The Poker Lab
Owner: @Hornet
Artist: @p5woody & Peter Franco
Manufacturer: CPC
Mold: Diamond Square
Showcase Thread: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/the-poker-lab-cpc-md-50-cash-set.71882/
Thoughts from the owner:
Since joining PCF, I had been resistant to creating a custom CPC set. It just seemed like a huge time investment, and because there were so many great sets out there, I questioned whether I really had something to add to the mix.
In 2019, I had been working with @Rhodeman77, @detroitdad, and @Perthmike on organizing a Paulson NAGB, which unfortunately was scuttled. But that led to the three of them strongly encouraging me to design a CPC custom set, offering their help of course. And then when the pandemic hit in early 2020, I found myself with a bit more free time than usual. Anyway, how could I say no to designing a custom set with help from a team that has designed some of the best customs on PCF?
I needed a theme for the set and quickly settled on science, which has always been an interest of mine. I soon decided that each of the denominations could represent a different scientific principle, phenomenon, or discovery. And @Perthmike made the interesting, yet challenging, suggestion that the base colors and spots could be chosen to physically represent the various concepts.
After running through more mockups than I can count, I settled on the following lineup: the $1 would represent electricity, the $5 nuclear energy, the $25 Newton’s laws of motion, the $100 a black hole, and the $500 DNA. The colors and spots were chosen for progression, but also to evoke the scientific concepts, some being more abstract than others. For example, the $5 evokes a (nuclear) explosion, the $25 Newton’s apple tree, and the $100 rays of light getting pulled into the black hole.
Next came the inlay design, which was by far the most challenging and time-consuming aspect of the project. I enlisted the great @p5woody to help with the inlay, and we quickly landed on the overall feel and layout for the design. Yet finding existing images on the internet for the various concepts that looked good on a poker chip and cohesive as a set was impossible. I wanted the inlay to have a parchment paper/Da Vinci sketch feel, and the only way to accomplish that would be through original artwork. The solution occurred to me during a conversation with my wife. My brother-in-law is an artist who used to do the graphics for video games, so he was experienced creating detailed art in a very small area. He agreed to help, although I’m confident he didn’t realize the amount of time that would be required. We went back and forth on the artwork for weeks. Drawing the black hole in a way that looked good on a poker chip was extraordinarily difficult, with more sketches eliminated than I can even remember. Although it took quite a bit of time, and certainly a lot of trial and error, ultimately I was thrilled with the inlay artwork that my brother in law created. Thank you, Peter!
Poker chips are meant to be used, and my critical test for this set was how it looks in play. In my opinion, the set as a whole flows together very well on the felt. I enjoy felting these chips more than my other chips, and the regulars in my weekly game seem to truly appreciate them as well.
In addition to the credited artists, @Rhodeman77, @detroitdad, and @Perthmike gave me a bunch of wise advice and encouragement along the way. My deepest gratitude goes to the three of you. I hope this set can inspire others on PCF the same way your sets and your advice inspired me.
Thoughts from the committee:
This set is definitely something different and unique! The old school technical drawing artwork depicting the various scientific themes is incredibly well done, especially considering the various scales of each depiction. Love the subtle incorporation of an equation into each design as well, and the red font for the denomination really helps to distinguish it from the rest of the design without detracting from the artwork. The clay lineup has very nice and a few unique color/spot combos with nice spot progression, and one can really see the thought that went into each clay/spot arrangement to tie it to the inlay artwork for the chip.
Set Denominations & Breakdown:
Quotes from the community:
"Fantastic! Top to bottom, everything about this set is great. Inlay art, the parchment look... Colors and mold." - @TheDuke
"Holy jesus these are amazing! I love the concept and the simplistic hand drawn look of the art. " - @buffalojim
"Man, I love the theme. Bravo! Color and edge spot combos are Amazing!" - @SuckoutKing
Owner: @Hornet
Artist: @p5woody & Peter Franco
Manufacturer: CPC
Mold: Diamond Square
Showcase Thread: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/the-poker-lab-cpc-md-50-cash-set.71882/
Thoughts from the owner:
Since joining PCF, I had been resistant to creating a custom CPC set. It just seemed like a huge time investment, and because there were so many great sets out there, I questioned whether I really had something to add to the mix.
