The game of poker is a great way to pass the time. In this article, we’re going to talk about some of the equipment. One of the obvious things you need to play poker are cards and poker chips. There are several types of chips solid today, from cheap plastic ones to casino-quality clay and ceramic chips.
Poker is an original American game, invented some time in the 19th century. However, poker got its first big break in the 1970s when the first tournaments were introduced and became a casino mainstay. In the early 2000s, the poker boom saw it become increasingly popular worldwide due to televised games and online games.
The game itself has several variations, but the equipment is the same: a deck of cards and a set of poker chips.
What kinds of poker chips are available?
Most poker chips made today are of four common types of chips: plastic, composite, ceramic, and clay chips. Plastic is the cheapest.
Of the two, ceramic is a good combination of durability and cost. Ceramic chips were introduced as an alternative to clay chips as they were more durable than clay poker chips.
Ceramic Poker Chips, like clay chips, are casino grade poker chips. Many casinos use either clay or ceramic chips on their gaming floors. The graphics on ceramic chips are made as part of the chip, and they’re not a decal or label inlay as might be found on common plastic poker chips.
There are also imitation clay poker chips (usually plastic) for home games generally marketed Faux Clays, China Clays, or Super Diamonds.
Generally, these plastic chips are fine, especially if you want to afford a lot of chips for a relatively little amount of money. Some players might not like them, though, as they lack any striping, spotting or design. Basically, while there are plastic chips that are higher quality than the low-end “supermarket chips”, the high-quality chips are always either clay or ceramic.
What are the best poker chips?
If plastic chips are the low end, the high end is clay poker chips, and these are the most respected type of chips available on the market because of the touch and feel of these chips.
Trivia: Today, almost all clay chips are not actually 100% clay. Usually, they are made from a composition of clay mixed with other materials like chalk or sand. The reason is that clay by itself would be too soft and lead to brittle chips that might break with normal use.
What are the best ceramic poker chips?
While clay chips were originally the only casino-grade chips, ceramic chips were introduced as a more durable alternative to clay chips. Sometimes they’re referred to as “clay” or “clay composite”, but they are not actually made of clay. Ceramic chips are completely flat, and the image on the face of the ceramic chip stretches right to the edge of the chip. Ceramic chips are great for people looking to place high-quality graphics and larger graphics on their company’s chips.
Generally, the brands to look for include:
SurfsideCasino, Paradise Card Room, Chipco Egyptians, Poker Tour V (France), Turtle Creek Casino, Nine Dragons, Tournament Players Club, PCF, Busted Flush (customs), WSOP 2004 and 2005, in that order.
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