• PCF is an Amazon Associate and an eBay Partner. If you make a purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

New Members start here! (2 Viewers)

Hey Machine,

Thanks for the great welcome post! I found the site a few weeks, but now I’m excited to start getting more involved in the community and this post really helped to consolidate all the info available.
 
I really appreciate all the comments; very happy it helps!
 
Just want to comment to express how appreciative I am of proper chip break downs / stacking stack break downs.

Played a game last night were we had 3? Racks of quarters in play. And only one rack of $1s. I estimate at least 30 mins was spend counting out stack values...
 
Machine said:
Is something missing that would be helpful? Please let us know by adding to the post!

Help me with syntax on any / all of it, for perspicuity :sneaky:
perspicuity - an overly wordy word synonymous with 'clarity'

WELCOME and a hearty hello to you!​

This is a guided FAQ, we will touch on a lot of topics to get you started in your journey. These topics are discussed in depths you can't image, you can use the search tool to dig deeper. Careful dipping your toe in, its deep and it may go further than you can handle!

I remember how excited and overwhelmed I was trying to find where to start, I had specific questions and couldn't figure out the best way to find the answers.

Let's start with navigation of the site, rules and forum educate. It can be frustrating not understanding some of the restrictions.



Personally, I prefer to read lighter text on a dark background, check out the dark mode function, the bottom left of the webpage, and top right by the search, its a toggle.

View attachment 1434253 View attachment 1434309


Okay now for the real content, lets get into it!

You've likely seen bright mesmerizing chip sets, and you can't wait to buy buy buy!

First things first, GET SAMPLES prior to making any purchases!
GET SAMPLES - GET SAMPLES - GET SAMPLES
As a community we try to recycle the samples they hold the value, from auctions, for sale, and even wanted posts. We really mean it, get samples! You'll hear it so much you'll think it's a sport chant - ROLLTIDE!


Index - In this post we'll discuss:
The types of chips and how they are made
-- Different Types of Poker Chips - for beginners / New Members
General Cost per chip
Chip break downs (cash and tournament)
Nonstandard denominations
Standard Chip Colors
Demons Denoms vs Non denoms
Cards
Chip Storage
DIY!
Lingo
Shipping
Meetups
Group Buys
Random Questions
Poker Rules
Bonus
Don't forget CG(TOS) FAQs


Don't overlook the Resource area, it has things like the design tools (links below as well), color references, card info you never thought about!
Speaking of things you never thought about, but absolutely need to run a poker game, it's here

'Search' tutorial will go here

Types of chips:

I see so many different chips online, what is the difference, can I hot stamp dice chips?
Nope!

CrazyEddie other than being crazy (and awesome), has a three part post to get you started One, two, three (also the answer to that old Owl's question)
He also has posts about Bone and Ivory chips.


A brief highlight of 'molds'. There are quite a few, although some are significantly more popular than others, they ALL have a very intriguing and rich history. The mold refers to the outer edge of the chip and the recesses created during the chip making process. The nostalgia even makes it into ceramics as members want to honor the history!

Different molds have different feels, and sounds, you'll be surprised at level of passion and heated debates contained here in.

View attachment 854921
Photo Credit: @Eloe2000 Please check out the full images of these CSQ molds

View attachment 854927
A ceramic chip with a faux scrown honoring TRK! (and a Mapes legacy) label design by our members (@timinater)

We even have members celebrating dice chips molds :wtf:

This is a great resource for molds and spot patterns (inserts) - courtesy of our own @Jeff
Here is a post worth reading on categories of chips by @CrazyEddie

General cost per chip:
* 2024-12 - These prices are not accurate, but they show a correlation, even the correlation has flux, but will help new members get a feel for the market.

Low end plastics 0.05-0.15
Mid end plastic 0.35-0.45
Stock ceramic 0.50-0.75
Custom ceramic 0.30-1.00
Vintage clay 0.25-0.50+
High end plastic 0.75-2.50+
Stock/fantasy clay 2.00-4.00+
Casino clay 2.00-8.00 and up up up
Custom clay 3.00+ depending on complexity
(Thanks @allforcharity )

Chip break downs:

Tournament and Cash break downs should be ran off separate chip sets. It's a security issue and its easy to make it a non-issue, rather than costing significant money or players.

You ought NOT say I want XXX chips what break down should I use? You can / are welcome to, and members will try to assist, but if you use the link provided and / or the search tool, you will likely find 10,000 posts on the same topic.

