jbomb1018
Two Pair
If you did a $1/$1 game, what would be your breakdown of chips? Would you use $1,$5 and $10 chips or would you add in some $25 chips as well- Looking at a 500 chip set.
The Beginners Guide To Mapping Out A Cash Game Chip Set - 5c/10c to $5/$10 (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Quad Johnson
- Start date
If you play 0.25/0.50, then you must have quarters.
If you play both 0.25/0.50 and 0.50/1, then get quarters, and don't bother with 0.50.
If you only play 0.50/1 and up, then get a very small amount of 0.50 chips.
No $10s. Use $1, $5, $25 or $1, $5, $20.
jbomb1018
Two Pair
Got it! thank for the help! One other question, and suggestions on a chip set? I have been looking at the Majestics from Apache but not sure about them, I want something nice but not to nice yet, I am in the works of making my poker table and when it is finished I would like to get a couple nice sets to play with.
I would not make suggestions unless you had a rock solid budget, and I think you've got time to make those decisions. If you like the Majestics or other CC's, then you should be able to get sample sets fairly easily - they are a hedge against overpurchasing something that you might not like in play, and well worth the money spent.
Samples can also be very dangerous. Because once you get a feel of good compression clay, you might not want to handle anything else. So, fair warning!
I think you are doing the right thing by concentrating on your table first, because this (and good chairs, and good cards) will be the lightning rod to attract and keep players at your games. Meanwhile, save up some funds for eventual set purchase, and don't be afraid to build a little at a time. Markets (all markets) punish the desperate and ill-informed, so I'd advise to be patient and play the long game.
jbomb1018
Two Pair
Thanks for the help! Very much appreciated!
Roslindale
Straight
Thank you for this thread... I just ordered 100 count 5¢ chips, after reading this... Having the ability to play a 5/10¢ game, would really add to the experience of my short stack friends.
Kidsthesedays
3 of a Kind
Is a rack of 1s enough to spread a 1/1 $200 max game?
Johnblue
Flush
i would get two racks personally, you could squeak by with one rack for sure, but players would probably be making change for each other fairly regularly. It also opens up your set to smaller games. Oh and it’s also MOAR chips.
10-handed? Get 2 racks of $1s, and 3-4 racks of $5s. You may be able to get away with 200x $1, 280x $5 and 20x $20 (or $25) for 500 chips and $2000/$2100 bank.
Legend5555
Full House
I used to run a 1/1 game. In general, I think you need a bare minimum bank of 2 full buy-ins per player. And my game at least needed 2 racks of 1s. We often played 9 handed, and everyone would get a barrel of 1s to start. Typical opens in my game were $4.
$1 - 200
$5 - 400
$25($20) - 100
jabsolstice
Pair
Bumping this thread as it seems to be the best starting point for me. I'm currently building a custom set from CPC for $1/1, $1/2, $2/5, and $5/10. I currently don't have the $5/10 players, but I may at some point and only want to order once for life.
Here is what I'm considering right now:
$1 - 400
$5 - 1,000
$25 - 300
$100 - 100
$500 - 20
$1,000 - 20
1,840 chips for a total bank of $52,900
Suggestions welcome on what the collective group thinks I should add/remove/change.
Thanks!
Here is what I'm considering right now:
$1 - 400
$5 - 1,000
$25 - 300
$100 - 100
$500 - 20
$1,000 - 20
1,840 chips for a total bank of $52,900
Suggestions welcome on what the collective group thinks I should add/remove/change.
Thanks!
Johnblue
Flush
Monster set! Should be enough for life!!! Haha. Going that far I would either make it 1600 total or 2000 total chips.
TwoHomie
Two Pair
Holy wow. This is going to be a beautiful set. Pics will be required.
A few questions before I opine/give my $.02
-How many players/tables?
-What stakes do you play the most?
-Think you’d ever get above 5/10? Or play 5/10 w/ straddle?
