Cash Game How many chips and breakdown (1 Viewer)

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Hello all

Looking to buy a set for my monthly home cash game 0.25/0.5 or 0.5/1 depending on the people. So it should work for both.
Maximum buy in is $100 and 8 people max.

How many chips and what breakdown would you recommend?
 
Previously discussed many times in the forum, but this is what I (and many others) consider to be the ideal starter breakdown for your stakes (and eventually larger games):

100 x 25c
200 x $1
400 x $5
80 x $20 (or $25)
20 x $100

800 chips, if you can swing it. If you cannot, then only get 200 x $5.

My love of this 800 chip breakdown is based on a few threads of sage advice from PCF members like @links_slayer, @bergs and @courage. It has the advantage of being flexible and playable for almost any single table game with stakes up to a small 2/5 game, and can easily grow with add-ons. Additionally, since over time inflation will make 1/2 the new .25/.50, this breakdown is relatively future-proof as well. This is frankly, IMO, the most ideal breakdown and the sweet spot in set size, such that you have flexibility to have a bigger game.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking "I don't need so many workhorse $5s." Remember, your game may not play big very much of the time, but you want the chips to spread it when it happens, and you will definitely miss them if you need them. (y) :thumbsup: In my experience, 100 fracs is plenty for even the nittiest .25/.50. More just get in the way. Same goes for $1s--200 is plenty. But you can never have enough $5s.

And always buy 5-10 more of every chip as spares in case of Murphy. Nobody likes a 799-chip set.
 
Hello all

Looking to buy a set for my monthly home cash game 0.25/0.5 or 0.5/1 depending on the people. So it should work for both.
Maximum buy in is $100 and 8 people max.

How many chips and what breakdown would you recommend?

Minimum - 1 rack of quarters, 2 racks of dollars, 2 racks of $5's, rack of $20's or $25's. If you want more chips, you could add another rack or two of $5's, another rack of $1's, and some $100's, in that order.
 
Minimum - 1 rack of quarters, 2 racks of dollars, 2 racks of $5's, rack of $20's or $25's. If you want more chips, you could add another rack or two of $5's, another rack of $1's, and some $100's, in that order.

Yep..........
 
Yep and honestly, I have 320 quarters, so I can have two tables of 8 player with a barrel starting for each player.

TOTAL OVERKILL. When I start a game each player gets a barrel of quarters, a barrel of $1's, and the rest in $5's. Rebuys are all $5's.

But doing it this way there are mountains of quarters on the table once they start moving around, no player needs 3 stacks of quarters.

I am probably going to start only bringing out 1 rack of quarters and the first 5 people at the table get a barrel, the remaining players can buy quarters from them. It's a small inconvenience in the beginning, however it should prove very beneficial once play starts getting underway.

My personal preference because I like even racks:

100 - $0.25
200 - $1.00
200 - $5.00
100 - $25
= $3725 bank

in a 600ct Birdcage.

Without using even racks:

100 - $0.25
160 - $1
240 - $5
80 - $25
20 - $100
= $5385 bank
 
All of the above recommendations will work fine. The subtleties of the workhorse chips are not going to make or break the game. The key take aways:
1. one rack of fractionals
2. Some bigger chips for rebuys
3. Lots of workhorse chips
 
I am probably going to start only bringing out 1 rack of quarters and the first 5 people at the table get a barrel, the remaining players can buy quarters from them. It's a small inconvenience in the beginning, however it should prove very beneficial once play starts getting underway.
This +1. @abby99 has the exact same sage advice regarding this very point: just give the first five players a barrel of fracs--it gets them all out on the table at the get go, initially players can just make change, and after a few orbits, the fracs are all distributed evenly/unevenly anyway.
 
And it's not the REAL minimum - you could play it with fewer chips, I suppose. You could probably also play without chairs . . .
It saddens me I cannot hit the like button more than once...
 
This +1. @abby99 has the exact same sage advice regarding this very point: just give the first five players a barrel of fracs--it gets them all out on the table at the get go, initially players can just make change, and after a few orbits, the fracs are all distributed evenly/unevenly anyway.

Or you just pre-set the starting stacks. Players keep their money in front of them. Deliver them the buy ins :) easy peasy

20170318_094918_zpstbc6wcq5.jpg
20170827_105001.jpg
 
Hello all

Looking to buy a set for my monthly home cash game 0.25/0.5 or 0.5/1 depending on the people. So it should work for both.
Maximum buy in is $100 and 8 people max.

