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The Protégé Thread (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Joe Harris
- Start date
Given there has been a good deal of Protege activity lately, I also wanted to copy the below info to this thread about some background info on how this set came to be. Sidepot hosted a design contest on Chiptalk many years ago, the design by Magus_23 ultimately won and was selected for the design. Below is an archived Sidepot web link that Mental Nomad was cool enough to capture a few years ago.
https://web.archive.org/web/2011102...om/Protege-Clay-Poker-Chips-p/set-protege.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/2011102...om/Protege-Clay-Poker-Chips-p/set-protege.htm
Volume Discounts
(applied automatically)
Buy 500+ - Save 5¢ per chip
Buy 1000+ - Save 10¢ per chip
The award-winning Protégé clay poker chip line is the most popular clay chip set in the history of Sidepot Gaming - 50,000 chips were sold before we even started production. As Sidepot is a market leader in high-end poker chips, it follows that the Protégé line is perhaps the most popular high-end clay poker chip set in history.
Shaped Inlays – This is the chip that brought the retro style of shaped inlays back.
Cigar & Snifter Mold – Hands down the most popular clay chip mold available to consumers.
Award-winning Inlay Design – Designed thru a contest on a leading poker chip collector forum that involved over 20 designers competing and over 100 chip enthusiasts voting and providing feedback, this classic, and awe-inspiring inlay design beat out a number of formidable competitors.
Matching Plaques - Add some european flair to your game with some Protege Plaques.
Get a Sample
10-chip sample - $19.95
2-chip sample - $5
About the Protege Clay Poker Chip Line
The Protégé clay poker chip line is the outcome of an innovative project where a poker chip collecting community was given full reign on designing every element of a new chip line to fit into Sidepot Gaming Company’s retail mix. We sponsored the project, and helped to moderate the progression of the design. It was largely a blank slate project and the deeply knowledgeable community was given the latitude to affect nearly every element of the chip. When the project started, there was a palette of 35 or so chip colors, 15 or so edge spot configurations, and 10 or so printed inlay shapes. Combined there were literally millions of options for the community to choose from.
By the end of the project, the collective influence of the community pushed us in directions we never imagined from the outset. In addition to the truly inspired chip colors and design they voted in as the winner, they both guided us to create one of the heaviest clay chips on the market and persuaded us to bring back true punched/shaped inlays, a throwback poker chip inlay feature that hadn’t been seen in the consumer poker chip market for several decades. What was initially planned to be a 60-90 day project ended up taking closer to 9 months. What our designers initially thought was a bit of a gamble, turned into one of the most anticipated high-end poker chip lines of the past few years, if not ever.
With over 150 active participants making thousands of collective contributions and voting on every element of the chip design, the Protégé chip line is, we believe, as close as one can come to a grassroots, collaborative community design project. And it worked! The truly beautiful winning chip line proves the promise of what can be accomplished by tapping into the collective intelligence and creativity of a highly interested group of casino chip fanatics.
Cigar & Snifter mold
The Protégé line uses Sidepot’s throwback Cigar & Snifter mold, what some insiders in the poker chip industry consider the finest mold ever produced. The engraving design features an intricate cigar and snifter design, repeated 8 times around the track of the chip. Two concentric circles frame this repeating design, one inside and one outside.
Like our previous flagship line, the InPlay Clay, the innovation that really sets the Protégé line apart from every poker chip in the world is the innovative smooth feel of the track and edge of the chip combined with the popular textured, cross-hatched inlay surface. Unlike all other clay chips in the world, which come out of the factory with a rough surface, our Protégé chip has an unmistakable smooth feel right out of the box - exactly like a chip that has been properly broken-in within the casino environment.
Industry Leading Innovation! Vintage true shaped/punched inlays.- The unquestionable marquee of our exclusive Protege clay poker chip line. A highly coveted poker chip feature in the casino chip collecting industry for years, and unavailable for several decades on newly produced chips, the Protege line eloquently brings back this classic retro styling.
Industry Leading Innovation! Smooth clay touch and feel built right into the mold of the chip – A major innovation for home game poker chips that gives them the feel of a poker chip that’s been properly broken-in within a casino environment.
Award-winning Colors and Inlay Design! Award-winning design by William R. Coughlan.
100% Authentic Casino Chips - Same clay chips, same manufacturer, as those used in numerous popular Las Vegas casinos including the prestigious Aladdin.
Exclusive mold - This chip line uses Sidepot Gaming Company's highly touted throwback mold design, the Cigar & Snifter mold.
Textured cross-hatched inlay surface - Not flat and lifeless just because it’s easier to make.
Technical Specs:
Chip Weight - 10 gram average.
Chip Diameter - 39mm.
Chip Construction - Compression-molded clay.
