What is your smallest set of chips that is still playable for 4-6 Players? (1 Viewer)

[inthehiggs]

So I know for many of us, the more chips, the better. I'm guilty, it seems like 500-1000+ chips is the norm (with me seeming to increasingly gravitating to the 1000+ even though we only typically play 8 max). So I'm curious to hear from more experienced chippers, what is the least amount of chips you have that is playable for 4-6 Players?

This thought came to me thinking about how I could put together a "travel" set for T100 or Low stakes cash games with the least amount of chips. Bonus points if you have a working breakdown for more than 6 with a low chip count. If you would, please also comment your breakdown and the typical starting stack for the format.

 

[inthehiggs]

I should add, I am in no way implying you need 500-1000 Chips to play 4-6 players. I don't think I have ever managed to get a majority of a set into play even with 8, but that is mainly due to my cash set being setup to be flexible for a lot of different stakes.

Thought this would be an interesting question though, since traveling with even 400-500 chips seems excessive to play with MAYBE 4-6 people.

 

[dmoney]

I did exactly this!

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/6-max-200-chip-breakdown.71034/

Settled on:
25c x 48
$1 x 82
$5 x 56
$25 x 14

Exactly 200 chips, $724 bank, snug but playable for shorthanded 25c/25c or 25c/50c where $1 chip is a workhorse

6x tournament starting stacks of up to $50 (8/13/7/2)

Level	Small Blind	Big Blind
-- Optional for deeper stacks --	25¢	25¢
1	25¢	50¢
2	25¢	75¢
3	50¢	$1
4	75¢	$1.50
Remove 25¢
5	$1	$2
6	$1	$3
7	$2	$4
8	$3	$6
9	$4	$8
Remove $1
10	$5	$10
11	$5	$15
12	$10	$20
13	$15	$30
14	$20	$40
15	$30	$60

 

[dmoney]

I did exactly this!

Re-reading OP, I guess "exactly" isn't correct. But not too far off, at least in spirit.

 

[inthehiggs]

@dmoney I thought I had seen your thread on this before, but couldn't seem to find it again searching. I've gotta get better about learning the search function. This seems like a great little setup!

 

[ChipFinderSK]

6-max travel set.

Fracs - 52
$1s - 156
$5s - 104
$20 - 12 plaques hidden underneath

Extra numbers are because the racks fit 26 per “barrel.”

 

[TheOffalo]

I think it’d depend on the stakes of the cash game. 300-chip cases are more common, but I have seen 250-chip cases, so I’ll try to get the smaller amount to work.

For my group, which usually plays 25¢/50¢, we could do this breakdown: 80/80/80/10. That’ll give us a bank of $750, which is 2.5x 100BB buy-ins per person w/6 players. Starting stack for 6 players would be 12/12/7 x4 and 16/11/7 x2.

 

[dmoney]

@inthehiggs

I went with this breakdown so as to use 5 starting stack tubes of 40 chips instead of a 200- or 300-chip case. Tubes are easier to stow in a backback/duffle for airports, camping, etc imo. My whole purpose for this mini set was to have a grab-and-go or "just in case" option.

Settled on:
25c x 48
$1 x 82
$5 x 56
$25 x 14

Exactly 200 chips

 

[Mojo1312]

I have a DDM travelling set containing a rack of .50 chips, three racks of fives and a rack of twenties used in the NLHE/PLO home game I attended. During the first year of the pandemic we dropped fracs in favor of $1/$1 blinds. Our NLHE/PLO cash game during this time consisted of 5 to 6 players.

Halfway through the night, we got all three racks of fives and the rack of twenties into play. The game got wild with players re-buying in multiple times for a minimum of a $100. We had to put the .50 fracs into the game as $50 chips while we were still playing five handed. The last player to get felted rebought in for $500.

We ended the session playing four handed for two hours with a number of $50 chips on the table along with all of the fives and the twenties. Counting the ones, we had +/- 500 chips stacked in front of us.

That evening stands out from all of the other $1/$1 NLHE/PLO games I have played in. Fun time.

 

[CrazyEddie]

It all depends on how much change-making and other such inconveniences you can tolerate. It's possible to play a game with many fewer chips than would be enjoyable, but where that threshold lies is up to you and your players.

 

[inthehiggs]

@inthehiggs

I went with this breakdown so as to use 5 starting stack tubes of 40 chips instead of a 200- or 300-chip case. Tubes are easier to stow in a backback/duffle for airports, camping, etc imo. My whole purpose for this mini set was to have a grab-and-go or "just in case" option.

