Poker chip values 101: A detailed guide for players
Poker is one of the most popular casino games to play but can sometimes feel tough for newbies to get into. I find this to be especially true when it comes to poker chips and poker chip values. I recommend all gamers get to grips with this subject, though, as it means you always use the correct chip denomination to place the wager you want. Poker chips were first used centuries ago by old-school gamblers and were known as jettons, checks, or tokens. The chips of various colors we all use in modern-day poker came when the earliest casinos recognized the convenience it offered players. Used to place bets, these chips are seen in all poker games now – be it cash games, tournaments, or home games. My handy guide to poker chips values below is ideal for finding out more about it. Key highlights: Each poker chip represents a set monetary value between $1 and $100,000! Understanding what other players are betting is key to strategizing and having success in poker. Values of chips in tournament poker can differ quite a lot from in cash games – the World Series of Poker uses oversized chips worth millions! What are standard poker chip values? To really start understanding how chips work in poker, I think it’s crucial to start with the basics. This really helped me to get a good grasp of the subject when first trying out this casino game. But what are poker chip values and poker chip colors? Poker chip values For me, the core of how chips work in poker at Canada’s best online casinos is that each chip represents a set monetary value. This can range from $1 all the way up to $100,000! This then enables players to easily place the bet they want using chips, rather than having to put wads of cash on the table. Poker chip colors One thing I soon noticed when playing poker as a beginner many moons ago was how various colors related to the value of different poker chips. This is a great idea, in my experience, because it really helped me to understand the bets people were making. It also made it simpler to put the correct wager down on the table! Poker chip color value: Cash games vs tournaments For me, poker is one of the best casino games to try in Canada and I’ve found that all poker games use chips to make betting simpler. It’s true to say that the value/color of chip sets differed when I tried cash or tournament poker, though. This is one thing I would advise looking out for, so you don’t get confused when playing either version of the game. Let’s take a look below at chip values/colors in both cash and tournament poker. Chip values in cash games To my mind, it’s a must to know about cash game chips before you play this sort of poker. These are the types of poker games I started out with and it really helped to know more about how poker chip values worked in them. It certainly made putting the right value chips down easier! For a cash poker game, the poker chip color value used at most casinos I’ve played at are: Although the above are the most common chip value and color combinations I noticed when playing, some lower stakes casinos in Canada may use $2 or $3 chips as well. At the other end of the scale, I have used higher value poker chips of different colors in the past when playing for big stakes. The colors varied depending on which site I was at but there were $5,000, $25,000, and even $100,000 denominations to bet with. Removing colored chips from casinos I’ve been playing poker for many years and have found that casinos generally let you take cash game chips off the premises. One thing I noticed, though, was that there was normally a time limit to come back to cash them in. My experience with tournament poker chips, however, is that casinos do not allow you to take them outside of the premises for any reason – either after a big win or a recent loss. Rectangular poker chips When writing this guide to poker chips and what value they have, I had to include a section on rectangular chips. These are different from standard round chips and the preserve of high stakes games in poker rooms. I find these special chips to be heavier than normal ones and a bit bigger to handle. Chip values in poker tournaments Whenever I’ve played this kind of poker game, I noticed that tournament chips have no real monetary value and often say so on them. After paying the right amount to buy into a tournament, players receive an equal stack of special tournament chips to use in exchange. I’ve found that the colors and values in tournament poker can be a lot less standard than those used in cash games. Here are the most common values/colors I’ve come across in tournaments: Black chips: 100 Pink chips: 500 Yellow chips: 1,000 Blue chips: 5,000 Red/orange chips: 25,000 White chips: 100,000 Although the above are the most common examples I’ve seen, larger-field competitions can have chips with a value of up to 5
Poker is one of the most popular casino games to play but can sometimes feel tough for newbies to get into. I find this to be especially true when it comes to poker chips and poker chip values.
I recommend all gamers get to grips with this subject, though, as it means you always use the correct chip denomination to place the wager you want.
Poker chips were first used centuries ago by old-school gamblers and were known as jettons, checks, or tokens. The chips of various colors we all use in modern-day poker came when the earliest casinos recognized the convenience it offered players. Used to place bets, these chips are seen in all poker games now – be it cash games, tournaments, or home games.
My handy guide to poker chips values below is ideal for finding out more about it.
Key highlights:
- Each poker chip represents a set monetary value between $1 and $100,000!
- Understanding what other players are betting is key to strategizing and having success in poker.
- Values of chips in tournament poker can differ quite a lot from in cash games – the World Series of Poker uses oversized chips worth millions!
What are standard poker chip values?
To really start understanding how chips work in poker, I think it’s crucial to start with the basics. This really helped me to get a good grasp of the subject when first trying out this casino game.
But what are poker chip values and poker chip colors?
Poker chip values
For me, the core of how chips work in poker at Canada’s best online casinos is that each chip represents a set monetary value. This can range from $1 all the way up to $100,000! This then enables players to easily place the bet they want using chips, rather than having to put wads of cash on the table.
