WSOP Chip Usage History - 2007 Rio Primary Paulson set
This Paulson set was introduced in 2007 to partially replace the Bud Jones chips primarily used at the WSOP between 2005 - 2006. They have been used in conjunction with the Paulson secondary set since 2007 but are the primary chips used in large field and NLHE events. New chips have been introduced to the set since 2008 for a variety reasons such as player compliments about color clashing, adding higher denominations to accommodate large fields and starting stacks, and the decision to introduce different higher denomination chips in regular tournaments versus the Main Event.
The following chip uses apply to bracelet events only.
5 Solid Red
View attachment 345613
Years Active - 2009 - 2015?
First known use - 2009 Event 5 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha
These chips appear to be T5 chips used with the primary set. I was able to find four appearances, three of which they were used as add on or rebuy chips. These chips were only used once as actual T5 chips: In the early stages of the 2015 1.5k 10-Game mix.
25, 100, 500, 1,000, and 5,000
View attachment 279103
First known use - 2007 Event 1 $5,000 Mixed Hold ‘Em
Edgespots – 4W Style 26
Years Active - 2007 - 2018
25 – Day Green
Edgespot Colors - Forest Green and Yellow
Years Active - 2007 - 2019
100 – Black
Edgespot Colors - Day Blue and Dark Blue
500 - Desert Flower
Edgespot Colors – Maroon and Pink
1,000 - Canary Yellow
Edgespot Colors – Plum and Sherbet Orange
5,000 - Blaze Orange
Edgespot Colors - Dark Brown and Tan
These are the five most used chips at the WSOP since 2007. They are used in most (but not all) No Limit Hold ‘Em and large field events. They have been used in every Main Event since 2007.
25 - 400 tournaments
100 - 424 tournaments
500 - 425 tournaments
1,000 - 429 tournaments
5,000 - 427 tournaments
The Canary Yellow 1k is the most used chip at the WSOP since 2007 Followed by the Blaze Orange 5k. The Desert Flower 500 is third and Black 100 fourth. The Day Green 25 is a distant 5th because they were not used in 2019. The difference is because the 1k chips were used in the 2018 The Big One For One Drop and the 1k and 5k chips were used in the 2012 The Big One For One Drop and 2009 NLHE Heads-Up Championship while the lower denoms were not. The 1k was also used in the 2019 100k High Roller. The 100, 500, and 1k chips were also used in the 2007 50k Horse Championship. The 500, 1k, and 5k were used in the 2019 50k NLHE High Roller making it the first tournament where the 500 chips were used but not the 100s.
25,000 Peach
View attachment 345614
Years Active - 2007
First known use - 2007 Event 1 $5,000 Mixed Hold ‘Em
Edgespots – 4W Style 26
Edgespot Colors – Metallic Silver and Metallic Gold
These chips were used in most No Limit Hold ‘Em and large field events including the Main Event in 2007. These chips were discontinued in 2007 after players complained about color similarities with them and the Blaze Orange 5k, Hot Pink 50ks, and Almond 250k. They were replaced by the 25k Forest Greens in 2008.
25,000 Forest Green
View attachment 345616
Years Active - 2008 - 2019
First known use - 2008 Event 1 $10,000 Pot Limit Hold ‘Em
Edgespots - 4W Style 26
Edgespot Colors – Blue and Yellow
These chips were introduced in 2008 to replace the original 25k Peach chips after player complaints. They were the primary 25k chips used in most (but not all) No Limit Hold ‘Em and large field events between 2008 and 2014 but were replaced in this role by the Pastel Green 25ks in 2015. However, in 2019 they made a massive comeback, re-replacing the Pastel Green 25ks as the main chip used with the primary set. Their first non-Main Event use since 2014 was the 2019 Event 2 10k Super Turbo Bounty and they were used in 21 events in 2019 including the Main Event.
From 2015 - 2018 these chips were only used at the Main Event.
25,000 Pastel Green
View attachment 279105
Years Active - 2015 - 2019
First known use - 2015 Event 2 $5,000 No Limit Hold 'Em
Edgespots - 4W Style 26
Edgespot Colors – Dark Blue and Bronze
These chips replaced the Forest Greens in 2015 as the primary 25k chips and are used in most (but not all) No Limit Hold ‘Em and large event fields since 2015. These chips are not used at the Main Event in favor of the 25k Forest Green chips. Although never confirmed, it is believed they decided to use different 25k chips than the Main Event to prevent cheating.
