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Need advice for chip set best fitting my preferential criteria. (1 Viewer)

RagahRagah

RagahRagah

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This might be difficult but I want to try to narrow some things down. I'm an average player but currently working on my game and spending a lot of time playing cash and tournaments, but although I am obviously buying chips for home game use I don't play home games quite that often so it would be for limited use. There are a small list of things that I really am looking for out of a chipset, but I lack the experience to know exactly what it is I should be looking for. I'm going to list the things that will influence what I want to purchase most, in order from most important to least important. Thanks to anyone for any help.

I should note that if some of my criteria doesn't mesh well together for any kind of chip, please inform me on what the best middle ground might be. Also, I definitely want a chip that shows the denomination in the middle.


1: FEEL.
Seeing as don't play home games especially often as I mentioned earlier, I'm less worried about durability. I'm very much looking for chips that are slick and easy to shuffle with. That might sound a little silly, especially at the top of my list but as I have mentioned I don't play home games terribly often so I don't know that I should be worried too much overall with durability. I'm not overly familiar with the different types of chip material, whether it be clay, ceramic, ivory, what have you. I do like Paulson but I am under the impression that those chips are more chalky and less smooth and therefore harder to shuffle. The casino I most playoff is the Horseshoe in Hammond, Indiana, and I very much like the feel of those chips although I would prefer something that weighs a little more. I don't know for sure but I would guess that those chips are about 11 grams. I think I would prefer something more along the lines of 13 or more.

2. DESIGN.
I prefer something that is flashy and uses a lot of colors, mainly on the sides. I would say Monte Carlo chips are the ones that have most enticed me so far, and the cheap price doesn't hurt either, although I am not sure that the quality and feel of the chips are what I'm looking for. I think something else that might strike my fancy is metal inlays. I really like the look of metal in the middle of the chip. I don't have much preference in terms of pictures or Flash in the middle of the chip, especially if I am going with something metal. As long as there are denominations printed, I don't think I will be too picky on that front. I really loved the designs of the chips used in the 2003 World Series of Poker; I don't think I've seen anything since that I have liked more so that will probably give you a idea of what I like in design.

3. SIZE/WEIGHT.
I already indicated that I would prefer a heavier chip, but if something lighter would meet the rest of my requirements better, and please inform me as I could probably deal with that. It would appear to me that different chips also have different thicknesses. I think I would prefer a chip that is thinner rather than fatter but I'm not sure if that can have an effect on the weight. If possible I prefer something thin and heavy.

4. PRICE.
I have no quarrels of shelling out coin for a good set of chips but obviously I'd prefer not to spend a fortune. I did say I liked the look of Monte Carlo chips so if they fit my preferences well enough I'd be happy as they seem to be cheap enough.


Hopefully this doesn't make a search too difficult. If anyone can educate me on the question marks I laid out and help me narrow things down to some definite options I would appreciate it greatly. I thank anyone for help. If there's anything else I can add to help, please let me know.
 
Start off ordering samples. As feel is your first priority, get some samples in hand. Well worth the expense.

Then move on to your other considerations with the ones that pass your feel test.

Check out the vendor forums here to get the samples.

Edit: and welcome to PCF!
 
Not to stir the pot or anything, but ... there may have been a little chatter about ac ustom hybrid project of that very set you mentioned. But, you know, words are wind at this point.

:cool::x

http://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/what-chips-are-used-at-the-wsop.11380/#post-176761

Anyway, you want samples, and if you're into spending decent money your options are very much limitless so you'll be able to find the right thing for your game and preferences. Good place to be!
 
Thanks, guys. I am definitely okay with sampling some things but I would also like some narrowing down because I really don't know anything about these individual chips. The desert palms, montecarlos and a couple of the others that I have found are ones that I definitely want to sample. But again, I would like to try to narrow it down to try to save some money. If that's not really possible then so be it, but obviously that is part of the battle. And again, perhaps the biggest thing is that I am not aware of the material with some of these chips.

