Toothpicks might work, but if you want to play poker in style, you'll need a set of poker chips. They come in a range of styles and qualities, and the prices vary to match.
Step 1
Consider how often you will be using them. If it's a regular weekly game, it makes sense to invest in some decent chips. If it's for the ski house and gets used twice a year, cheap plastic ones will do fine, unless only the best will do for you.
Step 2
Calculate how many chips you'll need. 80 chips per player is a good rule of thumb, with 40 in one color, and 20 each in two other colors.
Step 3
Buy inexpensive plastic chips at any store that sells toys. The standard red, white and blue set of thin light plastic chips won't win any style points but will work just fine. Expect to pay up to $20 to buy enough chips.
Step 4
Sometimes you can get good quality and save a little money by getting nylon-resin chips with a metal weight. Expect to pay $50 - $100 with shipping for 500 chips of this style in varied colors with a decent carrying case. eBay can be a good source but be careful of fraudsters.
Step 5
Look for clay chips if you want the real deal. These come in a variety of sizes and weights. The best are 100% clay chips, but these will be fairly expensive. The Gambler's General Store in Las Vegas is a good source with a lot of variety or you can order most chips over the internet from various stores including Amazon.com. Also, a lot of local high-end game stores will carry clay chips. Expect to pay $.50 - $1.50 a chip, more for a case to carry them, and realize that not all chips are the same.
Step 6
Splurge and go custom with a chip maker that will allow you to pick all the colors and design, and place your logo in the middle. This could be your company logo, or the name of your weekly game, or your initials. Be aware that this will be more expensive.
Tips
- It's super convenient to buy some plastic racks to go with the chips. It makes counting in and out easier, and they don't cost much.
- If you're going to the trouble and expense of buying good chips, go ahead and get a couple decks of good quality Kem or Copag plastic cards. They'll really polish off the professional atmosphere of your game and they'll last you practically forever.
- Texas Hold'em being the dominant game these days, you'll probably also want to pick up a couple of Dealer buttons.
Warnings
- If you are looking to buy these as a gift for a serious player, be warned: all chips are emphatically not the same! If you are not careful, you are at risk of spending a lot of money and yet getting something that isn't what you wanted. Consider a gift certificate, or spending a little more money to make sure you get what you're looking for.
- With the explosion of poker's popularity, everybody is buying chips. If people in your regular game already have a set, think twice about buying your own. It's disappointing for everybody when three players bring their expensive new toys every week yet only one set can be used.
