Crystal Oyster Poker Chips-Not Impressed, HELP!

[grandgnu]

I just received an 8-chip sample pack from www.holdempokerchips.com (http://www.holdempokerchips.com)

I'm used to the 11.5 gram Dice Chips. I have a set of 1500 of those cheapies, but eventually want to replace them with something of a higher quality.

I figured I'd be looking at spending close to a buck per chip to get a nice quality set of chips. But something about these chips just doesn't do it for me. I can't quite put my finger on it though.

I mean, I love how they stick together so you can make larger stacks (the dice chips I have are slicker and prone to topple over in larger stacks)

I've played around shuffling these chips, and it works just fine. The sound is ok. But something about the feel of the chips, it just doesn't work for me. I've heard you need to "break-in" new chips like this, maybe I just need to play with them for awhile so that their texture will appeal to me more?

I was also thinking of getting a sample pack of the James Bond Chips, they look pretty nice and I like the edge spots on them.

Is there a difference in getting a sample of these type of chips from one site to the next? If I were to get the Crystal Oysters or James Bond from another website, would I notice any difference in them?

Is there a site you'd recommend for getting samples? Also, is there a specific chip that people recommend that is nice quality? I'm looking for chips that will be easy to stack, just like in the casino tournaments, and obviously have the nice clickity-click sound when shuffled.

And nice looking edge spots are important, as well as colors that stand out from one another (i.e. if I have 25, 100 and 500 value chips in the tournament they don't blend in with one another and make it difficult for players to figure things out)

[xTopdogx]

and?

[toots]

You're going to have break-in issues with any quality chips you can find. Paul-Son for one can be particularly sharp-edged and chalky when they're new.

Be careful when getting the James Bond chips, as there are at least three clear lines:

1) Original discontinued Paul-Son chips. Small inlays with a "linen" texture, with H&C molding and an outer grove around the molding. My favorite

2) Blue Chips. Grand inlays. Lighter than the Paul-Sons. The inlays tend to feel more like stickers, although they aren't any more easily removed than the Paul-Sons. They also have (to me) a cheesy feeling glossy finish and tend to be applied off-center. The molding is a shallow "clamshell", with no groved ring around the molding. With break-in, they can be comparable to the Paul-Sons, but you'd never confuse one for the other

3) The new Paul-Sons that Apache/Dice702 are advertising. Since they ain't out yet, no one has any experience with them.

With any of the higher end clays or ceramics (Paul-Son, ASM, TR King, Blue Chip, Chipco), I'd strongly recommend wearing them in hard before making any final decision. At least in the case of the more traditional clays (Paul-Son, ASM, Blue Chip), the colors and texture will come out only with use.

[grandgnu]

Hey, thanks for the reply and information. Do you have any specific vendors/websites and chips you recommend? Web links appreciated!

[toots]

I like dice702.com, at least for ordering samples (they aren't free, though). They carry Blue Chips, TR King and Chipcos and offer samples of all of them. They're also supposed to be coming out with the "new" Paul-Son Bond chips in january.

I've ordered a bunch of samples from them and beat the crap out of them to see how they hold up.

Mostly, I make my bulk purchases on eBay and pray.

[TenPercenter]

Keep in mind that any change is wierd at first. If you're used to dice chips, ALL other chips are gonna be wierd to you. Same for me with my Chipcos. One buddy has 13.5g "casino" chips, and the other has 11.5 dice. At the beginning of the night, all their chips are wierd. When I get home, MINE feel wierd.

Your second question: Your Crystal Oyster samples will be the exact same no matter where you get them from. In fact, ALL Chipcos will be exactly the same feel, only different graphics on the face and edges.

The Bond chips are likely to be the same as long as you get current stock. If you get old stock they might be different. But from what some people say, with Blue Chip (the current manufacturer) you may get slight differences even from a recent batch.

Ten

[tomb1]

I've recently been through the same evaluation, so I can feel your pain, gnu. Good places for lots of information are http://www.homepokertourney.com/chips_charts.htm and http://www.pokerchipreviews.com/ Other threads on this board also have a wealth of information.

