Building a cash set from casino chips. (1 Viewer)

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

The more I look at actual casino chips, the less I like the cheaper chips. (I had a earlier thread asking about CC and ceramics, I was not sure if these questions should be placed on that thread or a new thread started, I thought a new thread made more sense, but if I am wrong please let me know).

I am working on building a cash to play .05/.05 to to .25/.25 with family/friends. I have narrowed things down to either Majestic, CC Pharaoh's or Venerati chips if I buy new, but have noticed how people use casino chips in cash home games.

Most of what I have seen on eBay are either Paulsons or Chipco, with a few BCC. Are Bud Jones or others chips ever seen in quantity?

How often do .05 and .25 chips come up for sale?

From my understanding, buying $5 and $25 chips would be far easier than .05 and .25, but I don't mind hunting/waiting for opportunity to buy them (at around $1 a chip or less) as I would prefer the fractional chips.

I have also looked at buying a rack or two of $1 or $5 chips, then larger numbers of nondenom chips, such as the Paulson starbursts. Are there other nondenom chips that are common enough to do this?

Is there a way to figure out how many chips of a given casino or design there are/or likely to be on the market. Or are chips from a certain casino only available for a certain time before largely disappearing?

I will likely only be able to buy a rack or two depending on the price, around $100 at a time unless I waited several months to buy a large lot, as I have not seen any sets that have the chip distribution I am looking for.

Lastly, aside from eBay, the PCF classified and the chip exchange, where can you buy used chips in these quantities. Everything that I found is single chips, for collectors I assume.


Thank you for input.

 

[upNdown]

Casino nickels are goddamed rare. If you found some, I'd think you'd be looking at at least $350 per rack.
Spinetti's is a vendor on this site. Google them for their website - they're the best source of chips outside of this site's classifieds and eBay.
And go for it. Totally worth it.

 

[surferb]

$5 and $25 are workhorse denominations for casino chips - much more realistic to go that route. "Fractionals", typically $.50 or $.25 are somewhat available, but generally harder to find and more expensive. Casinos pay more than face value these days, so you won't see newer chips of that value. Actual nickle chips are probably much more rare/expensive...I have lots of quarters and no nickles in quantity.

 

[Psypher1000]

I don't mind hunting/waiting for opportunity to buy them (at around $1 a chip or less)

The odds of this happening are very low. Even cheap fracs are at $1.25/chip, and are usually much higher - and that's if you can find actual casino nickels at all. As a microstakes player and a man who has custom nickels made, I *highly* recommend going with $5 and $25 chips and dividing by 100.

Are there other nondenom chips that are common enough to do this?

Yes, particularly if you include roulettes.

 

[David O]

Well mixed casino sets are a great way to go. unfortunately you will not find very many .05 chips since they have been out of circulation for a long time. I am sure the casinos pay way more for a .05 chip even with no spots so the ROI would be very bad. This is another reason that you do not see many .25 cason chips either since they would also cost over one dollar to produce. Look at what CPC charges to produce a clay chip.

If you are looking at buying fracs the 05 would cost way more than your $1 per chip that you refer to and the same with the .25 fracs. I have several racks of .25 fracs and some of those are worth well over $2 per chip.

Another option for a frac is put you main set together and then buy a couple of THC or RHC roulette chips and have @Gear relabel them as fracs for you.

Finally if you are looking for racks of chips from a place other than FeeBay and PCF you should try contacting Mikko at Spinettis in Vegas,

Good Luck with your search and send me a pm if I can help

David O

 

[surferb]

Depending on your the other chips you play with, I like using President of New York (PNY) secondary $25s as quarters. They're heavy and sharp and can be had relatively cheap (large quantity produced). They are dark green...perhaps a bit complex depending on what you're using for higher denoms. They worked well for me with Terribles chips.

Then again, I have "graduated" to spending more money per chip for other fracs...

 

[Psypher1000]

Is there a way to figure out how many chips of a given casino or design there are/or likely to be on the market.

Not really, unless it was for one of the casinos that The Chip Room/The Chip Exchange bought their old stock and resold to us. In those cases they will sometimes disclose the breakdown of the chips they purchased once the glut of the chips have been sold. Other than that, we're just guessing.

 

[surferb]

+1 for @gearlabel. Start with cheap starburst solid Paulsons and use custom labels (stickers). You'll get way better bang for your buck. These days casino chips are expensive.

 

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

Ok... So by fractional chips, bad idea, at least for those of us of limited means.

So I suppose the next question is to figure out only many I need in each denom, $5, $25, and $100.

I have noticed that when you get away from $5 and $25 that the price goes up, such as with $100's or $500's.

 

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

The odds of this happening are very low. Even cheap fracs are at $1.25/chip, and are usually much higher - and that's if you can find actual casino nickels at all. As a microstakes player and a man who has custom nickels made, I *highly* recommend going with $5 and $25 chips and dividing by 100.


