), but I wouldn't consider them as readily available -- and in several cases, only one set is known to exist.

Your most economical approach is to build a mixed set, using THC chips from various sets that you like and can afford.

 

[allforcharity]

You already have an RHC cash set, you say? Well, I would follow @BGinGA 's advice and aim for a mixed THC set. If you see a denom that you like, then buy it and sell your corresponding RHC denom, and replace bits of your set over time. There's a good chance you'll recover most of your money (I do not say all, because you'll always lose out on shipping and any extraneous fees) if you're selling stuff in demand, so the incremental costs over time for an upgrade are probably smaller than you might think.

I say it over and over, but patience is the key. The market, any market, punishes the ill-informed and the desperate. Keep your eyes and ears open, and build up that bankroll.

 

[Eloe2000]

I say it over and over, but patience is the key. The market, any market, punishes the ill-informed and the desperate. Keep your eyes and ears open, and build up that bankroll.

Thanks! I bought an RHC set that would afford me the patience to go after something more desirable that may take me a while to acquire. And that set is large (920 chips) and broad enough to allow me to play any game I need in the mean time. I don't need to sell that out to pay for the THC set. So I can keep playing my Aransas while I slowly build a THC set. And I would much rather do that than play a mixed set.

 

[PinDoc]

Great question. I'm in the same boat, but still paying with dice chips. Have gone down the rabbit hole and have all sorts of samples, but can't really get into the china clays. I really like the Atlantic samples I just got. I've resisted the urge to go all in. (so far) Kind of feels like I'm placing a bet.

What don't you like about your CPC set? Why the urge to replace it?

@BGinGA thanks for the list. That will keep me in limbo for the foreseeable future.

 

[ovo]

2 - 3 dollar range, you can get A lot of great stuff, take your time deciding

 

[allforcharity]

Yeah, I think basically $2-3 per chip covers about 80% of everything in the Classifieds. Though if you're specifically looking for THC, the choices do narrow.

 

[Rhodeman77]

You don’t specify If you are looking for casino used or VG+ condition. Probably one of the most affordable and easier to put together right now would be LCO’s. They are casino used but in good shape for being used.

Photo from @k9dr

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Here are the most readily-available sets, but not all will be in your price range (actual casino sets marked with *):

• Aurora Star
• Big Top Poker
• Casino Aztar * (RHC $5)
• Casino de Isthmus City
• Casino de Mexico
• Empress Casino *
• Empress Star
• Fabulous Las Vegas
• Horseshoe Casino Gardena
• Le Cove Resort & Casino
• President Casino Admiral * (RHC $1)
• Pyramid Casino
• Scandia Casino
• Sunset Beach
• Viva Las Vegas

Aren’t the Horseshoe Gardena real casino chips ? Or they are tribute chips ?

As THC, you also have the Horseshoe Cleveland (rest of the set is RHC).

 

[JeepologyOffroad]

Aren’t the Horseshoe Gardena real casino chips ? Or they are tribute chips ?

I think it was a casino that never opened, but I could be wrong there.

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

I think it was a casino that never opened, but I could be wrong there.

The Horseshoe in Gardena was a real casino in operation to my knowledge. At least David Sklansky refers to it in his Poker books (or maybe Mike Caro in the Draw chapter of Super Systems).

 

[Josh Kifer]

Great question. I'm in the same boat, but still paying with dice chips. Have gone down the rabbit hole and have all sorts of samples, but can't really get into the china clays. I really like the Atlantic samples I just got. I've resisted the urge to go all in. (so far) Kind of feels like I'm placing a bet.

What don't you like about your CPC set? Why the urge to replace it?

@BGinGA thanks for the list. That will keep me in limbo for the foreseeable future.

CPC is great stuff IMO. It takes alot more time and planning, but you can make a great set as long as you put in the effort. In extremely rare cases, people adore them and you might sell some samples. But the value of that set is just really to you.... Paulson, some people look at it as renting the chips. You spend 3k, you sell a year later for 3k. It's a wash. The value stays, might lower a bit, but rarely does it tank.

