Best Clay Poker Chips Review
Table Of Contents
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The age-old saying goes something like this: 'The guy who invented gambling was brilliant, but the guy who invented chips was a genius.'
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The reason behind this saying is that chips remove from gambling the real world of money.
Gamblers tend to have very short memories. Once they purchase chips, they easily forget their real world value, making losses on the green felt seem relatively painless — at least until they go to cash out.
Home poker has largely embraced this concept.
Games that used to be played with silver change and paper money are now often played with the best poker chips.
If you're hosting a home game, you may well be considering the purchase of a cool poker chip set.
The best poker chip sets contain:
- A set of 500 poker chips
- Poker chips in three or four colors for different denominations
- A deal button
- A Big Blind button
- A Small Blind button
- Two decks of French cards
A poker chip set for home like this should be enough for your typical game of one to two tables.
Finding the best poker chips for your home games depends on your tastes and your budget.
Here's a summary of what's out there to help you find just the right chips for your game. To get a really good sense of all of your options, I suggest that you check out the online stores that specialize in poker supplies.
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Play NowCheap Poker Chips: Plastic Chips
At the very lowest end of the chip market are the very lightweight, 2 gram or so, thin plastic poker chips that many of us played with as kids or in high school and college.
They are typically sold in packs of 100, often in red, white, and blue.
These are the chips available for purchase in nearly every large pharmacy and in groceries, right in the same area as the packs of playing cards.
They'll run you $2.50 to $3.95 or so. If you look around you might find a really inexpensive version of them in the dollar stores — selling for $1.00.
You can buy plastic poker chips online, too. In these case, these are your best options:
- 100 Poker Chips by RINCO(Red and Blue)
- 600 Poker Chips by U.S. Toy Co.(Red, White, Blue)
These cheap plastic poker chips are fine in a pinch, or with young or inexperienced players who have never been to a public poker room or casino.
But they feel and sound so much cheaper than what you'll find in a casino or other public poker room, that they may be inadequate for your more serious players.
Imitation Clay Poker Chips
One step up, and what I first purchased back in the early '90s when I started playing in casinos around the United States, are solidly colored, imitation clay poker chips.
These poker chips for home games are made of heavy plastic weighing 8 grams a chip or so.
Cool imitation clay poker chips for home games are generally marketed as 'super diamond chips.'
They can be purchased online for between $.06 and $.10 per chip, and sell in 'sleeves' of 25 single color chips.
These are the best poker chips of this kind:
These imitation clay poker chips are perfectly adequate for your home game, especially if you are running multi-table tournaments and want to be able to afford a lot of chips for a relatively little amount of money.
Since they lack any striping, spotting or design, some players might not prefer them.
But I've used mine in large tournaments and in home games for 25 years and never had a complaint (at least not to my face).
Clay Composite Chips
Slightly more expensive, and by far the most common chips that are sold to poker players today, are the metal filled, clay composite chips, with a myriad of different designs, strips, and spots.
Clay poker chips are usually sold as part of chip set, including an inexpensive aluminium carrying case.
These can also be purchased in sleeves of 25 from some companies, but are more typically sold in units of 500 or 1,000 as part of a poker chip set for home games.
These clay composite chips come in a large range of prices.
The 500-chip sets, for example, can be purchased online for anywhere from $39 or so up to $300 (not including shipping), based on the quality, design, and weight of the chip. Each chip weighs anywhere from 11 to 14 grams.
If you are looking for the best poker chips and you want to top chip set for home games, pick one of these. You can't go wrong with any of them.
I've noticed that at the very bottom of that price range, the clay composite chips tend to be of unacceptably poor quality.
I once purchased a 1,000-chip set for $90 and paid $45 to ship them (they're heavy, and shipping is generally expensive). The chips arrived with 20 red chips equaling the height of only 19 white chips.
They had many other defects in them as well.
I had to send them back for a refund — and got stuck with one way of the shipping.
If you are ordering these metal-filled chips, then, I recommend you order no cheaper chip than the ones selling for about $150 for 1,000.
Customized Ceramic Poker Chips
The next step up are the Ceramic poker chips that sell for about $.40-$.75 or so each.
Nevada Jacks is the most popular brand of these chips. These also come in sets of 500 or 1,000.
