What was everyone's 1st set of chips (1 Viewer)

[beyondtilt]

Personalized and hot stamped
Then I found chiptalk
Then I found PCF
now I'm broke

 

[pltrgyst]

I suspect everyone had some dice chips hanging around at some point. But the first chips I bought with the intention of using them specifically for poker was these brass "Binyons [sic] WSOP 2005" monsters on eBay, from a company called "Best Bet Limited" in New York City:

Shortly thereafter, these chips got shut down by the WSOP, and they started producing them with the Tangiers theme.

 

[k9dr]

Mermaid mold monogrammed chips

 

[David O]

My first set was a Grand Vic primary set. Then something bad happened!

I fell in love with Nevada chips and all my resources have gone in that direction since then!

My first full set when completed

DSC_2374

• David O
• Mar 5, 2016

My first Nevada starter set that started the whole madness!

Trop Olied 10

• David O
• Dec 5, 2015

 

[WhiteMamba1646]

my first set was the Tiki's!

 

[slisk250]

I started with a mint set of Mapes including 400 1s...

 

[Poker Zombie]

Ignoring the plastic interlocking chips that were purchased for tokens for a Live Action Role Playing event, our first chip set was bought before I had ever played a live hand of texas hold-'em. However, I enjoyed playing online, and others were enjoying the online craze, so I bought chips to host a game.

Believe it or not, I bought samples. The samples included ASMs, but their price was overwhelming, as I had no idea if anyone would even want to play live poker. So I selected "official casino weight" custom chips.

Say what you will, but I still think these are the best looking metal slugged chips ever. However, they were not built to stand the test of time...

Nobody was splashy, so I really have no idea how these mouse-bites occured.

My original game started at 6 players. But it grew. Eventually, I needed T1000s for color ups. I bought Dice chips to use as a T1000, but before I ever used them I found a barrel of Paulson Private Cardrooms. I threw on a custom, home-made label. I think it (the label job) was sub-par, but I had Paulsons in hand.

The rabbit hole was opened.

The group continued to grow, so the set had to grow one more time. Unfortunately, the metal-slugged blanks were no longer available. So I added on with ceramics that I designed to look similar to the plastics.

Personally, I think this is a HoF level ceramic set (hint, hint to any committee members reading this). It wasn't until I put the main chips together with the two add-ons that I learned some key rules of chipping.

• Not all chips are the same thickness.
• Official casino weight is bullshit.
• When designing a chip, the color on your monitor may not be accurate.
• If the edge spots are all the same, your color-blind players will hate you.
• If you have no denoms on the face of the chip, you will have to answer "What is this worth" way more than you would like.
• If you think you are saving money by buying cheaper chips, you are wrong.
• Always buy more chips than you need. Groups grow, chips can break or get lost, and replacements may not be available tomorrow.

This set was later dubbed the "Frankenstein" set (though I still call it the Monte Carlo set, as that's what they called the plastic blanks). It still gets played on Ladies Night, but I feel like such a newb every time I pull it out. Still, it keeps me here on PCF so others may learn from my mistakes.

 

[Jeevansluck]

Hey, it's not all bad. I mean, you got to meet ME. And see my flopped flush lose to a high pair that somehow ran into a full house by the river. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

That was very memorable Berny! Meeting you among a few others has been very lucky for me. It's an honor and privilege to share felt with you and look I forward to our next meeting.

I'll never forget that hand! It's burned in to my brain...

 

[kmccormick100]

These Paulson Pharaohs were my very first poker chips 10 years ago. Even as an 18 year old I knew there had to be better options than my buddy's shitty dice chips. Wish I had them back sometimes, we had some good times with em!
I think these were something like $.50-70/ea when I wheeled and dealed for them.

 

[Spinettis Gaming]

My first set was a 300 Dunes uncirculated chip set from @Spinettis Gaming which has grown significantly since I fell down this rabbit hole.

View attachment 361518

He also took 25 cent Fitzgerald's chips that day. I was there for the moment when it began.

 

[toothpic]

I think my first set were the desert sands ceramic chips (I think!).
https://www.americangamingsupply.com/desertsandscasinoceramicpokerchip-1.aspx

I sold those then moved on to the WSOP replicate ceramics bought from the group buy in the ChipTalk days. They were the first round of the group by chips where the patterns on the top didn't usually line up to the side.

