Cash Game Looking for guidance on my micro stakes chip breakdown (1 Viewer)

mattross1313

Full House
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
2,510
Reaction score
10,004
Location
Bournemouth, UK
Morning,

Wondered if anyone here could cast an eye over my proposed chip set breakdown. I'm looking to put together a small micro cash set together for home games, 6 people max due to table size. It is only micro stakes as it is more an excuse for some of us to get together and have a beer. Below is my current thinking :

Blinds £0.05 and £0.10.
300 Chip set.

100 x £0.05
100 x £0.25
80 x £1.00
20 x £5.00 (though I may get an extra barrel just incase the game gets bigger)

If my maths are right this covers 6 starting stacks of £10, and leaves a bank of £150 for rebuys. Which would be 2.5 rebuys pp (or 4 rebuys pp if I went with 2 barrels of £5's).

In my head this sounds ample, but I welcome any feedback. Matt :)
 
Another fact which may help is I am aiming to make the $1's mixed using barrels of white $1 casino chips, so this may exceed 80 as I find cool barrels to introduce to the collection. But let's assume 80 to kick off :)
 
I think £5.00 chips are only made necessary at these stakes because you are constraining the set to 300 chips. Your breakdown is okay, but I think it will feel tight on quarters.

Consider this:

100 x £0.05
120 x £0.25
60 x £1.00
20 x £5.00

£195 in bank

£10 Starting stacks
6 of 15/17/5
1 of 10/18/5
5 of 0/0/5/1
7 of 0/0/0/2

At least this way each of 6 players will average a full barrel of the workhorse chip.

19 Buys ins so 3 per player at 6 max.

100 x £0.05 is probably overkill for 6 max even, but it makes a good round number and you will be glad to have the extras if your 6-max game goes 8-9 handed one night.

But really a 400 set with more quarters would be better and more playable
100 x £0.05
200 x £0.25
80 x £1.00
20 x £5.00

£235 in bank

6 of 15/29/2
1 of 10/26/3
13 of 0/0/5/1
3 of 0/0/0/2

Just some extra thoughts. Good luck.
 
Matt,

Sounds like a fun, friendly social game. Best of luck with it.

Regarding chip needs, I think you have a solid plan. That set is likely to work well.

Here are some minor suggestions and observations I can make based on playing in a weekly home game (pot limit, dealers choice, $0.50/$1 blinds and $0.25 ante for stud games) that has been running now for over 10 years continuously.

Chip Stacks Promote Action

If people only have a few chips in front of them, they are likely to want to hold on to them. Even if the actual value of the chips they are holding are the same. So having more of the lower denomination can help the game.

If you are already thinking about adding more £5 chips, you should consider adding just 20 more of both your fractional denomination. That way you can start all 6 players out with a stack of each fractional denomination, and make up the remaining 4 pounds with your £1 chips.

Plastic Racks and Full Stacks Make Setup Easy

If you have plastic racks, using full stacks of the lower denoms will will also make your game setup and selling chips at the start of the night easy. Just prepare racks with one stack of the £0.05, one stack of the £0.25, and 4 of the £1 and you can easily exchange those when players arrive.

Bigger Denoms Become an Event of Their Own

Hold off on using the £5 until you need to. Sell out of your £1 first.

As the game goes on, either because people rebuy, or a new player shows up (more on that in a second), and you introduce those £5 chips into play, they become an event.

People will remark on those chips going into the pot, or someone accumulating them as a result of making change for another player.


Paper Notes Can Be a Big Event, Too

You already have in mind the notion of the total value of the chip set, and how much money can be in play. Smart thinking ahead.

Since you are playing small stakes, even a small number of higher denomination can really make a difference for how much money could potentially be in play.

But if it reaches the point where paper notes are in the pot, that is also a juicy development. Just limit the use of paper to 10 notes and 20 notes.

The first time you have a pot with a mountain of chips and a tenner or two, it is going to be a big deal.

No Going South

One thing to keep in mind about making change for paper notes - that new paper money must stay in play. Might seem obvious to you and me, but other players not as familiar with table stakes could easily hand over 10 quid worth of chips and then pocket the tenner.

Once paper notes are exchanged for chips between players, those notes have to stay on the table. Easiest just to keep them up front with chips on top.

Your £1 Chip Collection in Use

This is a nice idea that could make for good conversation, and will certainly make you happy to see your collection in use and actively moving around the table.

Just try to limit the number of colors and styles in use so as not to cause confusion. This is easier done in the states where $1 chips tend to be white/blue and you can plan other denoms around that. Not sure Genting yellows play well with whatever other houses are using there.

