High End Plastic Chips - please share your experiences (2 Viewers)

[allforcharity]

I am curious to hear from the general membership about their collective and comparative experiences with casino grade plastic chips offered by Abbiati, Bourgogne et Grasset, Bud Jones, and Matsui (and any other modern manufacturer that I may have missed). I know that these types of plastic chips are much more prevalent in European and East Asian casinos than in North America.

For those who think that "high end" and "plastic chips" should not be seen together in the same paragraph, thank you for your opinion, but please do not troll the thread with useless, negative comments. This is not a field for comparisons against compression clays or anything else, nor do we want any comparisons to mass market injection molded stuff you can pick up at the big box store.

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Myself, I have only the Bud Jones S2 and R4 chips that I own and use for home game poker and charity roulette events. I am eagerly awaiting my small sample of Abbiati chips from the Crown Plaza group buy. I have not owned or come in contact with anyone that has B&G chips (though the pr0n from Europe looks very nice), and I have not been in any local games where Matsui chips have been in use.

 

[Perthmike]

My local casino uses Dolphin chips. They are ok actually, less slick than the emerald matsuis I've got. I quite like them.

I like them far more than the matsuis and particularly bud Jones though,which were the low point of my WSOP experience.

I also used some BG's and matsuis at a South African casino and I liked them both a lot too.

 

[Amish Rabbi]

Really like the B&G chips I have. I also have a sample of BJ chips (not sure which type) and like them as well.

 

[FDLmold]

Matsui are slicker than snot on a doorknob. The recent horseshoe tourney Matsui GB chips were better, but still pretty bad. I LOVED how they sounded, and how they shuffled, and how they looked, and very badly wanted to keep them. But alas, no.

 

[jeff123]

b&g s2 I really liked. they had a suction if you pressed down into a stack and it became one solid chunk that stuck together. lightweight but nice feel and spread well when throwing out a bet.

bud jones s2 were too slick for me and same goes for matsui. haven’t had the chance to handle the others.

 

[liftapint]

B&G are my new favorite thing. (well, not over TRK obviously). But I love the B&G!!

 

[allforcharity]

Matsui are slicker than snot on a doorknob. The recent horseshoe tourney Matsui GB chips were better, but still pretty bad. I LOVED how they sounded, and how they shuffled, and how they looked, and very badly wanted to keep them. But alas, no.

So it was the stacking issue that was the bad point of the Matsuis for you? Excellent in all other aspects, but in-play dynamics was poor?

My local casino uses Dolphin chips. They are ok actually, less slick than the emerald matsuis I've got. I quite like them.
I like them far more than the matsuis and particularly bud Jones though,which were the low point of my WSOP experience.
I also used some BG's and matsuis at a South African casino and I liked them both a lot too.

Any idea what Bud Jones series were the bad performer for you? I know I've handled some really old Bud Jones chips (perhaps they were stamped for home games?), and they didn't feel much better than really cheap non-slugged plastics. But the V7 series graphics looks as nice as any from Matsui or B&G, and the V8 series also look great, like an oversize S2.

b&g s2 I really liked. they had a suction if you pressed down into a stack and it became one solid chunk that stuck together. lightweight but nice feel and spread well when throwing out a bet.

I've seen the suction effect as demonstrated on one of @Hobbyphilic 's videos. So this effect happens across other casino plastic manufacturers as well?

B&G are my new favorite thing. (well, not over TRK obviously). But I love the B&G!!

What are the qualities of the B&G chips that are better than other casino plastics, in your opinion?


Again, I'm displaying my total ignorance here, but I know that Bud Jones has had many different lines of plastic chips, including coin in center ones, etc., and different types of faux spot patterns, etc. But do B&G, Abbiati, and Matsui also have different lines of chips that have different physical characteristics that change the play experience?

 

[MrCatPants]

After sanding my Emerald Bay Matsuis I'm really happy with them. Did need to sand them though...the slipperiness was off the charts out of the box.

 

[Amish Rabbi]

I did find my horseshoe matsui chips too slick as well. Love the colours though

the custom inner rings on the high end chips are just amazing looking to me. Not sure exactly why though

 

[Perthmike]

I've got no idea which bud Jones. These.

