Poker chip sets come in three main types of materials; ABS, compound and clay. There are also various set sizes from 100 to 1000 chips, as well as many design variations. If you are considering buying your own set of poker chips and are confused about which ones would be best for you, then you should read on. Let’s explore each of the types, and the benefits and disadvantages of each.
I’ll start by excluding the cheap plastic poker chips from the department store. I suppose you are already familiar with this and are looking for something a little more professional. They are made of thin plastic with small grooves at the edges in an attempt to get them together in a stack, usually come in red, white and blue and look nothing like you have ever seen in a casino.
True poker chip sets come with much thicker chips than the cheap ones and also much heavier ones. They have many different poker themed designs hepiqq com, with casino names like 4-aces, Double Royal Flush and High Roller. The graphics are very complex and interesting, representing images of everything from decks of cards to dice. Some do not have graphics, but only printed designs and different colors printed at the edges, aptly called “edge stitches”.
Most poker chip sets also have additional accessories, such as dealer dice and buttons, and come in aluminum or wooden cases. Aluminum cases in the past have had some problems due to the weight of the chips. For about 20 pounds, the stress was too much for them and they had trouble breaking hinges and handles. Most of the cases available today are strengthened and greatly improved over the former.
So now let’s talk about the chips that come in these poker chip sets. Here are the three types of materials that make up the chips and the advantages and disadvantages of each, so you can make an informed decision before purchasing.
ABS Chips: A hard compressed plastic that can take a lot of abuse. These chipsets are the cheapest, but usually the most colorful. Rigid plastic allows them to be printed much more easily than clay and can be hot stamped for customization or print the graphic images directly on the chip. The main advantage of this is that no chip labels are required to place a graphic image that can peel or scratch over time and use. To give them the highest weight that poker players prefer, a metal insert is molded into the chip. Most, if not all, of these chips are made in China and weigh about 11.5 grams.
Advantages – Longer durability and lower cost and can print graphics directly on the chip. They are ideal for customization.
Disadvantages – Plastic makes them slippery so that they don’t stack well. They tend to fall when you slide a stack over the table. The metal insert gives them a metallic ping sound when the chips hit each other so they don’t sound like the casino chips. They also have a very plastic feel and bounce more when they hit the table.
Uses – This is a great set of early poker chips or a nice and nice gift to look at. Their low cost also makes them great for big tournaments and charity events where you need a lot of chips.
Composite chips: A mixture of clay and plastic to reduce some of the disadvantages of ABS chips. The actual clay content is not disclosed by the manufacturers. They are usually more plastic than clay, but are still a step ahead and a little more expensive than ABS. They usually have graphic images printed on a label affixed to each chip. They also have a metal insert to give them the heaviest weight as before. Usually they are 11.5 grams in weight and made in China.
Advantages – Less slippery than ABS, so they pile better, but not as good as clay chips. They have colorful labels attached with some very interesting and attractive designs.
Disadvantages – Labels may peel off the edges if they get wet or in use. They can also be scratched over time. The metal insert causes the same ping sound as ABS.
Uses – Creates a great starter set of poker chips, as they are also reasonably inexpensive, especially at the low end, such as dice or suitable designs that do not have labels, but only edge designs printed on the chips.
Clay poker chips: This usually applies to sets of poker chips with a higher ratio of clay to plastic. There really is no pure sliver of clay as it would be very brittle.