Whether you’re a novice or an experienced poker player—or if you just have an inquisitive mind—you’ve probably taken a careful look at poker chips and asked yourself how they are made.

Even though more and more players are opting to play poker online, many purists still enjoy the thrill and suspense of live poker, along with the opportunity to socialize with like-minded people. Regardless of whether you prefer online poker or live games, you may still wonder about poker chip values, how chips are made, the materials used, the variations in colors, why casinos use chips in the first place, and even how they prevent counterfeit chips from entering the floor.

Let’s explore some of these questions below.

Materials Used To Make Poker Chips

Old casino chips from back in the day (as far back as the late 1800s) were made from bone, wood, ivory, and even paper. Modern-day casino chips are a bit less exotic but far more uniform and practical.

Today, three of the most common materials used to make poker chips are clay, ceramic, and plastic. Clay and ceramic chips, known for their premium quality, are preferred by casinos for poker tournaments. Naturally, this doesn’t apply to online poker tournaments, where virtual chips replace physical ones.

Less common but highly collectible are metal chips, prized for their uniqueness. On a smaller scale, home players often opt for plastic chips, which are budget-friendly and widely available.

If you want to better understand chip selection for home games, take a look at the best home game poker chips.

How Poker Chips Are Made

Store-bought poker chips differ significantly from casino-grade chips—and for good reason. Casinos need to deter forgery, so their chips require different and highly secure manufacturing methods.

There are two primary production methods:

Compression Molding

Clay composite chips, like those used in professional poker rooms, are made using compression molding. The process involves:

• Heating the bottom part of the mold cavity.
• Placing a base-colored disc.
• Applying pressure with the top mold to ensure the clay mix fits perfectly into every crook and crevice.
• Inserting an inlay (such as the casino’s logo or chip denomination) before compression to create a central design.

Edge spots are formed when parts of the disc are cut away and replaced with different colored clay, allowing casinos to customize their chips for added security and branding.

Curious about what happens when players don’t manage their chips properly during a game? Find out what happens when you run out of poker chips.

Injection Molding

Injection molding is a faster, less complex method typically used for ceramic chips. These chips have a single base color, and designs are digitally printed directly onto the surface through dye sublimation.

This method allows for highly customized designs without need for separate inlays.

If you’re interested in all types of chips you might encounter, a comprehensive guide to the different poker chips covers them in depth.

Colors and Chip Values

Poker tournaments and cash games sometimes differ in how they assign chip values and colors. There’s no strict universal standard, so it’s vital to understand the color schemes at any game you join. Here’s a basic breakdown:

Common tournament chip values:

• Green: 25 chips
• Black: 100 chips
• Purple (or sometimes Pink or Blue): 500 chips
• Yellow: 1,000 chips
• Orange: 5,000 chips
• Dark Green: 25,000 chips

Common cash game chip values:

• White or Blue: $1
• Red: $5
• Green: $25
• Black: $100

Stakes in tournaments can be much higher than in cash games, so players should pay close attention to chip denominations. Hosting your own tournament? You’ll want to first understand how many poker chips you need for home games.

Why Do Casinos Use Chips?

Casinos insist on poker chips instead of cash for three key reasons:

• Security: Chips reduce the risk of theft during games, as they must be cashed out before exiting the casino.
• Branding: Chips are branded with the casino’s logo, reinforcing its image and marketing presence.
• Convenience: Chips speed up gameplay. Counting chips is faster and easier than handling cash during a hand.

Poker chips also provide a standardized experience, whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em, Omaha, or other variants.

How Do Casinos Prevent Counterfeit Chips?

Casinos implement sophisticated anti-counterfeiting measures, especially for high-value chips. These include:

• Unique weight specifications
• UV markings
• Serial numbers
• Holographic imagery
• Specific color codes
• Embedded RFID tags that track each chip’s location

These safeguards make counterfeit production nearly impossible, and any chip without the right embedded technology is easily flagged. Attempting to pass off fake chips is not only a losing proposition but also a serious crime.

You can also sharpen your behavior and avoid misunderstandings by brushing up on poker etiquette, whether you’re playing live or online.

Play Online Poker and Boost Your Bankroll With BetMGM

Now that you know how poker chips are made and why they matter, you’re better prepared to appreciate every game you join. Whether you’re planning a home tournament or ready to hit the virtual tables, you can play poker online anytime at BetMGM Poker.

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