Hello from Finland! (1 Viewer)

[Ahven]

Hello PCF!

I stumbled upon this forum while researching what chips to buy (as many others have too, I noticed from the other threads).

The reason I ended up here, and have decided to stay, is because I'm building my own poker table for my homegames!

I decided that the dice chips aren't going to cut it for me anymore, after upgrading from the dinner table to a "real" table. So here I am.

I have now ordered my first few sample sets, and I hope that I can find something that suits me.

I would love to hear what you guys started out with and where you are right now, chip-wise, to get a sense of what I'm getting myself into.

My username originates from the place I live, the Åland Islands. It's a small archipelago between Finland and Sweden. Ahvenanmaa is the Finnish name for the Åland Islands, and 'ahven' means perch (the fish).

That's my story!

 

[Tommy]

@Ahven Welcome to PCF!

 

[mipevi]

Heippa affena!

 

[Eriks]

Welcome neighbor! (I live just north east of Stockholm)

 

[SSTB2213]

Welcome aboard! Currently, I only have a set of custom Tina’s, but that has scratched the itch for now.

 

[Fran]

Welcome to the community !

 

[mrplacey]

Välkommen!

 

[allforcharity]

Hello and welcome!

 

[KHarp1]

Welcome!

 

[Tonysquander]

Welcome to PCF!

 

[Kam]

Welcome!

Samples is the best idea. There’s chips I’ve loved the design of online, but once you see/feel them in person, it can be a bit ‘meh’. Then others are great, and more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better! I realize I tend to buy ridiculous sized sets over the years, when 400 will do, I’ll have a 1,000 please! There’s lots of threads and help on what size, quantity by denom etc. They are great for a guide.

My journey, started here 11.5g Dice:

To here 11.5g Bicycle:

To Nexgen Pro:

Then bought lots of samples, chinese Tina Hybrids, U.S ceramics:

Also bought a CPC sample color and mold set, initially thought I’d go with a custom CPC set:

And then I found the classifieds. It is a dangerous place. Don’t go there. I have bought, sold, traded and had live chips harvested from across the country to build this cash set. It’s a slow work in progress, will eventually relabel:

GL! Oh try and set a budget as well… if you can share how much total $$$ you’d like to spend and if it’s cash or tournament etc

 

[pogona90]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Ahven]

Welcome!

Samples is the best idea. There’s chips I’ve loved the design of online, but once you see/feel them in person, it can be a bit ‘meh’. Then others are great, and more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better! I realize I tend to buy ridiculous sized sets over the years, when 400 will do, I’ll have a 1,000 please! There’s lots of threads and help on what size, quantity by denom etc. They are great for a guide.

My journey, started here 11.5g Dice:

View attachment 1446602

To here 11.5g Bicycle:
View attachment 1446603

To Nexgen Pro:
View attachment 1446604

Then bought lots of samples, chinese Tina Hybrids, U.S ceramics:

View attachment 1446605

Also bought a CPC sample color and mold set, initially thought I’d go with a custom CPC set:
View attachment 1446606

And then I found the classifieds. It is a dangerous place. Don’t go there. I have bought, sold, traded and had live chips harvested from across the country to build this cash set. It’s a slow work in progress, will eventually relabel:

View attachment 1446607

GL! Oh try and set a budget as well… if you can share how much total $$$ you’d like to spend and if it’s cash or tournament etc

Thank you for sharing!

That is one amazing collection!

I have not gotten to the point where I have a set budget yet. I'm thinking that setting a budget will be something I'll think about when I'm more familiar with the available options (I have quite a lot to test and read before that hehe).

Optimally I'd like to have multiple sets for different occations. But that is definitely something that I'll have to aquire over time. And I'm in no kind of rush with anything, so I'll take my time and look at all the options, hopefully finding the perfect set/sets for me!

 

[Sway]

Welcome!

 

[mrplacey]

Thank you for sharing!

That is one amazing collection!

I have not gotten to the point where I have a set budget yet. I'm thinking that setting a budget will be something I'll think about when I'm more familiar with the available options (I have quite a lot to test and read before that hehe).

Optimally I'd like to have multiple sets for different occations. But that is definitely something that I'll have to aquire over time. And I'm in no kind of rush with anything, so I'll take my time and look at all the options, hopefully finding the perfect set/sets for me!