Poker chip colors
One thing I soon noticed when playing poker as a beginner many moons ago was how various colors related to the value of different poker chips. This is a great idea, in my experience, because it really helped me to understand the bets people were making. It also made it simpler to put the correct wager down on the table!
Poker chip color value: Cash games vs tournaments
For me, poker is one of the best casino games to try in Canada and I’ve found that all poker games use chips to make betting simpler. It’s true to say that the value/color of chip sets differed when I tried cash or tournament poker, though. This is one thing I would advise looking out for, so you don’t get confused when playing either version of the game.
Let’s take a look below at chip values/colors in both cash and tournament poker.
Chip values in cash games
To my mind, it’s a must to know about cash game chips before you play this sort of poker. These are the types of poker games I started out with and it really helped to know more about how poker chip values worked in them. It certainly made putting the right value chips down easier!
For a cash poker game, the poker chip color value used at most casinos I’ve played at are:
Although the above are the most common chip value and color combinations I noticed when playing, some lower stakes casinos in Canada may use $2 or $3 chips as well.
At the other end of the scale, I have used higher value poker chips of different colors in the past when playing for big stakes. The colors varied depending on which site I was at but there were $5,000, $25,000, and even $100,000 denominations to bet with.
Removing colored chips from casinos
I’ve been playing poker for many years and have found that casinos generally let you take cash game chips off the premises. One thing I noticed, though, was that there was normally a time limit to come back to cash them in.
My experience with tournament poker chips, however, is that casinos do not allow you to take them outside of the premises for any reason – either after a big win or a recent loss.
Rectangular poker chips
When writing this guide to poker chips and what value they have, I had to include a section on rectangular chips. These are different from standard round chips and the preserve of high stakes games in poker rooms. I find these special chips to be heavier than normal ones and a bit bigger to handle.
Chip values in poker tournaments
Whenever I’ve played this kind of poker game, I noticed that tournament chips have no real monetary value and often say so on them. After paying the right amount to buy into a tournament, players receive an equal stack of special tournament chips to use in exchange.
I’ve found that the colors and values in tournament poker can be a lot less standard than those used in cash games. Here are the most common values/colors I’ve come across in tournaments:
- Black chips: 100
- Pink chips: 500
- Yellow chips: 1,000
- Blue chips: 5,000
- Red/orange chips: 25,000
- White chips: 100,000
Although the above are the most common examples I’ve seen, larger-field competitions can have chips with a value of up to 5,000,000!
Color-ups are a special feature of tournament poker I like and which I think are key to understand. This sees officials remove smaller value chips and replace them with higher value ones. I’ve noticed this usually happens when blinds go up and smaller denomination chips become useless.
In my opinion, anyone who plans to try tournament poker needs to know how to stack their chips properly. I always appreciate this in other gamblers when playing, as it’s good etiquette. For me, it’s always a must to stack the same color and value chips together in neat piles.
Special chip values and sizes
In my experience, the major difference between poker chips at a casino is the color or number shown on the token. Sometimes, though, I have seen special chips brought out which differ in size or shape.
I have been involved in poker tournaments, for example, where oversize round chips were introduced as play drew towards the end. This helped me to know how many of these bigger chips each of my opponents had, and to more easily see how many chips they had left. Oversize round chips in a new color have also been brought out in tournaments I’ve played in, to stop other players tricking people with dirty stacks.
As noted above, large rectangular chips (which are sometimes called ‘plaques’ and can be worth up to $100,000) can be introduced in cash poker games. This is also something I have experienced personally. It was especially useful as a visual guide to avoid putting them into the pot by mistake! I have also seen plaques used in tournament poker to represent bounties in special knockout games.
Poker chip values at major poker tours
I believe that poker has remained such a popular casino game because of the awesome real-life major poker tours it contains. I love watching these and seeing the world’s best players battling it out.
For me, the tournaments listed below are the cream of the crop and all have their own poker chip values to know about:
WSOP
As the biggest poker festival on a global scale, this is an event that always gets me very excited. One thing that stands out to me is the poker chips that the WSOP uses.
After putting in some time researching this online, here’s what you need to know:
- Green WSOP chips: 25
- Black WSOP chips: 100
- Light blue WSOP chips: 500
- Yellow WSOP chips: 1,000
- Orange WSOP chips: 5,000
- Dark green WSOP chips: 25,000
- Lavender WSOP chips: 100,000
- Beige WSOP chips: 250,000
- Oversized red WSOP chips: 500,000
- Oversized yellow WSOP chips: 1,000,000
- Oversized purple WSOP chips: 5,000,000
WPT
With events on multiple continents all year round, I love the World Poker Tour and can get why it’s so popular. The poker chips I spotted being used at WPT events are:
- Black WPT chips: 100
- Red WPT chips: 500
- Yellow WPT chips: 1,000
- Blue WPT chips: 5,000
- Green WPT chips: 25,000
EPT
The EPT is based in Europe and is another event I like to watch play out at the best venues on the continent. The chip values and colors I’ve noticed at EPT tournaments are shown below:
- Green EPT chips: 25
- Black EPT chips: 100
- Purple EPT chips: 500
- Red EPT chips: 1,000
- Yellow EPT chips: 5,000
- Blue EPT chips: 10,000
- Grey EPT chips: 25,000
- Pink EPT chips: 50,000
How chip values work in a home game
Although I spend lots of time playing poker at top Canadian iGaming sites or the best land-based casinos, I still love a good, old-fashioned home poker session with friends. The key to making this successful, in my opinion, is properly working out chip values and how many chips each player needs beforehand.