A nice poker set of the best home poker chips in ceramic is known for their brilliant colors and sharp detail.
These are the best poker chips to buy. They are not metal filled, and they don't make the metal clanging sound when they bump together.
Players rave about them.
The most expensive, regularly produced variety of chips are the casino-quality clay chips made by the Paulson company, typified by the Top Hat and Cane design.
These chips cost roughly $1.25 a chip, or from $1,100 to $1,400 for a set of 1,000.
If you want your home poker chips to be just like those in a casino and you don't mind paying for them, these are the ones for you.
The best ceramic poker chips for home games are:
- Brybelly 500 Count Nevada Jack Poker Set - 10 Gram Premium Casino Grade Ceramic Chips with Aluminum Case
There is another option to consider.
Some chip manufacturers will customize your chips with your own design.
These can come as a 'hot stamped' imprint, as a printed label that is permanently affixed to the chip, or in the case ceramic chips the design can be built into the chip itself.
Prices for this option vary widely, so shop around if this interests you.
Poker Chip Cases
Keep in mind that you'll almost certainly want a case in which to store and transport your poker chip ser. There are a few options in this department as well.
The most common are these thin aluminium or vinyl attaché cases.
These are most frequently made with room for 500 chips, and a few extra spaces for cards. There are also chip cases that accommodate 250, 350, 750, and 1,000 chips.
They sell for between $20-$50 and can vary some in quality, though it's usually next to impossible to tell from the pictures which ones are more sturdily made. Look for reinforcements in the corners.
Also, the 1,000 capacity chip case, when filled with chips, will be too heavy for some to easily carry around.
You might be better off ordering two 500s instead. There is also, now, a 2,000-chip case that comes with wheels for easier transportation.
If you run tournaments or move your game from place to place, you might be tempted to get it, but I don't recommend it.
From everything I've read and heard, it is not built with sufficient sturdiness to survive much use. Tales of handles and wheels falling off upon first use are a legend.
There are a few other chip case options. One is a clear lucite chip case. It is built for 1,000 chips, stacked in chip racks of 100 each, and sells for about $50.
This is very useful if you run tournaments and want to easily have your chips organized for simple distribution to a large group of people.
It's also extremely sturdy, easy to stack, and doesn't dent, scratch, or otherwise deteriorate from regular use (unlike the aluminium and vinyl cases described above). It's what I use, and I recommend it highly.
Finally, for those who care about how your chip cases look, there are some very nice wooden storage boxes. They tend to be cube-shaped, come in a dark finish, and have shiny, small metal handles, one on each side of the box.
They aren't easy to carry, and so would be awkward and inappropriate if you transported your chips regularly.
But they do look nice sitting on a shelf. They sell for about $50 separately, but like all other chip cases, they are often included in the price of a chip set.
Other Recommendations
I would immediately rule out the very cheap plastic poker chips and the very cheapest of the metal filled chips.
Beyond that, however, I don't think there is really much of a difference in how your poker-playing guests will react to the chips.
I've played in home games with the best ceramic poker chips and with Paulson's. They were beautiful to behold.
But I noticed no one really seemed to care.
I've found that poker players are typically so completely engaged in how much they were up or down that the look of their chips was the last thing they cared about.
That being said, you might care about that, and might take great pride in having a truly beautiful set or chips that remind you of what you play with at the nearest casino.
One last item to consider — there are very few brick-and-mortar stores that sell a wide variety of poker chips (The Gambler's General Store in Las Vegas is a great exception).
Amazon, Target, Walmart and a few other retail chains may have boxed sets for sale, but the chips themselves will still be hidden.
That means for the most part, you'll probably be looking online at an image of a chip — not the real thing — when you contemplate a purchase.
For that reason, I recommend that before you buy a complete set of chips, especially an expensive one, that you either purchase or ask the company to send you for free some sample chips.
Catalogs, computer screens, and the like don't really do a chip justice. For that you'll need to see, hold, and use the chip itself.
Sure, it may cost you $5 or $10 to get a small sample set of chips from the manufacturer. But that's a much less costly option than ordering chips you don't want and having to return them.
About the Author
Ashley Adams has been playing poker for 50 years and writing about it since 2000. He is the author of hundreds of articles as well as Winning 7-Card Stud (Kensington 2003). He is also the host of poker radio show House of Cards. See www.houseofcardsradio.com for broadcast times, stations, and podcasts.
