Need recommendation - chips for a home cash game (1 Viewer)

mummel

mummel

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Hi all. I came across this forum while doing some research and I thought I would join!

I'm trying to upgrade my current poker chip set for our home cash games and I want to make sure I get the right chips & denominations. The decision is trickier than I thought.

We're normally 8 guys, do $20 buy-ins, and sometimes 2-4 people rebuy another $20. It's very casual (rebuy at any time, we raise the blinds once, maybe twice in the evening etc). It's more of an excuse to get the boys together and empty my liquor cabinet hahaha.

So I'd like to get a set that fits these types of games, but at the same time have an upgrade path if we start playing larger cash value games (maybe $40+?), get more serious, have a more formalized blind structure, or I decide to host a 16 player tournament etc (buy-in would also probably only be $20 in this case)

Right now I have this set:
http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Poker-14-Gram-Ace-King-Aluminum/dp/B000E9A2OQ

71vwkCNdKML._SL1000_.jpg


To be honest, I really like the chips having only used the 11.5g dice chips before that most of my buddies use (I like the weight of these vs the cheaper chips).

But I like the idea of getting chips with denominations on them to take the thought out of the game when trying to remember what color chip is is what denomination. It's also fun to see what you're actually betting in real world terms (not tournament values etc).

So I looked around on Amazon and tried to find a cheaper chip set with marked denominations. I thought the Monte Carlo's would be fine, but realized they dont have a 25c denomination (need confirmation on that denomination, more on that below). They start at $1 so they were out. I also watched a video review and it seemed like they had a weird edge.

61QUr8lUZ-L.jpg


I then started digging around and found the Milanos. They seem great, but are pretty expensive at 32c a chip (at least for our amateur needs). I dont mind spending more to get a quality chip that is durable. I'll probably keep the set for life. But I just want to make sure I get the right brand chip, and the right denominations.

all-chips-milano.jpg




So my questions:

1) Are there any decent 14g chips around 12-15c per chip that start with a 25c denomination?
2) If not and I'm going to upgrade to ~32c per chip, are the Milanos a good choice?
3) If so, what chips compete with the Milanos and are there any others that offer better value (i.e. same price but better attributes etc).

Thanks guys. Appreciate the help. Last thing I want is to have buyer's remorse! (I'm already feeling that with my current set!)
 
mummel said:
.....Last thing I want is to have buyer's remorse! (I'm already feeling that with my current set!)
Click to expand...

All of those chips in your OP are plastic, except the Milano which is a low-end compression. See manamongkids post above for some good advice.

And ALWAYS get samples before you buy (unless you know exactly what you're getting).

.....welcome to the forum BTW
 
The Brybelly injection mold chips are in that price range as well (The Mint, Bluff Canyon, Gold Rush, etc.). Grab some samples. If you're considering the Milanos, check out the Majestics at the same time. Apache is a great choice for all of these options.
 
ThinkingFold said:
Poker Knights are another low cost option. Think Apache poker sells them cheaper than Milano's and Monte Carlo's. You can read a review at the link below.

http://www.pokerchipforum.com/threa...rs-quality-extensibility-poker-knights.11348/
Click to expand...

Thinkingfold. Not sure how I missed these babies! I think I ruled them out because I didnt see a 25c chip, but they could be exactly what I need. The colors look a bit bland, but at least I know that this set is my fallback at 15c a chip.

Again, I'm not opposed to spending 32c a chip for the Milanos, I just wonder what I would get for paying double the price. Lugging around 700 chips at 13g a piece would probably be a PITA so that's a plus for the Milanos.

For amateurs, do you guys feel the Milanos are worth double the price?

atomiktoaster said:
The Brybelly injection mold chips are in that price range as well (The Mint, Bluff Canyon, Gold Rush, etc.). Grab some samples. If you're considering the Milanos, check out the Majestics at the same time. Apache is a great choice for all of these options.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendations. I really do like the larger number denoms so I can see what the chips are. That's what puts the Milanos ahead of the Mints, BCs, GRs etc. The knights are now an interesting fallback.

Im curious to hear if people think the Milanos are worth the 100% price increase over the Knights.
 
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mummel said:
Thinkingfold. Not sure how I missed these babies! I think I ruled them out because I didnt see a 25c chip, but they could be exactly what I need. The colors look a bit bland, but at least I know that this set is my fallback at 15c a chip.

Again, I'm not opposed to spending 32c a chip for the Milanos, I just wonder what I would get for paying double the price. Lugging around 700 chips at 13g a piece would probably be a PITA so that's a plus for the Milanos.

For amateurs, do you guys feel the Milanos are worth double the price?
Click to expand...



The Poker Knights, Mint, Bluff Canyon, etc are all in the roughly .15c/chip price range. These are the slugged and/or injected molded category. More plastic look and feel and have a metal slug added to them for weight.

