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If it’s less than a birdcage it’s not a complete set..... (1 Viewer)

StevenM

StevenM

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I’ve got an issue with volume LOL
Even though it’s tough to put a birdcage plus in play when you factor in chipping up and rebuys I feel like if it’s less than a birdcage it’s an incomplete set.
If I were to sell a set that is much smaller than this I feel like I’m doing a disservice to the community.
I know that’s crazy but I’d like to hear thoughts on pros and cons of large sets for both game play and resale which are very different objectives but can meet in the middle.
The ultimate conclusion / question is what is the perfect set in terms of total chip numbers and variety of denominations.
A great subjective topic!
 
I reckon 600 chip count is the perfect amount for most casual games and resale value, as the dollar value usually is still within affordable range for most people. Also 600 chips can fit perfectly into a single medium flat rate. Quite a few 600+ sets need to be broken down into smaller sets or sold in racks, especially those of higher value.

Breakdown:
25c - 100
$1 - 200
$5 - 200
$20 or 25 - 80
$100 - 20
 
Perfect set is set you love. It doesn't necessarily need to meet the perfect breakdown.

And before you reach the perfect breakdown, sometines, you'll have to hunt for spares or even singles (i.e. rare sets like Regency Cruise) and that's precisely why you'll love it so much.

I have a very few sets. My fav one is a HU set (200 chips), in fact playable up to 5 players ! And not even Paulson made !!
 
My playable set for my cash game is
100-$1
200-$5
200-$25
60-$100

1/3 cash game
 
I've tinkered with sets sizes for years. I realize now you can have a set of any size, and for some of the ultra rare crap, a heads-up set is good enough for me, just to have a few to look at and play with.

But for one table, I usually build for this

frac x 60 or 80, up to 100
1 x 200
5 x 200 - 360
20 or 25 x 40 - 50 or 80 - 100
100 x 20
 
My smallest set is just 80 chips.

30 x T25 / 25c
30 x T100 / $1
15 x T500 / $5
5 x T2000 / $20

Spreads T5000 2 player, T3000 3 player, or $30 buy-in cash for 2-3 players on the airplane. That includes 17 "extra" chips, because the possibility of losing a chip on a plane is very real.

Point is, "set" is a very loose term. If it plays, it's a set.

1541868014602.png
 
Lots of great responses here - thanks everyone!
 
Smallest set I feel comfortable using for a single table game:

150 $1’s
400 $5’s
100 $25’s
50 $100’s

If using 25c chips 80, if using 50c chips 60.

Ideal 1000 chip breakdown for my games:
150 $1’s
600 $5’s
200 $25’s
50 $100’s
 
My preference is ...

400 x $1s
500 x $5s
100 x $25s or $20s if playing with Vineyards

For $100 buy-in you get to start with 2 barrels of &1s + remaining in $5s. Starting with 2+ barrels of chips feels right. Of course, have $100 chips available but unnecessary.
 
@Jeff that's amazing! Will have to settle for 600 for now, but that's certainly something to strive for. ;)
 
I have a 400 set that covers a single table of $.25/.50 cash (traveling bar cash set). It’s not a perfect breakdown, 100x.25/100x1/100x5/100x20. Plenty big enough to spread the 6-7 guys who want to play cash after a two-three table bar tourney.

I also help provide chips for that tourney. 25k starting stacks, starting blinds 100/200 and I only bring 600-700 Milano chips. Spreads 30 players and unlimited rebuys.
 
churlbut18 said:
Many will argue that the perfect breakdown is as follows:

100/200/200/80/20 = 600 (great)
100/200/400/80/20 = 800 (perfect !)
100/400/400/80/20 = 1000 (great)
Click to expand...

100/200/400/80/20 FTW!

If going the birdcage route I prefer

200/200/400/160/40
 
Lots of great single-table tournament sets that are 400 chips. Fit into a 400-chip carrier, too, or combine 'em with a 600 chip cash set and store both in a single 1000-chip carrier.

That said, most of my sets range from 1000-3000 chips. :whistle: :whistling:
 
Tomorrow I should receive my cash set.
This is for NL50 (.25-.5) and I went with 100/200/200/100 breakdown.

For tournament sets, I think we can go with less chips for Single Table. T20K freezeout or T10K with one re-entry.

For one table you’ve a playable set for 10 players with just 300 chips:
- 80 x T25
- 80 x T100
- 40 x T500
- 70 x T1000
- 30 x T5000 (incl. one per player to manage the color-up)

If you want to have a 12/12/3/12/1 starking chips for T20K, you’ll need 410 chips set minimum for a T20K freezeout or T10K + one re-entry.
- 120 x T25
- 120 x T100
- 30 x T500
- 120 x T1000
- 20 x T5000 (incl. one per player to manage the color-up)

But as said earlier, sometimes a head-up set or a 6-max set is just what you need.