-What do you usually play? Limit? NL? PLO?
-Would you ever use this set for table games (craps, BJ, etc)?
JustinInMN
4 of a Kind
Unless you are planning two tables, you are probably high on ones. I'd step up the 25s too if you really think 5-10 is in your future.
I'd suggest 200/500/400/80/20 of 1/5/25/100/500 for 1200 chips and a bank of 30,700 for single table.
400/800/600/160/40 for 2000 chips and a bank of 55,400 if you are thinking two tables.
I'd suggest 200/500/400/80/20 of 1/5/25/100/500 for 1200 chips and a bank of 30,700 for single table.
400/800/600/160/40 for 2000 chips and a bank of 55,400 if you are thinking two tables.
LotsOfChips
Flush
Fracs (nickels and quarters) for when you want to introduce your shallow pocketed friends to the game. 160 more chips gets you to an even 2000
jabsolstice
Pair
There's definitely a potential for two tables. I have some plain clay chips that would be used for nickels and quarters for low roller games and tournaments.
I'm definitely going to need some help with the inlays as I'm not a graphic designer. I'm going through and making mock ups of each color now to wittle them down to a winner.
I'm definitely going to need some help with the inlays as I'm not a graphic designer. I'm going through and making mock ups of each color now to wittle them down to a winner.
jabsolstice
Pair
8 players per table/potentially two tables.
Mainly 2/5 and 5/5.
5/10 with straddle is absolutely in the plan.
Mainly NL with some PLO.
No.
I think I can get on board with reducing the 5s to 900 and upping the 25s to 500. Maybe 800/600... if have to think about that a bit more. I definitely still want to be able to support a 1/1 or 1/2.
TwoHomie
Two Pair
Thanks for the info! This game sound super juicy...
My initial thought is that, for two tables of 5/5 of 5/10 or 5/10/20, a bank of $53k feels a little bit light, especially for PLO. There's a good thread here about a user looking to build a 5/5/10 w/ straddle PLO set, and the consensus across most posts (especially those near the end of the thread) was that a bank of $100k--$200k is more appropriate. As one user mentioned, "u never know who walks in or goes deep." (I also gave a breakdown suggestion there, but it's admittedly a bit light on $5s).
A few things to think about that will help with building out your set:
- How many chips do you want each player to have in front of them? An efficient stack of 20-50 chips with few workhorse chips and then lots of higher denoms? Or something a bit beefier like 50-100+ with lots of workhorse chips? Here are two good threads with a ton of stack photos that you can use to see what you like/dislike:
- How many re-buys will you see in a night? Re-buys are easily handled in higher denomination chips (25s and 100s for 1-1 to 2-5, and 100s, 500s, and 1000s for 5-5+).
- If you expect to see more than a few re-buys per table, then you'll want to be heavier on the higher denomination chips.
- Do you have a dedicated dealer?
- If so, you'll want to make sure that whichever breakdown you select has enough chips to put necessary denominations/breakdowns into a dealer tray for easy change making and re-buys. You'll likely want to keep the 400 $1s for tips
- How do you feel about plaques?
- These could be added for the highest denominations ($1k, $5k, or $25k)
- Are you set on 1840 chips, or are you open to increasing to 1900 or 2000?
- Is there a minimum increment of chips you have to buy for each denomination?
Pending answers to all of those questions, here are some breakdowns that I like as starting points. Summary of changes to your proposed breakdown:
- 800 $5s instead of 1,000 - Allows for more top-end, and still allows 2 barrels per person if playing 16 players
- 400 $25 instead of 300 - More workhorse chips for 5/5 and 5/10. Also allows a nice round 200 $25s per table, or a little over a barrel per person
- 200 $100s instead of 100 - Semi-workhorse chip in 5/10+ games. Also used to more easily accommodate re-buys in 5/5+ games. Similar to above, allows for a nice even rack per table
- More $500+ denomination chips - Important for future proofing your games and ensuring that the bank never runs out. Depending on your player pool, who's to say someone won't get stuck $10k in a night? These breakdowns ensure you never have to worry about the bank.
