If you’ve ever tried your hand at poker, you’ll be familiar with poker chips—the small, flat, round discs used in casino table games to symbolize different values of money. Players leverage the poker chips’ value to place bets in a game or tournament.

Whoever has the best poker hand (or can convince others to fold) wins the pot of chips.

Why use chips instead of money? For starters, it’s easier to break them into smaller casino chip denominations (one $20 bill can be converted into 20 $1 chips), and it’s quicker to count each other’s stacks during the heat of the action.

Learn more about the history of chips below—how best to handle them and the different types of chips used in poker.

The History of Poker Chips

The history of poker chips begins with the use of game tokens in 17th- and 18th-century European card games like Ombre and Quadrille. These sets featured several counters, known as jetons, fiches, and mils.

Unlike today’s poker chips, these counters were primarily differentiated by shape and color to identify ownership, rather than by monetary value.

In the early 19th century, poker players used jagged gold pieces, gold dust, coins, or makeshift “chips” crafted from ivory, bone, wood, and paper. Eventually, companies began producing clay composite poker chips during the 1880s, ushering in the modern era of poker tokens. You can explore more about the history of poker chips and how they evolved alongside the game itself.

Why Casinos Still Use Chips Instead of Cash

The reasons why casinos use chips instead of cash are multiple. First, there’s the atmosphere they generate. Nothing says “casino” and “poker” more than a stack of chips. Second, there’s the convenience. Who wants to play poker while having to deal with fistfuls of money? 

From a practical standpoint, too, casinos find it easier to store and manage chips than cash. They take up less space than stacks of bills when stacked, so they’re easier to count and transport. Using chips also helps casinos track their cash flow better, and it’s more straightforward to deal with when players run out of poker chips.

The Materials Used To Make Poker Chips

It makes a difference how poker chips are made. Today’s clay composite chips are far more durable than early versions. They are often crafted from composite materials, sometimes incorporating metal or plastic. Earthen materials like sand or chalk may also be present, but the exact composition remains a trade secret unique to each manufacturer.

Rather than painted inserts, chip edge spots are made by carving out parts of the base clay and filling them with colored clay.

In the mid-1980s, ceramic poker chips gained popularity. Their advantage lies in the ability to print full-surface graphics and text on them, unlike clay chips that primarily feature inlays.

The Different Types of Poker Chips

Whether you’re playing poker like a pro or content with a home game of Five Card Draw, poker chips are the heart of the game. Here are the most common types of poker chips you’ll encounter.

Casino Chips

Casino chips are the most familiar type. Each chip has a monetary value printed on it and is accepted as a direct substitute for cash within the casino.

Some casinos, particularly large chains, may accept chips from their sister properties, but in general, chips are only valid at the issuing casino.

If you’re starting your own home games, you might also want to know how many poker chips you need to run a smooth and organized event.

Tournament Chips

Poker tournaments often use custom tournament chips that are only valid for that specific event. These chips have no direct cash value. Instead, players receive a starting stack based on the tournament buy-in.

For example, a $100 buy-in tournament may provide each participant with 10,000 tournament chips. Managing your stack properly throughout the tournament is critical for success.

Color-Based Poker Chips

Poker chip colors help players and dealers quickly recognize different denominations during a game. This system is used across both live dealer casino games and online casino games.

Having standardized color schemes makes gameplay faster and helps prevent errors at the table.

Home Game Chips

For poker home games, you can use anything you want to represent monetary values, even matches, but most guests will appreciate a decent set of casino chip denominations that clearly represent how much each chip is worth. It just makes for better gameplay when players can easily see the colors of different-value poker chips. 

Affordable composite chip sets are readily available at major retailers. If you’re looking to create a VIP atmosphere, consider ordering deluxe custom poker chip materials.

Poker Chip Values and Colors

The most common color-value assignments in US casinos include (in US dollar denominations):

• White: 1
• Red: 5
• Green: 25
• Blue: 50
• Black: 100
• Purple: 500
• Orange/ Yellow: 1,000 or 5,000, depending on the property

It is important to keep in mind that these values can vary by casino.

How To Tell Genuine Poker Chips from Fakes

Poker chip authenticity provides a sense of security that enables players to get on with the game without worrying if they’re being short-changed. Pay attention to details such as the quality of materials, inconsistent design, and unusual weight. In a casino, it’s a dead giveaway if chips lack security features such as UV markings, RFID tags, or holograms.

Tips for Handling Poker Chips

Poker chips are designed for functionality and efficiency, but how you manage them at the table also matters. Here are some essential dos and don’ts based on standard poker etiquette:

• Keep them in organized stacks: This makes chip counting and poker bankroll management easier.
• Place chips behind the betting line: Avoid accidental bets.
• Don’t mix denominations within stacks: Prevent confusion during hands.
• Don’t splash the pot: Place your bets neatly to avoid misunderstanding.
• Avoid fiddling: Holding chips too tightly or playing with them can become an obvious tell that skilled opponents will notice.

Speaking of tells, if you want to sharpen your poker instincts, learning how to tell when someone’s bluffing in Texas Hold’em could give you an edge at the tables.

Different Chip Tricks Used at the Poker Table

Many players love showing off their chip-handling skills at the table. One of the most iconic types of poker chip tricks is riffling — placing two stacks side by side and weaving them together using just your fingers.

Other popular tricks include chip twirls and single-chip spins, but be careful, as they can also reveal nervousness or tension. Mastering a few tricks can add a touch of flair to your poker persona; just make sure they don’t become tells.

Play Poker Online at BetMGM

Today, virtual chips make it easy to play poker with real money online. Get started with an online poker welcome bonus at BetMGM to enjoy a broad range of poker formats and variations. Meet like-minded players over a game of Texas Hold’em, Omaha poker, Seven Card Stud, and more.