Top Tips for Choosing Poker Chips

One thing you learn quickly when you play poker regularly, all poker chips are not created equally. If you educate yourself on the basics, you will be able to make an informed decision for buying a set of poker chips whether for yourself or as a great gift.

Humans have enjoyed games of chance for ages and an easy way was needed to keep track of winnings, hence the invention of the marker which has been made of a multitude of materials over the years from mud to wood to clay. With the invention of poker became the humble poker chip we use in the present. There are three main kinds of poker chips currently on the market today and most of these poker chips are made of plastic, clay composite, or metal composite.

The term "clay poker chip" is a misnomer for these chips. They are not made entirely of clay to begin with. Normally these poker chips are made from a polymer that may be mixed with a little clay. Clay poker chips are slightly thick and well-made. This poker chip is usually seen in better casinos and it's the poker chip of choice in movies. Most of those poker chips are made by the Paulson Company. Paulson does not make their poker chips available for individual sale and to buy these you'll have to find an authorized dealer for Paulson poker chips.

The history of the clay poker chip is an interesting one. Originally, there were poker chips that were made of clay and were used during the later part of the 1800's; however these poker chips became brittle with use and were broken easily, so the poker chips were redesigned to be clay-filled composites until the early 1900's. Then with the invention of a molding compound called "Plaskon", poker chips were made ever more sturdy and unlikely to break. The 1930's brought aesthetic additions such as gold and silver foil that was die-cut and applied to the chips to give them a unique appearance. When Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Casino, these were the types of poker chips that were used as it raised the security of the house having exclusive poker chips. Since the 1950's, it has been fashionable for casinos to use poker chips that have exclusive dots and logo designs. These poker chips are designed to not only look great, it brings a measure of security to the casino as these poker chips are less likely to be copied. Atlantic Standard Molding (ASM) makes a huge number of the custom designed poker chips. If you're wanting a set that is exclusive to your individual home game, you'll want to have your own set designed.

Clay composite chips are an excellent choice if you want to choose a poker chip that will give your games a casino feel or you want to have some exclusive poker chips designed to promote your business. Even if you purchase these chips just for fun; these are the most popular types of poker chips in existence today.

Metal composite poker chips are another commonly used chip for serious home players. They are heavy chips and can even be customized with a metal stamp and most of these poker chips are made with a plastic ring around the metal. The majority of metal composite poker chips are manufactured in China and Taiwan. The quality of these poker chips can vary from each manufacturer; if you are considering getting a quantity of metal poker chips; ask for samples so you cannot only see the quality of the poker chips but feel the poker chips as well. It's a good way make a decision about the poker chips you intend to buy.

Nexgen poker chips are the best of both worlds. They are a combination of the great look of a clay composite poker chip with a metal insert to give them more weight. These slightly heavier poker chips are fast becoming the Cadillac of the poker playing world.

Plastic poker chips are the most easily available poker chips and they are the first poker chip that nearly everyone started out playing. Plastic poker chips are economical and can be bought at toy stores, hobby shops and even larger supermarkets. Plastic poker chips are easily damaged and prone to scratch and break if not stored properly in their case. If you're looking to purchase your very first set of poker chips or you're new to playing poker, plastic may be an affordable way to have a set of poker chips. When you get more seriously involved and start having regular games of poker, then upgrade your poker chips to a better set such as clay or metal composite types.

Use these tips and whether it's your first set of poker chips or your tenth, you can pick the best set of chips for your next game.
 posted by My Poker Room Supplies