Stable of Horses

One last thing I can say from a long running game: be sure to talk up the game and invite others. Your table may be limited to six at once, but players are going to bust out and leave, or miss nights. Squeezing in a bit can be all right (at least it was ok before the global pandemic), and having some late arrivals is a good way to re-energize the table.

Best of luck with your game!
 
@JustinInMN @StevieG - thanks for the detailed replies, really appreciate the time!

I'm still not set on chips yet, but will likely be a mix of RHC's from various casino's. the 0.05 and 0.25 may have to be relabels unless I get lucky in the classifieds. This was part of the reason for leaning towards a rack of ease, purely as it is easier to source them in those quantities - one of option could to be do that for now then topup with a barrel here and there as they come up for sale. There is a nice rack of THC 5 hot stamps for sale ATM, which are tempting me for my 0.05's.

Will likely return here to re-read your comments over the coming weeks, whilst hunting around.

Your £1 Chip Collection in Use
This is a nice idea that could make for good conversation, and will certainly make you happy to see your collection in use and actively moving around the table.
Just try to limit the number of colors and styles in use so as not to cause confusion. This is easier done in the states where $1 chips tend to be white/blue and you can plan other denoms around that. Not sure Genting yellows play well with whatever other houses are using there.

Yes I thought it would be a nice conversation piece :) Current plan it to stick to white $1 RHC's. Narrowly missed out on a barrel of NY NY $1's last night which could've been a good starter. I am potentially making my first trip to Vegas this Dec for a friends wedding, and part of my plan was to try and harvest some 1's from a few places. But Covid may have put the brakes on that trip :unsure:
 
I occasionally run a game at these exact stakes and I can confirm you will really appreciate the extra .25p chips. 100 just isnt quite enough, likewise 100 .05p chips might feel like too many. They dont often get used postflop or even after 1 raise preflop.
 
I occasionally run a game at these exact stakes and I can confirm you will really appreciate the extra .25p chips. 100 just isnt quite enough, likewise 100 .05p chips might feel like too many. They dont often get used postflop or even after 1 raise preflop.

Cheers Billy, good info. This ties in with other responses in the thread - @JustinInMN 's example using 120 quarters seems great? As you say, they are likely the more workhouse chips especially post flop, and this way everyone gets a barrels worth! Could always swap a barrel of 0.05 for 1's, giving 80 of each.

Thanks again folks.
 
@JustinInMN @StevieG - thanks for the detailed replies, really appreciate the time!

Narrowly missed out on a barrel of NY NY $1's last night which could've been a good starter.

I also have a large collection of white Binion's $1s that might work for what you're doing. PM me if that interests you. They'll be going live in the classifieds soon if not.
 
Figured I'd quickly update this and again give thanks to @JustinInMN and @StevieG for their original help here. Below is what I have bought up to this point, they are making their way to my buddy in NYC, who will then send them to the UK.

100 x 0.05
160 x 0.25
90 x 1
40 x 5

When playing the normal 0.05/10 blinds this gives something like 27 re-buys which is waaaay more than enough.
But I figure in the future we may push to 0.10/20 games, or even .25/.25. As the set stands right now this would cover a .25 game and provide 7 rebuys, which is cutting is fine at 6max. However, I plan to get to Vegas for the first time next year and aim to pick up some more mixed white $1's for my collection, which will help. I also like Stevie's Idea of using real money for bullets when the chips run out!

Thanks again guys :D
 
@mattross1313 are you happy with this micro stakes setup? I am in the same boat as you as far as using poker as a way to get the guys together and have some beer. I like the idea of $10 buy-ins or less, and am about to pull the plug on a 0.05/0.25/1/5 set so I thought that I'd ask.
 
@mattross1313 are you happy with this micro stakes setup? I am in the same boat as you as far as using poker as a way to get the guys together and have some beer. I like the idea of $10 buy-ins or less, and am about to pull the plug on a 0.05/0.25/1/5 set so I thought that I'd ask.
Hey there @marshboi . Sorry, I only just saw this post! Do you know the split of chips in your set? That's an important consideration as the folks mention above, you don't want to overload of blind chips then have too few workhorse chips.

I ended up extending the set a fair bit over the summer with some extras (y'know, moar chips is better!). I'm still yet to get the set into play, but pretty sure it will more fit my needs for small 6max games. The set is now:

100 x 0.05
160 x 0.25
160 x 1.00
60 x 5.00
20 x 20.00

I added the 20's as they were a pretty chip and I was enjoying my label designs. They will likely never see felt, but oh so pretty!!
This set will now cover the usual 0.05/0.10 games, but also plenty for when we push up to 0.25/0.25.

Pr0n just as I like looking at the chips!

IMG_9599.jpg
 

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