How many poker chips do I need?  

The number of poker chips needed really depends on the number of people playing in your game.  Most experts suggest a minimum of 35 chips per person.  However, a generally accepted guideline is to have between 50 and 100 chips per person.    The following list is a suggested guideline to use when shopping for poker chips and poker chip sets. 

Remember, you can never have too many poker chips.  You do not want to run short of poker chips during the big game.  Generally, the better the quality of the poker chips and poker chip set, the longer they will last.  You get what you pay for.  So, consider buying the best poker chips or poker chip set your budget will allow.  

Poker Chip Denominations 

Lower-end poker chip sets will often have only four colors - White, Red, Green and Black.  However, the most common poker chip sets for home games will generally have five colors – White, Red, Blue, Green, and Black.   

Types of Poker Chips  

When shopping for poker chips and poker chip sets you will typically find 4 types of poker chips – Casino Quality Poker Chips, Clay Poker Chips, Composite Poker Chips, and the economical Plastic Poker Chips.  

Casino Quality Poker Chips  

Simply the standard in the world of poker chips.  Casino poker chips are usually made with a synthetic polymer acrylic composite with a laminated or metal inlay.  The unique composition of casino chips makes them very difficult for other people to counterfeit.  Casino chips usually weigh between 10 and 10.5 grams, but the weight can vary.  Retailers rarely have real casino quality poker chips.  The best way to get them is to buy them at face value directly from the casinos.  Much like coin collecting, collecting real casino chips is becoming more and more popular.  In particular casino chip collectors look for discontinued and rare chips.  

Clay Poker Chips  

Clay poker chips are expensive and difficult to find due to their limited supply.  While clay poker chips have the same feel as casino poker chips, they do not have the same security features. Clay poker chips make the same sound as casino poker chips when the clack together.  With a starting weight of around 9 grams, clay poker chip sets are typically lighter than casino poker chips and clay composite poker chips. However, what is generally referred to as a Clay poker chip today is really a clay composite poker chip.     

Clay Composite Poker Chips are the poker chips the home player looks for when they get serious about playing poker.  Clay composite poker chip sets are made with a clay mold and metal insert to increase the weight of the chip. They typically weigh between 11.5 grams and 13.5 grams.  Clay composite poker chips have greater durability and will last a lot longer than clay poker chips. You will find an example of a popular clay composite chip known as the Las Vegas style under Clay Poker Chip Set.

Composite Poker Chips  

Composite poker chips are made of a composite resin and a metal insert to give them the feel of casino chips.  Generally weighing between 8 grams and 11.5 grams.  Do not confuse these chips with Clay composite poker chips.  Composite chips make a clinking sound when they bang together.  These poker chips are a very durable, more economical choice for the entry-level poker player or for somebody with a limited budget. Our 11.5 gram Poker Chip Sets come in three different designs - "Suited", "Dice", and "Super Diamond".

Plastic Poker Chips

Plastic Poker Chips are the most economical choice for the new player on a very limited budget.  Plastic chips can be found just about anywhere and range in weight from less than 5 grams to 9 grams.  These chips are easily damaged and lost and don't offer much in the way of security.  If you are looking for extremely cheap poker chips we suggest you look at your local toy store.  However, if you are looking for a higher quality Cheap Poker Chip Set  then you need to see our 5 gram Poker Chip Sets or our 9 gram Poker Chip Sets.  

A Word About Poker Chip Cases

It is essential to protect your investment in quality poker chips with a high quality poker chip case.  Your poker chip case should have room for a minimum of two decks of playing cards and a dealer button.  Poker Chip Cases come in several price ranges and are made in many different styles and materials.  The most common poker chip cases on the market today are the Aluminum Poker Chip Cases and the Wood Poker Chip Cases.  However, you will also find vinyl poker chip cases and plastic poker chip cases.  When choosing your case we recommend looking for a poker chip case with solid construction and quality materials.  With Aluminum Poker Chip Cases we recommend that you look for cases constructed with aircraft grade aluminum, rounded corners and edges, heavy duty hinges, and a strong handle preferably double riveted to the case.  In the case of Wood Poker Chip Cases we suggest that you look for cases made of solid wood construction, solid brass fixtures, heavy duty handle and hinges, and well designed removable poker chip trays.  Remember, you get what you pay for.  A good quality poker chip case will cost more, but it will last for years.

Most poker chip retailers offer complete sets of poker chips including the poker chip case, playing cards, casino style dice, and a dealer button.  Generally, you will find the option to purchase the same poker chip set with either an aluminum poker chip case or a wood poker chip case.  Poker Chip Sets commonly come in 300pc poker sets, 400 piece chip sets, 500pc sets of chips, and 1000 piece sets.