I've written a post on how to calculate a break down for cash games.

New Member's Optimal Chip Break Down


The intricacies of tournament design can be overwhelming, the dream of a huge chip stacks at the table seems amazing until you look at the duration times. How do you balance a reasonable about of time, with buy-ins and a starting stack that doesn't feel like a turbo or a luck machine simulation? I don't know! :eek:

First, I'd like to introduce the guy that might seem a little scary, he can be a little blunt and seem grumpy, he's just been awake for a little too long.

View attachment 854896

BGinGA is very diligent and has contributed so much to the community, dare I say endless information for the quality our member's tournaments.

Here are a few (one, two) threads to get you started
The tl;dr to cover 10-person minimum chip count. I would prefer higher chip count, but the focus for this post is efficiency.

Beyond threads and discussion, we have chip break down tools.

Odd Denominations (2,10,50)

Non standard denominations would include $2, $10, $50
These denoms slow the game down and are typically considered vanity and should not be in small / starter sets.
* disclaimer this is a controversial statement, and I've been called names for posting this myopic view
** it was out of passion for you to have the best information and experience
*** the above is true, but all in jest
**** some members host games with .50 / 2 / 10, we've got some odd balls!

The Story of the big bad wolf; Little pig, little pig let me in!
(a short story of how one evening went sour)
Odd denominations can cause confusion, contention and be inefficient? All in one post? No WAY!

Standard Colors

While custom chips can be of any (base) color the two primary standards are Vegas and California.

Denom​
Vegas​
Cali​
1​
white​
blue​
5​
red​
yellow​
20​
yellow (orange)​
black​
25​
green​
purple​
100​
black​
white​
500​
purple​
grey (brown)​
1000​
orange (yellow)​
orange​

Quintessential Cali Set
Crown Plaza theme designed and commissioned by our members, offered in a group buy open to all members featuring casino quality plastics and that signature black 20 denom! - hubba hubba
photo by @RainmanTrail

While anyone can see the appeal of solid chip colors, you probably knew that edge marks/spots make it easier to see the quantity of chips in stacks.
These edge marks (inserts) have designations, here are a few of my favorites..

Inserts / edge marks can have flaws, its is part of the craftsmanship of a handmade chip

"Split Spots"
View attachment 1133888
photo by @Rhodeman77


Non-Perfect inserts CPC / Paulson

View attachment 1133889
photo by @krafticus ​


Denoms vs Non Denoms (its preference)

It is highly suggested to use denominations for sets, especially your first set, however non denomination chips can be useful in certain circumstances. One such situation would be for fracs (fractions of a dollar (or unit)). The case maybe you start with a .25 / .50 game, and later things change; with a non denom chip in use as a .25 chip you can now designate it as a .50 chip when the game grows / changes.

While denoms typically use currency as a unit type, we have members using other units! please don't judge us!

Cards
Poker or Bridge - Typically if you use a card shuffler Poker, if you hand shuffle Bridge. Holdem is Jumbo, 4+ cards some prefer standard. There are a ton of threads you can search for recommendations and in resources there is a card database with lots of info! Most people don't like 4 color pips on the table, only on the screen. Here is a visual size difference and here is another thread.

Chip Storage
We have dedicated sub forums for Poker Chip Racks, Cases and Storage. Solutions vary depending on your needs.

Members that travel for local games or across country to meetups typically use a more mobile solution, check out our @Ben8257's 'Luggage'

20210826_184107-jpg.820038

Another fan fav, okay MY favorite long term solution is @darthEez's Chip Vault (we do have member storing them in an actual safes hidden in basements too!)



DIY!
There are so many great posts on building tables, here is an index thread brought to us by @Irish!


Design Services
Looking for help on designing custom chips? Check the Mock up and Design subforum, or maybe commission a design from a current member.
Just want to play around with chips and colors? CPC Design tool or Paulson's tool or Matsui tool
Need help or tips on using these tools? @Irish provide one of the best tips!

Lingo:
What is scrown vs CSQ, and why is TRK's insert better than any IHC? Finding it hard to read? we've got a Glossary (actually 3, Chips, Forum, and Poker!)
I caught a fish and it was this :7c::2d: big!
I got caught by a fish and it was this :jc::4h: big! Do you even emoji bro?

Shipping advise:
As you become more seasoned you may look for help on shipping! we got that!

