Volcano Valhalla – T500 Tournament Set (Berzerk Island)
So, many of you know me. I often host tournaments—usually multi-table—so I wanted to build a set that’s focused entirely on MTT play. While I wanted to continue developing the Berzerk Island theme, I did a short need analysis before jumping into design.
Requirements:
- Clear colors and denominations, since I don’t have a fixed player group
- Capacity to run 5–6 table tournaments
- Flexibility to host High Rollers with deeper starting stacks
- Ability to support Flight A / Flight B formats, requiring more high-value chips
After weighing options, I decided I’d be happy with a 2000-chip set. I also had to tackle the T25 vs. T100 base chip debate, and in the end, I landed on T500.
Why T500?
- Better usage of chips across structures
- Early color-ups remove fewer chips
- Larger stacks of workhorse chips
- High Roller structures are more feasible
2000 chips is a big investment. I got quotes from Matsui and CPC, but ultimately went with Tina to keep costs reasonable—and because going Tina allowed me to also work on a new cash set. I chose the 43mm Web Mold.
Design Process
I wanted the set to stay connected to the Berzerk Island identity, so I brought in the always-excellent @p5woody to collaborate on the design. My first ideas for the name included Berzerk Island Tournament, Berzerk Battle, Berzerk Bounty, and so on.
But I kept circling back to the idea that the set needed to:
- Stay on theme
- Use clear, easily distinguishable colors
- Have readable denominations
- Look good in stacks, especially on the workhorse chips
There’s no standard chip color set in Iceland, so I wasn’t bound by color traditions.
While working through designs, I tried incorporating a volcano element—visually, it was starting to look good, but it didn’t pair well with the names I had so far. So I took a leap and asked, “What if we called it Volcano Valhalla?”
It instantly clicked. The idea of the maddest Vikings going to a lava-filled version of Valhalla to fight and BBQ after death—sounded ridiculous in the best way, and we ran with it.
We decided on a different volcano illustration for each chip. Spot patterns are identical across all denominations. Personally, I’ve never loved spot progression in tournament sets. The value of a chip like a T5,000 varies wildly depending on the structure—it might be a monster early on, or barely worth a bet late in a deepstack. Uniform spots give the set cohesion without implying a hierarchy.
We tested gold and red inlay numbering, but yellow ended up being the winner. You don’t see many sets using yellow numbers, and that made it feel unique—but it also just worked.
Color Choices
The goal was for the base color of each chip to shine, with smaller spots that complement rather than overwhelm. We used a spot pattern that some may consider overused, but it was the right choice for what I wanted: tight, clear, functional.
A subtle detail I was really happy with: on each chip, one of the three spot colors matches the base color of the next chip in the lineup. It’s a minor continuity element, but it makes a big difference—especially when the inlays aren’t uniform. I think it ties the set together visually.
Getting the colors right with Tina was a challenge. I mapped out all the colors I wanted, then went through thousands of Tina chip photos to find visual references for each tone. For every design, I provided a chip image to illustrate: “This blue = blue seen here,” and so on. That effort paid off. The final colors are bright, clean, and exactly what I envisioned.
Chip Breakdown
T500 – Red
I don’t usually like red chips, but this one just worked. It balanced the lineup and gave the set an anchor.
T1000 – Yellow
This is the workhorse. It's the most-used chip in the set, seen in every stack. Yellow is one of my favorite chip colors, and I locked this one in early.
T5000 – Black
This might be controversial. A black 5k isn’t standard—but black chips are always popular. They look great in play, they’re often seen as premium, and they pair well with yellow. Interestingly, when you give someone dice chips and ask them to pick a “high” denomination, they almost always choose the black one.
T25,000 – Bright Green
Classic. Bright green 25k chips are common for a reason—they’re readable and flexible. I had considered pink for this spot initially, but changed course.
T100,000 – Light Pink
This is the “explosion” chip. It should make a statement every time it hits the felt.
T500,000 – Light Blue (Glacier)
I have no idea when this chip will ever see action—but when it does, it means hell froze over. Thematically, it’s a glacier in the middle of a lava pit.
Final Thoughts
So that’s the Volcano Valhalla tournament set. It was a long design process, but totally worth it. P5Woody absolutely crushed the artwork. I’m proud of how the set turned out—functionally, visually, and thematically.
Happy to hear thoughts or answer questions about structure, chip counts, or design choices.
