Stack heights? (1 Viewer)

[72o]

I know this has been discussed at length with various types of chips. I am talking about clay chips from either Paulson, ASM/CPC or BCC and stacks no higher than 20 chips. How much variance is acceptable with regards to stacks within the same denom? Am I expecting too much to have them perfect? I mean I have had a lot of Paulsons, and they all have been perfect per denom so maybe I have been spoiled? Would you spend a lot of money on a set with varying stack heights? Or would this be a deal breaker for you? I don't think I can live with any kind of variance no matter how much I love the chips but curious as to what the "acceptable level is".

Oh and we're talking about all mint/uncirculated chips too.

 

[Quicksilver-75]

Way back I bought some cc's from PGI. I bought solids and spots for the higher denoms. Turns out the solids and spots have different methods for production. End result was almost a full chip difference in stack height. As it stands now that set has secondary chips that have never been used because they were replaced with solids (which also all have varying heights but are tolerable)
Stack heights are one of those things, IMO. There are a number or reasons they exist. The only one I'm really critical of is spinners causing it ie: BCC chips.

 

[Mental Nomad]

For me, a stack difference of 1/2 chip is completely unacceptable. If you line up two stacks and the second one is different by 1/2 chip, you don't know which one is over by one chip, versus under by one chip.

That means 1/4 chip variance is actually my limit - if I happen to make a stack that short by 1/4 chip, and a second stack that's tall by 1/4 chip (the limits of the variance), you have a 1/2 chip difference.

I don't even like when there's a 1/4 chip variance between denoms, but I can deal with it if I'm aware.... but within a denomination, I'm unhappy with a 1/4 chip variance. I make sure to all the playing chips into rotation over time to ensure even wear; the issue is with casino sets and traded sets which may have received very uneven amounts of wear before coming together.

 

[slisk250]

I'm with mental. That's why I'm not really buying used chips any longer. My two sets of A Mold CPCs are perfect with no stack height differences at all.

 

[Poker Zombie]

My CPCs have some variance between different denoms, but at 20 it's maybe 1/4 chip. I was a bit upset about that, and thought it would eternally tilt me. But the truth is, I cannot remember which chips were thicker/thinner.

Varied in the same denom is still unacceptable. My first 2 sets of customs (custom slugs then custom ceramics) had this issue when the 2 sets (each a 1 table tourney set) were mixed together to build a MTT. I did learn a valuable lesson about "standard chip sizes" though. So then I found CT/PCF, and the lesson has been costing me more and more money ever since.

 

[abby99]

My ASM(ME) MD-50 chips have some variance in thickness, but it's not significant -- maybe 0.5 mm (if that) in a stack of 20. It's only bothersome when stacked more than 50 high. I knew about the variance before I purchased my set but found it acceptable and a small price to pay for chips on this outstanding mold (ymmv). Of course I'd prefer thicknesses to be absolutely uniform (e.g., A-mold and HHR), but it is what it is (sorry, @jbutler).

As chips are used/shuffled, they do wear down. One way of dealing with this is to purchase double or triple the number of the workhorse chips so that they can be rotated. Moar chipes!!!

 

[inca911]

One way of dealing with this is to purchase double or triple the number of the workhorse chips ....

I like that kind of logic!

 

[72o]

Thanks guys/gals. Yeah I am having a hard time with even the slightest variance per denom. Different denoms I can live with for sure. When I slide my finger across the top of the previously stacked chips in order to stack-off the next stack (or whatever you call it) I need that next stack to be absolutely perfect height or else it seems to screw me up and tilts the shit out of me. I love the chips otherwise so it's making it difficult to keep the chips.

 

[abby99]

If you love the chips enough, you could sort out the thicker chips and shuffle them until they match the others. Methinks your love for those chips would have to be an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10, though, to go through that much work..

Hmm, I might have to try that with mine. Or not.

BTW, casino chips may start out with equal thicknesses, but as some chips get more play than others, their thicknesses will likely vary. Additionally, some casinos have mixed molds and even mixed materials (e.g., Paulsons and ceramics) of a single denom in play at the same time; I've only experienced this with $1 and $5 chips.

My point is that slightly uneven stacks are not uncommon, but if it bothers you that much, sell those puppies and get something else.

 

[links_slayer]

A-mold has been mentioned ITT as being perfect. There's a pic of my cash set in my media here that shows variance in stacks of my $1 chips - made in the ASM Maine days. I don't know how substantial/serious this should be labelled because it doesn't bother me.

edit: figured out how to get it here

DSC00740

• links_slayer
• Jan 4, 2015

 

[rowlin]

Misposted.