After that I got my hands on to some sample Paulsons after being awakened and noticing them during a trip to Vegas. It's been downhill ever since.

During the ChipTalk days I bought some National Poker series chips (tournament set with some NCV for bounties) and then took a deep plunge into a group buy of 500 PNYs. Mostly 1s and 5s with 80 - 25p and 20 100p.

I also jumped on board the BCC 0.25 and 0.50 group buy getting about 160 - 0.25 and 140 - 0.5.

After Chiptalk started to leave the scene, I created an account here in 2014 but didn't really visit or read up until late summer this year. Since then I've bough random racks of chips just because they looked cool, got some samples of the Majestic and Royals, and then built out my Horseshoe Cincinnati cash set. I even bought a set of the CPS chips (Championship Poker Series) and I haven't even used them and when compared against my Paulson sets I don't think I ever will. They are listed up for sale again lol

My group primarily plays cash games so tournament sets get very little use. If I do start playing/hosting more tournaments I think the next set I'm eyeballing are the Rounders CSQs. I've always wanted a set of those. I need to sit down one day and take a picture of my chips.

 

[hippieartworks]

self designed, self printed, self laminated, self cuttet, self addet labeled Nexgen Lucky Bee's Cash Set with paper plaques... What a pain!

 

[inca911]

My first set from when I was about 7, kept in a plastic ziplock bag for protection. @crussader and I were ballers....

 

[JFCJ]

this set is a bit smaller now.

 

[BPTDirector]

FLV’s. 300 100’s 200 500’s 200 25’s

 

[MrH]

View attachment 362126



this set is a bit smaller now.

Wow! And cool pic.

 

[MrH]

Gotta say, I really love all the pics and back stories. So cool! I feel like we should all pull out some dice chips for the next home game.

 

[allforcharity]

I feel like we should all pull out some dice chips for the next home game.

Whooaaa-ho-ho there, ha ha, he's just kidding folks! Just kidding! He's a kidder!

(Pssst...you are kidding, right?)

 

[ovo]

It's amazing to see some big players that haven't been around that long, but have gone full tilt since getting into chipping

 

[toothpic]

It's amazing to see some big players that haven't been around that long, but have gone full tilt since getting into chipping

I hear that! Especially the ones who started with an awesome set for their first ones!

 

[Josh Kifer]

I suspect everyone had some dice chips hanging around at some point. But the first chips I bought with the intention of using them specifically for poker was these brass "Binyons [sic] WSOP 2005" monsters on eBay, from a company called "Best Bet Limited" in New York City:

View attachment 361896
Shortly thereafter, these chips got shut down by the WSOP, and they started producing them with the Tangiers theme.

I remember there Tangiers line. I always liked them but wasn't sure if like playing with them..... Huh. Memories!

 

[MrH]

Whooaaa-ho-ho there, ha ha, he's just kidding folks! Just kidding! He's a kidder!

(Pssst...you are kidding, right?)

Hahaha. Absolutely kidding! Can you imagine?

 

[Jeevansluck]

It's amazing to see some big players that haven't been around that long, but have gone full tilt since getting into chipping

Gone full broke too! Wow!

 

[karsus]

My first set were cheap slugged plastics that my friends and I thought were pure luxury (compared to the dice chips they were using). Then I heard about china clays and found this forum with the intention of choosing the right china clays -- fast forward 2 short weeks and I have a set of Paulson's (Cincinnati HS)

 

[Ringer3]

My first set were Nile Club, and then I discovered Paulson's, and from there the sickness has taken over !! Lol

 

[grebe]

My Mom bought me my first set, from a thrift shop. I think I was 15. These were pretty cool in 1989, and they served me well all through college.

View attachment 361455

These are dope. I would happily play you heads up with these.

 

[grebe]

First set....and still my main set is the Desert Sands ceramics. I played a lot of on line poker clearing bonuses to get them for free! Got enough points for a 1000 piece set that will work for any cash game I want to play and up to a 2 table tourney. Pics later...

 

[MaxB]

My first real set of chips were Casino Aztars. Started with this small bunch then ended up with the bigger bunch

 

[Max D]

Dice chips, has been replaced with quite a few other sets.
But here is the first set from 2006-7 I think. That was a long time ago... and then started buying Paulsons..

 

[ledge4131]

Welcome!

My first set was Desert Sands ceramics. I still have them to this day actually. After that, it has been nothing but Paulson's.