We make the chips for the lodge.
The Yellows, Pinks, and Orange (coming soon) are all 50mm
Why would you prefer 43mm over 39mm for all chips in play? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter chippitydoodah
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The Yellows, Pinks, and Orange (coming soon) are all 50mm
Disagree. The larger sizes are good for distinguishing high denoms from low denoms and also making it harder for people to hide their big chips.
I like mixing them into cash sets (e.g. in a $1/$2 setup where the 1s-25s are 39 mm and the $100s are 43mm). But I also have a tourney set that uses big chips for the color-ups:
OP
OP
They looked bigger than 43mm. Thanks
OP
OP
Just saw the episode where "the businessman" went all in & left The Lodge and one player was shuffling his chips like they were playing cards! Real dinner plates. I love them!
I mean what next, 96mm?
MeridianFC
Flush
jpietrella
4 of a Kind
100% agree with this. All my sets have 43 mm hi denominations. It is a must IMO, especially if you want an authentic casino experience as all casinos jump to 43 mm for the hi denomination chips.
JustinInMN
4 of a Kind
I don't see this, but in truth, I only play in no limit games that deal in singles, fives, twenty-fives, and hundreds.
And then I play limit with doesn't often have high-denoms in play.
FWIW, I went back and looked at some of my research on chip sizes in the early days of mass production of composition and “ “paranoid” chips made specifically for poker c. 1880-1910. (When chips were bone, ivory, mother-of-pearl, etc., sizes and shapes were all over the place.)
A lot of the best and most comprehensive evidence available can be found in U.S. advertisements and catalogs.
These show chips for sale varying from as small as 7/8” to seldom if ever larger than 1-5/8". (I’ve seen exactly one sales pitch for 1-7/8", or 41.275mm, though tiny fractions are sometimes hard to read in repros of old ads.)
Throughout this period, but especially on the earlier side, 1, 1-1/4, 1-1/2, 1-9/16" and 1-5/8" inches are the most common sizes plus the occasional 1-3/8.
1-9/16ths is about 39.68 mm, whereas 1.5 inches is more like 38.1.
By 1900, you start seeing more ads referring to these two sizes as “full” or “regular” size, depending on their type. (Paranoids, for some reason, seem ti have been mainly 1-9/16ths.)
The convergence on a size midway between these two seems to have come over the next few decades, especially as Nevada casinos started commissioning “clays.”
The one thing that’s clear is that as far back as 120-140 years ago, almost all of the big chip producers were hovering around the current standard, up or down not much more than 1/8".
One thing seems clear, though, that apart from bone chips and plaques, “cheques” over the size of 38-40mm were exceedingly rare.
Seymour’s catalog has a lot of ads toward the back if anyone wants to check this out.
I would add as a conjecture, though ads reflect this somewhat as well—that once the over 38/under 40 standard was set, other factors besides usage and familiarity probably came into play… For example, if a host or room already owned chip holders, trays and racks which fit existing ~39mm chips, that would have created another obstacle to any serious size change, whether up or down.
I’m not sure if today’s ever-increasing sizes are the result of the need for greater “bling” on TV… Or chip manufacturers wanting to create new products they can market after big casinos already bought their main chipsets… Or just people being bored / wanting variety / always thinking bigger is better.
A lot of the best and most comprehensive evidence available can be found in U.S. advertisements and catalogs.
These show chips for sale varying from as small as 7/8” to seldom if ever larger than 1-5/8". (I’ve seen exactly one sales pitch for 1-7/8", or 41.275mm, though tiny fractions are sometimes hard to read in repros of old ads.)
Throughout this period, but especially on the earlier side, 1, 1-1/4, 1-1/2, 1-9/16" and 1-5/8" inches are the most common sizes plus the occasional 1-3/8.
1-9/16ths is about 39.68 mm, whereas 1.5 inches is more like 38.1.
By 1900, you start seeing more ads referring to these two sizes as “full” or “regular” size, depending on their type. (Paranoids, for some reason, seem ti have been mainly 1-9/16ths.)
