“Ceramic” is often just a hard plastic, and tends to have printed graphics directly on it, as opposed to stamped or stickered. “China clay” means there’s no metal slug which makes a chip a little lighter, and feels like a more authentic casino piece. Most chips will have smooth edges though, and provided there aren’t any chipped off parts of the chips, these tend to stack up easier. “Flashing” refers to the etching around the edges, which gives the chip some traction, and is honestly fun to grind together while thinking out your next move. It’s more of a general catch-all term for higher quality, and something that will mimic the weight and feel of a real chip used by the biggest casinos. “Casino-quality” is something you’ll notice gets thrown around a lot, but doesn’t directly mean the exact type of chip you’ll see on a Vegas table (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing).

But this can be confusing for newcomers too. While marked chips mean there’s no mistaking the amount, unmarked allows you to set it at whatever you want and change it anytime. It really all depends on the skill level of your players and what you plan to be playing for.

It’s always better to round up and have more than you think you’ll need, just in case.ĭenominations: Some sets have marked dollar amounts, while others have numbers with no currency attached.

For an amateur tournament, a 300-500 chip set will cover 6-10 players no problem.

How many do I need? 36-50 chips should be enough for a small home game. What to Look for When Shopping for Poker Chips Poker chips are easily attainable, easy to use, and you don’t even need to be a high-roller to snag yourself a good set. If poker night is becoming a regular event for you and your crew, it’s probably time to invest in a good set of chips, and upgrade from using pennies, paperclips and nutshells to represent your winnings. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Professional poker set