Tips for building cash game chip set (1 Viewer)

[DisplacedTexan]

We traditionally host .25/.50 home games and I'm starting my poker table build and looking for a recommended break out for purchasing chips.

10 Person Table
.25/.50 Blinds
Max Buy in $200 (Re-buys allowed and it's not uncommon to have 12 to 14 players rotate through the night)

Currently Thinking 1000 Chips:
.25 - 200
.50 - 200
$1 - 250
$5 - 250
$25 - 100

Starting Stack Thoughts @ $200

.25 - 20
.50 - 10
$1 - 16
$5 - 20
$25 - 3

or

.25 - 300
$1 - 250
$5 - 250
$25 - 150
$100 - 50

Starting Stack Thoughts @ $200 w/o .50 chips

.25 - 20
$1 - 16
$5 - 21
$25 - 3

 

[nauseant]

I'd personally never run .50 if you're running .25

I'd always try to stick to the 4x - 5x denomination rule, plus it's one less denomination to buy.

Personally I'd never do cash games 400BB deep either but if all of this works for you guys, great

 

[chipinla]

I would lose the 50¢ chip. No reason for it

 

[Taghkanic]

I would ditch the .50s and get more $1s. Also unless your game plays huge, 200 $5s should be plenty.

 

[davislane]

@mipevi

 

[Seeking Alpha Social Club]

In my humble opinion, you have way too many fracs. It also seems like your game might play bigger than a typical .25/.50 game if people are buying in for $200. My two cents, but I think you can easily get away with 600 or 700 chips unless you think your game might grow.

.25 x 100 (or 200 if you do not use .50s)
.50 x 100
$1 x 200 (300 if you think your game might grow)
$5 x 200 (300 if it might grow)
$25 x 100

 

[DisplacedTexan]

Thank you all for the comments and look forward to more. The game plays bigger than .25/50 typically but we have a a couple regulars that only buy in for $100. Due to the typical hose leaving the area I've decided to host, so I'm still trying to figure out that portion of it.

 

[LeLe]

600 chips set of the following breakdown is enough to cover 25c/50c

25c x 100
$1 x 200
$5 x 200
$25 x 80
$100 x 20

Option 1
If you want to get more chips, you can invest them into $1 and $5 to get deeper stack

For example,
25c x 100
$1 x 300
$5 x 300
$25 x 80
$100 x 20

Option 2
If you want to get more chips, you can invest them into $25 and $100 to cover additional stake

For example,
25c x 100
$1 x 200
$5 x 200
$25 x 200
$100 x 100

 

[DisplacedTexan]

600 chips set of the following breakdown is enough to cover 25c/50c

25c x 100
$1 x 200
$5 x 200
$25 x 80
$100 x 20

Option 1
If you want to get more chips, you can invest them into $1 and $5 to get deeper stack

For example,
25c x 100
$1 x 300
$5 x 300
$25 x 80
$100 x 20

Option 2
If you want to get more chips, you can invest them into $25 and $100 to cover additional stake

For example,
25c x 100
$1 x 200
$5 x 200
$25 x 200
$100 x 100

With this are your thoughts that everyone gets $2 in .25 to start?

 

[LeLe]

With this are your thoughts that everyone gets $2 in .25 to start?

Give the first 5 person

25c x 20
$1 x 40
Rest in $5 & $25

The rest after that in

$5 x 20
$25 x 4

They can make change with the rest for 25c & $1

 

[upNdown]

Definitely no .50 chips on a table when there are .25 chips in play.
200 is too many .25 chips. 100 is enough, though I’ll honestly say I prefer 120. So I’d recommend 120 or even 140 .25s. Just make sure if somebody is cashing out, to sell off their .25s to somebody at the table.

200 $1s should be plenty, but I wouldn’t fault you for going to 3 racks if you really want. Then 300 $5s, a rack of $25s and some hundreds if you want - you surely don’t need those.

 

[LeLe]

Give the first 5 person

25c x 20
$1 x 40
Rest in $5 & $25

The rest after that in

$5 x 20
$25 x 4

They can make change with the rest for 25c & $1

Since you playing 400bb deep with 25c/50c, there’s a high % chance your game may change to 50c/$1 200bb

In that game I will give out

25c x 8
$1 x 18
$5 x 16
$25 x 4

You will need minimum 25c as they only be using as blind chip and $1/$5 are you co-workhorse chip

 

[mipevi]

100-200x 25c (100 should be playable, but could splurge to 200 max if not a problem)
200x $1 (your main workhorse chip, should see most action so you want enough of them)
200x $5 (the final denom to see plenty of action, and good with rebuys or if you wish to play $1/$1 or $1/$2)
100-200 $25 (regular game big chip, 100 is fine unless you wish to future-proof to $1/$1 or $1/$2 games)
50-100x $100 (the bank chip, 50 should be enough for the current game)

If you like to have piles of chips, adding more $1’s and even $5’s would be fine. The exact numbers will also depend on how you want to store the chips.

 

[DisplacedTexan]

100-200x 25c (100 should be playable, but could splurge to 200 max if not a problem)
200x $1 (your main workhorse chip, should see most action so you want enough of them)
200x $5 (the final denom to see plenty of action, and good with rebuys or if you wish to play $1/$1 or $1/$2)
100-200 $25 (regular game big chip, 100 is fine unless you wish to future-proof to $1/$1 or $1/$2 games)
50-100x $100 (the bank chip, 50 should be enough for the current game)

If you like to have piles of chips, adding more $1’s and even $5’s would be fine. The exact numbers will also depend on how you want to store the chips.