If you need samples, I've got a lot of different shuffle stacks lying around just waiting to be tested. Would happily send them your way, as I've also been done the same kindness from fellow forum legend @mipevi. Let me know via DM!

 

[slowplay]

Hello and welcome to the community!
I guess everyone's story's similar, dice chip don't cut it, you start searching for ways to customise, find PCF and then discover you actually need several different poker sets

 

[Ahven]

If you need samples, I've got a lot of different shuffle stacks lying around just waiting to be tested. Would happily send them your way, as I've also been done the same kindness from fellow forum legend @mipevi. Let me know via DM!

Thank you for the offer!

I'll gladly accept that offer. But unfortunately I'm unable to DM currently. I'll reach out to you when I've unlocked DM's!

 

[mipevi]

@Ahven let’s try to get that post count up LOL.

What kind of poker table are you building? Still time for feedback?

 

[Just1Better]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Ahven]

@Ahven let’s try to get that post count up LOL.

What kind of poker table are you building? Still time for feedback?

Hehe!

Basically it's a budget one made from scrap pieces of wood I had at home.

The base is a 30mm thick plywood board. The table itself is 2m×1m.

For armrests I've used regular 50x75mm wood, which I've glued and form-cut to get the correct rounded shape around the edge of the table. So the armrest will be 75mm wide, and 50mm high. I have a 20mm thick foam plastic that I will glue on, and then cover the armrests in faux leather.

I've chosen to go with a faux-suede as cloth (of course to keep it budget friendly). I did contact the local casino, and I got contact details for their supplier of table cloths, but chose to go with the cheaper alternative.

The legs are made from 50x50mm wood, foldable and interlocking, to save as much space as possible when not in use.

So far the table itself is done, the legs are done, and currently I'm waiting for my faux suede to arrive, hopefully by the end of this month. Timeline-wise I'm looking to have it finished by mid February.

If you have any tips and tricks I'll gladly hear you out. This is my absolutely first build (of basically anything by this magnitude), and it sure won't be my last!

I see this as a learning experience, and my next build will surely be 10x better than my current one. Then I'll source better materials for sure.

Unfortunately I don't have any good pictures of it yet, since I finished the legs just today. But I'll continue with the build tomorrow, and could snap some pictures then as well.

 

[mipevi]

I’m not a builder so can’t really offer much technical advice. So an oval shaped table, correct? Is your build a modular one that you can easily take apart if necessary (using nuts and bolts)? What will you use for padding under the faux-suede? Some pics would be great when you get the chance.

 

[Ahven]

I’m not a builder so can’t really offer much technical advice. So an oval shaped table, correct? Is your build a modular one that you can easily take apart if necessary (using nuts and bolts)? What will you use for padding under the faux-suede? Some pics would be great when you get the chance.

Yes, oval table. Not really modular, but semi-modular. I am able to remove the legs if necessary, but I made them so that they fold into eachother, so they barely take up any space when folded.

The padding under the faux-suede is something I'm still investigating my options on. I have no idea what type of padding and how thick. I have thought about a thicker wool layer, but I don't know if that is the optimal solution.

 

[mipevi]

IIRC my table has a wool felt sheet, it has worked fine for many years, though obviously you wouldn't want anyone spilling their drink on the table. As for thickness, it would be best if you can test a few different ones to make sure that picking up cards is comfortable and that any chips hitting the felt won't clack on the wood. Open cell foam should also work (closed cells can break and then the material loses elasticity), but might be harder to find here and I have never played on it personally. Neoprene might also work, but I feel like it's a little too bouncy for my taste.

 

[Ahven]

IIRC my table has a wool felt sheet, it has worked fine for many years, though obviously you wouldn't want anyone spilling their drink on the table. As for thickness, it would be best if you can test a few different ones to make sure that picking up cards is comfortable and that any chips hitting the felt won't clack on the wood. Open cell foam should also work (closed cells can break and then the material loses elasticity), but might be harder to find here and I have never played on it personally. Neoprene might also work, but I feel like it's a little too bouncy for my taste.

Thanks for the input!

I have open cell foam at home. The one I have is 10mm thick. I think the optimal thickness for the table would be around 5mm. But I guess that 10mm should work worst case.

I'll see if I can get my hands on something less thick.

 

[TRKingChips]

Welcome !!!