These chips were replaced by the Forest Green 25ks in 2019 as the main 25k chip used with the Primary set. They were only used once in 2019, having an appearance at the 2019 100k NLHE High Roller.
25,000 50mm Forest Green RFID
View attachment 345617
Years Active - 2018
First known use - 2018 Event 65 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots - 412 style 10
Edgespot Colors - Sky Blue
These chips were used at the 2018 Main Event final table because of the RFID technology. This has been the only use of these chips to date.
50,000 Hot Pink
View attachment 345619
Years Active – 2007 - 2013
First known use - 2007 Event 55 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots - 4W Style 26
Edgespot Colors - Lime Green and Dark Green
These chips were used at the 2007 Main Event but discontinued after player complaints about clashing colors with the Blaze Orange 5k and Peach 25k chips and deemed unnecessary because of the use of 25k and 100k chips. They have been used 3 more times as novelty chips in the 2009 10K Heads-up Championship, 40K NLHE 40th anniversary event, and the 2013 111,111 One Drop.
100,000 Hawaii Flower
View attachment 345621
Years Active - 2007 - 2019
First known use - 2007 Event 55 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots - 4W Style 26
Edgespot Colors – Charcoal and Metallic Silver
These chips have been used in the Main Event since 2007. Besides the ME, these chips showed up in nine other events between 2011 - 2014. They were used in the 2011, 2012, and 2014 Heads-Up Championships, the 2013 Millionaire Maker, the 2013 Little One Drop, the 2012 Big One for One Drop, the 2012 (one time held) 3K NLHE/PLO Heads-Up, and the 10K NLHE 6-Handed event in 2011. In 2015 they were replaced by the Purple 100ks as the main chip used with the primary set.
In 2019 these chips re-replaced the Purple 100ks as the main 100k chip used with the primary chips and were used 19 times in 2019 including the Main Event.
100,000 Purple
View attachment 345622
Years Active - 2015 - 2018
First known use - 2015 Event 16 $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em Millionaire Maker
Edgespots - 4W Style 26
Edgespot Colors – Black and Off White
These chips were introduced in 2015 to decrease the clutter of total chips in the late stages of tournaments. Before 2015, it was standard to have huge stacks of 5k and 25k chips at final tables resulting in huge total chip bets and longer all-in counts. Not wanting to use the Hawaii Flower 100ks, these chips were brought in. They are used at most but not all final tables when the primaries are used. They typically are only used at normal tournaments but are used at all Millionaire Makers since 2015. In 2019 these chips were replaced with the Hawaii Flowers 100ks as the main chip used with the primary set.
100,000 50mm Hawaii Flower RFID
View attachment 345624
Years Active - 2018
First known use - 2018 Event 65 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots - 412 style 10
Edgespot Colors - Grey
These chips were used at the 2018 Main Event final table because of the RFID technology. This has been the only use of these chips to date.
250,000 Almond
View attachment 345625
Years Active - 2007 - 2014
First known use - 2007 Event 55 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots - 4W Style 26
Edgespot Colors – Bronze and Butterscotch
These chips were used in the Main Event from 2007-2014. They were not replaced but deemed unnecessary in favor of using 100k and 500k chips exclusively. Outside of the ME they rarely saw play, only being used in two events: the 2014 1.5k Monster Stack and the 2012 The Big One For One Drop.
500,000 50mm Oversized Red
View attachment 345626
Years Active – 2010 - 2019
First known use – 2010 Event 57 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots – 8V Style 20
Edgespot Colors – Day Blue and White
These chips have been used at the Main Event since 2010. They are the first ever Paulson oversized chips introduced at the WSOP. These chips are exclusive to the Main Event and have never been used at other tournaments.
500,000 50mm Red RFID
View attachment 345627
Years Active - 2018
First known use - 2018 Event 65 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots - 412 style 10
Edgespot Colors - Desert Flower
These chips were used at the 2018 Main Event final table because of the RFID technology. This has been the only use of these chips to date.
500,000 50mm Oversized Mexican Rose
View attachment 311786
Years Active – 2015 - 2019
First known use – 2015 Event 16 $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em Millionaire Maker
Edgespots - 2V2W Style 18
Edgespot Colors - Daisy and Grey
These chips are reserved for large field and high roller events excluding the Main Event and have only been used five times; The Millionaire Maker in 2015, 2017, and 2018, the 2018 25k PLO 8-Handed High Roller event, and the 2019 100k NLHE High Roller. In the 2018 25k PLO event they were actually used with the 500k black chip for unknown reasons.