 

[Marius L]

I'm curious about this as I'm curently waiting for my first set of paulsons. A set of GV primaries and as far as I know those are pretty damn worn. Anyone here have any experience with the thickness differences on those?

 

[Psypher1000]

Or would this be a deal breaker for you?

No, and it can't be, or else you'll probably never own anything other than ceramics. If your mint Paulson's have all been perfect, then A), you've been lucky, and B) give them enough time and it's likely they'll become slightly uneven as some chips hit the table/get shuffled more than others.

The Armory tourney set - from the recently refurbished scroll mold, no less - had variations from barrel to barrel within the same denomination right out of the box. Some barrels would fit in a rack (can't remember if it was Chipco or Paulson off the top of my head), others wouldn't. If a basically new mold produces this type of variation, there's no reason to hope that any other mold would be able to produce perfectly consistent height from chip to chip.

 

[David O]

I'm curious about this as I'm curently waiting for my first set of paulsons. A set of GV primaries and as far as I know those are pretty damn worn. Anyone here have any experience with the thickness differences on those?

Yes on the $5's you can fit 21 in the rack. $25's and $100' are usually I good condition. $500's and $1000's will stand on edge.

 

[Marius L]

Yes on the $5's you can fit 21 in the rack. $25's and $100' are usually I good condition. $500's and $1000's will stand on edge.

Thanks David

 

[David O]

Thanks David

You just buy a set? Cash set? That is currently my working cash set. Got to love the GV primaries.

 

[Marius L]

You just buy a set? Cash set? That is currently my working cash set. Got to love the GV primaries.

Yes, AK Chip helped me put a set together. cash set. 1$, 5$ and 25$ only.Look forward to getting it in the mail, and glad to hear you love it!

 

[Meddler2]

I must be extremely lucky. 5 Asm/CPC sets and very slight height difference between or within denoms. 3 BCC sets and very minimum difference.

Just checked stack heights between A-mold, E&C, H-mold, and No-mold....meaningless data as there's simply too many variables ie. play, age, wear, assembly, mold etc. etc.:
(it's been my experience that ASM are a tad thicker than BCC)

 

[Robert Waite]

I would have to agree that with nice "true" chips.. there should be only the tiniest height diff within a denom. Ive only played with china clay milanos and pharaohs.. my sets are barely perceptable height diffs. If china clay companies can get it right.. so should the big boys. I think .03" diff between 20 stacks maybe max acceptable? Dont have my calipers handy or my note from when i was checking heights.

 

[Phantom]

The Blades (25) have less than a gnat's choof difference in height from the other 4 denoms (a little lower), but it is consistent through the 320+ (25) chips. I am very lucky to have this level of evenness.

 

[CdnBeerLover]

For me, height differences in the 11.5g "cheap" chips I originally owned is one of the things that made me interested in better chips. And for the extra cost, I expect a higher level of QA, including consistency with respect to dimensions. So I'm in the camp with others in that the chips should be within 1/4 chip of height in stacks of 20.

No, and it can't be, or else you'll probably never own anything other than ceramics.

Can we please put this myth to rest? Using ceramics is not always a guarantee of consistent stack heights, either. Been there, done that.

 

[bew]

I would want a difference of less than a 1/4 of a chip for a stack of 20. Especially for a cash game set.

 

[jbutler]

I would have to agree that with nice "true" chips.. there should be only the tiniest height diff within a denom. Ive only played with china clay milanos and pharaohs.. my sets are barely perceptable height diffs. If china clay companies can get it right.. so should the big boys.

This is simply a misunderstanding of the manufacturing process. It's akin to saying, "The spots on my dice chips are perfectly square along the rolling edge and I demand the same of my Paulsons." The process doesn't and can't lend itself to perfect uniformity. Sure, some batches will luck out and you'll get perfectly matched heights. But if you're not willing to accept variance, you're going to be disappointed eventually if you have enough chips.

As to question in the OP, I only have one set of ASMs these days, having sold off all the rest, and they're smooth Plain molds. I was told by Jim B when I ordered that the mold might produce varying thicknesses among chips and I didn't care. End result is a variation of half a chip at most and often much less.

As noted by Marsha above, the more you order the less likely it is to be a problem as it will all average out once you mix them together.

 

[BGinGA]

Can we please put this myth to rest? Using ceramics is not always a guarantee of consistent stack heights, either. Been there, done that.

Not really a myth.... in nearly all cases, ceramic chips produced on the same blanks (especially blanks from the same production run) will be uniform in both height and diameter. When you start mixing manufacturers, different blanks, and blanks from different batches... well yeah, things won't necessarily work out 'perfectly'. But I wouldn't recommend doing ceramic sets/orders that way, either.... especially if overly OCD about consistency.