Meetups:
Want to meet up with people getting drunk and throwing axes? How about local celbs featured on streaming casino games? Middle of nowhere lodges, with giant lakes, or frozen oasis that take snowmobiles to get to in actual Alaska?! YOU CAN! right here! (for security there are restrictions due to tenure)

Group buys:
We try to take advantage of buying in bulk to lower costs for everyone, join us in some amazing chip or plaque purchases. We even have private group buys (referred to as NAGB), while not open to the public or all members they do end up bettering our experience and our overall chip agenda to get beautiful sets onto the table!

Are you just here because you're looking how / where to order Super Poker World Chips?

We also seem to have a growing community of 3D printer enthusiasts, with niche offerings and crazy ideals, here's one from @BearMetal

Random questions:
We seem to love random or not so random questions. How many shuffles does it take to randomize a spaded deck? @RainmanTrail has written a paper on it!

There are two magic numbers 7 and 12, read the post / paper for a more in-depth understanding

Poker Rules:
Where can I find comprehensive set of rules for poker?!

Learned behavior from other forums would prevent me from 'necroing' old threads, basically commenting on a post that is a year or two old, if you see something and want to add to it, we enjoy that here. Get involved, its a blast, our off topic threads will have you posting pictures of beer, whiskey, guns, and even your lawn! Here is my latest contribution to the Most Recent Purchase thread

Its been a long post, thinking of food? Getting hungry, what are you thinking about for dinner? :cool

Here's to you and flopping the nuts (unless you're playing PLO),
Cheers!
- Machine (DeusEx)


If you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further.
- @chipinla

I recently found this beautiful post by @k9dr

There is an endless amount of information about poker chips (or so it seems), before taking another sip from the fire-hydrant take a few minutes on the foundation we've used to have built such a great community.

This menu is often overlooked (top of the page) but houses important information,
like the 'Links' button's Community Guidelines

View attachment 1063714​
Click to expand...
Does Apache poker chips have any other shipping options. Right now it costs 80 bucks USD for shipping to get it to me. Is there any other option?
 
basementplayer10 said:
Does Apache poker chips have any other shipping options. Right now it costs 80 bucks USD for shipping to get it to me. Is there any other option?
Click to expand...
Not that I'm aware of, sometimes Canucks will get a reshipper at the border and then schedule a pick up
 
Great info, second time reading it and probably won't be the last!
 
Thank you @Machine for the info in the post. I'm looking forward to trying out the design tool.

One question: When I signed up, it said my email had already been taken. Maybe I'd signed up long ago and forgotten? Apparently not. Someone named Matto signed up using my email. So...now I'm Matto? Am I Matto forever?
 
@Machine
I can only echo what everyone else is saying, this is a great introduction which I bookmarked right away.

Do you think it would be possible to expand the FAQ (or potentially have a separate one), so it includes 'forum members recommended' items to get as well?
If these could be split into price tiers and maybe have a list for international chippers as well, then I think this FAQ would cover everything.

For example, I'm a new member here, based in Europe and I would really love to know what things to get if I want to step my game up from dice chips, paper cards and aluminum cases.
Of course, I have an idea since I already spent an unreasonable time reading through the forum :), but to have it mentioned in a thread like this would bring a lot of value to a lot of people, since they could see what the options are for different price ranges all in one post.

Example for chips:
Tier 1 Chips - Outlaw, Lucky Horseshoe, Monaco...
Tier 2 Chips - Tina, ...
Tier 3 Chips - Br Pro Poker, ...
etc

Maybe including specifics like, includes nickels (for chips), or comes in a box (for cards) would be helpful too.

On top of that, not being US based brings additional challenges with shipping and import taxes, so maybe the recommended setup for a US chipper would be different for an international one, so something like, Tina chips, Broken Arrow cards, Justin racks and Apache case for US, doesn't make sense for Europe, as shipping and taxes would increase the price to a point where a different setup would be recommended (these extras are sometimes more than the actual price of the item :().

Again, it's a great thing you've created here and I'm very grateful, the above is just my 2 cents, as I still have questions I don't have an answer to...
 
Last edited:
Thank you for the kind words and suggestions.

I am open to additions or edits and appreciate the feedback.

We do have a ballpark kind of tier list. The cost is off now, but it does let you see a hierarchy of value to quality and hopefully infers a cost ratio even though it's off a little bit.