In 2019, I had been working with @Rhodeman77, @detroitdad, and @Perthmike on organizing a Paulson NAGB, which unfortunately was scuttled. But that led to the three of them strongly encouraging me to design a CPC custom set, offering their help of course. And then when the pandemic hit in early 2020, I found myself with a bit more free time than usual. Anyway, how could I say no to designing a custom set with help from a team that has designed some of the best customs on PCF?
I needed a theme for the set and quickly settled on science, which has always been an interest of mine. I soon decided that each of the denominations could represent a different scientific principle, phenomenon, or discovery. And @Perthmike made the interesting, yet challenging, suggestion that the base colors and spots could be chosen to physically represent the various concepts.
After running through more mockups than I can count, I settled on the following lineup: the $1 would represent electricity, the $5 nuclear energy, the $25 Newton’s laws of motion, the $100 a black hole, and the $500 DNA. The colors and spots were chosen for progression, but also to evoke the scientific concepts, some being more abstract than others. For example, the $5 evokes a (nuclear) explosion, the $25 Newton’s apple tree, and the $100 rays of light getting pulled into the black hole.
Next came the inlay design, which was by far the most challenging and time-consuming aspect of the project. I enlisted the great @p5woody to help with the inlay, and we quickly landed on the overall feel and layout for the design. Yet finding existing images on the internet for the various concepts that looked good on a poker chip and cohesive as a set was impossible. I wanted the inlay to have a parchment paper/Da Vinci sketch feel, and the only way to accomplish that would be through original artwork. The solution occurred to me during a conversation with my wife. My brother-in-law is an artist who used to do the graphics for video games, so he was experienced creating detailed art in a very small area. He agreed to help, although I’m confident he didn’t realize the amount of time that would be required. We went back and forth on the artwork for weeks. Drawing the black hole in a way that looked good on a poker chip was extraordinarily difficult, with more sketches eliminated than I can even remember. Although it took quite a bit of time, and certainly a lot of trial and error, ultimately I was thrilled with the inlay artwork that my brother in law created. Thank you, Peter!
Poker chips are meant to be used, and my critical test for this set was how it looks in play. In my opinion, the set as a whole flows together very well on the felt. I enjoy felting these chips more than my other chips, and the regulars in my weekly game seem to truly appreciate them as well.
In addition to the credited artists, @Rhodeman77, @detroitdad, and @Perthmike gave me a bunch of wise advice and encouragement along the way. My deepest gratitude goes to the three of you. I hope this set can inspire others on PCF the same way your sets and your advice inspired me.
Thoughts from the committee:
This set is definitely something different and unique! The old school technical drawing artwork depicting the various scientific themes is incredibly well done, especially considering the various scales of each depiction. Love the subtle incorporation of an equation into each design as well, and the red font for the denomination really helps to distinguish it from the rest of the design without detracting from the artwork. The clay lineup has very nice and a few unique color/spot combos with nice spot progression, and one can really see the thought that went into each clay/spot arrangement to tie it to the inlay artwork for the chip.
Set Denominations & Breakdown:
- 300 x $1 – Dayglo Peacock 3DSA316 with Bright White/Dayglo Yellow spots
- 600 x $5 – Dayglo Tiger 4TA181418 with Gray/Dayglo Arc Yellow spots
- 200 x $25 – Dayglo Green 6A14 with Dayglo Pink/Retro Green spots
- 140 x $100 - Black 6QADS18 with Light Blue/Dayglo Peach/Dayglo Yellow/Retro Lavender spots
- 60 x $500 - Lavender 8D18 with Dayglo Pink/Dayglo Arc Yellow spots
Quotes from the community:
"Fantastic! Top to bottom, everything about this set is great. Inlay art, the parchment look... Colors and mold." - @TheDuke
"Holy jesus these are amazing! I love the concept and the simplistic hand drawn look of the art. " - @buffalojim
"Man, I love the theme. Bravo! Color and edge spot combos are Amazing!" - @SuckoutKing