So, then you have to ask what you want more. Custom chips you design and enjoy, or to spend a bit more or less and have something to enjoy, but holds the value. Third option is to grab a Paulson set and design the labels thru many of our great vendors. Costs a bit and you get to design, but the chips are paulsons.

For my option, you can't go wrong either way. But I'm slowly selling all my paulsons and going to go for a full two CPC sets to cover most of my needs. I'll keep the Rose's, and a few rotational tourneys, but custom became more important to me then Value.

But to each there own....

 

[CraigT78]

You don’t specify If you are looking for casino used or VG+ condition. Probably one of the most affordable and easier to put together right now would be LCO’s. They are casino used but in good shape for being used.

Photo from @k9dr

View attachment 364312

You got any? I'm buying!

 

[Josh Kifer]

You don’t specify If you are looking for casino used or VG+ condition. Probably one of the most affordable and easier to put together right now would be LCO’s. They are casino used but in good shape for being used.

Photo from @k9dr

View attachment 364312

I can honestly say, one of the best value sets out there. I miss my old sets, but the CPC was worth it.... But those ones and fives... Ooph

 

[Eloe2000]

Great question. I'm in the same boat, but still paying with dice chips. Have gone down the rabbit hole and have all sorts of samples, but can't really get into the china clays. I really like the Atlantic samples I just got. I've resisted the urge to go all in. (so far) Kind of feels like I'm placing a bet.

What don't you like about your CPC set? Why the urge to replace it?

@BGinGA thanks for the list. That will keep me in limbo for the foreseeable future.

I have several CPC samp,e sets and my CPC tournament set. I love the idea of customization. But honestly the colors just don’t do it for me. They aren’t vibrant enough for me. The feel is very subjective but I just have a notable preference for the feel of Paulson chips. The texture of the material, the vibration when they click together, and the sound that they make, CPCs are great quality chips, but just not for me.

It’s nice too to be able to buy chips and be able to sell them at about the same cost. I always think about the overall ownerships cost of things I own and often buy things used and resell them. Paulsons work well in that regard.

I also think back fondly of my early days playing poker at The Taj and Paulsons bring me back there.

 

[Eloe2000]

You don’t specify If you are looking for casino used or VG+ condition. Probably one of the most affordable and easier to put together right now would be LCO’s. They are casino used but in good shape for being used.

Photo from @k9dr

View attachment 364312

I do really like these and almost pulled the trigger on the set that was up recently but did not have money in my chipping account yet that I was rationalizing for purchases.

I have a strong preference for VG etc over casinomused, but I could be swayed by great colors and shaped inlays.

If a set of these came up that worked for my needs I would probably buy hem and sell my RHCs but then still pursue something in better condition over the long term.

 

[Eloe2000]

As a tangent. I am not getting any notices for any comments in any threads that I create. Sorry for the newbie question, but I can’t figure out how to enable such notifications which I am sure must exist. Any ideas?

 

[RocAFella1]

As a tangent. I am not getting any notices for any comments in any threads that I create. Sorry for the newbie question, but I can’t figure out how to enable such notifications which I am sure must exist. Any ideas?

Click the Watch button near the top of the thread to get notifications.

 

[Eloe2000]

Thanks @RocAFella1 I definitely didn’t realize that was necessary.

 

[RocAFella1]

Thanks @RocAFella1 I definitely didn’t realize that was necessary.

You can go into your account settings and automatically watch threads you create, etc.

 

[Eloe2000]

You can go into your account settings and automatically watch threads you create, etc.

Damn. Got it. For some reason the only alert unchecked in my options was for alerts for watched content. I must have unchecked that on accident st some point,

 

[Changster]

The Horseshoe in Gardena was a real casino in operation to my knowledge. At least David Sklansky refers to it in his Poker books (or maybe Mike Caro in the Draw chapter of Super Systems).