$1 - 400
$5 - 800
$25 - 400
$100 - 200
$500 - 50
$1,000 - 50
TOTAL: $109,400
OR
Breakdown #2 (1,900 chips)
$1 - 400
$5 - 800
$25 - 400
$100 - 200
$500 - 50
$1,000 - 40
$5,000 - 5
$25,000 - 5
TOTAL: $249,400
And for 2,000 chip breakdowns, perhaps something like:
Breakdown #3 (2,000 chips)
$1 - 400
$5 - 800
$25 - 400
$100 - 200
$500 - 1000
$1,000 - 80
$5,000 - 10
$25,000 - 10
TOTAL: $464,400
In order of complete personal preference, I think I like #3 the most for being a nice, round 2,000 chips while also being incredibly deep and future proofed. If you go with Breakdown #1, you can play around with the mix of $500s and $1ks to your liking. Could also do 80/20 or 75/25. If you go with Breakdown #2, you could also modify the $500/$1k/$5k/$25k mix to something like 25/60/10/5 to squeeze out even a bit more bank. Breakdown #1 is fine for 5/10, but may struggle a bit at 5/10+straddle or two simultaneous deep games.
For artwork, there are a number of designers around here that have produced some incredible work. People have also had good results with online services like Fiver.
Keep us posted and enjoy your journey!
Last edited:
jabsolstice
Pair
Thanks for the recommendation on the threads. I'll be checking them out this morning.
Answers:
- I like having the beefier looking stacks, but obviously don't want to get out of hand with the cost. This is more of a concern for $2/5+ than $1/1 of course.
- Typically we only see 3 or 4 rebuys from anyone on a given night, but there is certainly the possibility of more.
- We have a dealer, but strict no tipping policy from stacks. Dealer fee is collected at the beginning and then optional tip amount (usually $20-$50 from each person).
- I don't care much for plaques.
- Totally open to 2000 chips. That's actually preferable since they would fit in cases better. I'm willing to go up to around $7-8k for chips.
- Not that I'm aware of. This is my first foray into custom chips.
| Denomination | Count | Amount | |
| 1 | 400 | $400 | |
| 5 | 800 | $4,000 | |
| 25 | 500 | $12,500 | |
| 100 | 200 | $20,000 | |
| 500 | 60 | $30,000 | |
| 1,000 | 40 | $40,000 | |
| 2,000 | $106,900 |
TwoHomie
Two Pair
I like this a lot!! If you spread two tables, the extra rack of $25s should get a ton of use. The $25 is a good chip to stick in the dealer tray, too, as $25s can handle $100 and $500 increment quick re-buys really easily.
Is that 3--4 rebuys total per game? Or 3--4 rebuys from a few individuals?
Asking because it may be worth considering if you need/want something like 5 or 10 $5,000 chips to cap off the set. Instead of 60/40/0, 50/40/10 gets you an additional $45,000 in bank, for a total of $151,900. Odds are you'll probably never need these, but if you ever do, you'll be incredibly glad if you have them.
I admittedly only play at a fraction of those stakes, though, so I defer to others on whether $100k vs $150k is enough bank.
@BGinGA , thoughts here?
jabsolstice
Pair
50/40/10. I like that.
Now back to the design board!
Now back to the design board!
LotsOfChips
Flush
Minimum quantity of any one chip from CPC is 20. However you can bump up each denomination by 10 chips and give away or sell sample sets.
jabsolstice
Pair
Good info, thank you.