The convergence on a size midway between these two seems to have come over the next few decades, especially as Nevada casinos started commissioning “clays.”
The one thing that’s clear is that as far back as 120-140 years ago, almost all of the big chip producers were hovering around the current standard, up or down not much more than 1/8".
One thing seems clear, though, that apart from bone chips and plaques, “cheques” over the size of 38-40mm were exceedingly rare.
Seymour’s catalog has a lot of ads toward the back if anyone wants to check this out.
I would add as a conjecture, though ads reflect this somewhat as well—that once the over 38/under 40 standard was set, other factors besides usage and familiarity probably came into play… For example, if a host or room already owned chip holders, trays and racks which fit existing ~39mm chips, that would have created another obstacle to any serious size change, whether up or down.
I’m not sure if today’s ever-increasing sizes are the result of the need for greater “bling” on TV… Or chip manufacturers wanting to create new products they can market after big casinos already bought their main chipsets… Or just people being bored / wanting variety / always thinking bigger is better.
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It’s the way to go for authentic casino action. Both MGM and Horseshoe have 39 mm $500s which create horrible dirty stack issues (see the horseshoe pic below). MGM doesn't allow them to be used in the poker room.
Maryland Live:
MGM:
Baltimore Horseshoe:
megarises
Flush
Boy, after playing with @kmccormick100 43mm RPC set this past weekend, I can definitely say I’m a huge fan of 43mm chips. The only issue is their availability and affordability to make a large tourney set. If I wasn’t already halfway through building my TP tourney set I’d definitely consider pivoting.
OP
OP
It would be interesting to know when the larger chips made their appearance.
P.S. It’s also interesting, and kind of surprising for the U.S., that a metric size was settled upon. (Real Amurikins don’t do metric, right?)
I wonder if there was some quiet compromise struck among the major chip manufacturers who recognized that it was in their interest to have a universal standard, slightly above or below 39mm, in the middle of all their various imperial measurements.
I wonder if there was some quiet compromise struck among the major chip manufacturers who recognized that it was in their interest to have a universal standard, slightly above or below 39mm, in the middle of all their various imperial measurements.
I appreciate the history - I definitely want the book. But I quoted the end part because you seem to have a personal bias here. Or maybe I'm misreading you. But are you allowing for the possibility that people genuinely like to play with bigger chips and/or in this case, bigger actually could be better?
People couldn’t find out whether they liked bigger chips until manufacturers actually produced them and rooms put them in play.
The chip makers and casinos acted first.
Do you think they acted due to some grassroots pressure for bigger chips? (I don’t. I certainly never thought of the idea until I saw one in play… And most players don’t even notice the condition or design of chips, unf.)
And yes, I do assume that 21st Century corporate motivations are very different than those of players, with considerations like sales, marketing, branding, game security, etc. taking precedence over aesthetics.
The GPI/Paulson catalog from 2005 offers three chip sizes (39, 43 and 48mm) someone has catalogs from the 90s or earlier, I’d love to see them.
merkong
Flush
I have cash sets of both with two more cash sets of 43mm on the way. I thought I’d play 43mm and never go back. I like them but my first experience was a no mold China Clay Bellagio tribute from a group buy. A little slippery.
Enter my freshly oiled sample of the Royals from Apache. Had to get some which I did (in the system).
Oiled, quality 43mm’s? Forget about it.
I’ll still play my 39mm’s or the Godmother will start questioning why I need so many sets.
Rotate Chippers. Always rotate. Otherwise, people get suspicious and think we’re just sick.
Enter my freshly oiled sample of the Royals from Apache. Had to get some which I did (in the system).
Oiled, quality 43mm’s? Forget about it.
I’ll still play my 39mm’s or the Godmother will start questioning why I need so many sets.
Rotate Chippers. Always rotate. Otherwise, people get suspicious and think we’re just sick.
speaking for myself, I was kinda hooked on 43mm from the first time I saw a Dunes baccarat $20. It was 100% the novelty at first. But the more I played with 43mm over the years, the more I got to like then.
