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The World of Poker Chips
At one point, not too long ago, the home game had one type of poker chip.
Cash. It worked, you didn’t have to color it up and you didn’t have to cash out.
When you played for fun, you’d play with pennies and nickels. If you had grandparents,
you probably had a set of Old Glory’s around, the Red, White and Blue plastic Bicycle chips
in the thin plastic tray. That was what we had, and that was good enough. The only chips
you’d see were in casinos, and we just weren’t serious enough to need better chips. If we
were, we’d be playing for cash anyhow, particularly in Canada where the $1 and $2 coin just
made everything that much easier. Who would have thought that growing up in the 70s and
80s, you’d be thinking about the rapidly changing market of poker chips in 2006. Believe it.
There are hundreds of styles out there by scores of manufacturers saturating the US market
with cheaply made foreign products. Poker chips are cheaper and easier to get than ever
before, and you don’t even have to leave your house to get them. It’s not at all surprising that a person would need help in choosing a set of poker chips we went from a Club Sandwich (which is a great sandwich, mind you), to a full menu with dessert and coffee with a shot of booze in it. Making the decision about which chips are best for you may not be as easy as it appears, so we’re here to help.
In the not so distant past, plastic was your only choice for poker chips. Now, many styles and weights of poker chips have been brought to light.
We’ve helped hundreds of people choose poker chips over the years at HomePoker.com through our online webstore. Some customers may need less help in choosing a set of chips. It’s not rocket science, as poker chips can be found at the local corner mart just as easily as online. However, the modern poker market is deeply connected to cyberspace. In it’s play, in it’s products and even in it’s heroes. No local stores offer anywhere near the range of selection of styles and configurations of any major online e-tailer. Clearly over the years, people have shown an appetite for more styles and color choices, trying to capture more of the card room experience at home to bring some authenticity to their game. It’s why we moved on from Bicycle chips and cash in the first place. Alas, like with any game, some players will always try to cheat if they are able. When the world is all using the same kind of poker chips, it becomes increasing easy for a player to bring a few of those chips to any game. It was always possible with plastic chips, and with the recent prevalence of 11.5g suited/diced poker chips and 8g diamond poker chips , it’s a simple poker cheat to inject your stack with an extra few chips late in a tournament. Now, of course, most home games in America are not likely to be infiltrated by such methods, and some may not have a wager at all. However, those games which involve money and the occasional new face should be aware of the possibility of cheating and the ease of which it can be done.
What we've assembled in the articles to follow should arm you with everything you need to know about the current state of the poker chip market, so that you can properly choose the right chip, quantity, colors and case for the right price. We want you to understand the products that are out there as well as we do, as we're confident that once informed, you'll find our offering to be an even better value. In years of sales, we've both answered and asked alot of questions about what is important to our customers, here we'll bring you all the answers.
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What determines the cost of a poker chip?
What determines the cost of a poker chip?
The song remains the same. When people are looking for poker chips, the overriding factor is generally cost. Quality is relatively high across the board with today's poker chips, and simple designs satisfy most home games. The discerning consumer of poker chips is still most concerned with the price. So just what makes one poker chip worth more than the next?
Materials
The best poker chips are made from clay, and the cheapest from plastic. Simply, the ratio of plastic (or resin) to clay in the composition of the poker chip determines the value of the chip. A clay poker chip is a more expensive, more durable, and more desirable poker chip than a plastic one. The weight of a poker chip is mainly provided by a metal disc which is surrounded by the clay or composite material. However, most casino chips, which are usually of the upper-end clay variety don't have a metal insert. They're weight of 10g comes from the materials the chip is made from. We'll discuss clay chips in detail more later, but most of the world's finest casino's haven't used pure clay chips for some time. More durable and easy to handle composite materials have allowed us to build the better poker chip. For the sake of simplicity, when most honest retailers talk of 'clay' chips, they are really talking about a composite chip, but one which more resembles a pure clay chip. There is also talk of haunted chips made of pirate bone, but I dismiss it all as passing fancy.
Design
More elaborate designs often demand a higher price tag, but far less so than the class of the poker chip. A very detailed composite poker chip will still always be cheaper than a pure clay poker chip. When chips are manufactured, they are molded. This mold design will dictate the chip inlay size and whatever pattern is carved or embossed around the chip's perimiter. Edge-spotting can be added to a chip to lend a more attractive poker chip overall, and particularly when stacked, even reveal the obsessive-compulsive tendencies of certain players as they try to line them up.
