Tag Archives: chips
Clay Poker Chip Sets
Casino tokens – commonly known as chips are tokens used in place of money in casinos. Since using huge amounts of money can be both risky as well as dangerous this system has been long devised .At the end of the game the chips are exchanged at the counter for an equivalent amount of money.
A variant of chips are plaques they serve the same purpose as chips though they differ in some respects. Plaques are bigger; mostly they are rectangular in shape, have a serial number and are used to denote larger denominations than chips.
Coming to the make of the chip early players even used pieces of gold or ivory. Besides such exotic material, chips have been made of bone, wood, paper and clay. Another unusual material is mother of pearl which is used in many European chip sets.
Amongst all these the most popular is clay chips. Some excellent quality chip sets are available in clay. Though called clay chip sets they are not entirely made of clay. The material is a combination of clay and sand or calcium carbonate or chalk, the outcome is a more durable substance than clay. The clay is molded and colored in a different way in different manufacturing units. The method used is unique in each case and is usually a trade secret.
A broad outline of the process can be explained here. The color and design on the chip is not painted or done manually. Rather some clay is used of different colors to give the color and designing effect on the chip, this different colored clay is bonded with the base of the chip .The whole thing is baked at a high heat so that the color and design becomes an integral part of the chip and can in no way peel off.
Ceramic chips are the latest ones that are in vogue. They too are referred to as clay chips. Another cheaper substitute is plastic or resin that is given a clay feel and even sound. These are certainly cheaper and hence are more commonly used in homes. But for professionals and tournaments clay chips are a must. Another reason (besides the cost) why clay chip sets are not preferred by homes is the feel of clay chips when they are first used .Many complain of rough surface, jagged edges, uneven feel etc.
To start with all clay chips may feel that way but in casinos excessive usage smoothens them soon whereas at homes it takes much longer. So it may be advisable for friendly tournaments to stick to plastic chip sets with a clay feel rather than going or actual clay chips.
Texas Holdem Strategy: Know When to Say "When" (Page 1 of 2)
The difference between walking away a winner and going broke chasing your losses is knowing when to walk away. Many poker players, even skilled, experienced players have dealt with this problem. It takes discipline to get up and leave the table. Some signs that it may be time to “take the money and run” (I just love the classics) include:
1. The players at the table have changed and you are not winning as consistently as you were.
There is a saying that there is at least one sucker at every poker table. If you look around and can’t identify who they are, it’s you. If you’ve driven all of the fish away from your table and you aren’t winning as often or as much, don’t be afraid to get up and try your luck at another table. If you’re being out-played, you’re being out-played. You want to be the shark (or barracuda, at least), not the fish.
2.You’ve lost your focus.
Believe it or not, playing poker can be an exhausting endeavor. While physically sedentary, it’s very emotionally and mentally draining to constantly try to remain aware of shifting player dynamics during hours of play. It wears at you. There are literally dozens of studies that show concentration, focus, and decision making ability all suffer with prolonged periods of stress and exhaustion. We need to acknowledge it when, for whatever reason, we just aren’t at our best.
4. There’s little or no money to be made.
Winning poker is only possible when there is a good mix of aggressive and conservative players at the table. Sometimes you will find yourself in a situation when it seems everyone at the table, including you, is a “rock”. When that happens, the pots are likely to be smaller, with less action. Rocks as a rule are tight-aggressive. They’re not going to play too many speculative hands, and they’re certainly not going to give you action without a strong hand. A table full of maniacs is just as bad, in a different way. If everyone is being super-aggressive, poker soon takes on the semblance of a lottery. There’s much more opportunity to lose than to win.
5. You have made a reasonable profit on the session.
You need to keep track of your stack in relation to the other players’ and also in relation to the total chips at the table. At a certain point the ratio of risk:reward gets turned against you. It may seem counter-intuitive, but being a massive chip leader is a difficult circumstance to master. The reason is that your perception of risk can get skewed and distorted by the size of your stack. If you’ve been playing well and have built up your stack to 3,4 or even 5 times your starting stack, you will be a huge force at the table. Even if other players have re-bought, you are likely to have at least a 2:1 chip advantage over the average stack at your table. If you become “drunk with power” you could start pushing with hands you should fold. For the same reason, watch your stack’s ratio to the total chips at the table. If you have over half the chips in play you really can’t advance your cause too much. At that point you are potentially risking your large stack to win a portion of a much smaller one.