500,000 43mm Oversized Black
View attachment 311814
Years Active – 2016 - 2019
First known use – 2016 Event 67 $111,111 One Drop
Edgespots – 418 style 7
Edgespot Colors – White
Formerly some of the rarest and most exclusive chips still actively used at the WSOP, players had never shuffled these chips unless they plunked down 100k or more on a buy in. These chips had only hit the tables four times as of 2018; The 2016 and 2017 111,111 One Drop and in 2018 for The Big One For One Drop and the 100k NLHE High Roller event.
Only used with the secondary set from 2016 - 2018, these became the main 500k used with the primary chip a total of seven times in NLHE or PLO events in 2019.
1,000,000 43mm Oversized Metallic Silver
View attachment 311816
Years Active – 2018 - 2019
First known use – 2018 Event 78 The Big One For One Drop
Edgespots – 418 style 7
Edgespot Colors – Almond
These were introduced in 2018 to be used with the Secondary set for the Big One For One Drop. They were again used twice in 2019, this time with the Primary set, hitting the tables for the $600 NLHE Deepstack and $888 NLHE 8-Handed.
1,000,000 50mm Oversized Canary Yellow
View attachment 345628
Years Active – 2016 - 2018
First known use – 2016 Event 68 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots – 8V Style 20
Edgespot Colors – Black and Aqua
These chips were introduced for the Main Event and used for three years between 2016 through 2018. They were not used in favor of the 1M Canary Yellow RFID chips in the 2019 Main Event for unknown reasons.
They are exclusive to the Main Event and have never been used in other tournaments.
1,000,000 50mm Canary Yellow RFID
View attachment 345630
Years Active - 2018 - 2019
First known use - 2018 Event 65 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots - 412 style 10
Edgespot Colors - Aqua
These chips were used at the 2018 Main Event final table because of the RFID technology. They were again used in the 2019 Main Event as the only 1M chips in play.
5,000,000 50mm Oversized Blurple
View attachment 311815
Years Active – 2019
First known use – 2019 Event 73 $10,000 Main Event
Edgespots – 8V Style 20
Edgespot Colors – ????
These chips were introduced for the Main Event in 2019 and this is their only known use.
Primary and Secondary Usage
It is a misnomer that these primary chips are the ‘NLHE chips’. The WSOP determines which set to use based on field sizes and what other tournaments around the same time are using. Because the NLHE events are typically the largest fields the primary set is used in most of them. A few recent examples are:
2018 1.5k HORSE event 15 used the primary set
2018 10K NLHE Super Turbo Bounty event 59 used the secondary set
2017 1k PLO event 25 used the primary Set
2017 5k NLHE 6-handed event 36 used the secondary set
The chips used at the WSOP are also not exclusively split up between the primary and secondary sets. On occasion they will use a mix of the two without any real explanation. Some examples are:
in the 2019 100k High Roller a random combination of primary and secondary set chips were used.
In the 2018 One For One Drop the primary 1K Canary Yellow was used with the secondary set
In the 2016 3k NLHE the secondary 100k White chips were used with the primary set
In the 2014 1k PLO the secondary 25K Indian Blue were used with the primary set
In the 2014 the 1.5k NLHE Millionaire Maker and 1K NLHE Seniors the secondary 100k White chips were used with the primary Set
In the 2011 the 25k NLHE Heads-Up Championship used both the primary and secondary sets
In the 2009 and 2011 5k NLHE Triple Chance event the secondary 5 Royal Red chips were used as rebuy chips
In the 2008 and 2009 the 10k NLHE Heads-Up Championship used both the primary and secondary sets
In the 2009 2k Limit HE and the 1.5k PLO8 the secondary 5 Royal Red were used for antes
In the 2018 25k PLO The oversized primary 500k Mexican Rose were used with the secondary set
In the 2007 50k HORSE Championship the primary 100, 500, and 1k chips were used with the secondary 5k and 25k quarterpie chips
For more information on WSOP chip usage:
WSOP Chip Usage - 2007 Rio Secondary Paulson Set
WSOP Chip Usage - 2005 Rio Primary Bud Jones
WSOP Chip Usage - 2012 Rio Secondary Bud Jones
WSOP Chip Usage - Binion's Horseshoe