P0k3rch1p
Sitting Out
What would be an ideal 500 chips breakdown for both a 05c/10c and 25c/25c cash game? Our group consists of 6-8 people and most buy-in 100BB with half rebuying once or twice and sometimes 200BB. I want to have one 500 piece chipset to be able to play both. And what starting stacks do you recommend?Preface: 3 months ago I came to the realization that my circle of friends has so many poker players, it's a crying shame we don't have a decently organized game. Nobody wanted to put forth the effort, so I stepped up. I went in blind and got a random 1000 piece chip set of slugs with more denominations than I needed or was desirable. I had a 25c/50c cash game with horribly inefficient denominations in it, going from 25c/50c/$1/$5/$10/$25/$50/$100 (lol). Then I discovered this forum and quickly learned the error of my ways.
This forum has been a huge help for me. I've said it before in another post that this community is ridiculously helpful with no attitude or condescension. The insight provided here that I've picked up in the last month or so has been invaluable. Usually when I find a community for a passion I find helpful, I like to donate money to support it. I couldn't easily find a donate option, so I wanted to give back to the community. During my 20s, I was a huge gamer and used to make extra money writing guides on gaming strategy websites, particularly for the games Star Wars Galaxies and World of Warcraft during their heyday. I find writing guides therapeutic and I truly enjoy helping "newbies" out and giving them a jump start with their dive into a hobby I am passionate about. So I decided to write a cash game chip mapping guide for beginners. I wasted time and money up front by not doing my homework first in how to build a chip set. If I can help just one person keep from making the same mistakes I did, this guide was worth it.
My goal is to make this guide sticky worthy. If it is well received, I will do another thread for tournament chip sets.
Disclaimer: This guide is written for the sole use of PokerChipForum.com and it's members. Any redistribution of the guide contained herein anywhere else other than PCF.com is expressly forbidden without my permission, which I have given in the past on my old game guides.
General Rules To Mapping Out A Cash Set
1. Plan your chip set around 10 players per table. A full table is 10 players, you may only run 7-8 normally but I'm a big believer in being prepared. Someone might bring a friend and who wants to turn down action? I don't! The extra chips will also provide you cushion with your set.
2. Only have denominations that are 4-5x the value of the previous denomination. This one is very important. I know some of y'all have guys that like a bunch of different chips. I read one post in my forum searches where a guy runs $1/$2/$3 and $5 chips all in one game. This is such a waste of chips and only makes cash outs at the end of the night more of a headache. Follow the KISS mantra - Keep It Simple Stupid. You as the host are also the banker. Make your job easier and save money on chip sets by keeping the denominations simple. When I started my game, my 25c/50c game had denoms of 25c/50c/$1/$5/$10/$25/$50/$100... don't do this. Don't be that guy. It's a waste of chips and thus, a waste of money on your initial investment.
3. Plan the chip set around a starting stack of 200 big blinds. The max buy in of my 25c/50c game is $100. Not everyone does this, but some nights everyone does. Your game might not be at that point, but if you want your game to last, you'll need to be prepared to handle growth. Some players are more gamblers than others. Be prepared and have the chips at your disposal. Having the chips will only add more flexibility to your capabilities to host.
Mapping Out A Chip Set For 1 Table Of 10 Players
The following chip counts are meant to be a guide to efficiently map out a chip set, thus saving you money on your total chip purchase. I will cover each stake from 5c/10c to $5/$10. There is great debate over using a $20 or $25 chip. I've mapped this guide out to be as efficient as possible based on the stakes. Some use $20, others $25. You may like different stacks sizes too. Example, my guys like big stacks for my 25c/50c game. My mapping is $100 stacks of 12/17/16 of 25c/$1/$5 chips respectively.
This is meant to be a general guide to help get you started and thinking in the process you need to map out your chip set efficiently. These set guides are written with the considerations of: most places when you order chips require you to order in increments of 25 and I'm not using "odd" denominations that are hard to find, example: a $2.50 chip. They're useful, however a bit harder to track down. These will use the easier to find denominations.
Now, let's get started. These map outs will provide you with 10x starting playable stacks with enough in higher denomination chips to cover color ups, top offs and rebuys with a total bank averaging 3x 200 big blind buy ins per player at the table (600 big blinds total x 10 players). Sure, this might not happen all the time... but when it does, you'll be glad you have the chips.