Customization
Upon request, many online retailers of poker chips will offer customization of many types of poker chips. This can range from simple heat stamping of initials, to screening or labelling of chips using a personalized image or logo. Generally, the price is determined by the method by which poker chips are customized. Heatstamping is cheap, and costs only pennies per poker chip, while labelling and screening offer a more attractive and more expensive option. Custom poker chips are becoming more and more popular as personalization becomes more accessible on more and more varieties of basic chips.
In high end chips, even edgespot designs and unique color schemes may be selected. Casinos also may have the chips manufactured with RF transmitters inside the chip for security purposes. Only the finest poker chip manufacturers like Paulson offer such a complete range of customizations.
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What are the basic types of poker chip?
What are the basic types of poker chips? What makes them better or worse than others?
Plastic Chips
These are very inexpensive, functional chips that are made 100% of plastic. They are thin, lightweight and cost roughly $4 per 100 chips. Colors and durability are limited, but these are a great option for a casual game, and are great for travel as the are light, replaceable and compact. At one time, you couldn’t stack these well, but they’ve since improved the system which allows the chips to interlock if you go with a good brand, like Bicycle. You won’t impress anyone with these at the home game, but they’d be great on a camping trip, or the airport. The big drawback of plastic chips is that they’re hard to count from any distance, so you can’t measure up an opponents stack. The price also makes them a staple for a cheat.
Diamond Chips (8g)
For the relatively small increase in price, these chips are a vast improvement. With a weight of 8 grams, these chips some degree of casino feel to your game. These are made purely from a composite resin. They are available in a wide variety of colors, and can be had for about $8-$10 for 100 chips. This style of chip arrives in the US via import nearly exclusively from Taiwan and China. There can be a varying degree of quality between distributors.
There is very little, to no clay in this composite mixture, and a the injection point of the resin is visible, but relatively discreet. Generally, diamond chips have a textured surface that make them easy to handle with a matte finish. Most brands of Diamond chips lack the silm, rounded edges that give a casino chip its grace, but are attractive enough for any large game that needs to be outfitted cheaply. Again, because they are cheap and easy to find, serious games should be wary of using diamond chips, but these are more than adequate for smaller games, or games that well monitored.
The strength of these chips is their value and durability. They are a perfect solution for a casual game, or for the cottage or dormroom.
Composite Chips (11.5g)
You’ve likely seen the most common of the composite poker chips. Familiar diced and suited designs have shown up in hundreds of thousands of American households and are often used in marketing photos for tournaments, videos and book covers. The 11.5g chip is the new plastic chip, but it is far, far superior to it’s distant cousin. First of all, these chips are genuinely attractive. They have a smooth, glossier look than diamond chips, and edgespots which make them eye catching even when stacked. There is a wide variety of chip faces in this class, and the ability for people to personalize their game is practically endless when you consider the customizations available on many styles of composite poker chips. We’ll discuss chip customization later, but composite chips provide a great platform for heat stamping and labelling as they are a relatively high-quality product at a comparatively cheap price-point of roughly $12-$15 per 100 chips.
Composite chips are made of a metal disc surrounded by a mixture of clay and resin. The weight of the chip comes from the insert, and lends a feeling of quality and authenticity. The added weight also gives these chips a more distinctive sound. When riffled they offer more of a clink than the thinner clack of the diamond chips. They have a smooth feel, as opposed to a textured diamond chip, and the injection point for the composite mixture is much more discreet. It all lends to a more complete casino style experience than lighter chips.
11.5g composite chips have become the dominant chip for the home game by no accident they are attractive, very durable, and extremely well priced. With a range of chip faces and customizations available there is no reason to expose your game to potential cheats by settling for the common diced or suited chip.
Clay Chips (10g-13g)
Clay chips are the Cadillac of poker chips. There is just no substitute for the feel, the sound and the look of clay poker chips. If you want to capture the casino experience at home, you can't do it without clay poker chips. Pure clay chips have only recently been a cost effective option for the home game. Now, imported clay chips are available to American consumers as an alternative to the more expensive domestic manufacturers. While these imports do not boast the same quality of design and aesthetic, they do share the durability and feel of their better engineered domestic competitors.
You may have seen the most common type of clay chip for the home game already, the 13g Casino Clay chip. These chips are also made from a metal insert to provide a substantial weight, but the material used to envelop the disc is clay, and not resin. The result is a chip that has a softer feel and finish, a richer texture and a deeper tone. Clay chips also weather well, gaining character rather than losing lustre. Real Casino chips generally are only 10g and boast a label or screen with the cardroom moniker. These chip usually do not have a metal insert. You may find these chips marketed as 'ceramic chips' they are often slightly thinner, sleeker and smoother than substitutes. If you've read earlier portions of this series, you already know that most clay chips are no longer made of pure clay. Pure clay has long been replaced by space-age composites that deliver better results, economy and security in most of the world's largest casinos. However, aesthetically, these materials are made with the understanding that the end users still like the feel of clay chips. The bottom line is, don't be too hard on the word composite. Not all composites are created equal, and clay is not exactly a rare substance. Do not unneccessarily obsess over clay in choosing the right set of poker chips for you.
