Additionally, poker players are allowed to keep chips and take them from the casino - usually as memorabilia. Tournament chips are kept in a very secure location until the event takes place. In tournaments, however, players buy in for a specific amount of money that doesn’t usually correspond with the amount in their starting chip stacks.Īnother reason to use separate chips is to prevent players from trying to sneak cash game chips into a tournament. The basic reason is that gaming chips in cash games are worth the exact value on the chip. Poker chip color value: cash games vs tournamentsĪll venues will differentiate their poker chip colors for cash games and tournaments. The chips are all the same size, with only colors to designate the difference in values.Ĭolor coding also allows security systems to better monitor the action at tables, as chip stack sizes and different colors are easier to see than dollar bills.

Players in almost every establishment must exchange money for chips and use the chips only at the tables. The primary reason poker games use chips is to create consistency. Some venues offer pink and various shades of blue.

For higher stakes, there are usually $5,000 and $1,000 chips on hand, with some as high as $25,000 or $100,000.Ĭhips used for home games are often the same, with white as the lowest denomination, then red, blue, green, black, purple (or lavender), yellow, orange, and another shade of green.

Values assigned to chips are generally the same across most poker rooms: $1, $5, $10, $20 or $25, $100, $500, and $1,000. One of the first questions a player should ask at a new venue is: “How much are poker chips worth?” Poker chip values The values may vary by tournament operator, casino owner, or local poker community standards. Standard poker chip values and colorsĮvery casino, cardroom, and home game host can establish their own poker chip values. They represent dollar amounts during play, and provide a way to play poker with a shared understanding of those amounts.

Players use them in cash games and tournaments, home games, and casino or cardroom events.

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