Example1 – $1/$2 home game
Playing for low stakes at home is one of my top ways to enjoy poker and means the play always stays fun. For a $1 or $2 stakes home game, I advise starting out with $200 stacks because this will be ideal for big blinds. Although some players might buy-in for more or less (depending on house rules!), this setup will work well.
To make it easier, I’ve put together the table below to explain more:
Chip color Chip value Number of chips White $1 20 Red $5 16 Green $25 4
Deep-stacked $2/$5 home game
For those special occasions when you want to up the ante a little, deeper-stacked home games are my pick. I find these sorts of games perfect when I’m expecting some richer recreational players to show up, alongside my usual crew.
I find the best way to approach a deeper-stacked home game is setting everyone up with 250 big blinds, which is equal to a $1,250 buy-in. Here’s the way I normally hand out chips in this scenario:
Chip color Chip value Number of chips White $1 10 Red $5 48 Green $25 20 Black $100 5
Example 3 – Small-field tournament
Sometimes I like to put on my own small poker tournament at home and enjoy seeing it all play out. I tend to stick to smaller field tournaments, which can be done with quickly by keeping a small stack to start with and increasing the blinds every 15 minutes.
Starting people out with $10,000 in chips, and Level 1 at $25 is another thing I like to do.
Chip color Chip value Number of chips Green $25 20 Black $100 20 Blue $500 7 Yellow $1,000 4
Types of poker chips
When researching this poker chips value guide, I came across three distinct type of poker chips as below – clay, ceramic and plastic.
Clay poker chips
Most of the modern chips used in poker are made from mineral clay and I like how this makes them a lot tougher. As per the chips I’ve used to play with, clay poker chips last for a long time and almost never need replacing. I also like the feel of clay chips and how easy they are to stack.
Plastic poker chips
Plastic poker chips are something I’ve used before and can feel a bit cheap, in my opinion. There are a few that use clay/metal inserts to boost the quality, and I much prefer the feel they have. One thing I did notice about plastic chips was their value for money, which makes them perfect for low-level house games.
Ceramic poker chips
I refer to these chips as ‘ceramics’ normally, so was surprised to find out they are actually made from plastic resin! These are probably the best quality chips around and the most expensive. The feel of ceramic poker chips did take me a while to get used to, though, when I tested them.
Tips for stacking poker chips correctly
In my opinion, the difference between a proper poker player and an amateur is the ability to stack their chips properly. I can’t stand playing hands where other gamblers have messy or dirty stacks!
My tips on stacking your chips correctly are worth taking onboard and will gain you maximum respect from your peers. To begin with, I always recommend stacking the same value/color chips together and never mixing them up. I think it’s also good form to keep chips in even stacks of 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 chips per pile.
Poker chip values FAQs
What is an RFID poker chip?
RFID poker chips have radio frequency identification inside that uses an electromagnetic field to track the chip. Although they are costly to produce, casinos use them to help prevent chip theft and track player/dealer behavior at tables.
What’s a color-up?
A color-up is something I have seen used in tournament poker, and involves officials removing smaller value chips and replacing them with larger value ones. This is done when the smaller value chips become redundant as the tournament progresses.
What are some common denominations for poker chips?
In cash poker games, I have found the most common currency denominations include $1, $5, $10, $25, $100, $500, and $1,000. For tournament poker games I have taken part in, chips came in values of 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, 25,000 or 100,000.
Do poker chip colors vary between casinos, or are they the same everywhere?
In my experience of playing cash games, casinos tend to use the same chip colors as standard. When I have taken part in tournaments games, though, the casinos I played at used a variety of colors that were not so standard.
Is it possible to play poker without using chips?
In theory, I suppose you could just use wads of cash rather than chips to play poker. I would not advise this, though, as it means you have to carry all that cash around and it could make play messy. I really doubt that any casino now would accept this, and all instead require players to use chips.
How many of each color chip should I have for a game?
In my experience, this depends on how you set the game up and what stakes or levels you’re playing for/at. The examples I have shown above for home games all give a good idea of how many chips of each color are needed for certain types of games.
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About the author
Daniel Smyth
Daniel Smyth has seen the online poker, casino, and betting industry from every angle. He previously played poker semi-professionally before working at WPT Magazine as a writer and editor. From there, he transitioned to online gaming where he’s been producing expert content for over 10 years.
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Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Responsible Gambling Council – https://www.responsiblegambling.org/
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