Inefficient Chip Denominations - WHY?
Why does just about every poker operator in the world (well the ones I have seen) copy each others chip denomination structure when it is clearly not an efficient use of chips.
For example the following is typical:
Denominations 100 | 500 | 1,000 | 5,000 | 25,000 | 100,000
This follows the conventional logic except for the use of BOTH 500 & 1,000 which are too close together to be considered efficient.
Surely the following would be better:
50 | 250 | 1000 | 5000 | 25000 | 100000
OR
100 | 500 | 2500 | 10000 | 50000 | 250000
I am querying this because I am a small poker league operator and am currently in the process of procuring a new set of chips.
Is there a reason behind this that I am missing or is it a case of everyone copying what is in existence and not questioning why?
7 Replies
I have no good answer for this other than people aren't used to 250 or 2500 chips. I've never seen one in cash or tournaments. 25 sure. 25000 sure. But never 250 or 2500.
The 100/500/2500 option probably makes sense, at the cost of confusion from people not used to them.
That's the casino standard, they're denominated that was so they're easy to count from far away by a pit boss and counting them in stacks of 20. They're not gonna make a different chip denomination just for poker.
It has nothing to do with the cameras or pit bosses. The breakdown listed in the OP is for a T100 tournament, hence the seemingly inefficient jump from T500 to T1000. That is why you are running into it everywhere: it is a standard. Neither of the alternative suggestions would serve a T100 tournament well.
OP, there is an entire forum dedicated to the collection and application of poker chips. There are dozens of us: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/
That's the casino standard, they're denominated that was so they're easy to count from far away by a pit boss and counting them in stacks of 20. They're not gonna make a different chip denomination just for poker.
Actually, MANY casinos order different chips just for poker. 3$/10$/20$ chips at Venetian.....Doesn't Bellagio have 10s? And Wynn has 20s. I know Orleans has 2$ pink chips None of these are used on the casino floor. I've even been told at a casino main cage that I HAD to cash those chips in at the poker room cashier. ( of course I just ask for a manager, cuz the reason they don't want to take them at the main cage is they have no where to put them and it's inconvenient for them, and they HAVE to take them.) Plus special 4$ rake chips like HR used to have and several other casinos use Venetian is one.) So this does not really apply as an answer. The answer I believe as stated is 'convention.'
The 500 chip thing is kind of odd, but they're kind of treated as an afterthought. In tournaments at most rooms I've played/dealt, you start with two of them, or maybe four in some rare cases. Meanwhile you start with eight 1k chips.
Your chip setups sound good in theory, but I see a gigantic issue in counting things up quickly and consistently. Adding up 50 & 250 unit chips seems like a humongous hassle. The same kind of issue happens to a lesser degree with your 500 & 2500 chip setup too. It's simply easier to count ones and fives, IMO.
To the other point, tournament chipsets typically involve 100 denomination and higher, at least for NLHE tournaments after adoption of BB ante. The casino, poker, and tournament standard for chips 100 and higher are pretty consistent with one another.
Actually, MANY casinos order different chips just for poker. 3$/10$/20$ chips at Venetian.....Doesn't Bellagio have 10s? And Wynn has 20s. I know Orleans has 2$ pink chips None of these are used on the casino floor. I've even been told at a casino main cage that I HAD to cash those chips in at the poker room cashier. ( of course I just ask for a manager, cuz the reason they don't want to take them at the main cage is they have no where to put them and it's inconvenient for them, and they H
Again, this is a completely different topic. No way OP is talking about $100k chips which just so happen to map exactly to T100k chips. The reason he is seeing those denominations is because T100 tournaments are by far the most common, and the sensible breakdowns for those tournaments are well-established.
Tournaments starting at 100-100 or 100-200 is a recent development. It used to always be 25-25 or 25-50 until big blind ante became the norm. There used to be 5 chips used for stud antes. Not having 5 or 25 chips speeds things up a lot.
