2) Clay Poker Chips and Composite Chips
If you're interested in a set of the heavier chips, like those used in casinos and on television shows like the World Series of Poker, you'll want to look into clay Poker chips or composite Poker chips. These chips come in six weights:
7.5 grams
8.5 grams
9.0 grams
11.5 grams
13.0 grams
13.5 grams
By rule, heavier chips tend to be more desirable because the chips feel better and they even sound better when they click against each other.
If you're not sure about how heavy of a chip to purchase, consider that 11.5 grams is the most popular. You might consider handling a few samples before making a purchase of poker chips. Some friends of mine recently purchased some 7.5-gram "cheap" poker chips. These chips were too light and the design on them was rather bland. If you're on a tight budget and you don't play poker very often, you might consider the 9-gram chips. These poker chips are a big step up from plastic chips. I think that 9gram chips are an excellent value for the occasional player.
If design on the chips is important for you, then you should know that the 11.5-gram chips are available in the widest assortment of design options. The 13- and 13.5-gram chips are the heaviest available, but you'll pay a premium for the extra weight. I'm not certain that the extra weight is really worth it. Don't forget, you'll have to carry these chips around.
3) Design Options
Clay and composite chips are typically available in a single solid color (most often with a pattern imprinted), two colors, and three colors. Most people would agree that the two-color chips look great. You will have to pay a significatn premium for three-color chips.
Poker chips are avialable in numerous design styles. I'll describe the following three, because they're the most popular:
Diamond - a series of diamonds is imprinted around the chip
Suited - the four card suits are imprinted around the chip
Dice - each side of a die is imprinted around the chip
I don't really have a favorite, because I've used them and like them all. But, I polled my poker playing friends recently and found that our group leans towards the Diamond, because of it's classic look.
You can choose from many different designs. Just looking online at a few different manufacuterers, you can even find some exclusive designs. Since there's so many designs available, I strongly recommend you spend time viewing at least a few websites, so you can determine which design you like the best.
More Advice on Buying Poker Chip Sets
Complete chip sets should be purchased with a few things in mind: How many chips do you need? How much can you afford to pay for your chipset and how many players will be using the chips in a game. As with most things, you pay for quality and the best advice is to buy the highest quality you can afford. It is rare to be sorry that you opted for a higher line of goods so buy the best your budget allows.
A good rule of thumb for quantity follows:
3-4 Players 300 chipset is usually enough
4-6 Players 400-500 chipset will suffice
6-8 Players 500-650 chipset is required
8-10+ Players 1000+ chips depending on numbers
The above guide is a suggested number only. Remember that you cannot really have too many chips, only too few so buy all you can afford. Many chip sellers maintain an open stock of chips so you can purchase more as you need them.