(applied automatically)
Buy 500+ - Save 5¢ per chip
Buy 1000+ - Save 10¢ per chip
The award-winning Protégé clay poker chip line is the most popular clay chip set in the history of Sidepot Gaming - 50,000 chips were sold before we even started production. As Sidepot is a market leader in high-end poker chips, it follows that the Protégé line is perhaps the most popular high-end clay poker chip set in history.
Shaped Inlays – This is the chip that brought the retro style of shaped inlays back.
Cigar & Snifter Mold – Hands down the most popular clay chip mold available to consumers.
Award-winning Inlay Design – Designed thru a contest on a leading poker chip collector forum that involved over 20 designers competing and over 100 chip enthusiasts voting and providing feedback, this classic, and awe-inspiring inlay design beat out a number of formidable competitors.
Matching Plaques - Add some european flair to your game with some Protege Plaques.
Get a Sample
10-chip sample - $19.95
2-chip sample - $5
About the Protege Clay Poker Chip Line
The Protégé clay poker chip line is the outcome of an innovative project where a poker chip collecting community was given full reign on designing every element of a new chip line to fit into Sidepot Gaming Company’s retail mix. We sponsored the project, and helped to moderate the progression of the design. It was largely a blank slate project and the deeply knowledgeable community was given the latitude to affect nearly every element of the chip. When the project started, there was a palette of 35 or so chip colors, 15 or so edge spot configurations, and 10 or so printed inlay shapes. Combined there were literally millions of options for the community to choose from.
By the end of the project, the collective influence of the community pushed us in directions we never imagined from the outset. In addition to the truly inspired chip colors and design they voted in as the winner, they both guided us to create one of the heaviest clay chips on the market and persuaded us to bring back true punched/shaped inlays, a throwback poker chip inlay feature that hadn’t been seen in the consumer poker chip market for several decades. What was initially planned to be a 60-90 day project ended up taking closer to 9 months. What our designers initially thought was a bit of a gamble, turned into one of the most anticipated high-end poker chip lines of the past few years, if not ever.
With over 150 active participants making thousands of collective contributions and voting on every element of the chip design, the Protégé chip line is, we believe, as close as one can come to a grassroots, collaborative community design project. And it worked! The truly beautiful winning chip line proves the promise of what can be accomplished by tapping into the collective intelligence and creativity of a highly interested group of casino chip fanatics.
Cigar & Snifter mold
The Protégé line uses Sidepot’s throwback Cigar & Snifter mold, what some insiders in the poker chip industry consider the finest mold ever produced. The engraving design features an intricate cigar and snifter design, repeated 8 times around the track of the chip. Two concentric circles frame this repeating design, one inside and one outside.
Like our previous flagship line, the InPlay Clay, the innovation that really sets the Protégé line apart from every poker chip in the world is the innovative smooth feel of the track and edge of the chip combined with the popular textured, cross-hatched inlay surface. Unlike all other clay chips in the world, which come out of the factory with a rough surface, our Protégé chip has an unmistakable smooth feel right out of the box - exactly like a chip that has been properly broken-in within the casino environment.
Industry Leading Innovation! Vintage true shaped/punched inlays.- The unquestionable marquee of our exclusive Protege clay poker chip line. A highly coveted poker chip feature in the casino chip collecting industry for years, and unavailable for several decades on newly produced chips, the Protege line eloquently brings back this classic retro styling.
Industry Leading Innovation! Smooth clay touch and feel built right into the mold of the chip – A major innovation for home game poker chips that gives them the feel of a poker chip that’s been properly broken-in within a casino environment.
Award-winning Colors and Inlay Design! Award-winning design by William R. Coughlan.
100% Authentic Casino Chips - Same clay chips, same manufacturer, as those used in numerous popular Las Vegas casinos including the prestigious Aladdin.
Exclusive mold - This chip line uses Sidepot Gaming Company's highly touted throwback mold design, the Cigar & Snifter mold.
Textured cross-hatched inlay surface - Not flat and lifeless just because it’s easier to make.
Technical Specs:
Chip Weight - 10 gram average.
Chip Diameter - 39mm.
Chip Construction - Compression-molded clay.
Ah, helps tie it together.Given there has been a good deal of Protege activity lately, I also wanted to copy the below info to this thread about some background info on how this set came to be. Sidepot hosted a design contest on Chiptalk many years ago, the design by Magus_23 ultimately won and was selected for the design. Below is an archived Sidepot web link that Mental Nomad was cool enough to capture a few years ago.
https://web.archive.org/web/2011102...om/Protege-Clay-Poker-Chips-p/set-protege.htm
Volume Discounts
(applied automatically)
Buy 500+ - Save 5¢ per chip
Buy 1000+ - Save 10¢ per chip
The award-winning Protégé clay poker chip line is the most popular clay chip set in the history of Sidepot Gaming - 50,000 chips were sold before we even started production. As Sidepot is a market leader in high-end poker chips, it follows that the Protégé line is perhaps the most popular high-end clay poker chip set in history.