I like it and it allows me to build for craps as well for strategies and having some other shooters over for fun, which is my next table build. Thinking of storing with acrylic cases but haven't really decided.

 

[aggie]

Every game plays different so there's no "one size fits all" solution ... but this [600 chip] setup is often recommended:

• (100) .25 [or 120 if you want all 10 players to start with a barrel round dollar amount of fracs] corrected, thanks @upNdown
• (200) $1
• (200) $5
• (80) $25
• (20) $100

If you think your game will grow, a larger [800 chip] setup is 100/200/300/160/40.

As far as starting stacks, don't assume they all need to match. Hand out a barrel of .25s, two barrels of $1s, and the rest in $5s until each denom runs out. Players will need to learn to make change with their neighbors

 

[upNdown]

(100) .25 [or 120 if you want all 10 players to start with a barrel]

Math is hard

As far as starting stacks, don't assume they all need to match.

100% this. If you’ve got 12 players cycling through the game as the night rolls on - the last guy who buys in doesn’t need a “starting stack” - all the denoms needed for the game to play smoothly are already on the table. Just give that guy a handful of $25 chips and let him make change.

 

[Justin Olson]

100 $.25
200 $1
500 $5
160 $25
40 $100

I respect the above opinions, I just think you need way more $5’s.

 

[aggie]

100 $.25
200 $1
500 $5
160 $25
40 $100

I respect the above opinions, I just think you need way more $5’s.

Yes, common consensus is to add up to (600) $5s based on your budget and desired chipset size ... but "need" is a strong word, especially if you're still uncertain how your game plays. An extra rack of $1s could potentially serve your game better.

 

[Annorax]

Never, never, never, NEVER use .25 and .50 on the same table. That's a waste of chips, and if your set isn't intended for both .25/.50 and .50/.50 or .50/1, you don't need both in the set. Mortal sin of chipping there.

For .25/.25 or .25/.50, $200 max buy, $5s and to a lesser extent (if your players are aggressive) $25s are likely to be your postflop workhorse chips. I'd actually up the size of the set a bit, 1000 chips may not be enough.
.25 - 200
1 - 200
5 - 700
25 - 200
100 - 100

This also gives you a reasonable upgrade path; if your game ever evolves into something like .50/1 $300 max buy-in, just add two racks of .50 and DON'T use the quarters in that game.

 

[Machine]

Lots of good info here, I would echo drop the .50

I run a PLO game, buyins for 20-60, and we only have 9 seats, I give out no more than 60 fracs (.25).

I give the first 6 or 7 seats 8 - 12 fracs (2 or 3 USD).

Consider a non denominated chip for your frac, that way later if you change the game to .50 / 1 you can simply redefine the value.

Welcome to the forums! Check our New Members thread in my Sig, it has a lot of information that pertains to just this thread

 

[aggie]

$25s are likely to be your postflop workhorse chips

… for those typical Texas-sized 300-600BB post flop raises

 

[upNdown]

… for those typical Texas-sized 300-600BB post flop raises

Right? I’m not sure who that $25s advice was for, but I’ve never been to Texas.

 

[JustinInMN]

Do 100/400/400/80/20 (or 100/400/400/75/25 if you have to buy in quantities of 25) of 0.25/1/5/25/100.

Total bank of 6425 with 1000 chips. This will comfortably cover games 0.25-0.25 up to 1-3 NLHE.

With a bank of 6400+ you can cover 32 buy ins of 200. I personally like doing lots of singles for games with fraction blinds, but since your buy-in is so big, you might prefer more fives. (As in @Justin Olson and @Annorax 's suggestions.) There shouldn't be a need for too many chips greater than 5 at these stakes. They would only be needed for color ups, putting more than 100 into these denoms will just make sure they sit in the bank. Invest in the ones and fives mostly, they will get the play.

As for 0.25 vs 0.50 there is no need to have both chips on the table. Minimizing denominations makes counting all-ins and cashouts way easier. Minimize denominations, not chips.

That said the advantage of doing a 0.50 frac and making your game 0.50-0.50 is that you can probably invest in as few as 60 fracs per table. Changing making with halves is always easy, it's just swapping with a single one way or another.

The upside to doing the 0.25 as a frac is that you now have downward flexibility to a 0.25-0.25 game and quarters are more commonly understood.

The choices are yours, @DisplacedTexan a lot of good advice in this thread.

Welcome to PCF.

 

[warma]

Thank you all for the comments and look forward to more. The game plays bigger than .25/50 typically but we have a a couple regulars that only buy in for $100. Due to the typical hose leaving the area I've decided to host, so I'm still trying to figure out that portion of it.

What breakdown does the current host have and how does it work at your game? Too many of one? Not enough of another?

 

[RowlettTexasChipGuy]

we do
$0.25 x 160
$1.00 X 200
$5.00 X 200
$25.00 x 40

I also have some $100's just in case (used rarely, but has happened and I give them to the big stacks to make change if needed) but the above breakdown has a Bank Value of $2,280.00

with a barrel of fraq's for every original buy in if your get a 9th or 10th player on the table there are plenty to share

 

[warma]

That said the advantage of doing a 0.50 frac and making your game 0.50-0.50 is that you can probably invest in as few as 60 fracs per table. Changing making with halves is always easy, it's just swapping with a single one way or another.

Given how big your game plays, would your crew even notice a change to 50¢/50¢? Worth considering.