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TheNuk3

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I've played poker in casual home games for years but only recently started getting into actually learning the game at a deeper level. As part of all the excitement I've been looking to upgrade everything to a bit of a better quality and when searching for chip recommendations everyone kept pointing back to this forum!

Really excited to learn more about this hobby and get more information on chips while searching for my first real set! Would love to hear any pointers or advice anyone on here can share that would help steer me in the right direction!
 
Hello and welcome! First bit of advice that PCFers usually give is to get samples. Sample everything you are interested in before committing to a full set. Also, work on a breakdown (count) of chips that will work best for your game. There are numerous threads here that will help you in creating a breakdown for various cash games (depending on stakes) and tournament formats. The search bar is your friend here. But, if you just can't find the answer you are looking for, start a thread and ask away. The community is super helpful and always willing to lend a hand.

Enjoy the ride!
 
Second bit of advice watch your wallet. As someone said to me when it was too late, "count twice, buy once"
 
Hello and welcome! First bit of advice that PCFers usually give is to get samples. Sample everything you are interested in before committing to a full set.
I've noticed that when looking for samples of certain sets I was interested in after shipping it's something like $20 for just a few chips. Is there a better way of getting access to samples? I was thinking of just going into a local poker shop and asking to feel some of the chips I'm interested in but wasn't sure if that was considered normal or not since it seems the general take is that I should buy a sample rather than just get a quick feel of them. Is there an advantage to buying a sample or should I just go in and feel as many types of chips as possible?

Welcome!! Maybe take a look at this:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...ramics-perfect-for-newbie.56864/#post-1107262

It could save you some time.

JT
Oh wow this seems like a perfect way to try out a bunch of different chips. If nothing else it will be cool to have so many different ones. Thanks for the link!
 
First bit of advice that PCFers usually give is to get samples.

Here's some advice I wish they gave me: RUN! Run far away from this wallet-sucking chip paradise.

But seriously... Welcome! And yes, get samples. See how China clays compare to ceramics in feel, sound, and weight. Try to decide if you like the feel of real Paulsons vs the fake shit. Decide if you want anything custom (label with your name vs. full chip artwork). And finally get a solid budget in mind.

Once you have a direction, your search can begin.
 
Hello and welcome!

There are some free sample sets that you can sign up for to receive by mail. They are "stickied" to the top of the Poker Chip General forum. The only cost is mail forwarding to the next person (usually $8 in a SFRB). They are well worth your while to peruse and handle.
 
Welcome!! Maybe take a look at this:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...ramics-perfect-for-newbie.56864/#post-1107262

It could save you some time.

JT
Hello and welcome!

There are some free sample sets that you can sign up for to receive by mail. They are "stickied" to the top of the Poker Chip General forum. The only cost is mail forwarding to the next person (usually $8 in a SFRB). They are well worth your while to peruse and handle.

@TheNuk3 - ^^ ask and you shall receive. Some good options right here.
 
I'll chime in as a newer member, try to be patient. It'll be hard but worthwhile. There will be plenty of buying opportunities. So get your mitts on the samples. Also, don't be afraid to ask people what you don't know, I've had such good experiences with people here just firing off DMs.

At this point I have a good idea of what I would be happy with, and should have those upgraded chips soon.
 
Welcome - and it seems as the black hole has taken another victim. Instead of me saying "get samples" or explaining the different kinds of chips, I will give you the answer to the important question "how do I make my home games successful?" It isn't the chips, or the cards, or the table. It is all about THE HOT DOG ROLLER! :)
 
Thanks for all the advice! I already feel so much better about all of this and it's only been a few hours. I'll be looking into getting samples for sure since it seems like that's definitely the move.

Not sure if this is the place to ask but since I'm getting so much good info I'll just throw it out there. How do people usually buy the samples from private sellers? I'm a bit worried about getting scammed. What do yall think is the safest method to buy/sell?

Welcome - and it seems as the black hole has taken another victim. Instead of me saying "get samples" or explaining the different kinds of chips, I will give you the answer to the important question "how do I make my home games successful?" It isn't the chips, or the cards, or the table. It is all about THE HOT DOG ROLLER! :)
Time to upgrade to a Paulson hot dog roller it seems!
 
Very new here myself but in that short time found this community welcoming and informative.

Upgrading equipment can really help establish the atmosphere of your game and there are some stellar examples here on these forums of people who have gone all out (and do it more than once).
 
Welcome to the PCF
Here are some other things that come to mind:

Your budget can often dictate your purchase, more so than your interests.
- Paying into the thousands can open quite a few doors around here
- Staying in the hundreds can limit your set's size, condition and composition

Your poker group can expand/limit your options:
- Lower chip quantities allow you to buy higher-end chips on your budget
- Higher chip quantities can take time to collect and will run-up your bill
- Cheap chips can be more comfortable if you're playing with unreliable people or unmanageable group sizes
- Small groups, close friends or family are more likely to treat your chips with care

Your effort, timeline and patience can help or hurt you:
- You're more likely to find preferred chips/prices, if you actively build a specific set over a longer timeline
- You might need to settle for your second or third set preference/quality, if you want to purchase them immediately
 
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How do people usually buy the samples from private sellers? I'm a bit worried about getting scammed. What do yall think is the safest method to buy/sell?

One way is to pay attention to the poker hand ranking of the member as well as their join date. Extremely active members who’ve been in here a long time are good to trust usually. There has been an uptick in new members, like five a day it seems, so some of those haven’t been vetted by fire yet so you might proceed a bit cautiously there.

Typically people buy stuff from private sellers, and if it doesn’t work out for them for whatever reason, they resale pretty fast. The classifieds churn a lot - a lot!
 
One way is to pay attention to the poker hand ranking of the member as well as their join date. Extremely active members who’ve been in here a long time are good to trust usually. There has been an uptick in new members, like five a day it seems, so some of those haven’t been vetted by fire yet so you might proceed a bit cautiously there.

Typically people buy stuff from private sellers, and if it doesn’t work out for them for whatever reason, they resale pretty fast. The classifieds churn a lot - a lot!

Also checking feedback of members that have sold or bought items is a good indicator to.
 
Welcome and enjoy the journey

As mentioned above there are plenty of resources here to review.

And plenty of great members here that will help with any questions. The community prides itself for the most part in helping each other.

ENJOY!

My Best Jeff :)
 
One way is to pay attention to the poker hand ranking of the member as well as their join date. Extremely active members who’ve been in here a long time are good to trust usually. There has been an uptick in new members, like five a day it seems, so some of those haven’t been vetted by fire yet so you might proceed a bit cautiously there.

Typically people buy stuff from private sellers, and if it doesn’t work out for them for whatever reason, they resale pretty fast. The classifieds churn a lot - a lot!
Thanks for the tip!
Also checking feedback of members that have sold or bought items is a good indicator to.
By this do you mean just checking previous threads the seller has sold on and seeing what replies people have left or is there a dedicated feedback section I haven't found yet?
 
Feedback shows in the user's info in Classifieds threads or in Conversations.
1590686950714.png


Or if you hover over someone's name, you can see their rating and click through to their feedback.
1590686893971.png
 
Thanks for the tip!

By this do you mean just checking previous threads the seller has sold on and seeing what replies people have left or is there a dedicated feedback section I haven't found yet?

In addition to what @markleteenie said, Feedback can ONLY be left if both the buyer and a seller have talked to each other in a classified posting. So, it's hard to artificially inflate these. But it also means that a "low" feedback number of only 4 or 5 reviews isn't bad in and of itself.
 

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