This article was originally written by Ashley Adams in August 2016. Last update: December 2019.
Photos: 'Ready for poker,' Laura, CC BY 2.0; 'Poker Chips,' Indi Samarajiva, CC BY 2.0; 'Poker XII,' Bastian Greshake, CC BY-SA 2.0; 'New custom ceramic chip set,' BigMikeSndTch, CC BY 2.0; 'Poker anyone?' uzi978, CC BY-SA 2.0;.
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When you can’t make it to a poker table at the casino, a private poker game among friends is the next best thing.
There’s nothing like sitting around a table with a few of your closest friends, winning all of their money.
For people who really have a love for the game, a cheap set of poker chips will not do.
Plastic chips that scratch or break will kill the mood. But, a heavy, well-made chip will create exactly the setting you want.
Chips should feel as authentic as possible so that players feel like they’re right there in the casino.
If you’re a poker fan or you’re shopping for someone you know, you need to look for chips that are 11.5 gram weight or higher.
They should be made from sturdy materials, and, if you’re going for that authentic feel, they should be designed with the standard red, green, blue, black, and white coloring.
If you’re on the market for a new set, here are some of the best poker chip sets of 2019:
Fat Cat, 11.5 grams, 500-count
This poker chip set from Fat Cat comes with everything you need to host a game at home. It includes 500 Claytec 11.5 gram poker chips.
Of these 500 chips, 150 are white, 100 are blue, 150 are red, 50 are green, and 50 are black. The chips are blank, so this set is well-suited for any game, no matter how low or high the stakes are.
This set also includes two decks of cards as well as big blind, little blind, and dealer buttons. All of these items come in a padded aluminum case that allows for easy organization and transportation.
A molded tray at the bottom of the case keeps chips stored in rows with a compartment for the cards and buttons in the middle.
The aluminum case will be able to protect the chips through travel and storage without denting. The clasps on the case keep it closed securely to prevent the case from opening and spilling its contents.
Check out the Fat Cat chips on Amazon.com here
Claysmith Gaming, 13.5 grams, 600-count
This Claysmith Gaming set is another great option. The chips are weighted at 13.5 grams so you know they are sturdy with an authentic feel.
The chips are labeled in denominations ranging from $1 to $5,000.
This set contains 600 chips in total. Of these 600 chips, 100 are $1, 100 are $5, 50 are $10, 100 are $25, 50 are $50, 100 are $100, 50 are $500, 25 are $1000, and 25 are $5000. Each chip has it’s own color so it is easily distinguishable.
This set also includes two decks of cards, five dice, and a dealer button. These items are storable in a padded aluminum case for easy transportation.
The bottom tray of the case is shaped to allow for neat storage.
Check out the Claysmith Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Smilejoy, 11.5 gram, 200-count
This Smilejoy poker chip set is great for someone who is more casual about playing poker.
The chips are high quality and the set is small, perfect for someone just starting out who isn’t sure that they want to invest in a larger set yet.
These classically designed chips come in red, green, blue, black, and white coloring.
Of the 200 chips, 75 are white, 50 are red, 25 are blue, 25 are green, and 25 are black. They are not labeled with any denomination so they work well in both low stakes games and high stakes games.
This set also comes with two decks of cards, five dice, and a dealer button.
These items can be conveniently stored in the padded aluminum case that they ship in. This case also locks, for extra protection. Two small keys are included in the set.
Check out the Smilejoy Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Kovot, 11.5 gram, 300-count
This poker chip set from Kovot has some great reviews.
The standard 11.5 gram chips will have you and your poker buddies feel like you’ve made a trip to the casino for the night.
This 300-count set comes with blank chips. Of the 300 chips, there are 50 each of black, red, blue, and green and 100 white chips.
These chips are made from a hard plastic rather than clay, but they are still sturdy and heavy.
Also included in the set are five dice, and two sets of cards as well as big blind, small blind, and dealer buttons.
This set comes in the standard aluminum case for easy travel and organization. The case is lockable with latches so your chips will stay secure and safe.
It’s a great set for pros and beginners alike.
Check out the Kovot Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Clay Pro Poker Set, 320-count
This Pro Clay Poker Set provides the most authentic experience possible and comes with some extra items not found in many other poker sets.