And I can truthfully say that for me bigger isn’t better, because I’ve tried 48mm and while I think they’re neato, I don’t love them.
As far as the manufacturers go, I don’t think it’s about them at all. I think if it were - if the manufacturers were pushing oversized chips just to increase sales, we’d actually see more of them. They’re still pretty rare in the real world.
Otherw like @BGinGA would know better than me when 43 mm and larger chips started being produced in mass quantities.
I say mass quantities because I tend to suspect that the giant sizes were originally used for promotional/novelty purposes, whether by salesmen, or fot special events. And then at some point, some casinos said “Hey, why don’t we make some high denoms in those sizes…”
Or, per my earlier suggestion, that someone in Paulson/GPI marketing realized the sales potential.
Even then, the origins of that development may have been rooted more in casinos wanting yo lessen the chances that both players and dealers and cage workers made mistakes, or lost a very expensive chip.
A related side question might be whether larger chips were ever made available for home market (fantasy) sets before GPI cut that flow off. I can’t remember seeing any search chips, outside recent NAGBs, but maybe they exist.
I say mass quantities because I tend to suspect that the giant sizes were originally used for promotional/novelty purposes, whether by salesmen, or fot special events. And then at some point, some casinos said “Hey, why don’t we make some high denoms in those sizes…”
Or, per my earlier suggestion, that someone in Paulson/GPI marketing realized the sales potential.
Even then, the origins of that development may have been rooted more in casinos wanting yo lessen the chances that both players and dealers and cage workers made mistakes, or lost a very expensive chip.
A related side question might be whether larger chips were ever made available for home market (fantasy) sets before GPI cut that flow off. I can’t remember seeing any search chips, outside recent NAGBs, but maybe they exist.
Paulson did a couple of fantasy releases on a slightly larger mold - they were either 40 or 41mm but reportedly strangely light? I don’t think they were popular.
Same answer… End users like you and me had no mechanism to demand back then the creation of larger ships. As you say, you found out by playing with some… Not by commissioning them as a new product.
For anyone to ever find out how they handle required some management decision at the chipmaker or casino level.
Sometimes the chicken really does have to precede the egg.
But then again, I wasn’t paying attention to poker back in the ’90s when all of the Vegas high stakes professionals went on strike, saying that they wouldn’t play 10/25 anymore unless GPI supplied 43mm $500s to casinos. ;^)
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Any sales threads/pr0n on PCF to check out?
(If they weren’t popular, that just reinforces the idea that the push for bigger chips originated in an office, not at the tables, right?)
Here’s one
Now that’s we know they were called pro series, you can search away!
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/299-paulson-pro-series-chips-41mm.76247/post-1547651
Urgh, I can see why they were unpopular… Not so much the size but the boring spots and hideous label
Seeking Alpha Social Club
4 of a Kind
Purely a matter of preference for me. I love the feel of oversized chips!! Probably not for everybody, but my all 44mm CPC set gets rave reviews from all my non chipper poker peeps. My oversized Paulson set isn't horrible either, and my relabel paulson cash set will have 43mm $20s and 48mm $100s and $500s if I ever get off my ass and finish it...LOL!!
No cons IMHO, but again, a matter of preference.
Last 2 Winner Club pics courtesy of @RainmanTrail
FWIW I believe most dice and other cheap injection molds are more like 40mm.
So bigger chips are bad, amirite?
So bigger chips are bad, amirite?
Hmm… not sure that logic is sound. Mass produced plastic chips, which are universally decried as awful around here, are small. So perhaps then, they’re small because they’re cheaply made to keep costs down. Therefore, high quality chips, should be made correctly, and can be the proper size because quality counts over cost….
I may have a few stray cheap chips around and will measure. My recollection is that many of them are closer to 40mm than 39mm.
These are 40mm:
So are these:
Just what I found in 30 seconds on Amazon. Will try to find a full-on WalMart dice chip later.
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