How many chips and what breakdown would you recommend?

There is nothing wrong with the stacks suggested above. NOTHING.

However, this is really simple.

You said 8 players.

What are your starting stacks for $100?

20 x 25c
20 x $1
15 x $5

Then just multiply that by the number of players:

160 x 25c
160 x $1
120 x $5

Now that starting stack is heavy on quarters, but you can adjust it as you see fit. You might also consider dropping the number of $1 chips and adding more fives. If you started out with stacks of:

12 x 25c
12 x $1
17 x $5

...then for 8 players you need:

96 x 25c
96 x $1
136 x $5

Now consider how many rebuys you might have. Add rebuy chips (4x$25 or 5x$20 and maybe even some 1x$100). I prefer $20 chips to $25 because if someone just wants to top up their stack, you can do it in the same denomination as paper bills, but that's just personal preference.

If you want every player to be able to rebuy twice, then you need:

80 x $20
or
64 x $25

Add extras in case you lose some chips. And add a few $100 chips (you'll want them if you have $2,400 on the table).

100 x 25c
100 x $1 <---- if you're really OCD, make this 140 x $1 so you'll end up with even racks
160 x $5
80 x $20
20 x $100

That's a bank of $4,565. Those 500 chips and should do you just fine for the game you are trying to play. If you're going to add anything to it, I'd add another rack of $5's.

If you buy chips that are commercially available, you can add on later if either your game or stakes grow.
 
One thought I don't think has been mentioned. Either buy oodles of chips now or make sure you DON"T buy any chips that are on closeout. Because if you ever decide you need more later you won't be able to get the same chips. And mixed chips are a big no no.....lol
 
Hi Guys,

Let's say I want to get a 1500 chips set. What do you think about this breakdown:

100 x 25c
500 x $1
600 x $5
200 x $25
100 x $100
 
Hi Guys,

Let's say I want to get a 1500 chips set. What do you think about this breakdown:

100 x 25c
500 x $1
600 x $5
200 x $25
100 x $100

Several questions need to answered to help optimize a set.
1. What stakes are you planning on playing
2. How many players/tables do you want it to cover?
3. Do you think you will go up in stakes?
4. Is the set for just NL/PL games or do you plan to play limit games as well with it?

Over all, the set will work for a single table of 25c/50 up to $1/2 easily.

If you want to run 2 tables you need a second rack of 25c chips.

Either way you probably have too many $1's. 200 per table is plenty. 400 for 2 tables. So I would drop one rack of 1's and add a rack of quarters.
 
Just saw this. Nope. I like plenty of shuffling chips. That would work.
Just giving you a hard time. (y) :thumbsup:

I've also done 12/37/12 ($100) to get a 3 barrel starting stack (61). Because I only have an 8 player table, I only need 100/300/200/80/20 to support that.
 
Just giving you a hard time. (y) :thumbsup:

I've also done 12/37/12 ($100) to get a 3 barrel starting stack (61). Because I only have an 8 player table, I only need 100/300/200/80/20 to support that.

I know you were. In my game the work horse chips are the ones and fives. I like to get as many one the table as possible at the start of the game
 
Several questions need to answered to help optimize a set.
1. What stakes are you planning on playing
2. How many players/tables do you want it to cover?
3. Do you think you will go up in stakes?
4. Is the set for just NL/PL games or do you plan to play limit games as well with it?

Over all, the set will work for a single table of 25c/50 up to $1/2 easily.

If you want to run 2 tables you need a second rack of 25c chips.

Either way you probably have too many $1's. 200 per table is plenty. 400 for 2 tables. So I would drop one rack of 1's and add a rack of quarters.
1) It should work for 25c/50 up to $1/2
2) 1 table, 10 player max
3) yes, maybe $ 2/4
4) only NL
 
1) It should work for 25c/50 up to $1/2
2) 1 table, 10 player max
3) yes, maybe $ 2/4
4) only NL

If you know it will never be a 2 table game I would drop the $1's to 300 or even 200 and add some more $5's and maybe a barrel of $500's just to protect yourself for a top end range.

In my 25c/50c game last night I had 500 $5's in play. So in a $1/2 or $2/5 game you could easily get 800 of them in play.
 

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