While these chips are no more functional than the cheaper classes of poker chips, they are certainly more attractive. Clay chips have a very discrete injection point, and often manufacturers and distributors will offer a range of customizations on these chips. Another additional benefit to clay poker chips is that they are less common than composite chips. As a result, a game that uses clay chips is less likely to be infiltrated by foreign chips brought in by a cheat.
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Who are the major poker chip manufacturers?
Who are the major poker chip manufacturers?
Like any industry, the poker chip business has a history. Some manufacturers have been cornerstone US companies since the 1800s and others are more recent players importing low-cost substitutes. Recently, acquisitions have been made and legendary chip designs have changed hands. While the classic chips persist, market forces cause players to chase the ace and often key brands can change hands. The majority of poker chips in the casinos and in homes worldwide are made by the companies below.
Atlantic Standard Molding (ASM)
ASM began as the Porland Billiard Ball Company in Portland Maine in 1912. Manufacturing billiard balls, checkers, dominos and bowling balls of superior quality under a patented process was their focus, but in the 1930’s they added a range of poker chips to their offerings. Their chips were manufactured using an early clay-like composite called ‘Plaskon’. This product was marketed under the name ‘Breaknot’ attesting to its durability. By 1935, ASM was known as the Burt Company and they had developed a signature chip style known as the metal die cut. This die cut metal foil was used to apply unique designs to poker chips, casino’s loved the idea, but soon, the technology was better served to mark ammunition than casino chips. However when the dust had settled, many casino’s including Bugsy Siegel’s famous Flamingo used metal die cut chips in 1946. Through the 1950’s, Burt Company continued to supply America’s legendary casinos including the Sands, the Sahara and the Riviera, introducing multi-colored edge spots to the world in 1954. Even poker legend Benny Binion had Burt Company chips with his name on them.
Much has changed in the poker chip market, but ASM has been there every step of the way, and they have been serving the gaming community online since 1997. Their products have manufactured in the US and Canada and sold worldwide. They even supplied the chips for Miramax for the film Rounders in 1998. The modern ‘clay’ chips are compression molded at 10 000 psi and 300F, for the last 75 years clay has become replaced by a composition of materials of a heavier and more durable nature.
Good things come at a price, Atlantic Standard Molding is among the best, and the cost and time to get your chips reflect the quality. Prices for clay chips range from .65 to $1.10 depending on edgespotting and customization. For more information on ASM, you can find them at www.pokerchips.com.
Atlantic Standard Molding has been in the poker chip business for nearly a century. Above are some of the casino chips they designed from the 40s and 50s. Notice the emphasis on the mold design, those pattens of the 50's casino chips are still prized in the bulk of ASMs finest chips. Their designs are best described as classic, and tasteful.
Blue Chip Company
Surprisingly, the Blue Chip Co, of Las Vegas NV, does not have a branded online presence to market their products. That said, they do make many of the recognizable types of poker chips which are stocked my many online resellers. The signature chips of the Blue Chip company are compression molded ‘clay’ chips for both casinos and home use. In the 1960’s, the current managing family of the Blue Chip Co founded Paul-Son, a now famous name in clay poker chips. More recently, control of Paulson passed to GPI, but the BCC continues to produce what it describes as a sister chip to the Paulson design. For the home poker player, there are a number of recognizable brands of poker chip manufactured by BCC, including the James Bond, Fan of Cards and Nevada Jacks designs. Among the companies casino customers are the Riviera, Aladdin and Sahara.
All BCC chips use the same clay mixture, but there is a slight difference in quality and weight between those used for casinos and for home use. Their Nevada Jacks designs can be found for about .60 per chip.
BCC chips are available through www.buypokerchips.com and www.nevadajacks.net
The Blue Chip Company of Las Vegas, NV has created some of the most attractive and economical chips for home card players. Their Nevada Jacks chips offer casino luxury at a price most home games would be comfortable with.
