Clay Poker Chip Set Review
So, you've heard a lot about clay poker chips, but are they really all they're cracked up to be? Before you buy that clay poker chip set, you need to know what to look for in a professional set of chips. Let's take a look at the major characteristics of this kind of chip, what you should watch for, and what things to avoid. Here's everything you need to know.
A clay poker chip set is easy to handle, comes with an attractive design, and is made to durable. But which one should you choose? After all, these chips come in weights from eight and a half grams up to thirteen and a half grams, and come in sets ranging between a hundred and a thousand chips. They can also be pretty expensive, but their molded in design prevents cheating, an important consideration for professional players and for casinos.
Clay chips are made only partially from clay. The rest is usually sand or chalk, producing a more durable chip than clay alone. Each brand has its own formula for producing chips, and some are better than others. These formulas are all carefully protected, however, and are generally considered trade secrets. No company's poker chips are going to be exactly like the ones produced by another brand.
The design for a good professional poker chip is baked right into the chip using colored clays rather than paint or printing. The design is actually part of the poker chip itself. That means that it can't peel off, get scratched, or otherwise be damaged without causing damage to the whole chip. This is what keeps people from making their own chip designs and substituting them for the real thing in serious games.
Most brand new examples of a clay poker chip set have a rough feeling surface. They may have jagged edges or feel uneven. If you get chips like this, don't make the mistake of thinking that they're defective. This is how all good quality clay poker chips are when you take them out of the packaging. In casinos, these edges wear down quickly, creating a smooth, pleasant feel. It can take longer for a clay poker chip set used at home to get as smooth as one in a casino. After all, it's not going to get handled quite as often.
Unlike plastic or some other types of chip, clay poker chips don't slide or tip over when stacked. They're also comfortable to hold, and have a pleasant weight to them that reminds you that they're representing real money. Add in their strength and durability, and you'll soon see what a clay chip set is a good investment for anyone who wants to play seriously. Even if you're only playing practice games, it's a good idea for professional players to use the same kind of chips every single time.
You may also see ceramic or clay-feel chips. These may both be referred to as clay chips, but they're not the same as the kind used in professional casinos. Resin chips made to act like clay can substitute in home games, since they're a lot more costly, but they won't work quite the same as the real thing. If you'd like to play in a tournament, or really take your poker seriously, there's no alternative to using clay chips.
The majority of professional poker chip sets will run about a dollar per chip. Some sets are higher and some are lower, but this average is a good way to tell if you're getting real clay, or if a poker chip set is over priced. Make sure you buy enough chips for your game, even if it seems expensive. After all, no one wants to run out of chips in the middle. Most games will require about a hundred chips per player, spread across all the colors.
Buying too few chips can make you look stingy, or make everyone sit and wait while you change smaller chips for larger ones to get enough. The inconvenience in front of the other players isn't worth it. Just invest in a few more chips, and let the game progress the way it should.
Smaller denominations (white $1.00 chips, red $5.00 chips, blue $10.00 chips and green $25.00 chips) are used a lot more often than the larger ones (black $100.00 chips and purple $500.00 chips). This means that most home games will want to concentrate on the lower end of the chip range. Only pros in high stakes games need a lot of the higher end chips, though it's fun and a good idea to have a few of them around, just in case a game starts reaching higher levels than usual.
Most people will choose eleven and a half gram clay poker chips, as these are comfortable, easy to hold, and have some heft without being heavy. However, it's up to individual preference which ones you use. The weight of your chips may affect the price. Professional brands with good reputations include Pro and Paulson clay poker chips. You can also choose to get a personalized set of chips with whatever design you'd like on them. Just remember that this might increase the price.
For the occasional poker player, clay chips probably aren't worth the money they cost. Casual players can get buy with clay-look resin or other cheaper types of poker chips, and still have a pretty good time. However, for anyone who's really serious about poker, they're worth it. They give you the feel of playing at the casino, and are a must for any kind of professional play. So, if you really take your poker seriously, check out all the options clay chips have to offer. You won't be sorry.