My motto is always buy once, cry once.
5c/10c Mapping - $20 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds
Chip Denominations
5c/25c/$1/$5/$20
Max Buy In Starting Stacks
10x 5c (50c)
18x 25c ($4.50)
15x $1 ($15)
Chips Needed - 500 Total Chips
100x 5c ($5)
200x 25c ($50)
150x $1 ($150)
25x $5 ($125)
25x $20 ($500)
Total Bank: $830
10c/25c Mapping - $50 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds
Chip Denominations
5c/25c/$1/$5/$25
Max Buy In Starting Stacks
10x 5c (50c)
14x 25c ($3.50)
11x $1 ($11)
7x $5 ($35)
Chips Needed - 500 Total Chips
100x 5c ($5)
150x 25c ($37.50)
125x $1 ($125)
75x $5 ($375)
50x $25 ($1,250)
Total Bank: $1,792.50
25c/50c Mapping - $100 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds
Chip Denominations
25c/$1/$5/$25
Max Buy In Starting Stacks
8x 25c ($2)
18x $1 ($18)
16x $5 ($80)
Chips Needed - 600 Total Chips
100x 25c ($25)
250x $1 ($250)
175x $5 ($875)
75x $25 ($1,875)
Total Bank: $3,025
50c/$1 Mapping - $200 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds
Chip Denominations
25c/$1/$5/$25/$100
Max Buy In Starting Stacks
8x 25c ($2)
8x $1 ($8)
13x $5 ($65)
5x $25 ($125)
Chips Needed - 500 Total Chips
100x 25c ($25)
100x $1 ($100)
150x $5 ($150)
50x $25 ($1,250)
50x $100 ($5,000)
Total Bank: $6,525
$1/$2 Mapping - $400 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds
Chip Denominations
$1/$5/$25/$100
Max Buy In Starting Stacks
10x $1 ($10)
18X $5 ($90)
8x $25 ($200)
1x $100 ($100)
Chips Needed - 500 Total Chips
100x $1 ($100)
200x $5 ($1000)
100x $25 ($2,500)
100x $100 ($10,000)
Total Bank: $13,600
$2/$5 Mapping - $1,000 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds
Chip Denominations
$1/$5/$25/$100/$500
Max Buy In Starting Stacks
5x $1 ($5)
14x $5 ($70)
13x $25 ($325)
1x $100 ($600)
Chips Needed - 750 Total Chips
50x $1 ($50)
300x $5 ($1,500)
275x $25 ($6,875)
100x $100 ($10,000)
25x $500 ($12,500)
Total Bank: $30,925
$5/$10 Mapping - $2,000 Max Buy In for 200 Big Blinds
Chip Denominations
$5/$25/$100/$500
Max Buy In Starting Stacks
10x $5 ($50)
10x $25 ($250)
7x $100 ($700)
2x $500 ($1000)
Chips Needed - 375 Total Chips
100x $5 ($500)
100x $25 ($2,500)
75x $100 ($7,500)
100x $500 ($50,000)
Total Bank: $60,500
Well that's what I got. If you grow to 2 tables, simply x2 these chips sets and you're covered.
If anyone notices any typos, bad math on my part, etc. please post and I will make changes.
I've proof read this 4 times but I'm still only human.
Thanks in advance
RadicusScout
Flush
Here's what I came up with for your 5c/10c and 25c/25c breakdown. As you can see below, this amount covers both your games.
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
P0k3rch1p
Sitting Out
Thanks!
So the 10c/25c breakdown should cover both a 5c/10c and 25c/25c cash game with 6 to 8 players?
RadicusScout
Flush
The original math actually accounts for 200BB per person for 10 players. Your micro game will have a little less 25c and $1 chips but you have more $5 and $25 chips to make up the difference.
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