I'm not going to understand the challenges of Euro-based chippers.
AccidentalyAllIn said:
so maybe the recommended setup for a US chipper would be different for an international one, so something like, Tina chips, Broken Arrow cards, Justin racks and Apache case for US, doesn't make sense for Europe, as shipping and taxes would increase the price to a point where a different setup would be recommended
Click to expand...
I feel like there is a sunken cost fallacy in here. There are a few aspects to this, I'm not a fan of cheap stuff, I do like inexpensive but not cheap, and most of the stuff sold by a vendor Harbor Frieght is cheap shit IMO.

It wasn't until I decided to try the Apache case that I liked it. However, it costs more of a premium than I thought. They go on sale in the store, but you must buy a membership, so the cost savings weren't as much as they should have been. While I am happy with the case, I don't like the bait-and-switch feel of the membership to get the savings. Buying two of them, I saved $2, which annoyed me. I plan to buy at least one more, so there is that. I don't know if there are other vendors or products that would be better, as I've never even been to that side of the pond. :(

I don't want to link to stores I have no experience with or give endorsements in this post; what I find to be the best might be considered subjective to others. Finding what you like is part of the journey. This post is supposed to be a primer, a tour of the hobby, shining light in the significant areas.

Still, most people are not interested in knowing that we lost @Dix, his contributions to the site, and the influence he has on new members who have no clue who / what / or how he is/did. While I'll tell you my fav setups are typically blue and orange, and that I really enjoy the Angel PVC Aristo cards, you can't buy them. Well, you can buy them, you can't buy a setup, at least not from a typical vendor. They, the distributor, would let you buy 144 decks of one color, so you could buy 288 decks of cards, but I really only know one scrub donkey awesome or dumb enough to do that :cool - also on that note, before the kwel kids ask, he isn't selling any more of them hahaha.

I don't talk about the Modiano scandal or how they screwed over the community, and I don't dog on people who buy their brand, but I would not suggest them and I would advocate not supporting them. They only have 1 decent card anyway, and it's very hard to find now that one of our members has 2 lifetime supplies in his closet. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Goldie.

I prefer a poker-sized card because my game has a shuffler and dedicated dealer, though that might change in a year or so. The options vary based on card size and availability.

I'm not a fan of Copaq, but I wouldn't say anything negative about them; they are the entry point into a decent card and easy to acquire.

Del Negro, Fournier, and Angel are all premium brands that are fantastic, but sticker shock may price you out. If you're not priced out, you might not make the journey as it's not a point-and-click buy most of the time. I wouldn't really suggest the Las Vegas cards on Amazon unless you were looking for a budget card. I think that might be the best one. Currently, I think they are about 9 USD. They are a thicker card and will get the job done, but Desjgn are easier to look at and more enjoyable. Speaking of site vendors, Justin and Haines also have some plastic offerings. I used to like KEM cards, but they bow so easy and previous versions of the card when earlier versions of the US Playing card company owned them were so much better; now they seem like expensive shit.

The Polish Trelf cards are fantastic, especially if you like a full bleed. The cut is symmetrical, so you won't have to worry about the Ivey scandal in your home game. I hope I don't have to mention FS. Those cards are so thick I use them to shim my table (kitchen, not poker, come on, I have priorities). I have a few more paragraphs of card topics for you to enjoy, so let's get into it...

While I'm touching on a few things, most readers are likely bored with the topic. While I can go on, I'll let you find some of the paths yourself. My point here is that it can be overwhelming to try to read through too much content on these topics.

Circling back to sunken cost fallacy, the value of the items suggested at the cost of shipping, well, that's for the end reader to decide. I am the type of person who would pay for shipping for what I really want, if that's Mix Game Plaques, or cases of cards from Korea, Plastic Bicycle cards that I'll never put into play, or specialty chips. There are other ways to mitigate the shipping costs, a reshipper can hold items and hopefully save you money on items, or group buys.

I do revisit the post and make edits to try and make for an easier read, I'll look at the chip list again soon... hopefully

Happy Chipping!
-Machine
 

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!

Register

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Similar threads

allforcharity
Moratorium on all poker chip and related sales to the USA
Replies
16
Views
742
LeLe
LeLe
GreekRedEye
Proper PCF chip database?
Replies
7
Views
291
Tommy
Tommy
maxpearl
New user questions
Replies
9
Views
407
Huskerchipper
Huskerchipper
HiveKueen
Your most interesting "distance" guest player?
Replies
21
Views
778
Himewad
Himewad
dylanthepiguy2
Anyone in Wellington NZ want to order some Tinas?
Replies
6
Views
156
dylanthepiguy2
dylanthepiguy2
Back
Top Bottom
Cart

Cart

Total -