Shaped Inlays – This is the chip that brought the retro style of shaped inlays back.
Cigar & Snifter Mold – Hands down the most popular clay chip mold available to consumers.
Award-winning Inlay Design – Designed thru a contest on a leading poker chip collector forum that involved over 20 designers competing and over 100 chip enthusiasts voting and providing feedback, this classic, and awe-inspiring inlay design beat out a number of formidable competitors.
Matching Plaques - Add some european flair to your game with some Protege Plaques.
Get a Sample
10-chip sample - $19.95
2-chip sample - $5
About the Protege Clay Poker Chip Line
The Protégé clay poker chip line is the outcome of an innovative project where a poker chip collecting community was given full reign on designing every element of a new chip line to fit into Sidepot Gaming Company’s retail mix. We sponsored the project, and helped to moderate the progression of the design. It was largely a blank slate project and the deeply knowledgeable community was given the latitude to affect nearly every element of the chip. When the project started, there was a palette of 35 or so chip colors, 15 or so edge spot configurations, and 10 or so printed inlay shapes. Combined there were literally millions of options for the community to choose from.
By the end of the project, the collective influence of the community pushed us in directions we never imagined from the outset. In addition to the truly inspired chip colors and design they voted in as the winner, they both guided us to create one of the heaviest clay chips on the market and persuaded us to bring back true punched/shaped inlays, a throwback poker chip inlay feature that hadn’t been seen in the consumer poker chip market for several decades. What was initially planned to be a 60-90 day project ended up taking closer to 9 months. What our designers initially thought was a bit of a gamble, turned into one of the most anticipated high-end poker chip lines of the past few years, if not ever.
With over 150 active participants making thousands of collective contributions and voting on every element of the chip design, the Protégé chip line is, we believe, as close as one can come to a grassroots, collaborative community design project. And it worked! The truly beautiful winning chip line proves the promise of what can be accomplished by tapping into the collective intelligence and creativity of a highly interested group of casino chip fanatics.
Cigar & Snifter mold
The Protégé line uses Sidepot’s throwback Cigar & Snifter mold, what some insiders in the poker chip industry consider the finest mold ever produced. The engraving design features an intricate cigar and snifter design, repeated 8 times around the track of the chip. Two concentric circles frame this repeating design, one inside and one outside.
Like our previous flagship line, the InPlay Clay, the innovation that really sets the Protégé line apart from every poker chip in the world is the innovative smooth feel of the track and edge of the chip combined with the popular textured, cross-hatched inlay surface. Unlike all other clay chips in the world, which come out of the factory with a rough surface, our Protégé chip has an unmistakable smooth feel right out of the box - exactly like a chip that has been properly broken-in within the casino environment.
Industry Leading Innovation! Vintage true shaped/punched inlays.- The unquestionable marquee of our exclusive Protege clay poker chip line. A highly coveted poker chip feature in the casino chip collecting industry for years, and unavailable for several decades on newly produced chips, the Protege line eloquently brings back this classic retro styling.
Industry Leading Innovation! Smooth clay touch and feel built right into the mold of the chip – A major innovation for home game poker chips that gives them the feel of a poker chip that’s been properly broken-in within a casino environment.
Award-winning Colors and Inlay Design! Award-winning design by William R. Coughlan.
100% Authentic Casino Chips - Same clay chips, same manufacturer, as those used in numerous popular Las Vegas casinos including the prestigious Aladdin.
Exclusive mold - This chip line uses Sidepot Gaming Company's highly touted throwback mold design, the Cigar & Snifter mold.
Textured cross-hatched inlay surface - Not flat and lifeless just because it’s easier to make.
Technical Specs:
Chip Weight - 10 gram average.
Chip Diameter - 39mm.
Chip Construction - Compression-molded clay.
I had forgotten I had these plaques that I had bought and used with my Milanos when I first got into chipping.
OP
OP
Plaques! Pulled these from an archive of Sidepot's site.
If anybody has any besides 5k and 25k, PM me please! Trying to put together a compilation of images and need more of the plaques.
If anybody has any besides 5k and 25k, PM me please! Trying to put together a compilation of images and need more of the plaques.
OP
OP
I am pleased to announce the updated version of the spreadsheet listed in the first post of this thread. I spent probably too long building it out as a fully fledge HTML page with as much detail as is available.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/protégé-variant-gallery.63394/#post-1252311
Thanks to @Irish for photos and editing help and @grantc54 for the plaque images.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/protégé-variant-gallery.63394/#post-1252311
Thanks to @Irish for photos and editing help and @grantc54 for the plaque images.