I'm posting an image from the link you posted. Those chips look absolutely perfect. Whether they are custom or not I would love to know what chips on the market are closest to those in terms of material. Maybe I could go from there? Not sure if ceramics might be what I'm looking for. Because that is what I would be getting those chips are. Again, the biggest battle for me seems to be figuring out which chips would be the most joyous to shuffle.
 

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Joe Harris said:
Perfect timing to get in on the Borgata group buy.
Click to expand...

Yep! I would definitely check this opportunity out while it's still ripe. They aren't the exact style of the WSOP chips from that image, but they're going to be a similar texture and weight to those Bud Jones ceramics they used in the WSOP (they're SunFly hybrids, specifically).
 
Nice. In the meantime, if I decide to restrict my search to ceramic chips, does anyone know if there is a list of different ceramic chips available for purchase? Not seeming to find anything specific in my own searching.
 
For vendors that carry stock or semi-custom ceramics, I would suggest
Check the vendor forums here on the site, as members get discounts from some of them. They may also reference "stock" chips that they do not list on their normal website (GameOn is an example, as they do not normally do retail sales).
 
CdnBeerLover said:
For vendors that carry stock or semi-custom ceramics, I would suggest
Check the vendor forums here on the site, as members get discounts from some of them. They may also reference "stock" chips that they do not list on their normal website (GameOn is an example, as they do not normally do retail sales).
Click to expand...

Many of those on apollonchips.com I find to be absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the links. I will probably look to sample some of these. Is there a listing of any of the general brands that are common to buy in terms of ceramic chips? Like Nile Club and Scroll? I definitely want to know what my options are out there.

Thanks for all the help, guys. I really appreciate it.
 
For ceramics , you can get full customs. I'd consider that since money doesn't sound like a driving factor, and it's not much more for customs. Also, the borgata ceramic hybrid project could be done as semi-customs.
 
I really like my new ceramic veneratis. Stay away from scroll and laurel crown though, they have a rough cheesecloth like texture. I think either Nevada Jacks or Tiki Kings might be up your ally.

Check out hobbyphillic on youtube, has hreat chip reviews. Cant get enough samples though. Goodluck!
 
Chicken Rob said:
For ceramics , you can get full customs. I'd consider that since money doesn't sound like a driving factor, and it's not much more for customs. Also, the borgata ceramic hybrid project could be done as semi-customs.
Click to expand...

I'm considering some custom championship series ceramic chips at ABC gifts. I think I may settle for Nile Club depending on the money. Although the money isn't a big problem for me it does seem to me that customs actually are quite a bit more. Obviously they would probably be worth it, but if Nile Club is up my alley (currently awaiting a sample set) I may end up settling for those.

Thanks for everyone's help. After looking through all the links everyone provided I have a much better understanding what I'm looking for.
 
Nile Club chips are definitely lower-tier ceramics. To me, they look, feel, and sound cheap, and are prone to breakage. Lots of better ceramic options out there for a minimal increase in price.
 
I got my abc samples in the mail today and I have to say that I'm actually very disappointed. They feel very scratchy (not as bad as Scroll but noticable) and in terms of how they look I am unimpressed.


Of their customs I was possibly interested in one of the following 4 designs: Ultimate Poker Champions, both World Poker Series designs and Horseshoe Series. The one I was most interested in, and in fact I had my heart set on it, was The Ultimate Poker champions. Personally I feel that that chip, as well as those from both of the World Poker Series chips have a horribly faded and counterfeit look to them and really don't look very good at all. The WPS and Horseshoe Series chips look fairly decent but still not at all what I was expecting. Most ceramic chips I have seen have a smooth and shiny look to them whereas these look very dry and faded. I'm astounded how much of a counterfeit look these chips have.


