Poker Chips Value - Just How Much Are They Worth?

Two things dominate players’ minds at a poker table: the cards and the other players. But spare a thought for one other vital item found on the felt – the humble poker chip. You’ll throw them into the middle of the table without a thought about what they are, only briefly looking at them simply to count out your next bet.

So, what exactly are poker chips and where did they come from? And are their colors the same at a home cash game as they are at the World Series of Poker ? Keep on reading our guide and you’ll find out everything you need to know about these unappreciated staples of the poker table.

A Brief History of Casino Chips

Chips are now ubiquitous in casinos, plus their virtual forms are found in all online poker rooms. But where did the idea come from to use seemingly worthless tokens as a substitute for money? Well, they seem to have evolved from the counters used to play Ombre and Quadrille , card games played in Europe from the mid-1700s. These games used small tokens with varying values, which allowed players to know exactly how much they’d won or lost. Payments were then made after the game.

While poker has been around for decades, it wasn’t until the latter part of the 19 ^th century that they were used. Before this, various items were used while playing, ranging from small pieces of gold, through to cash. By the 1930s, clay poker chips were commonplace and used in many gambling establishments. Nowadays, they are not made from clay, but instead from a much more durable mixture of different materials.

What Are They Worth?

This is where things get a little complicated, as there’s no universal standard, meaning that their values vary not only by country or state, but sometimes by casino. For example, in Las Vegas – regarded as the gambling capital of the world – there’s no uniformity to colors. This means that one color might be worth $10 in one casino, but $100 in the casino next door.

The rarity and historical significance of certain of them, like those with unique color values or from noteworthy gaming events, can elevate their worth considerably, making some the most expensive casino ones ever traded.

On the other hand, casinos in New Jersey, the other gambling hotspot in the US, must all use the same-color, presumably to avoid confusing those visiting multiple casinos while they’re in Atlantic City.

Cash Game Chip Values

While there’s no worldwide uniformity regarding their colors, you’re most likely to encounter the following cash game chip values and colors:

·      White / Blue: $1

·      Red: $5

·      Green: $25

·      Black: $100

In high stakes games, the following common colors can also often be seen on the table:

·      Purple: $500

·      Yellow: $1,000

·      Dark Brown: $5,000

On a side note, before we continue to look at common values and colors, consider the blue one, which is now usually the lowest value on the table during a cash game. This hasn’t always been the case though, as during the 1800s it was commonly the most valuable one. This led to the term “blue chip” which is still regularly used today to describe a particularly valuable business.

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Common Values and Colors

You’ll find that colors vary much more in tournaments, so there’s even less uniformity in their distribution. Tournament ones don’t have cash values assigned to them, instead having token values, as tournaments don’t involve money changing hands between players. Instead, entrants battle each other to win all the chips and are then awarded an overall prize.

The World Series of Poker is the world’s most famous poker festival, so let’s take a look at the colors they use on their tables…

·      Green: 25

·      Black: 100

·      Light Blue: 500

·      Yellow: 1,000

·      Orange: 5,000

·      Dark Green: 25,000

·      Lavender: 100,000

·      Beige: 250,000

·      Oversized Red: 500,000

·      Oversized Yellow: 1,000,000

·      Oversized Purple: 5,000,000

Poker Chip Sizes

Just a quick word here on the sizes. Most of them are of a ‘standard’ size, typically measuring about 39mm in diameter. However, the dimensions can vary, particularly when it comes to special editions or custom designs tailored for specific games or events. If you’ve got your own poker set for home games, or if you’ve played poker in pretty much any casino, it’s likely that the ones you used were of this size.

As seen with the World Series of Poker, some are slightly larger. The oversized ones at the WSOP are actually about 5mm larger in diameter than normal ones, meaning that they have a diameter of approximately 44mm. This extra size is given to them to emphasize their huge value – having an oversized poker chip means that you’re probably one of the leaders in a tournament.

How Should Poker Chips Be Distributed?

It’s a common problem at home tournaments: how exactly should they be distributed at the beginning of a game? This really depends on the type of game you’re playing, however before you start handing them out, make sure you have a good selection of sizes. You’ll get this when you buy even the cheapest of poker kits from somewhere like Amazon.

You’ll then need to decide how fast you want your tournament to be. Want the game to last a while? If so, you should hand out around 3,000 chips to each player and combine this with an increase in the level every 30 minutes. Alternatively, you should hand out around 1,000 to each player and increase the level every 15 minutes if you want a faster game.

As you can see, the stack distribution for tournaments following traditional rules is this: give more if you want slower tournaments and less if you want the tournament to be faster. This can be combined with how often you boost the level.

Collectibles from historic games can fetch a high price, particularly if linked to notable events or figures.

Collecting poker chips, especially old or vintage ones from renowned casinos, is a popular hobby among enthusiasts. These collectors often spend significant amounts on these items, which can be valued much like rare art. One of the most popular subsections is casino and poker chips, especially if they’re from a particularly famous casino or time in history. Some are worth upwards of $100, while some very rare exhibits can fetch thousands!

Vintage ones, often acquired from defunct or legendary casinos, carry with them stories from the past, making them not just valuable in monetary terms but also as collectible historical artifacts.

If you want to see for yourself how much old ones can be worth, just look on eBay, where you’ll find absolutely loads of them for sale.