I initially bought 200 HS Clev 36mm as a 6-max tournament set and after 2 add-on I’m now with a 800-chip set covering 2 tables. :-)
 
My cash set:

0.5 x100
1 x300
5 x400
25 x100

Bourgogne & Grasset of course, because European CG chips are mostly BG ! Make me feel like first time at a cash table ahah

Should add a barrel of 100... and maybe a rack of 1 too...
901D9688-005F-4058-B7BE-E00F9345ACE4.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Big set and great breakdown my friend, you're all set for NL50 and NL100. :)
Can't wait to see your pr0n !
 
I have a 2 table T100,000 tournament set that is 800 chips. There are chips in that set that never get in to play. I'm in the process of replacing it with a 700-chip set with slightly re-configured denoms (actually 680-chips, the last barrel is 4 spares of each denom) that will still cover a 2-table tournament .

IMO, the perfect set covers your needs without having to make sacrifices but doesn't contain unnecessary chips that never get used.

For me and my needs, a 1000-chip set is too large and the price about 40% more expensive than necessary.
 
Last edited:
My 1st set: 1 table tourney, 500 chips
2nd set: 13 player tourney (can be stretched with "short" starting stacks), 500 chips
3rd set: 2 table tourney, 820 chips
4th set: 3 table tourney, 1000 chips
5th set: 3 table tourney, 1085 chips
6th set: 2 table 5¢/10¢ cash game $1321.25 bank, 800 chips
7th set: 3 table (if pushed, optimal 2 table) tourney, 600 chips, 85 plaques
8th set: 2 table tourney, was 600 chips, later expanded because of a great find to 720 chips.
9th set: 2 table 25¢/50¢ cash game $5640 bank, 802 chips. Later added 100 nickels so it can cover 2 tables, one 5¢/10¢ and one 25¢/50¢
10th set: 3 player tourney, 97 chips
11th set: 2 table 25¢/25¢ cash game $1825 bank, 400 chips
12th set: 3 player tourney or 25¢/25¢ cash game $135 bank, 63 chips

I won't claim any of these are "optimal". The 8th set is the closest to optimal at 600 chips, but I liked it better when I bumped it up to 700. So "optimal" is subjective.

The 2nd set was a mistake for not anticipating the growth of the group. At the time I could sit 8 at one table and 6 at the dining table, so I said "I won't ever need that many chips". The 3rd set was an add-on to the first set of ABS, slugged chips with 20 relabeled Paulsons, and then 300 ceramics, because the original ABS chips were no longer available. It has been affectionately dubbed the "Frankenstein set". After that, I decided to always "overbuy" what I thought I would need, with the exception of the 8th and 9th sets (Empress Star). Their exceptionally high costs mandated an "optimal" breakdown. The 12 set is also "optimized" because it gets used on an airplane, so space is ultra-limited.
 
Poker Zombie said:
My 1st set: 1 table tourney, 500 chips
2nd set: 13 player tourney (can be stretched with "short" starting stacks), 500 chips
3rd set: 2 table tourney, 820 chips
4th set: 3 table tourney, 1000 chips
5th set: 3 table tourney, 1085 chips
6th set: 2 table 5¢/10¢ cash game $1321.25 bank, 800 chips
7th set: 3 table (if pushed, optimal 2 table) tourney, 600 chips, 85 plaques
8th set: 2 table tourney, was 600 chips, later expanded because of a great find to 720 chips.
9th set: 2 table 25¢/50¢ cash game $5640 bank, 802 chips. Later added 100 nickels so it can cover 2 tables, one 5¢/10¢ and one 25¢/50¢
10th set: 3 player tourney, 97 chips
11th set: 2 table 25¢/25¢ cash game $1825 bank, 400 chips
12th set: 3 player tourney or 25¢/25¢ cash game $135 bank, 63 chips

I won't claim any of these are "optimal". The 8th set is the closest to optimal at 600 chips, but I liked it better when I bumped it up to 700. So "optimal" is subjective.

The 2nd set was a mistake for not anticipating the growth of the group. At the time I could sit 8 at one table and 6 at the dining table, so I said "I won't ever need that many chips". The 3rd set was an add-on to the first set of ABS, slugged chips with 20 relabeled Paulsons, and then 300 ceramics, because the original ABS chips were no longer available. It has been affectionately dubbed the "Frankenstein set". After that, I decided to always "overbuy" what I thought I would need, with the exception of the 8th and 9th sets (Empress Star). Their exceptionally high costs mandated an "optimal" breakdown. The 12 set is also "optimized" because it gets used on an airplane, so space is ultra-limited.
Click to expand...

Good on you for remembering all of your sets!! I just bought some things in the classifieds to "complete" a set that was actually, well, complete. Doh!
 

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