Number of chips to purchase? (1 Viewer)

[codeman00]

I’m definitely in the camp of having a cash set with flexibility. Sometimes the game runs on the light side and sometimes on the heavy side. I personally think 200 Quarters is the way to go...that’s the way my $0.25/$0.50 game plays and since I use racks, it’s easy to give each person a barrel of Quarters for part of their initial $40 buyin. There’s nothing wrong with everyone having more chips. I also think 200 $1 is more than enough for my game right now but I bought an extra rack of $1 just in case the game plays bigger or we decide to increase the blinds. 2-3 racks of $5s are a must with some $25’s too. I have about 925 chips in my cash set but I will have to admit that I’m ready for the future, 2 tables, and somw overkill too.
200 $0.25
300 $1
300 $5
70 $25
20 $100
10 $500 just because....
1 $1000 chip oversized for the high hand.
I have a few spares of each just in case also.

 

[Mesnik44]

I think the proper number of chips to purchase is .....

ELEVENTY-BILLION!

 

[inca911]

With a rack of $25s, you're set for a lot of growth.

Ah yes, we now can enter the scintillating debate of $20 vs. $25! They don't make $25 bills, so I have a partial preference to the $20. However, I'm not going to die defending that particular hill of beans.

Regarding the OP, my preferred two table breakdown is: 200 quarters, 300 ones, 500+ fives, with higher denominations as needed. That gives you 8-12 quarters for the first 20 players, with the additional first $20 of chips in ones, and enough higher denominations to play without making a lot of change throughout the game (e.g., 8 quarters, 13 ones, 17 fives = $100 buy-in). Jumping straight to $100 chips and skipping $20 is also a perfectly viable option, which is what one set of mine does. Works great!

 

[ejot]

Do you guys think it is ok to have one set for both cash games and tournaments? It will be always one table (9 max), and the players who get out of the tourney can start a cash game. Sometimes we play cash game only. I have a limited budget so I want to keep it simple. I was thinking about a set (600+?) with following denominations:

$1
$5
$25
$100
$500
$1000

First three/four denoms can be used for cash games (SB 2/BB 5, maybe 3/6 or 5/10 in the future - we won't be playing in dollars though , in dollars it's something around 0,10/0,25). The tourneys can start at 25/50 level. I don't know how many chips for each denomination I need in this case.

Highly preferred to not mix chips between cash game and tourney. A common solution for a matching set is to use 25c/1/5/20 for cash and 25/100/500/1000/... for tourney. Otherwise you would want to at least go semi-custom and create labels for different color chips if using the same denoms in cash and tourney in a matched set.

 

[BGinGA]

Or use 25c/$1/$5/$20 for both cash and tourney, where the cash value remains constant in both events (a $1 chip is worth a dollar, regardless if cash or tourney).

But avoid cash chips being used for tourney play when they have a different cash value there... it's a train wreck waiting to happen.

 

[links_slayer]

Just say no to using the same set for cash and tourneys. (Plus, this means you get to buy moar chipes)

 

[codeman00]

But avoid cash chips being used for tourney play when they have a different cash value there... it's a train wreck waiting to happen.

10000% agree.
We usually have a tournament early in the evening and go to cash afterwards. As our tournament field became larger and larger, the players that had busted out that were ready to play cash needed chips from the tournament to be able to play. I had to start changing out tournament chips to count out cash chips and it became an absolute disaster as noted above. And that doesn’t even count a dishonest person keeping a chip from the tournament adding it to their cash stack.
Don’t mix tournament in cash chips if you can help it. Disaster.

 

[BGinGA]

As far as how many quarter chips one needs, the answer is 92 per table...... which also allows the use of the superior $23 chip, thus ending the $20 v $25 debate.

 

[pedrofisk]

I wouldn’t say you were stuck with Majestic’s. I have a set of them and they are great chips!

Agreed, I also have a Milano set and they are solid. Plus you don't have to worry about their being too precious.

 

[pedrofisk]

Or use 25c/$1/$5/$20 for both cash and tourney, where the cash value remains constant in both events (a $1 chip is worth a dollar, regardless if cash or tourney).

But avoid cash chips being used for tourney play when they have a different cash value there... it's a train wreck waiting to happen.

This is what I did with my Horseshoe Cleveland set. I relabeled the HS secondary snapper to $20 and poof, two separate sets, one cash and one tournament.

 

[GoStumpy]

As far as how many quarter chips one needs, the answer is 92 per table...... which also allows the use of the superior $23 chip, thus ending the $20 v $25 debate.

Those work perfectly with the $1.75/$3.50 blind structure @upNdown


Don't do the math, it doesn't actually

 

[SWEATER]

I’ve ran a similr game for years. You could get by with 500 chips in the following denoms:

100 - .25
200 - 1
180 - 5
20 - 25

 

[Poker Zombie]

And that doesn’t even count a dishonest person keeping a chip from the tournament adding it to their cash stack.

It doesn't even have to be dishonest. A chip could go awol, hiding under a cellphone, a napkin, a cup holder, or even onto the floor, only to be discovered later once the cash game begins. An honest mistake could cost you an even bank.

Cash chips for cash games. Tournament chips for tournaments. If you can't afford both, you shouldn't be hosting both.

