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Poker chips: What’s their significance and uses?

If there’s one constant thing you’ll see in casino games, whether played online or in physical gambling places, it’s poker chips.  This acts a player’s currency when they are participating in a game such as poker. 

These coins are used in entering a table, starting the game, and placing a wager. On top of this, chips are employed in a variety of settings, including cash games and tournaments, games played at home, and events held in casinos.

Are you curious about how this token is used? Dive deeper into it when you read this article at Casino Days India!

History of poker chips

The first standardised betting chips became in the early 1800s made from various materials such as pieces of bone, ivory, or clay, and were used in gaming houses common in the Old West. 

Early chips were so simple to copy which is why commercial organisations were being contracted by gaming establishments to make personalised clay tokens. Usually, they were exceptionally difficult to recreate due to the one-of-a-kind design they have. 

Nowadays, casino feature unique design for their chips made of composite materials. Some even stick to using ceramic to give tokens a good amount of weight, texture, design, and colour, making them significantly more difficult to forge. 

How chips are used in poker

Before the cards are dealt in a game of poker, each player is required to contribute at least one chip to the pot. The first player will initiate the first round of betting. Afterwards, the player to the left has the option of ‘calling,’ ‘raising,’ or ‘folding’ the pot. 

With each round, there is a ‘showdown’, in which all of the cards are exposed on the table. During this round, the player with the best hand gets to take home all the chips in the pot. 

List of poker chip values and colours

The vast majority of poker tournaments use a standardised method for assigning chip values. White, red, blue, green, and black chips are the most popular colours used in most games. However, there are also chipsets with a large number of colour option for high-stakes tournaments. Below is the standard chip valuations used in most casinos: 

ColourValue / Denomination 
White$1
Yellow$2 
Red$5
Blue$10
Grey / Green$20
Green$25
Orange$50
Black$100
Pink$250
Purple$500
Burgundy$1,000
Light Blue$2,000
Brown$5,000


Poker chip tricks: Different shuffles you can use

Poker chips can be employed in a wide variety of sleights of hand that can be performed at the table. By utilising these strategies, you can properly organise the chips and gain upper hand when you’re on the table. Check out the different poker chip tricks worth knowing below: 

Standard chip shuffle

To perform this standard chip shuffle, take two stacks of five different-coloured and-valued chips. Bring the two piles together and push them tightly with your thumb, index finger, ring finger, and little finger. Afterwards, lift both stacks with your middle finger to arrange the chips then shuffle them. If done correctly, the chips will alternate between green, red, green, etc.

The riffle

The riffle is one of the standard methods you can use for chip shuffling. You can with six chips and divide them into two stacks. After that, place your little finger on the back and your ring finger on the front left. Then, wrap your thumb and index finger around the chips. Using your middle finger, slide the chips together. As you riffle the six chips, you can add more.

The knuckle roll

The knuckle roll technique is one of the most challenging chip tricks to do, but once you master it, less experienced opponents will avoid you. Start with one chip between your index and thumb knuckles. Use your index and middle finger to stop the chip from slipping out, then slide it back between your index finger and thumb.

The spin and bounce

A poker chip can be made to hit the table and then bounce back with a backspin into your hand by using the spin and bounce technique. 

To do this trick, just hold a few chips between your fingers and thumb, this will make the chips spin in the air before it lands on the table. The motion will causes it to hit the table with a backspin, causing it to immediately rebound into the player’s hand after it drops.

The chip fanning

The technique of chip fanning involves spreading the chips out in a line or curve on the table and then rapidly stacking them back into their original position. Beginners won’t have a hard time mastering this technique. However, it does take some practice to become proficient at fanning out the chips and swiftly collecting them back. 

Chip thump flip

To do the thumb flip, you simply need three to four chips between your index, middle and ring fingers. Using your thumb, roll the first chip in an upward motion. In this case, you’ll be able to move it to the opposite side by guiding them back toward the stack.

Poker chips: Why are they important?

The use of poker chips makes it easier for casinos to keep track of the games being played and the monetary transactions that take place at the table. These tokens are crucial because they can be stacked, which makes it easier to count your money and track your chips when putting bets. 

In addition, poker chips bring convenience to players since instead of using cash to bet and worry about not having the right denomination. The only thing you need to do is just inform the dealer of the amount of money you wish to wager, and they will hand it to you immediately.

Play poker games here in Casino Days India!

Now that you know the basics of poker chips, it’s high time to use your newfound knowledge to the test and get a chance to take home the pot here in Casino Days India! So what are you waiting for? It’s time to deposit and play today!

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