I am sure you have probably come across one of the most popular card games, Poker. This card game primarily originates from North America from the 20th century. Poker can be played in physical casinos or online casinos, private homes and poker clubs. This card game is played worldwide, however, its rules differ depending on which part of the world is played. At the beginning, this game was played with 20 cards although today, it can be played 32, 40 or even 48 cards.
While poker has different versions and can be played in different ways, individuals cannot start playing until they fully understand its rules and the values of cards that are essential for betting. Such basic information is that a Poker hand has 5 cards and various combinations that players must have a clear understanding about. In this review, I am going to get more into details about an essential part of poker that is no other than: Poker Chips!
Keep reading to learn more about this!
Poker chips are also known as, gaming tokens, cheques and casino chips are small discs that are used in casinos (or online casinos) as currency. These are widely used to replace money in tournament games, however it is also popular among collectors who are enthusiasts of this card game and collect poker chips and are looking for special and antic chips as well.
Poker chips are used when playing table games and they come in different sizes and are made from different materials. However, such materials can be metal, clay, ceramic or plastic. Probably plastic is one of the most widely-known ones. These chips are inlaid or painted with different colours that all have meaning and they come with numbers that represent their value. In contrast with this, metal chips are usually used in slots also.
In order to get tokens, one needs to exchange money at a casino cage or at the table where the game will be held. These tokens cannot be used outside of the casino, however, an interesting fact is that some businesses, for instance, taxi drivers or waiters in gambling towns accept the tokens as an informal honour.
As you may have already noticed, poker chips come in different colours where you may assign the colours to their values. Below, you can see a short list about the colours of poker chips that are the most commonly used in casinos and poker rooms.
Before starting to play, it is important to know the colours and their values. The logic behind this is that the darker chips represent the highest values in order to prevent them from other players. In those cases, when players choose to play with higher value chips, instead of choosing to play with lower value ones, according to the rules of Poker, it means that only certain chips can be used to which the bet is valid if the player has not expressed their intention to bet.
In most casinos and poker rooms, white, red, blue, green and black chips are most commonly used in poker rooms and physical casinos. For instance, purple and orange poker chips are most commonly used for games that are played with higher bets.
The usage of poker chips highly depends on the number of players. For instance, if 20 players can be found around the gaming table, they most likely need at least 1000-1500 chips which can be divided to 50-75 chips per player.
If you are an experienced player, you will quickly notice that the set of poker chips is going to vary, depending on the casinos and the tournaments. The rules can also vary and they are different compared to cash games. When it comes to playing, the responsible team of the tournament or directors present a list of prize pools including the software that is used which is displayed on a screen in the casino.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to know everything instantly when you find yourself in a casino, however, it is good to remember the function of poker chips and their usage. For example, in high-stakes tournaments such as at the World Series of Poker, you won’t notice much variation between events. However, the case is different in smaller tournaments at a home poker tournament or casino tournament.
Thanks to the world of the internet, poker enthusiasts can also play this card game from the comfort of their own home. Following a quick registration process, players can choose to play poker online and take their gaming experience to a whole new level.
Additionally, don’t forget about the importance of responsible gaming either. Playing is entertaining, however playing responsibly is much more important! Enjoy the game but be responsible, and don’t ever find yourself in debt because of gambling!