They felt very slick and I hated the sound and feel. Slicker than dolphin chips.

 

[allforcharity]

After sanding my Emerald Bay Matsuis I'm really happy with them. Did need to sand them though...the slipperiness was off the charts out of the box.

Did the sanding noticeably alter the look of the chip, when viewed face on or at shallow angles in good light?

 

[jeff123]

I've seen the suction effect as demonstrated on one of @Hobbyphilic 's videos. So this effect happens across other casino plastic manufacturers as well?

that particular chip was their american style chips and it was the one that wasn’t not oversized inlay. I think the @Hobbyphilic videos with bud jones suction just from regular handling. this b&g model would only suction if you pressed down on like a stack of 10 or 20 from the chip face of the top chip of the stack downward into the felt. then it became like one solid stack.

 

[jeff123]

I've got no idea which bud Jones. These.
View attachment 420198
They felt very slick and I hated the sound and feel. Slicker than dolphin chips.

Yeah these are bud jones s2. I’ve handled both b&g s2 and bud jones s2 and i had a similar experience to you

 

[allforcharity]

I've got no idea which bud Jones. These.
View attachment 420198
They felt very slick and I hated the sound and feel. Slicker than dolphin chips.

Interesting. I'm not sure at all about the big stack on the left, but the two smaller stacks on the right look like an S2 pattern.

Strangely, my S2s are not slick at all. If I take a barrel and rotate it around so the surface areas in contact are very uneven, they still stack well and stay together. Perhaps it is the progressive wear from constant use that they become very slippery. And if so, wouldn't logic dictate that all casino plastics would eventually turn out this way?

 

[MrCatPants]

Did the sanding noticeably alter the look of the chip, when viewed face on or at shallow angles in good light?

In my opinion no. If you really work at angling it the right way they just appear slightly more used than my sample set of them, to me.

That said, sanding 700 of em was a complete bitch. Worse than milling.

 

[liftapint]

I opened a for sale ad this morning to help answer this exact question. Shuffle stacks of a variety of plastics, BJ, BJ-CIC, Matsui, B&G. One stop comparison shopping!

I like the weight, feel, and sound of the B&G. They’re great. My second favorite plastics I have had are the Pacific Star Bud Jones. Those felt and sounded awesome too. I have felt samples of Abbiati, but can’t wait to get the Crown Plaza chips in hand.

 

[jemfernandez]

I jumped on the Europa B&G as a cheap(er) way to upgrade a regular game I go to where the host was using dice chips. I haven't handled any other high end plastics before this, so I thought it was a fantastic price to try these out. When I first brought the BGs, I brought some Paulson's as well, but the whole group preferred the B&G due to the sound, feel and weight - cause they're so heavy (14g I believe), the Paulson chips felt too light in hand when handled at the same time.

They're also used extensively in the casinos in this region and I have handled these before, so knew what to expect. Personally, they sound and handle great, a bit heavy. Stacking wise, they don't exactly slide and/or fall off a barrel when you handle them clumsily, but they don't stack like bricks either.

 

[Denali]

I've noticed a difference in the Matsui's I have. The newer "World Poker Series" GB (sharp edged) Matsui's are super slippery like a puck on an air hockey table slippery in stacks, and explosive when pulling barrels from racks. The Matsui Radisson chips (beveled edged) I have are much less slippery. I can push stacks and grab barrels fine but they are still slippery enough that you have to be careful and will cascade\slide when bumped. Shuffling is way easier with the Radissons especially when they warm up (from hand heat) and get "almost grippy" on the surface. There is a weight difference too, the Radisson's are slugged (11.5 gm range) and the WPS's are slugged but heavier (12.8 gm range). The inlay/sticker diameter is smaller on the Radisson's giving them more surface area, which could be the difference in handling characteristics. The larger 43mm Radisson's handle the best, again more surface area could be why. One thing about the Matsui's is there isn't the suction issue that plague the majority (not all) of Bud Jones inlayed plastic chips I've run across.