The chips are made from casino-grade clay, so they are heavy with an authentic feel. There are 320 chips in total.
Chips are labeled with 1, 5, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000. Of these 320 chips, 75 are labeled 1, 75 are labeled 5, 50 are labeled 25, 50 are labeled 50, 25 are labeled 100, 25 are labeled 500, and 20 are labeled 1000.
These chips do not have a dollar sign on them specifically so that players can choose if they want chips to represent dollars or cents.
So, if you want to play a low stakes game, a 50 chip can be worth $0.50, but if you want to play high stakes, it can be worth $50.
This set also includes two decks of cards, five dice, buttons for a big blind, small blind, and dealer, as well as a green poker, felt, and two cutting cards.
If you’re looking to create the full casino experience, you’ll find it with this set.
The carrying case for these chips is vinyl leather and the inside organizer tray is made from wood instead of plastic.
This case is more sturdy than the cases for some of the other sets in this list.
Check out the Pro Clay Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Da Vinci, 11.5 gram, 200-count
This small poker set from Da Vinci is another great one for casual players and beginners, but with a few more perks than the Smilejoy set.
There are only four chip colors in this set: red, black, blue, and white. There are only 50 of each chip. They are the standard 11.5 gram weight with the classic striped design.
The chips have no denomination printed on them so they are good for low and high stake games.
This set also comes with buttons for the small blind, big blind, and dealer, as well as two packs of playing cards and two cut cards.
This all comes in the standard padded aluminum case with a molded tray to keep everything in its place.
Check out the Da Vinco Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Brybelly Poker Set with Wooden Carousel, 11.5 gram, 200-count
Best Clay Poker Chips Reviews
This Brybelly poker set is unique because of the wooden carousel that comes with it.
Rather than packing away in a case, these chips organize into a convenient round carousel with a handle.
This is a good set to put on display at home if you’re a real poker lover.
This set comes with 200 chips in the standard design, colored red, blue, green, black, and white.
Of these 200 chips, 50 are white, 50 are red, 50 are green, 25 are blue, and 25 are black. The chips are the standard 11.5 gram weight with no printed denominations so that it will suit any game.
The carousel also stores two decks of cards. If you do you want to transport this set, there is a convenient handle and the chips are stored securely.
There’s more of a spill risk for this than with the latched cases, but it’s possible to transport it in one piece with some care.
Check out the Brybelly Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Da Vinci Monte Carlo Poker Club Set, 14 gram, 500-count
This Monte Carlo Poker Club Set is a luxurious option for someone who really loves the game.
The chips are a heavy 14 grams, made from clay composite. There’s a golden laser ring on each chip.
The design on the chips is more intricate than traditional designs overall.
There are 500 chips in total. There are six different colors and corresponding denominations.
White chips are $1, red chips are $5, green chips are $25, black chips are $100, blue chips are $500, and yellow chips are $1,000.
This set also comes with two decks of cards and two cut cards along with buttons for dealer, little blind, and big blind.
These items are all storable in the standard padded aluminum case. This case can be locked to keep items secure during transportation.
Check out the Monte Carlo Poker Club Set set on Amazon.com here
Silly Goose, 11.5 gram, 300-count
This poker chip set from Silly Goose is another classic set. The chips are designed with the standard colors: black, green, red, white, and blue.
They have the classic striped design and are unmarked so denominations can be set for each game.
This set comes with 300 chips in total. Of the 300 chips, 50 are green, 100 are black, 50 are red, 50 are white, and 50 are blue.
This set also comes with two decks of cards, five dice, and buttons for dealer, big blind, and small blind.
These come in an aluminum case with lockable latches and two small keys.
The styrofelt padding inside the case and the molded tray on the bottom of the case will keep everything organized for easy storage and transportation.
Check out the Silly Goose Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Real Clay Poker Chip Sets
Da Vinci, 11.5 gram, 500-count
This 500 chip set from Da Vinci has a beautiful modern design in the classic poker chip coloring.
With red, blue, green, black, and gray chips marked in denominations ranging from $1 to $500, this is a great basic poker chip set.
The chips have large lettering for denominations and all have the same picture of a crest in the background.
Of the 500 chips, 150 are blue $1 chips, 150 are red $5 chips, 100 are green $25 chips, 50 are black $100 chips, and 50 are gray $500 chips.
