Why do European casinos hate poker chips? (1 Viewer)

[fish72s]

I have been traveling through Europe (Central and Eastern Europe mostly) for the last few months and have had a chance to play in a dozen or so
poker rooms. Most have been small casinos or just stand alone poker rooms. My first observation is that most of the chips suck. Maybe that's a bit harsh.
About 4 or 5 suck, 2 or 3 are pretty cool and the rest are below average. They are all plastic thought. I was planning to post pics next month when I get home.

But my second observation has been that they just don't like to have very many chips on the table. I can't remember every getting more than 5 1's in a starting stack. And not many 5's before getting to the 25's. I'm guessing that on average, all things being equal, that there are less than half as many chips on the table as in a typical game in the US.
I'm tempted to say less than that but maybe I'm just remembering last night in particular. I played a 1 / 2 Leva (about 60c/$1.20) game at the Ritz casino in Plovdiv Bulgaria. (Nice room.)
I bought in for 120 and the dealer handed me 4 25's and 4 5's ! WTF? How are you supposed to play a 1/2 game with 8 chips and no 1's?

 

[Highli99]

Wow that’s interesting.

 

[Gunnar]

come to me my friend and I shall fill your seat with chips.
But sadly starting stacks are very small in many european countries

 

[pltrgyst]

...I bought in for 120 and the dealer handed me 4 25's and 5 5's ! WTF? How are you supposed to play a 1/2 game with 11 chips and no 1's?

Don't complain -- he gave you 125 in chips for your 120 cash. Profit!

Not to mention two invisible chips, that you're not telling us about. Maybe they were ones...

 

[Tommy]

They are all plastic though

My kind of places!

 

[fish72s]

Don't complain -- he gave you 125 in chips for your 120 cash. Profit!

Not to mention two invisible chips, that you're not telling us about. Maybe they were ones...

Good catch. Post edited.
As I always say, I was a math major, not an arithmetic major.

 

[fish72s]

I played tonight at the Sofia Casino.
Game was 1/2 leva and I bought in for 120.
Here is my starting stack.

And the guy next to me bought in for 400.

I counted in the dealers tray roughly 20 1's and 30 5's, and plenty of 25s

 

[glom]

Are those chips semi custom china clays? This would be a counterfeiter's dream.

 

[TheOctagon]

Those are seriously Milano blanks with crappy custom labels.

 

[Kensco]

Can't be Milanos, no flea bite flakes on the table

 

[Darson]

Those are seriously Milano blanks with crappy custom labels.

The white/red/green seem to have different spot colours but the black hundo looks identical!

 

[Thomacetti]

Those EU casinos don't hate chips...they are afraid of we the harvesters...very very afraid

 

[Nex]

Can only assume they struck bad deals with their respective chip manufacturers. If the manufacturing cost is higher than the nominal value, I'd sure as hell not want people to walk away with my chips either. If the cost is equal or below, then why not. Nice free advertising.

 

[Thomacetti]

I did hear that South Africa has some great ships

 

[fish72s]

Are those chips semi custom china clays? This would be a counterfeiter's dream.

Never had a sample set of Milano's so not sure if the material is the same. But these felt like really cheap ceramics.

Those EU casinos don't hate chips...they are afraid of we the harvesters...very very afraid

Maybe they used to have alot of chips and they all got harvested?

 

[Kasper Storrs]

My first observation is that most of the chips suck

It's a fair observation I'd say. No Paulsons to harvest anywhere as far as I can tell Would be interested to see your photos!

 

[Pete]

My kind of places!

Bud Jones hoarder!

 

[Tommy]

Bud Jones hoarder!

Experiments going on as we speak.

 

[Nex]

...smuggling of gold nuggets inside plastic chips?

 

[Pete]

Experiments going on as we speak.

View attachment 194637

Intruiged! Love the edge spot on the white chip.

 

[Tommy]

Intruiged! Love the edge spot on the white chip.

 

[Pete]

View attachment 195023

Oh no! Way to go USPS. I’m assuming @Gear labels? Total bummer. On a positive note though, your experimintation is going to yield fantastic results I do believe! Can’t wait to see the finished product.

 

[Tommy]

 

[Tommy]

Oh no! Way to go USPS. I’m assuming @Gear labels? Total bummer.

Just labels that I removed.

 

[Wils]

I played tonight at the Sofia Casino.
Game was 1/2 leva and I bought in for 120.
Here is my starting stack.
View attachment 194436

And the guy next to me bought in for 400.

View attachment 194437


I counted in the dealers tray roughly 20 1's and 30 5's, and plenty of 25s

Obvious Milano comparisons aside, they *do* look very nice...

 

[fish72s]

I played the other day in Zagreb.
It was a 50c / 1Euro game and I bought in for 60euro.
This is the stack the dealer gave me (minus my 1e souvenir chip).
I think I have more than a theory;
European casinos really do hate poker chips!

 

[Kasper Storrs]

That small stack is gross on so many levels!

 

[Nick84]

From my opinion and experience in several European casinos, both major or smaller, both on Poker room or other games I'd say that the habit here in Europe is different. We generally keep smaller amount of chips. Dealers almost never break your chips in huge amount unless you insist. On American roulette table where often you have your own color reserved is easy to have more.

 

[BELGRADE]

In Europe the philosophie for the casino is not many chips by players in poker table. Why ?
If they dot that is because you make more rake !
With not many chips the dealer don t loose time to calculate players stack.
More hands playing and players spew easily with not many chips, more all in more action.

The €25 chip is usually the drop chip.

 

[fish72s]

In Europe the philosophie for the casino is not many chips by players in poker table. Why ?
If they dot that is because you make more rake !
With not many chips the dealer don t loose time to calculate players stack.
More hands playing and players spew easily with not many chips, more all in more action.

The €25 chip is usually the drop chip.

I suppose there is something to this reasoning,
but what I noticed is that they would spend extra time constantly having to make change.