Yes, particularly if you include roulettes.

So roulettes are the same size as poker chips. Most of the ones I have seen (not many, btw) have letters on them, but no denomination, is that common.

 

[David O]

So roulettes are the same size as poker chips. Most of the ones I have seen (not many, btw) have letters on them, but no denomination, is that common.

Yes they are the same size if they are on the RHC or THC mold. And yes they do have numbers on them.

David O

 

[Psypher1000]

Ok... So by fractional chips, bad idea, at least for those of us of limited means.

So I suppose the next question is to figure out only many I need in each denom, $5, $25, and $100.

I have noticed that when you get away from $5 and $25 that the price goes up, such as with $100's or $500's.

For a single table, you probably won't need more than 600 chips. $100's and up do start to get costly, but are manageable. At your stakes it sounds like you won't need more than a barrel of $500's.

Without knowing more about your game and how your crew plays, a basic breakdown might look something like this:

100x $5
200x $25
180x $100
20x $500

If you can't swing the 180 $100's, you might also be able to just do 80 of them and buy two more racks of $25s. Just depends on how your game plays, really.

 

[mummel]

7/0 inline circle Gama FTW!!!

 

[Psypher1000]

One other thing I'd like you to consider is the growth of your game and/inflation. Eventually your smallest preferred denom is going to be a quarter rather than a nickel, at which point your breakdown will need to change a bit. Going with casino $5s and $25s as fracs becomes less of a good idea at that point. If you're putting this set together as a rental or temporary set, then full speed ahead. If you're expecting to use this for more than five years, though, I might consider going a different route since expanding into higher demons will become extremely pricey, if not impossible/entirely impractical.

 

[Psypher1000]

7/0 inline circle Gama FTW!!!

Not recommended for fracs, though - they don't stack well, and their sharp edges are unforgiving.

 

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

Mo

For a single table, you probably won't need more than 600 chips. $100's and up do start to get costly, but are manageable. At your stakes it sounds like you won't need more than a barrel of $500's.

Without knowing more about your game and how your crew plays, a basic breakdown might look something like this:

100x $5
200x $25
180x $100
20x $500

If you can't swing the 180 $100's, you might also be able to just do 80 of them and buy two more racks of $25s. Just depends on how your game plays, really.

Most of the people I play with are loose/passive, with a few tight/passive, and one maniaic who is really the only one who bets aggressively aside from myself.

Of course I hope that changes to some degree as they get better and learn to play solid poker.

My main concern is that they have enough chips I absolute numbers, rather than number of BB's that they bet the ' correct' amount or aren't scared out of posts because their stack is smaller even though they still have plenty of BB in front of them.

I have plaid a few 'test' games with my Mint chips I think it works better with more $5s, like 50 or 60, and then the rest in 25's for a $5 buy-in. They tend to use the 25's only in bigger pots, but they let the 5s go freely.


All that being said, I am sure they can adapt. Doing it the way I teat will nessissitate 300 or so $5's for a 8 person table at $5 buy ins. That's not a problem for me at $40 a rack, but it might be at $100 plus a rack.

 

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

So i

One other thing I'd like you to consider is the growth of your game and/inflation. Eventually your smallest preferred denom is going to be a quarter rather than a nickel, at which point your breakdown will need to change a bit. Going with casino $5s and $25s as fracs becomes less of a good idea at that point. If you're putting this set together as a rental or temporary set, then full speed ahead. If you're expecting to use this for more than five years, though, I might consider going a different route since expanding into higher demons will become extremely pricey, if not impossible/entirely impractical.

So either two sets, a 5¢ microset, then another for .25 and up...

So the alternatives would be custom CPC, ceramics or back to cheaper chips like the Milanos or venerati.

At this point I don't really see paying $150 a rack for custom Clay's, although I could probably pay .75 for ceramics.

I need to get some ceramics and 20 or so Paulson's to test out. I donr't. Think I'm gonna like the higher pitch of the ceramics.

 

[churlbut18]

Another option is the Key West roulette chips. Going from memory, but I think they were selling around $1.32 ea. Slightly over your $100 budget per purchase, but they would be less than $140 per rack shipped, so after 6-8 months you'd have compiled a playable set.

Pros:
- real casino clay chips
- likely available most times (depending on stock)
- historical H mold
- a bunch of colors to choose from (7-8)
- no cash value so you can get your nickel now or change the values as inflation happens
- brand new, sharp edges
- all denoms would have matching inlay
- you can continue to add on over time

Yes, it's a small investment, but one you'd be happy with and would last you.

Key West is also a vendor on this forum. Contact @dennis63 if interested or check them out in the marketplace.

