The Ultimate Guide to Poker Chips
The weight, feel and sound of high quality poker chips can make all the difference for a good poker night. Here's a guide to all the different options.
The perfect poker chip…
- feels good in your hand
- has beautiful design
- makes a satisfying sound
- has good grip and is easy to move in stacks
- has good weight
- is durable and will last for many years
Stackable Currency
First and foremost: your poker chips have to be highly functional as stackable currency. You need to be able to see who has how much money in an instant and you need to be able to move stacks of chips with speed and ease. A quality set of poker chips is designed to be easy to read with clear colours and easily legible denominations. And it’s made from a material that has good friction, so it’s easy to move a stack of chips without chips spilling all over the table.
Style
But a high-quality set of poker chips is also more than just a gaming accessory; it’s a statement of sophistication and taste. You should feel a sense of pride and happiness each time you bring your chips to the table. The weight and feel of a well-made chip, the satisfying sound, and the elegant design all contribute to a sense of occasion. It’s a small luxury that brings a lot of pleasure every time you play.
Materials
Let’s look at the different materials used for poker chips today and why we choose hybrid ceramics for our first edition of poker chips!
Clay? When it comes to poker chips, everyone calls everything “clay”. But fact is that none of the chips made today contain any actual clay. No, not even “real clay” poker chips.
Plastic ("Clay")
Cheap sets are often advertised as “clay”, but are actually plastic, often with a metal slug inside for weight, sometimes with a sticker on top. They’re injection-molded and feel and sound like plastic. They are generally cheap, but the material is slippery and a bit frustrating to use. Expect your stacks to topple over at the lightest touch.
Examples: Dice, Monte Carlos, Bicycle
4-14g, NZD 0.10+
China Clay
These were engineered to look and feel similar to real clay casino chips. The material is made heavier by adding silicates and minerals to the mix, so no metal slug is needed. They have good friction, good weight and a pleasing sound, which makes them a solid option for a first set! They’ll wear down over the years and most sets have a bit of a chalky smell. But they’re reasonably priced and work well.
Example: Milanos
NZD 1,00+
"Real Clay"
Rolled from a clay-like mixture, then compression-molded under high heat and high pressure. They feel and sound great, but design possibilities are limited and the material is somewhat brittle. The biggest downside, however, is that they are incredibly expensive to produce and that there is only one manufacturer left in the world that sells to the general public. They wear with use, but occasionally you can get a used set that is still in good condition.
Examples: Paulson Casino Chips, Lang's Club Checks
8-9g, NZD 4.00+
Ceramic Poker Chips
These are the newest and most modern form of poker chips. They are made from a hard, dense polymer and have excellent durability, combined with perfect weight and fantastic sound.
Ceramic chips come with the best design possibilities of all. A print is infused into the surface of an injection-molded blank with a dye sublimation technique, meaning ink penetrates the material and fuses with it under heat, making it resistant to scratching or peeling. Only if you manage to break out a piece of the chip can you see the original colour of the underlying material. Ceramic chips are fast becoming the chip of choice for many casinos around the world.
Hybrid ceramic chips use intricate molds that leave space for a high quality printed label.
Example: Kiwi Crest Series
8.5-10g, NZD 2,00+
Most important Advice
But this is only our opinion here at Titan Poker Chips. - What really counts is your opinion! If you see a set you like - order a sample set! It’s the only way to see if they look, sound, and feel right in your hands!