As to Bud Jones it seems the shiny ones are the ones that have the suction issue, at least so far in my limited experience. The satin finished versions don't have that problem until you move up into the 43mm size. Still gathering more Bud Jones examples to fully judge them. Love the BJ R4 (roulette) chips a lot though!

 

[mipevi]

Strangely, my S2s are not slick at all... Perhaps it is the progressive wear from constant use that they become very slippery. And if so, wouldn't logic dictate that all casino plastics would eventually turn out this way?

In my experience high end plastics with a hard finish are slippery at first. But as long as the material itself is a soft, rubbery type, they will handle much better once broken in (or sanded). I suppose worn down chips could become slippery if the surfaces are very oily/dirty, but otherwise a little wear on high end plastics is a good thing. Chips without that hard finish like Abbiati and some BJ, are of course great right away.

Weight also matters for handling, personally I’ve found around 11-12 grams to be my preferred sweet spot.

The greatest manufacturer of plastic chips is BG, period. Their modern options (for chips and decals) is mind-boggling, and compared to others it’s not even close. Good thing I can’t order any, or I’d prolly go broke.

 

[Pinball]

I love Matsui.

-Great colours
-Price per chip is really good
-good service

 

[detroitdad]

Matsui

I was part of the Emerald Bay Club group buy. The chips had some of the most vibrant colors that I have ever seen on a chip. I like the feel of the plastic. It helped that they had sharp ass edges. The sound was more of a thud. I liked it. It was unique to most of the other sets that I have owned.

Holy shit were they slippery. It was almost impossible to slide a barrel across the table without it toppling over. Don't even think about trying to get a barrel of chips out of the rack. Odds are, they would fly all over the place.

I wanted to love the set. I couldn't. I like a lot of chips on the table. These babies were falling all over the place.

 

[yone]

I currently wet sand new Matsui’s with 1500 3M grit paper. For some reason, a little white residue like fading occurs. This only happened when wet sanding. Just the minimal amount of oil and the color comes back. I like wet sanding better because, the chips seem grippier and the sand paper lasts much longer, which is good for consistency.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/making-matsui’s-less-slick.49393/
Love high end plastics chips! Even better that they are not in vogue around here; buying is great, but selling sucks. So if I do buy, they have to be keepers! Plastic chips
on the secondary market have the best value!
Just bought some Condado Plaza CICs, can’t wait to they get here!

 

[BGinGA]

Having owned Matsui (43mm and 40mm, both material types, sharp and beveled edges), RT Plastics, and samples of Bud Jones (all versions), B&G, Dolphin, Gemaco, and Abbiati, my experience is that they a) are manufactured to very high tolerances with great workmanship, b) typically display vivid color and unique detailed label options, and c) are all too slick and unstable in stacks to the point of distraction and being nearly unplayable, at least to my standards for an enjoyable poker game.

Post-production sanding with 7000 grit helps, but nothing I've found to date is acceptable play condition as received from the factory.

 

[Legend5555]

The only ones I feel are really playable are BJ S2. And even then, not all of them. But these are the last slippery of all plastics I've tried. Matsuis are slicker than most slugged chips IMO.

 

[mipevi]

...nothing I've found to date is acceptable play condition as received from the factory.

That's exactly how I feel about clay chips with razor sharp edges.

 

[allforcharity]

That's exactly how I feel about clay chips with razor sharp edges.

Ouch! Shots fired!

Now, now, remember the rules.

 

[Chipandchair]

Just too slippery for me, I can’t do exploding barrels.

 

[redwine]

Matsui: slippery but stunning and sounds great. Fixable with sanding.

gemaco: much less slippery.

abbiati: got the traveling sample loan, and for some reason I just didn’t like them that much and that led me to sit out of the gb. Sound was duller than matsuis

 

[upNdown]

I've played around with Bud Jones V7 chips - Borgata, Legends, coin-in-center Condado Plaza and they all have this suctiony-slippery quality where the chips seem to behave like they have a mind of their own. A crazy mind. So those are a no go for me. Interestingly, these chips are slugged too. If you pull off the sticker, there's the slug. The V7 was almost certainly designed by a madman.

 

[ovo]

I had a chance at some high end plastic once, funds were low, and I blew it, just fukin' blew it