So, many of you know me. I often host tournaments—usually multi-table—so I wanted to build a set that’s focused entirely on MTT play. While I wanted to continue developing the Berzerk Island theme, I did a short need analysis before jumping into design.
Requirements:
- Clear colors and denominations, since I don’t have a fixed player group
- Capacity to run 5–6 table tournaments
- Flexibility to host High Rollers with deeper starting stacks
- Ability to support Flight A / Flight B formats, requiring more high-value chips
After weighing options, I decided I’d be happy with a 2000-chip set. I also had to tackle the T25 vs. T100 base chip debate, and in the end, I landed on T500.
Why T500?
- Better usage of chips across structures
- Early color-ups remove fewer chips
- Larger stacks of workhorse chips
- High Roller structures are more feasible
2000 chips is a big investment. I got quotes from Matsui and CPC, but ultimately went with Tina to keep costs reasonable—and because going Tina allowed me to also work on a new cash set. I chose the 43mm Web Mold.
Design Process
I wanted the set to stay connected to the Berzerk Island identity, so I brought in the always-excellent @p5woody to collaborate on the design. My first ideas for the name included Berzerk Island Tournament, Berzerk Battle, Berzerk Bounty, and so on.
But I kept circling back to the idea that the set needed to:
- Stay on theme
- Use clear, easily distinguishable colors
- Have readable denominations
- Look good in stacks, especially on the workhorse chips
There’s no standard chip color set in Iceland, so I wasn’t bound by color traditions.
While working through designs, I tried incorporating a volcano element—visually, it was starting to look good, but it didn’t pair well with the names I had so far. So I took a leap and asked, “What if we called it Volcano Valhalla?”
It instantly clicked. The idea of the maddest Vikings going to a lava-filled version of Valhalla to fight and BBQ after death—sounded ridiculous in the best way, and we ran with it.
We decided on a different volcano illustration for each chip. Spot patterns are identical across all denominations. Personally, I’ve never loved spot progression in tournament sets. The value of a chip like a T5,000 varies wildly depending on the structure—it might be a monster early on, or barely worth a bet late in a deepstack. Uniform spots give the set cohesion without implying a hierarchy.
We tested gold and red inlay numbering, but yellow ended up being the winner. You don’t see many sets using yellow numbers, and that made it feel unique—but it also just worked.
Color Choices
The goal was for the base color of each chip to shine, with smaller spots that complement rather than overwhelm. We used a spot pattern that some may consider overused, but it was the right choice for what I wanted: tight, clear, functional.
A subtle detail I was really happy with: on each chip, one of the three spot colors matches the base color of the next chip in the lineup. It’s a minor continuity element, but it makes a big difference—especially when the inlays aren’t uniform. I think it ties the set together visually.
Getting the colors right with Tina was a challenge. I mapped out all the colors I wanted, then went through thousands of Tina chip photos to find visual references for each tone. For every design, I provided a chip image to illustrate: “This blue = blue seen here,” and so on. That effort paid off. The final colors are bright, clean, and exactly what I envisioned.
Chip Breakdown
T500 – Red
I don’t usually like red chips, but this one just worked. It balanced the lineup and gave the set an anchor.
T1000 – Yellow
This is the workhorse. It's the most-used chip in the set, seen in every stack. Yellow is one of my favorite chip colors, and I locked this one in early.
T5000 – Black
This might be controversial. A black 5k isn’t standard—but black chips are always popular. They look great in play, they’re often seen as premium, and they pair well with yellow. Interestingly, when you give someone dice chips and ask them to pick a “high” denomination, they almost always choose the black one.
T25,000 – Bright Green
Classic. Bright green 25k chips are common for a reason—they’re readable and flexible. I had considered pink for this spot initially, but changed course.
T100,000 – Light Pink
This is the “explosion” chip. It should make a statement every time it hits the felt.
T500,000 – Light Blue (Glacier)
I have no idea when this chip will ever see action—but when it does, it means hell froze over. Thematically, it’s a glacier in the middle of a lava pit.
Final Thoughts
So that’s the Volcano Valhalla tournament set. It was a long design process, but totally worth it. P5Woody absolutely crushed the artwork. I’m proud of how the set turned out—functionally, visually, and thematically.
Happy to hear thoughts or answer questions about structure, chip counts, or design choices.