The Milanos, Majestics, and Pharaohs(all available from Apache poker) are in the .35c/chip range and are the type of chips that are referred to as China clays. These are made from clay(at least in part) and are designed to have a more closer look, feel, and sound to high end poker chips.

Personally, I like the China clays and think they are definitely worth the higher cost. It really comes down to personal preference though. As people have already mentioned, I can't stress enough the suggestion of ordering sample sets and getting to handle them yourself.

One last thing to note. China clays come covered in dust from the creation process. If you order any China clays make you you wipe them down with a wet rag or a little mineral oil to see their true colors.
 
ThinkingFold said:
The Poker Knights, Mint, Bluff Canyon, etc are all in the roughly .15c/chip price range. These are the slugged and/or injected molded category. More plastic look and feel and have a metal slug added to them for weight.

The Milanos, Majestics, and Pharaohs(all available from Apache poker) are in the .35c/chip range and are the type of chips that are referred to as China clays. These are made from clay(at least in part) and are designed to have a more closer look, feel, and sound to high end poker chips.

Personally, I like the China clays and think they are definitely worth the higher cost. It really comes down to personal preference though. As people have already mentioned, I can't stress enough the suggestion of ordering sample sets and getting to handle them yourself.

One last thing to note. China clays come covered in dust from the creation process. If you order any China clays make you you wipe them down with a wet rag or a little mineral oil to see their true colors.
Click to expand...

I'm waiting on a Milano sample, good idea.

Anyone else on Milanos costing 100% more. Worth it IYO?

Milanos are great but look into the Majestic chips by apache poker chips (made of the same-ish materials and manufacture style), they have great colours and denominations you require.

I play similar games to yours, nothing serious, just a get together to drink and have fun. In my opinion, it is worth the extra spend, these chips will probably last you a lifetime depending on how often you use them. I was looking to order the Milano set but then decided on ordering the Majestic set - just waiting on delivery.

Welcome to the forum

MillyS said:
Milanos are great but look into the Majestic chips by apache poker chips (made of the same-ish materials and manufacture style), they have great colours and denominations you require.

I play similar games to yours, nothing serious, just a get together to drink and have fun. In my opinion, it is worth the extra spend, these chips will probably last you a lifetime depending on how often you use them. I was looking to order the Milano set but then decided on ordering the Majestic set - just waiting on delivery.

Welcome to the forum
Click to expand...

The Majestics also look good, but they are more expensive and I worry that the black will fade over time with abrasion etc. I also like the larger denoms on the Milanos. My gut says the Majestics are probably not worth the 13% higher price but thats just me.
 
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mummel said:
Im curious to hear if people think the Milanos are worth the 100% price increase over the Knights.
Click to expand...

This is why you need to get samples. Makes no difference what we think something is 'worth', if you don't agree. And the only way to tell is to actually have the chips in hand. Personally, I think that some Paulson casino chips are 'worth' 10x what Milano typically chips sell for (and have plenty of 'em to prove it), but that's unlikely to be helpful information in your quest. YOU need to decide for yourself, so get samples of relevant chips and do so:
https://www.apachepokerchips.com/product/poker-chip-sample-set/

You basically have these four choices in your price range (<40c/chip):

ceramics - these are full-face printed chips (no sticker/label), typically weighing 10g (same as most real casino chips). Probably the best value in your price range is Venerati (39c/chip), but there are a a couple of other cheaper lines available (Scrolls, Nile Club), but the quality is sub-par for ceramics imo.

china clays - these are quasi-clay injection-molded chips that emulate high-end "clay" chips found in many casinos. Most weigh in at or slightly less than 10g. This category includes Milano, Pharaoh's Club, Championship Poker Series (CPS), and Majestics. Personally, I dislike the Milano chips, and would rate them a distant fourth to the others listed. All of these sets have the 25c denomination you want. Prices range from 32c to 39c per chip.

injection-molded plastics - these are typically ABS plastic with laminated labels, and most mimic real 'clay' chips in terms of looks. Usually around 9g. There are a half-dozen or more chips in this category. Examples include Dunes, Desert Palms, Pioneer Club, and NexGen Pro. Most sell for around 20c to 25c each.

injection-molded slugged plastics - these are ABS plastic, molded around a metal slug - usually weighing between 11.5g and 14g and have a corresponding metal ''clank" sound when handled. There are a few chip lines in this category that stand out a bit more than others, notably the Poker Knights, Showdown Casino, and Monaco Club sets. Slightly lesser-quality chips would include the Bluff Canyon, Gold Rush, Rock-n-Roll, and Mint sets. Most of these sell for around 13c-16c per chip. Pretty much any other injection-molded slugged sets are junk, and not worth consideration imo.