That is my exact thoughts for this (and hence why I'm not worried on landing on an odd number of chips). I've got some tubes standing by.

I'll also mention I'm not planning to ditch any of my big set for this, at my home games or games nearby I have no problem bringing an apache case or bird cage, the thought here is how small could I go for a cash or T25 set I could keep in starting tubes to shove in a backpack traveling/camping/maybe even shoving into something camping on the motorcycle. Any other time I am guilty of the more chips is always better mindset

 

[Ben8257]

Unfortunately not much chance of expansion but some of my favorite chips!

Playable for 4 players $20 buy in $.05/$.10... or 3 players of $.25/$.50 with $100 buy in but unfortunately no rebuys until I find and make a $20

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Nevada Jacks Travel Set

• Kid_Eastwood
• Mar 5, 2021

$25 x 40
$100 x 40
$500 x 20
Dealer button x 1
Setup of cards

40 x 25
40 x 100
20 x 500

--> up to 5 players with starting stacks 8/8/3 and enough chips for the color-up
--> 2500 chips on starting blinds 25-25

 

[Forty4]

I’m finishing up my travel set to be 200 (well 204 to be exact) I did the following

40/60/80/20 the fun part is that I’m doing dual faced so the breakdown will be moved around to be tournament chips and be 60/40/80/20

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Still for a travel set (6-max), I've a 200 chips set.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/the-bank-tournament-6-max.83595/

It allows for deeper games (30,000 on starting blinds 100-100).

 

[inthehiggs]

Still for a travel set (6-max), I've a 200 chips set.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/the-bank-tournament-6-max.83595/

It allows for deeper games (30,000 on starting blinds 100-100).

I'm a huge fan of this setup. Seems to really cover all the bases

 

[ovo]

I have a lot of smaller sets, 2,3,4,5,6 players

 

[Kensco]

175 Nevada Jack Martini Club ceramics. T5000 for 6 players with stacks of 4/14/7

31 x T25
84 x T100
60 x T500

@BR Pro Poker you still have the artwork for these tucked away??

 

[inthehiggs]

Somehow starting a thread on a minimalist traveling set has convinced me I really need to make about 3 different travel sets. Is this the PCF curse? Am I already infected?

 

[dmoney]

Somehow starting a thread on a minimalist traveling set has convinced me I really need to make about 3 different travel sets. Is this the PCF curse? Am I already infected?

 

[luvpokerchips]

175 Nevada Jack Martini Club ceramics. T5000 for 6 players with stacks of 4/14/7

31 x T25
84 x T100
60 x T500

@BR Pro Poker you still have the artwork for these tucked away??


View attachment 870976

I like, I mean luv the overlap of the glass and the script. I guess a custom chip maker could give me idea(s) of specific fonts.

 

[Highli99]

Probably this

 

[luvpokerchips]

175 Nevada Jack Martini Club ceramics. T5000 for 6 players with stacks of 4/14/7

31 x T25
84 x T100
60 x T500

@BR Pro Poker you still have the artwork for these tucked away??


View attachment 870976

I like the nostalgic feel of these chips.

 

[BSteck]

Here's a good thread for more ideas...
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/the-official-travel-set-pron-thread.44880/

 

[Coyote]

440-strong rural travel set. Dice chips, custom-labelled

 

[TheOffalo]

440-strong rural travel set. Dice chips, custom-labelled
View attachment 882910

Wow those are some of the classiest dice chips I’ve seen!

 

[Easylife]

Voted 150 - 200 bit in real terms I could only do up to 5 players max with my breakdown

 

[BSteck]

440-strong rural travel set. Dice chips, custom-labelled
View attachment 882910

That's kinda awesome.

 

[gopherblue]

Theoretically, I like the idea of this thread. In practice, however, this is really the only workable breakdown...

Spoiler

I mean, you could probably get by with a couple fewer racks of Bluebirds, but why would you want to?

 

[inthehiggs]

Theoretically, I like the idea of this thread. In practice, however, this is really the only workable breakdown...

Spoiler

View attachment 882936

I mean, you could probably get by with a couple fewer racks of Bluebirds, but why would you want to?

It's funny... I started this thread to come up with the smallest workable set to travel with, got some great ideas and have proceeded to just keep acquiring more chips and expand all my sets. Chipping is like the N+1 rule, except N+20 or N+100 since you never know when you'll need that extra barrel or rack.

In all seriousness, this thread has given some interesting ideas. Oh and a great reason to keep buying chips