The set also comes with two cut cards, two decks of cards, and buttons for dealer, small blind, and big blind.
This all comes in the usual aluminum carrying case with a padded top tray and a molded bottom tray.
Check out the Da Vinci Gaming Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
Trademark Poker, 11.5 gram, 500-count
This poker chip set from Trademark Poker is the ideal set if you’re looking for the classic, authentic casino feel.
The large quantity of chips makes it great for large tables. The chips weigh the standard 11.5 grams and come in classic colors with the striped design.
There are 500 chips in total. They have no denominations printed on them which makes them great for both low stake and high stake games.
Of the 500 chips, 150 are white, 200 are red, 100 are green, and 50 are black.
This set also comes with two decks of cards and buttons for the dealer, big blind, and little blind.
The lockable aluminum carrying case is 22” long with a velvet fabric lining and a molded bottom tray.
Check out the Trademark Poker Chips set on Amazon.com here
JP Commerce, 13.5 gram, 500-count
This is probably the coolest looking set in the list. This Pro Poker Clay Poker Set from JP Commerce has a sleek design that plays on the classic dice and stripes. The chips are black with white stripes.
There are also stripes that correspond to the standard colors and denominations.
There are 500 chips in total. Of those 500, 150 are gray striped chips marked 1, 150 are red striped chips marked 5, 100 are green striped chips marked 25, 50 are blue striped chips marked 50, and 50 are brown striped chips marked 100.
These chips are not marked with dollar signs, so they can be played as dollars or cents — the green chip could be $0.25 or $25.
This set also comes in an aluminum carrying case with 5 dice, a dealer button, two small keys, and two decks of cards. The organization tray in the case has also just been redesigned to be sturdier and stronger.
Check out the Pro Poker Clay Poker Set on Amazon.com here
Brybelly, 14 gram, 1000-count
This poker chip set from Brybelly is huge. With 1,000 chips in total, it is the largest set on the list. And, at 14 grams, has some of the heaviest chips.
This is another set that has a more modern design that plays on the classic colors and stripes.
This poker chip set offers ten different chip colors in the following colors and denominations: gray 1 chips, red 5 chips, dark blue 10 chips, green 25 chips, light blue 50 chips, black 100 chips, purple 500 chips, yellow 1,000 chips, pink 5,000 chips, and orange 10,000 chips.
These chips are not marked with dollar signs so they could be played high or low.
This set only contains poker chips, no other items. It also comes in a square plastic carrying case with removable trays and a sturdy black carrying handle.
This case is great because it displays the chips while they are stored so you can show them off a bit.
Check out the poker chip set from Brybelly on Amazon.com here
Smartxchoices, 11.5 gram, 300-count
This poker chip set from Smartxchoices contains all of the basics with the classic design that we all know and love.
The chips come in the standard colors: green, blue, black, red, and white. They also have the classic design of stripes and dice.
Of the 300 chips, 100 are white, 50 are red, 50 are green, 50 are black, and 50 are blue. This set is great for beginners. It has enough chips for a table of 4-6 people.
It also comes with two decks of cards, five dice, and buttons for the small blind, big blind, and dealer.
This comes in the typical aluminum carrying case with lockable latches, a padded interior, and a molded tray for storage.
These particular chips are made from polystyrene, a strong plastic so that they will last for years to come.
Check out the poker chip set from Smartxchoices on Amazon.com here
Doublefan, 11.5 gram, 300-count
This poker chip set from Doublefan comes with 300 chips at the standard 11.5 gram weight. They are made from composite resin for an authentic feel.
They come in the standard poker chip colors but in a more rich and saturated shade.
Of the 300 chips, 50 are red, 50 are blue, 50 are black, 50 are green, and 100 are white. The set also comes with two decks of cards, five dice, two small keys, and a dealer button.
Best Poker Chip Weight
These items are all stored in a small 15” long aluminum case with two latches.
The interior of the case is lined with a padded top and a molded bottom to keep chips secure and in place during transportation and storage.
Choosing the right poker chip set will set the stage for the game. If you choose a cheap set, you won’t be able to create the feeling that you’re in the casino.
But, with a quality, weighted, sturdy set, you can bring the casino right to your own home. I hope that one of the poker chip sets on this list caught your eye so you can start hosting some great poker nights.