 

[Vince Bustillo]

Highly preferred to not mix chips between cash game and tourney. A common solution for a matching set is to use 25c/1/5/20 for cash and 25/100/500/1000/... for tourney. Otherwise you would want to at least go semi-custom and create labels for different color chips if using the same denoms in cash and tourney in a matched set.

This is right on...This is how I set my first sets up.

 

[codeman00]

This is right on...This is how I set my first sets up.

Pretty much the same here with my Majestics set. The only difference is I relabeled the green $25’s as $20’s and skipped the greens altogether for my tournament set. It ranges from 100/500/1000/5000/20000.

 

[Marsal]

Thank you for the help, it's very much appreciated. The thing is that the cash game will not be in $, but in CZK where the blinds will be 2/5, 3/6, max. 5/10, so I need higher denoms also for the cash game. But I can use the 25c and 50c for that purpose and save the $25+ for tournament. I don't have much experience with tournaments, but from the discussion here I understand that the most convenient form for single table is to start at 25/50? Two sets would be the best of course, but I am just getting warmed up..

 

[codeman00]

Yeah The most popular tournament set start out with 25 as the smallest denomination. Our format is a bit odd starting out with 100. I’ve seen others on this forum that start out with 5 being the smallest denomination. It really doesn’t matter I guess as long as the structure works.

For CZK, You still have the option of using an entirely different set, or theme of chips for cash versus tournament. That way you can overlap Nomination see if I needed and it won’t matter.

 

[MatB]

After 25 years of running a quarter-based home game, I concluded that my optimum small cash set had 200 quarters, 300 $1s, and 300 $5s, plus $25s as determined by your players' tendencies to re-buy.

With ten players max, two max $50 buy-ins per player, all you need is one barrel of $25s. With a rack of $25s, you're set for a lot of growth.

Erm..... two max? so i show up with a six pack of beer, snacks, get settled in for the evening, and i have to leave after 20 minutes?

 

[gopherblue]

This has been covered many times. The answer is here: How many chips and breakdown

 

[Lash]

This has been covered many times. The answer is here: How many chips and breakdown

The one rack of quarters thing doesn't make sense to me. You only use 80 .unless you use the rest on a rebuy its a waste. Or you dont care about even starting stacks. Even tho its a cash game i like even stacks at the start

 

[links_slayer]

The one rack of quarters thing doesn't make sense to me. You only use 80 .unless you use the rest on a rebuy its a waste. Or you dont care about even starting stacks. Even tho its a cash game i like even stacks at the start

It's been mentioned in this thread and elsewhere, but you give out a stack of quarters to the first 5 people to buy in, give the rest of the players $1s and $5s, and buy quarters from other players as needed. Not all starting stacks need be created equal [ though it would tilt me in a tournament setting]

 

[upNdown]

The one rack of quarters thing doesn't make sense to me. You only use 80 .unless you use the rest on a rebuy its a waste. Or you dont care about even starting stacks. Even tho its a cash game i like even stacks at the start

So buy 80 if you want 80. I’m a big proponent of the single rack of fracs, but I’m really a big fat liar, because I have 120 in my main cash set.
And this notion of starting stacks is such a head scratcher to me. I know they look good for pictures, but in my mind, starting stacks are for tournaments only. In a cash game, people tell you however the hell many chips they want when they sit down. Then you count them out.
Oh and for what it’s worth, I’ll definitely sell the extra fracs on a rebuy, if there are some left. Most people appreciate it.

 

[Psypher1000]

As far as how many quarter chips one needs, the answer is 92 per table...... which also allows the use of the superior $23 chip, thus ending the $20 v $25 debate.

Some people just want to watch the world burn.

 

[pedrofisk]

@gopherblue of course means your STARTING set. Sets are never really completed.

 

[BigSlickTux]

It's been mentioned in this thread and elsewhere, but you give out a stack of quarters to the first 5 people to buy in, give the rest of the players $1s and $5s, and buy quarters from other players as needed. Not all starting stacks need be created equal [ though it would tilt me in a tournament setting]

Well said! This is basically the answer to my question. I usually just play tournament format, so all stacks must be created equal. However, in a cash game I can see how the opposite is true. Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[Tommy]

Ah yes, we now can enter the scintillating debate of $20 vs. $25! They don't make $25 bills, so I have a partial preference to the $20.

I still can't make my mind up.

 

[BigSlickTux]

I'm partial to $25's. I'm not really sure why.

 

[Lash]

So buy 80 if you want 80. I’m a big proponent of the single rack of fracs, but I’m really a big fat liar, because I have 120 in my main cash set.
And this notion of starting stacks is such a head scratcher to me. I know they look good for pictures, but in my mind, starting stacks are for tournaments only. In a cash game, people tell you however the hell many chips they want when they sit down. Then you count them out.
Oh and for what it’s worth, I’ll definitely sell the extra fracs on a rebuy, if there are some left. Most people appreciate it.

Theyre pre counted stacks. Theres nothing to really get.its so When a guy walks through the door i can give him his buy in with one hand and not count out chips while im trying to play and my players dont have to ask for change because the 5 guys on the other side of the table have all the quarters lol. Maybe its just me i dunno

 

[BGinGA]

Theyre pre counted stacks.

No reason that all of your pre-counted stacks have to be identical in breakdown.

 

[Lash]

No reason that all of your pre-counted stacks have to be identical in breakdown.[/QUOTE
i dont know what you mean. 15$ stack of dollars and quarters for all ten players then rest of their buy in in reds