CHIPCO
A relative newcomer to the Poker Chip industry, CHIPCO was founded in 1985, introducing a new method of displaying custom graphics on the entire chip surface. Today, CHIPCO chips are prized by casinos and collectors alike for their grace and beauty. Over 60 million CHIPCO chips are in play at casinos around the world. The signature chip series for this manufacturer is their ProTech series, which uses full-color graphics, invisible security coding a single composite material construction. Their manufacturing process boasts consistent, uniform construction and a 10g weight. All graphics are permanent and have a matte finish. These chips will truly last a lifetime, and are known for their feel and easy handling. As a low-cost option for the home, or special event, CHIPCO also offers their Unicorn series of 8.5g poker chip. These are perfect for home poker nights, charity events or roulette tables. While both chip series are fully customizable, the ProTech chips are far superior to their low-cost counterpart, and it shows in the price of $1.10 per chip.
CHIPCO'S ProTech chips are used in casino's worldwide. Their method of imaging chips allows for vivid colors, making a stunning, but costly poker chip.
Gaming Partners International USA (GPI)
GPI is a recent conglomeration of several leading chip manufacturers from both the US and Europe. Such names as Paulson and B&G have been merged , allowing GPI to manufacture a complete range of products for home games and licensed casinos alike. Precision dice, felts, playing cards, tables and their famous Bud Jones and Paulson chips are all made with great care and offer a refined quality. Recently, they’ve add RFID chips to supply the needs of the most secure rooms in the world. GPI’s products are sold on their elegance and detail, a great deterrent to counterfeiters. Today’s largest US casinos choose GPI for their chips, inclding the Bellagio, Foxwoods, Borgata and the Venetian. In fact, 28 of 30 of the largest US based casinos use either Paulson or Bud Jones chips. All GPI chips can be ordered in a variety of inlay sizes and edge-spot patterns, but the real test of the product is in it’s security features. UV pigments may be added to edgespots, or signature laser lock materials can be ordered which are only visible with a particular frequency beam. For the most discerning customer, Chipsoft allows an RFID value chip to be inserted into the chip to allow a greater efficiency in table and slot management. Chipsoft makes for a highly secure and reliable application for tracking chips, but clearly is over the head of the home game.
All Paulson chips are made of 13 different composites, thermo-compressed and commonly referred to as ‘clay chips’. They have a unique feel and are fully customizable in both aesthetic and security. GPI also offers their famous Bud Jones chips. Bud Jones chips were the first injected molded chips on the market, and have been a staple in the gaming industry for over 40 years. Prized for their handling and durability, they can be recognized by their smooth surface and bright colors. Weighing between 8.3 and 12.3 grams with a beveled edge, Bud Jones chips are also customizable and offer a range of security features. Recently, GPI also acquired French poker chips manufacturer Bourgongne et Gressel, the European leader in casino chip supply for the last 80 years.
More on GPI can be found at http://www.gpigaming.com
 | GPI recently acquired the entire line of legendary Paulson and Bud Jones Chips. The Paulson Top Hat and Cane, shown left, is what epitomizes poker chips for most card players. |
Merchant Ambassador
Merchant Ambassador is more of what you’d expect in the modern poker market than it’s competitors that we’ve already discussed. MA is an importer who’s directive is to source Chinese goods for North American consumption. They began as a successful trading company in Calgary, Alberta and have grown into the kind of operation that would give Lou Dobbs a migraine. MA does not deal specifically in poker chip manufacturing, they also import a number of products such as textiles, toys, cases, furnishings and more. They are made up of a dynamic management team who all have international experience with some of the world’s biggest brands including fast food juggernauts, oil giants and even the NBA. Their mission statement is to bring Asian goods to Western markets, plain and simple. They make no effort to disguise this, and pride themselves at being quite good at it. Given their competitors, clearly there is a niche for MA to fill in the poker chip market. Knockoff, low-cost chips are just as practical for the home game, and upper-end ceramic chips are very expensive. You’ve likely seen some of MA’s 11.5g composite chips, possibly even with Phil Hellmuth Jr’s face on the box.
R.T Plastics
With over 20 years experience in the manufacture of both home and casino chips, RTP has become the largest domestic supplier of chips in many categories in the US. They have a very modern facility located in Las Vegas, NV and differentiate themselves by offering a high quality product with very little time from order to fulfillment. Even complex orders can be filled within 10 days plus shipping. They offer about a dozen attractive designs made using an injection molding process. With custom labels, RTP offers chips for about .79 each.
RT Plastics designs are available through the Gambler’s General Store.
T.R King Company
TR King has been manufacturing gaming products in the US since 1922. They offer a select range of designs and qualities for both casino and home use. Unique to TR King’s process is an emphasis on a hand made product. The chips at TRK are made the old fashioned way, hand pressed in a fifteen cavity mold and turned on a bed lathe for consistency. Each chip is hand scraped, hand polished and inspected to ensure a quality product. TRK chips have a non-slip linen texture and can be ordered with designer graphics in 20 custom colors.