All of those chips serve their purpose at various price points, but when push comes to shove, I really don't like any of them -- mostly due to subjective performance issues (inferior sound and feel, compared to high-end chips).

If I were to make a recommendation based on your comments, it would probably be for the Showdown Casino chips -- inexpensive (16c/chip), nice color combinations, available 25c chip, large denominations, and decent feel (for a slugged chip). Get samples before you buy.

Welcome to PCF. There is a lot here to learn. :)

ns-50sd-l.jpg

http://www.pokernstuff.com/50-showdown-13-5g-clay-poker-chips.aspx
 
mummel said:
1) Are there any decent 14g chips around 12-15c per chip that start with a 25c denomination?
2) If not and I'm going to upgrade to ~32c per chip, are the Milanos a good choice?
3) If so, what chips compete with the Milanos and are there any others that offer better value (i.e. same price but better attributes etc).

Thanks guys. Appreciate the help. Last thing I want is to have buyer's remorse! (I'm already feeling that with my current set!)
Click to expand...
It sounds like you're in a similar boat to me. I opted to get a versetile set that could be used for both cash and tourneys. $25 as 25 cents and $100 as $1 is a great way to go IMO.

I wasnt impressessed with the milanos or most other china clay chips but i REALLY like the Venerati Ceramic chips. At .39 per chip its at the same price point as milanos but a phenominally better product(my opinion again).

I used a spreadsheet to create a chip denomination to suit some very specific requirement for both cash and tournaments. I'll share the results if you're interested. Goodluck bro. Have fun hunting.
 
mummel said:
I'm waiting on a Milano sample, good idea.

Anyone else on Milanos costing 100% more. Worth it IYO?
Click to expand...

There's plenty of people here who buy hundreds of chips in the $2-3 range, so even if you got some feedback on the value prospect of slugged chips vs. china clays, I'm not sure if it could be unbiased. Get some china clays, injection chips and stock ceramics in hand. I will say there's more people here who end up stuck with an inferior set and go on to buy something nicer than there are who complain about spending too much for a set in retrospect.
 
TY for the help guys. I took screenshots of the Milanos vs the Majectics, and unless Apache's color palette is off, it looks like the Milanos are pretty dull.

How close in color is the 25c Majestic to the $5 Majestic in real world situations?


Chips.png
 
Thats the perfect word to describe them, more vibrant. Yeah man, tough call. Seeing these pics really makes me lean towards the Majestics at the detriment of my wallet.

As for the 25c salmon vs the $5 red, the pic is great to show the diffs. I dont think people will make mistakes.

I saw HobbyJon's vid though on the Majestics and he said he would rather get the Milanos. Decisions.......

When did the Majestics come out? Have there been recent repots on durability/fading? I really worry about the black sticker fading over time.
 
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Poker Knights, Showdown Casino, and Monaco Club are all different labels on the same Spades-mold plastic chip. Very good for the price - I have 1200 of them (Monacos.)

I'm letting them all go when my Boardwalk chips come in from the current group buy, which I consider a steal at under 60 cents a piece.

I got samples of the Milanos in the past - I liked the refined/subdued colors online, but found them a little dull in person, and disliked a few things about them.

I like CPC and Paulson much better, but you're talking 1.50 to 3.00 per chip, then.
 
All china clay labels have a hard plastic lamination (with a slight silver tint) that covers the actual label. Excessive wear is a non-issue.

However, here are a couple of additional things to point out if considering purchasing any china clay chip:
  • china clay chip colors tend to be on the drab side -- especially when compared to injection-molded plastics, which frequently exhibit much more vivid colors
  • china clay chip quality tends to be on the lacking side, especially where consistency is concerned. There are many documented issues with color consistency (and unevenness) and dimensional consistency (thickness and diameter).
If expecting perfection when ordering china clays, you will likely be disappointed. Cheaper ABS chips or ceramics generally exhibit the highest degree of consistency.
 
NicholasAK said:
Check out his conclusion vid, then look at each of the chips you liked from the series.
Click to expand...

Where is the conclusion vid? This is the latest one that I can find. I didnt hear the majestics mentions.

Milly which do you prefer and why? The Majestics or the Milanos?

Found it, skip to 12:25

 
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Is there anyway to get $5 sticker on the red chip, onto the current $10 blue chip, because I really would like the 25c salmon, the $1 white, and a new $5 blue. That would be perfect (and a $25 green in the future). The $5 red is the only one thats a little Meh for me.

Does apache offer label switches?
 
mummel said:
Is there anyway to get $5 sticker on the red chip, onto the current $10 blue chip, because I really would like the 25c salmon, the $1 white, and a new $5 blue. That would be perfect (and a $25 green in the future). The $5 red is the only one thats a little Meh for me.

Does apache offer label switches?
Click to expand...