 

[chkmte]

Found this for you. https://www.ebay.com/itm/401084613386

 

[upNdown]

Found this for you. https://www.ebay.com/itm/401084613386

Wow, those things came all the way from Cairo? I wonder if that casino was near the pyramids?

 

[brains613]

Wow, those things came all the way from Cairo? I wonder if that casino was near the pyramids?

That "description" is "painful" to READ. Also, that EMBOSSED "logo" is CALLLED an "ANKH".

 

[chkmte]

Wow, those things came all the way from Cairo? I wonder if that casino was near the pyramids?

I think the casino was probably in the pyramids.

 

[upNdown]

That "description" is "painful" to READ. Also, that EMBOSSED "logo" is CALLLED an "ANKH".

Ha!
FYI, OP, those chips are made from "China clay" which is much more "plastic" than "Clay" and they're certainly not from any actual "casino."

 

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

Ha!
FYI, OP, those chips are made from "China clay" which is much more "plastic" than "Clay" and they're certainly not from any actual "casino."

I thought that. I like that set, just not the chip distribution.

Plus I really think I want some top quality chips.

 

[jazzV3]

You may want to reconsider a ceramic set to start out.

I have purchased a cash game set of Veneratis from Sidepot (.25 chips are out of stock, and no .05 or .50 chips. Three non-denom options). Cost is .39/chip.
Also have a cash game set of Bold Class Ceramics (this set offers both .25 and .50 chips) from Palm Gaming. Cost was roughly .55-.59 per chip.

Both are very playable and no issues with the sound of chips splashing in the pot.

Another consideration..... BOARDWALK chips. Ceramic Hybrids.
There's a Group Buy brewing now and the Boardwalk set offers both nickels and quarters. Cost is approx .55/chip.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/interest-in-2nd-boardwalk-gb.18244/

 

[XBobdog]

Another option could be the Bud Jones Condado Plaza chips that The Chip Vault is selling. (Chip Vault is a vendor at the bottom of the "forums" page) They are right at a dollar a chip. He is selling a 500 piece set with 10/20/100 denomination which works well when you divide by 100. You could add a rack of 5's for your nickels and you are set to go.

 

[Psypher1000]

I really think I want some top quality chips.

That's not a problem for me at $40 a rack, but it might be at $100 plus a rack.

These two statements are pretty much incongruous. The cheapest you're going to find top quality custom ceramics are about $80/rack with shipping included, and that's assuming you're placing an order around 1400-1600 chips through GOCC (I forget where their price break is). You can do OWPS ceramics in lesser quantities for that price, but they use a somewhat lesser-quality blank (IMO). You can do used Paulsons for around $80/rack with relative ease if you stick to $1's - $25's, but fracs or $100's are going to break that price point.

It's not that it can't be done, but you're either going to have to wait and hope you snag good deals here and there to do it OR loosen your standards OR loosen your wallet.

 

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

I lkke

You may want to reconsider a ceramic set to start out.

I have purchased a cash game set of Veneratis from Sidepot (.25 chips are out of stock, and no .05 or .50 chips. Three non-denom options). Cost is .39/chip.
Also have a cash game set of Bold Class Ceramics (this set offers both .25 and .50 chips) from Palm Gaming. Cost was roughly .55-.59 per chip.

Both are very playable and no issues with the sound of chips splashing in the pot.

Another consideration..... BOARDWALK chips. Ceramic Hybrids.
There's a Group Buy brewing now and the Boardwalk set offers both nickels and quarters. Cost is approx .55/chip.

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/interest-in-2nd-boardwalk-gb.18244/

I like both the Venerati and the boardwalk chips, they are currently my plan B, along with a few China Clay's.

 

[Mr.Gamakatsu]

Another option could be the Bud Jones Condado Plaza chips that The Chip Vault is selling. (Chip Vault is a vendor at the bottom of the "forums" page) They are right at a dollar a chip. He is selling a 500 piece set with 10/20/100 denomination which works well when you divide by 100. You could add a rack of 5's for your nickels and you are set to go.

I like several of the bud Jones chips, include those. Not sure what I want yet though.

Also that set is sold out, but they have others.

Thanks for the lead.

 

[codeman00]

This has been a great thread so I'm tagging along. I have thought about putting together a mixed high end set for the future...which is disturbing since I don't even have my new Majestic set assembled yet.

I wouldn't need a 5 cent chip...but I do need a lot of $0.25 chips for my current game. I chose Majestics because they are in my budget and all I have to do is order them. I'm not sure if you have bought a sample set yet, but they are pretty nice chips and a great upgrade from my dice chips. I had the question too of how I would find high end $0.25 chips for my set. This thread has answered this question and more.

That being said, I personally would rather have a full set of Majestics with the correct denomination on them than to be a factor of 10 or 100 off with high end set of chips. That's just my opinion. I always have to explain the value of my dice chips and one of my goals with my new set of chips is to never have to explain the denominations again!