This company only offers a few styles of poker chip, as their manufacturing process is true to the old ways of making chips. TRK chips can be had from about .85 to $1.15 per chip depending on design and spotting.
T.R. King is based out of Los Angeles, CA and has their own web presence at www.trking.com.
 | While the edgespots may be reminiscent of other high quality poker chips, TR King's mold designs have a remarkable subtlety that suits their emphasis on hand craftmanship perfectly. |
United States Playing Card Company
The United States Playing Card Company owns the most recognized premier brands of playing cards in the world including Bee, Bicycle, Aviator and Hoyle. Bicycle have been the best selling playing card brand in the world for over 100 years. The USPCC is a privately held company based in Cincinnati, OH since 1867. With a rich history in the art of their playing cards and in their service to troops and POWs in every major war, it is no wonder they are the household name in gaming products. Changing hands a number of times in the late 60’s, a new chapter is being written in an already robust lifespan, as recent internal moves have allowed the ownership of this giant to return completely to it’s native Cincinnati. They are also the current manufacturer of a full line of poker chip products bearing the official moniker of the World Poker Tour. Their products are available in practically every conceivable marketplace, from airports to shopping malls.
You can learn more about the United States Playing Card Company online at www.usplayingcard.com.
You cannot deny that the United States Playing Card Company has woven it's way into American culture. It's brands have been in practically every home, store and military base in North America for the last century. Renowned for the quality of their playing cards, USPCC is now the official manufacturer of products for the World Poker Tour.
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How are most chips made?
Injection Molded vs. Compression Molded
There are two methods of manufacturing high-quality chips that most companies use, compression molding or the more common injection molding.
Basically, injection molding means that the material is squirted into a mold through a needle of sorts. This process can be done extremely quickly and cheaply. The only marks that should result from the construction process will be a small dimple in the chip face on one side, usually on the leading edge of the inlay area. This tiny marking is a reminder of where the mold was filled. If a chip is well made, you’d need to be looking for this to notice it. Practically all composite 8.5g and 11.5g chips are made this way. Even some very high-end chips are also made from injection molding, as use of a label or screen can further disguise the injection dimple.
Compression molding achieves the same goal, but with some benefits. During the process, the material is not injected into the mold, but rather the mold is forced around the material at a high heat and pressure. A lump of of matter is squished into a mold, and the mold design is stamped in the chip as it all goes down. Composite or clay material is compressed inside the mold at a greater volume than would be possible under normal conditions. When cooled, the ceramic material is denser and harder that it would normally be, providing strength and durability. Furthermore, edges can be sanded and polished to remove any evidence of the process. Most high-end chips are made through a compression molding process.
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Clay vs. Composite - The Great Myth of Clay Chips
There is a belief among home chip buyers today that if it’s not clay, it’s not the best. Let’s debunk that notion once and for all. Truth be told, most casinos haven’t used true clay chips for over 75 years. Composite materials have been developed to provide more strength, durability, handling and allow for the most vivid screening and labelling. Most chips in the market, yes; even the ‘clay’ ones are composite chips. Composite is not some dirty word that merchants use to deceive customers. Not all composites are created equal and if you’re getting a chip for a price that is significantly less than you’d expect, you’re likely not going to get the quality you’d expect either. That is, unless it ‘fell’ off the back of a truck. When choosing poker chips, remember that clay is a common substance that is found in a lot of places in the ground. It’s not exceptionally valuable, why people seem to believe that it is in a poker chips is beyond me. Clay is not gold or silver. Composites are developed by chemists to provide a better substance for whatever end, for casinos and high end chip manufacturers, this end is to make the all around best chip possible. Don’t be turned off by a set of chips purely because they are made of a ‘composite material’. Pure clay is not commonly used to manufacture poker chips by most companies simply because new composites better fit the bill for everyone. If you must have pure 100% out of the earth clay chips, you can get them, but you are not necessarily getting a superior product for the price.
That said, the chips that are advertised as clay or said to have more of a clay-feel than their low cost counterparts do have a more organic texture than the ABS plastic chips. Just as there is a range of poker chips, there are a range of composites of different prices, different feels and even different densities. The more ‘clay-like’ the better, but the goal is not to create a clay chip out of an engineered material, it’s to create a BETTER chip than one that could be possibly made of pure clay.
Most casinos have shed pure clay chips in favor of cutting edge composites, but not all composites are created equal as evident by the range of 'clay' chips above. When shopping for your poker chip set, don't be obsessed with a pure-clay chip, many of the finest and most economical chips are made of materials that are nothing short of ideal. Some would say that clay has had its day, others believe that the classics never die.
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