Last edited:
Hello Protegé people 
I was able to get in direct contact with William Coughlan, the creator of the original artwork.
No.... he has no chips/set he wants to unload (had to ask right
) but mostly wanted to know if we were able to revive the artwork for plaques & DB's.
And YEEEES we can...he still has the original artworks
But he first wanted to contact former Sidepot owner Stephan Aarstol, to make sure we are in the clear running a new DB & plaques GB.
Will keep you all posted but this is great news (imho)...MSK plaques anyone
@Joe Harris...honor whome honor is due...I linked him to your resource page (and PCF obv.) and he liked it a lot
I was able to get in direct contact with William Coughlan, the creator of the original artwork.
No.... he has no chips/set he wants to unload (had to ask right
) but mostly wanted to know if we were able to revive the artwork for plaques & DB's.And YEEEES we can...he still has the original artworks
But he first wanted to contact former Sidepot owner Stephan Aarstol, to make sure we are in the clear running a new DB & plaques GB.
Will keep you all posted but this is great news (imho)...MSK plaques anyone
@Joe Harris...honor whome honor is due...I linked him to your resource page (and PCF obv.) and he liked it a lot
OP
OP
YES!MSK plaques anyone
Dealer buttons, cut cards, plaques..let's group buy!
once in the clear....HELL YEAH (been a while since I did one (PCA DB & plaques part I & II)
You & Irish will be master controllers (final approvals)
ThinkingFold
Flush
Hello Protegé people
I was able to get in direct contact with William Coughlan, the creator of the original artwork.
No.... he has no chips/set he wants to unload (had to ask right
And YEEEES we can...he still has the original artworks
But he first wanted to contact former Sidepot owner Stephan Aarstol, to make sure we are in the clear running a new DB & plaques GB.
Will keep you all posted but this is great news (imho)...MSK plaques anyone
@Joe Harris...honor whome honor is due...I linked him to your resource page (and PCF obv.) and he liked it a lot
Did you also ask him to see if there was any chance the language in the original protégé contract could be used to get another run done through GPI?
meh..Paulsons
j/k....but still, BCC rocks and we are going to add some extra pieces of flair to those Protege chip sets
j/k....but still, BCC rocks and we are going to add some extra pieces of flair to those Protege chip sets
OP
OP
not sure yet...look for a post with +10 GIFS to celebrate
sadwallet
High Hand
Hey all I’m new to this thread. When is the group buy happening?
Excellent question!
I contacted William Coughlan twice after our last contact, no word back yet 
He was going to contact Stephan Aarstol, to make sure we are in the clear running a new DB & plaques.
I'll stay on this...hope this get's a go
He was going to contact Stephan Aarstol, to make sure we are in the clear running a new DB & plaques.
I'll stay on this...hope this get's a go
davislane
Straight Flush
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2020
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Should have checked this thread before buying what I thought was a complete sample set. More denoms to add to the list. Im not going to even bother with the different variants.The hunt continues....
Anyone who has minty spares of the following Id be for ever grateful.
5c
10c
50c
$2
$2.50
$10
$20
$50
$25k
$100k
white ncv
red ncv
green ncv
black ncv
blue nvc
Anyone who has minty spares of the following Id be for ever grateful.
5c
10c
50c
$2
$2.50
$10
$20
$50
$25k
$100k
white ncv
red ncv
green ncv
black ncv
blue nvc
Good luck finding these in any quantity. Only a couple of racks of the rarest ones were ever made. I've seen the nickels and the $20's for sale here in the last few months, but that's about it.
OP
OP
The circle of life
moose
4 of a Kind
Which chip has missing edgespots? I couldn't find it. Agree on the shitty printing QC.
edit whoops didn't realize this post was from 2017
Last edited:
OP
OP
Cash set family shots
I really love the Protege set. So classic (as long as you can get past the variants). I'm looking forward to getting the required posts under my belt so I can inquire about a possible set purchase from one of you collectors.
This set is gorgeous. How hard was it to locate those odd denominations? Wow.
OP
OP
I dunno whether to answer this seriously or sarcastically.
Some 'unusual' denominations are more common ($20, 5¢), but several of those I've only seen available a single time since I've been on the forums. Building a Protege cash set is possible, but building one with a playable quantity of every denomination is...less possible.
OP
OP
Hold'em/Pineapple action shot
Finally getting somewhere with the cashset, thanks to Allyn! The 100s are placeholders, I’m hoping to be able to make MSK $100 plaques eventually. But these’ll work fine for now
Tournament set is also growing. 
Sorry for spaming, had to do a family shoot too. These chips are so awesome!
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