I think Apache will sell blanks plus stock labels for the Majestics still. There's a couple denoms that only come that way.
 
atomiktoaster said:
I think Apache will sell blanks plus stock labels for the Majestics still. There's a couple denoms that only come that way.
Click to expand...

Yeah I called them but it's 19c extra for the labels per chip, and you would need to factor in labor to do it yourself. Kind of a pain. Not worth it IMO. I'll only have 3 chips on my table and the pink and red may be a little bland. A blue in there would be great :(
 
mummel said:
Yeah I called them but it's 19c extra for the labels per chip, and you would need to factor in labor to do it yourself. Kind of a pain. Not worth it IMO. I'll only have 3 chips on my table and the pink and red may be a little bland. A blue in there would be great :(
Click to expand...
Seems like you've got your heart set on majestics...I hope you enjoy them. There are always 2nd and 3rd chipsets in the future.
 
NicholasAK said:
Seems like you've got your heart set on majestics...I hope you enjoy them. There are always 2nd and 3rd chipsets in the future.
Click to expand...

Yeah Im really leaning towards the Majectics now. I'm glad I found Jon's rethink vid, and also saw Milly's pic. This little bit of research made a big diffs. I have a spreadsheet at home that I will access tonight that will show the chip breakdown that I think I need, and I would love to hear what you guys things about the chip structure.

Darn you guys, my wallet is hurting...... I'm looking at $250 deep already FFS......
 
mummel said:
Yeah Im really leaning towards the Majectics now. I'm glad I found Jon's rethink vid, and also saw Milly's pic. This little bit of research made a big diffs. I have a spreadsheet at home that I will access tonight that will show the chip breakdown that I think I need, and I would love to hear what you guys things about the chip structure.

Darn you guys, my wallet is hurting...... I'm looking at $250 deep already FFS......
Click to expand...
What kind of case/trays do you have? What type of tourney do you like? Did you ever consider the t25 chip as quarters etc to use as both tourney and cash? How many players? What is a typical/large amount of cash on the table?
 
mummel said:
Milly which do you prefer and why? The Majestics or the Milanos?
Click to expand...
Honestly it was a very tough call and in all fairness you cant really go wrong between the two.

Ive seen all of Johnhobby's vids, I think they are great.

I would chose the Majestic over the Milano for the following reasons:

1) I like the edge spots better
2) the colours are vibrant (the only colour I didn't like in the Majestic is the purple, I preferred the Milano one)
3) the stickers are nice, the black looks really good with he chip colours.
4) you can customise them if you want - which is what I am going to do (eg having the blues as my $1 etc)

Hope this helps!
 
I'll post my spreadsheet figures tonight, but in short:

1) I need this chip set to host a 8 player cash game, with a $20 buy-in, where ~2-4 people normally re-buy (so say a pot size of $160 + $80 = $240)
2) I would like to, down the road, use the same set to host a 16 player tournament (an aspiration of mine), where the buy in will also probably be $20 (pot size = $320)

I ran through some scenarios on a spreadsheet and came up with total chips required at different points in the game. I will post the figures tonight (cant recall off hand).

I only needed 3 chips though. 25c, $1 and $5 (I read that the 50c chips are a waste). It would start off as a 25c/50c game (so a starting stack of 40 BBs), then progressing to 50c/$1, then probably to $1/$2 in our cash games where the last 2-3 players will cash out. From what I calculated, 25c, $1 and $5 chips will get me through this. This is my priority.

Then for the once a year 16 player tournament, I calculated I would need more $5 red chips for the end game (so I will probably just buy them now to avoid coloration differences down the road). More $5 chips will also come in handy should we ever move to a $40 buy-in, 8 person game. And I suppose if we ever decide to do a $40 buy-in 16 player tournament, then I could pickup some $25 greens to make this work.

So this is kind-of, sort-of my plan. At the moment, we just have a $20 buy-in, everyone gets 40 chips, so each chip is worth 50c. We start off with 50c/$1 blinds (so only 20 BBs at the start). I dont know much different so I'm not sure what a game looks like with 40 BBs vs 20BBs starting, but so far our games have worked.

It's not serious. People are there to have fun. Our games are uber slow. People are so busy talking sht. By the end of the evening, most people as so lit they forget about the pot. It must sound ridiculous to some of the pros on this site but our games are more about being social than poker hahahahaha.

I think adding denominations to the game will illustrate more to people what they are betting, which will improve the game and make it more exciting. I personally would appreciate a nicer quality set. And the 16 player tournament would be so much fun if I could get it organized so if I'm going to buy a new set, I should have that in mind and buy once/buy right (no buyer's remorse, this stuff is expensive!).

Oh and someone asked about the case. I probably need something like this (I think the initial buy was 500-600 chips, cant recall).

These cases are $50...... Seems way overpriced to me but probably the best solution.



51d2bbesCHL.jpg
 
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