Definitely a real casino. I have a history of Gardena poker rooms book and HG is one of the main old school poker rooms there.

Most people say shaped inlay chips were for the actual casino but never put in use (like Jacks), but round inlays were fantasy. However, I have 2 racks of round inlay HG 20’s that are in very used condition. There is just no way any home game can cause those chips or become like that. So I think a lot of the round inlay ones were probably used in the casino or something. But I could be wrong.

 

[Eloe2000]

A lot of great stuff, take your time deciding

Honestly, I can totally see how people get started in so many different directions with different sets. Impatience and surprise finds can definitely lead to chip hoarding.

Anyway, at least for now I have decided to pursue PCR/Avalon because I can create a set with gorgeous colors with no complaints and I like the suits mold. Although as I slowly piece this together I wouldn’t be surprised if a different set pops up one day and steal my interest.

 

[BGinGA]

Aren’t the Horseshoe Gardena real casino chips ? Or they are tribute chips ?

I think it was a casino that never opened, but I could be wrong there.

The Horseshoe in Gardena was a real casino in operation to my knowledge.

Definitely a real casino. I have a history of Gardena poker rooms book and HG is one of the main old school poker rooms there.

Most people say shaped inlay chips were for the actual casino but never put in use (like Jacks), but round inlays were fantasy. However, I have 2 racks of round inlay HG 20’s that are in very used condition. There is just no way any home game can cause those chips or become like that. So I think a lot of the round inlay ones were probably used in the casino or something. But I could be wrong.

The Horseshoe Casino Gardena was a real casino, but the Paulson shaped-inlay set of chips were never delivered to the casino, and they were later sold to the general public in their Paulson store in Las Vegas. Paulson later produced the round inlay versions for home market use, and also used several of the same color/spot combinations for other fantasy set chips.

 

[Changster]

The Horseshoe Casino Gardena was a real casino, but the Paulson shaped-inlay set of chips were never delivered to the casino, and they were later sold to the general public in their Paulson store in Las Vegas. Paulson later produced the round inlay versions for home market use, and also used several of the same color/spot combinations for other fantasy set chips.

I can't see how home games can turn chips into these. But again, I could be wrong.

 

[BGinGA]

Rock tumbler.

 

[allforcharity]

I can't see how home games can turn chips into these. But again, I could be wrong.

View attachment 365382

It is possible, with VERY frequent regular home use. I picked up a small cash set of CDI98 in similar condition, and those were NEVER used in a casino.

 

[Josh Kifer]

Rock tumbler.

That's what I use to chop down my chips that have an attitude problem....

 

[BGinGA]

I can't see how home games can turn chips into these. But again, I could be wrong.

View attachment 365382

It is possible, with VERY frequent regular home use. I picked up a small cash set of CDI98 in similar condition, and those were NEVER used in a casino.

Actually, some Paulson home/fantasy sets *were* used in real card rooms (some illegal, some not), by charitable organizations who ran a lot of games, and casino rental companies who hosted lots of events for pay.

A 'home set' doesn't always mean it got stuck in a closet somewhere and was only pulled out for special occasions -- some of those sets saw heavy usage.

 

[Justin Olson]

I actually really really love my mountain top sun-fly hybrids cash set, i also really enjoy the royals that apache is putting out there and even though i have kept it semi-custom, i have seen some great custom labels put on those chips. If you are someone that likes to change it up every 12-18 months you could sure start on more of those middle of the road sets. You could also look at going down the full ceramic hole and look at either the Tiki Kings or Dio De Los Muertos from ABC gifts

I also have Pharaohs, really nice mixed THC hot stamped set, ASM sands hourglass set, Absolutely beautiful CPC Aurora Club cash set and my friends and players gravitate towards the mountain tops for cash or muertos for tourney.

keep an open mind is all I am saying