[Brewster]

While setting up for the tourny last weekend I gave everyone their stack of chips and announced that it was to be a T500 tournament. I was ment with blank stares that turned hostile and the shouting began. "I don't want to play with such high numbers" etc. (this went on for a while). They became even more beligerent when I told them the chip values (white = 1, red = 5, green = 25, blue = 50, and black = 100). After half an hour of bitching and griping from the (now drunk) peanut gallery we changed the denoms to what they are accustomed to. For the record, I fought this every step of the way.

white = 50 cents
red = $1
green = $2
blue = $5
black = $10

I found this to be so bloody wrong on every level that I am tempted to take a sharpie marker and write the proper denoms on my chips so this travesty will never happen again.


On a side note, we managed to hit 4 of a kind (aces) not once but twice in the first hour of play. What are the odds of that?

[MacGrad]

Originally Posted by Brewster

While setting up for the tourny last weekend I gave everyone their stack of chips and announced that it was to be a T500 tournament. I was ment with blank stares that turned hostile and the shouting began. "I don't want to play with such high numbers" etc. (this went on for a while). They became even more beligerent when I told them the chip values (white = 1, red = 5, green = 25, blue = 50, and black = 100). After half an hour of bitching and griping from the (now drunk) peanut gallery we changed the denoms to what they are accustomed to. For the record, I fought this every step of the way.

white = 50 cents
red = $1
green = $2
blue = $5
black = $10

I found this to be so bloody wrong on every level that I am tempted to take a sharpie marker and write the proper denoms on my chips so this travesty will never happen again.

Don't be too hard on them. When I first suggested using my denom'ed chips, there was great reluctance from my friends, who were used to starting with a full chip rack (100 chips) and playing 1-2. After a couple of games, they got used to the higher values, and don't want to go back to the "old ways". Looking at it, you're still close in value with the green, blue, and black (just ignoring the last number)...

Remember, if you get all pissed off and do something to spite your friends, then your poker night will start getting awfully lonely...

[austin5string]

Originally Posted by Brewster

On a side note, we managed to hit 4 of a kind (aces) not once but twice in the first hour of play. What are the odds of that?

Brewster, can't help you with the whiners, but the other nite we played two tourneys and saw quads FOUR times. One guy hit quads 3 times, twice with aces and once with kings. It was unreal.

~John

[w16227]

Originally Posted by Brewster

white = 50 cents
red = $1
green = $2
blue = $5
black = $10

This is easy to fix. Every time you bet - bet in cents (make sure to verbalize this)

white = 50
r = 100
g = 200
blue = 500
black = 10000

sooner or later they will finally get it- or they will so annoyed at trying to figure out what your 350 penny bet is in chips - that they will cave.

[PocketRocket]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your buddies are not so wrong. All of those colors have actually been used for those values in real casinos or cardrooms at one time or another (chipguide.com might be a good resource for this info). There's really no set standard, so you can actually make any chip worth any denomination as long as everyone understands the value of each color.

What you told your friends was some of the colors that are used in some casinos (not necessarily for poker though). And $50 chips aren't commonly known to be in use. In reality, you may have been the one that was wrong for trying to dictate the chip values if it wasn't your place to do so. I know some people who probably would have invited you to leave.

Originally Posted by Brewster

While setting up for the tourny last weekend I gave everyone their stack of chips and announced that it was to be a T500 tournament. I was ment with blank stares that turned hostile and the shouting began. "I don't want to play with such high numbers" etc. (this went on for a while). They became even more beligerent when I told them the chip values (white = 1, red = 5, green = 25, blue = 50, and black = 100). After half an hour of bitching and griping from the (now drunk) peanut gallery we changed the denoms to what they are accustomed to. For the record, I fought this every step of the way.

white = 50 cents
red = $1
green = $2
blue = $5
black = $10

I found this to be so bloody wrong on every level that I am tempted to take a sharpie marker and write the proper denoms on my chips so this travesty will never happen again.


On a side note, we managed to hit 4 of a kind (aces) not once but twice in the first hour of play. What are the odds of that?

[Pavel6969]

Personally, I don't care what people want to play with as far as values go. Just let me know beforehand and I am good to go.

But it can get tiring of everyone playing with different values each time, so do like I did and buy a sets with denoms on it. No more argueing!

[Q10 soooted]

I think the OP was complaining more about the 1x/2x/2x/2.5x/2x increments in the chips (at least the way I read it).

Colors=no big deal
Having 3 chips that are 2x the value of another chip in play=dumb

[austin5string]

It sounds like the complainers are new to tournament style play, and used to playing cash games.

[PocketRocket]

I think some of the posters may not have ever visited a commercial casino or cardroom where there is only one denomination chip on the table in limit games. For those who are under age, I'd suggest watching one of the limit games on TV (either WSOP or WPT) when they have a limit game to see how poker is really played in most gaming establishments outside of the tournament format that you see most often on TV (and as such, want to emulate).

And even in cardroom tournament NL play, some cardrooms will start all players with a single denomination of chips (e.g. 40 T25 chps for T1000)

Originally Posted by austin5string

It sounds like the complainers are new to tournament style play, and used to playing cash games.

[austin5string]

Actually, I have seen poker in a casino where there is only one denomination on the table - not sure why you would think I haven't. Unless you weren't referring to me. (just assumed you were since you quoted my post)

Not to beat a dead horse, but how many cardroom tourneys have you seen that start you with $.50, $1, $2, $5 and $10 chips?

Also, what does limit play have to do with his post?