Is this the norm for these chips? I pretty much had my heart set on the UPC series but if they all look like this then I think my search for the right chip will continue. Is there any other vendor that makes a UPC style chip? And also, would I be correct in assuming that the Boracay chips have a more natural ceramic, shiny look to them? Borocay sampling doesn't seem possible so that is a concern.


Or did the original chips the sets are based on actually look like this?



BGinGA said:
Nile Club chips are definitely lower-tier ceramics. To me, they look, feel, and sound cheap, and are prone to breakage. Lots of better ceramic options out there for a minimal increase in price.
Click to expand...

Yet so far of all the Ceramics I have sampled they feel like by far the most quality chips to me. Sleek and smooth enough and not too scratchy. But I definitely want custom chips.

Perhaps I need more recommendations for sites that do good custom ceramics as ABC gifts left me very disappointed, obviously. I'm very dead set on getting custom Ceramics of that Ultimate Poker Champion (WSOP) design.
 
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RagahRagah said:
Perhaps I need more recommendations for sites that do good custom ceramics as ABC gifts left me very disappointed, obviously. I'm very dead set on getting custom Ceramics of that Ultimate Poker Champion design.
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I have enough ceramic samples to know that my customs will be made by gameOnCC. They make very nice chips..check them out.
 
Have you gotten in line for the sunfly hybrid samples going around? A semi-custom set of these might do the trick. See the borgata group buy thread for details.
 
Yeah, at this point I'm pretty dead-set on ceramics of this design, I just have to find a vendor whose ceramics have the smooth, authentic look and feel I'm looking for.
 

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I've gotta say the sun fly hybrids are lovely chips! Got a sample of ascona chips! They feel great, no roughness and the ability for customisation is brilliant.
 
RagahRagah said:
Yeah, at this point I'm pretty dead-set on ceramics of this design, I just have to find a vendor whose ceramics have the smooth, authentic look and feel I'm looking for.
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If you plan on using the in actual game play, you don't want ceramics that are too smooth on the surface, because in stacks of 20+, they will not stay stacked -- they will fall over if slightly bumped or if stacked where the table isn't exactly flat, like where the felt meets the padded rail.

I knew a game that used to use some cheap ceramics that were way too smooth, and the game organizers ended up requiring people to play out of acrylic racks, because the chips just slid and fell all over the place.
 
AWenger said:
If you plan on using the in actual game play, you don't want ceramics that are too smooth on the surface, because in stacks of 20+, they will not stay stacked -- they will fall over if slightly bumped or if stacked where the table isn't exactly flat, like where the felt meets the padded rail.

I knew a game that used to use some cheap ceramics that were way too smooth, and the game organizers ended up requiring people to play out of acrylic racks, because the chips just slid and fell all over the place.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends. I personally never stack above that many, anyway.

Boracay chips, based on pictures I've seen of them on websites, appear to be very shiny and Slick. Am I wrong on that? Because they appear to be exactly what I'm looking for if so, minus not being customizable to the design I am looking for, obviously.
 
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Based on your description, I suspect Sunfly chips will be the closest to what you want. Apollon is their retail line, and resellers would include Old West Poker Supplies and BR Pro Poker, and both do customization. Definitely get samples of Sunfly chips before deciding, though.
 
CdnBeerLover said:
Based on your description, I suspect Sunfly chips will be the closest to what you want. Apollon is their retail line, and resellers would include Old West Poker Supplies and BR Pro Poker, and both do customization. Definitely get samples of Sunfly chips before deciding, though.
Click to expand...

Are the hybrids that are being talked about the Polyinno chips from their website? So far all I really have to go on is what I am seeing in the group buy thread.
 
RagahRagah said:
Are the hybrids that are being talked about the Polyinno chips from their website? So far all I really have to go on is what I am seeing in the group buy thread.
Click to expand...

I haven't been following that thread closely since I'm not a fan of that style of chip. Based on the discussion, I believe the link from @MillyS is correct.
 

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