First thing I had to do was choose among the major materials -- ceramic, clay, plastics, plastic with coin inerts, or composites (and I use all these terms loosely since none of them are really 100% of one material). You've got to get past this fork in the road first. You seem to be focused on Ceramic or Clay, so I'll talk only about these in this post.

Real casinos in North America primarily use Paulson (GPI) clay chips or Chipco ceramic chips. A few places use Bud Jones chips (made by Paulson/GPI), including those incredible WSOP chips at the Finals. So if you're trying to emulate a real casino chip, these are your choices.

I'll give you my opinions below. But here are 3 things to remember:

1. As they say on TV, your mileage may vary :-))... Much of it comes down to personal opinion and your priorities. For example, do you want good looks even if the feel is a little more slippery, or do you want chips that feel and wear well, even if the looks are somewhat subdued. Do you want denominations or not.

2. I ain't got no dog in this fight (as they'd say in the back woods). I don't sell chips and I'm not affiliated with anyone who does, period. Somebody may think I'm naive or just plain stupid, but you can't say that I'm not objective.

3. And finally, if somebody reading this doesn't want a lot of detail, just stop reading now, but please don't flame me.

- - - C E R A M I C - - -

Chipco pioneered ceramic and is the leader. Their web site http://www.chipco.com/home2.htm shows their ceramic line for home use, which you can buy from many places including your link above. All their chips are the same in look and feel, like the Suits, Classics, Casino, and Oysters, and you'll get the identical chips no matter which site you buy them from.

Many of the newer Chipco designs have their mark "CI" printed in small letters somewhere on the face (look at the closeup of the $1 Classic http://www.holdempokerchips.com/proddetail.asp?prod=CCE and Suits http://www.holdempokerchips.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SUB ). Many of the custom chips on this board and elsewhere are Chipco. Look at TenPercenter's outstanding Egyptian chips and be prepared to be blown away!

There are some other good non-Chipco ceramics out there -- notably the Nevada Jacks Dead Man (Skulls) and Desert Sands, the Mardi Gras chips, Apache Casino and Rounders from Apache/Dice702, and the Archetype chips from buypokerchips.com. These are a little different from the Chipcos in texture, feel, sound, edges, etc.

Here are some pictures of ceramic chips:

http://www.msnusers.com/tombpictures/Documents/ceramic chips compar stacks.jpg

http://www.msnusers.com/tombpictures/Documents/ceramic chips edges.jpg

http://www.msnusers.com/tombpictures/Documents/ceramic chips sample faces.jpg

My take on ceramics is as follows, based on a couple dozen sample/actual chips I have:

LOOKS
- Ceramics offer stunning good looks. The faces can have photographs and bright colors, with excellent fine detail. These will "wow" you right away -- I mean, really knock your socks off!
- Great colors and spots available on the edges, and words or denominations may also be printed on the edge.

EDGES
- The colors and stripes on the edges are not molded through the chips (edge spots that go from the face into and through the edge, like clay chips). The colors and edge spots can be bright and sharp, though the marks on the edge will usually not line up with the spots on the face, since the edges are made separately.
- The edges on the Desert Sands have a marbleized look, not solid colors like Chipcos.
- All the sample home use Chipcos I've seen lately have a "pimple" on the edge, I assume from the molding process. None of the casino chips have this, so I can't explain it. This is not very good to me. The non-Chipco ceramics sample I have don't have this imperfection.

TEXTURE
- The face of a cermic chip is almost always flat and solid, with no indentations, ridges, etc.
- The Chipco faces are somewhat slippery, especially compared to clay. The professional casino Chipcos have a slight linen texture, but most of the home Chipcos IMO are pretty slick. The texture is not like glass, but more like hard paper.
- Because of their slickness, they don't stack as well as clay or even some composites. If you rub two new ceramics together between your thumb and finger, they'll slide around easily, almost like metal coins.
- The faces on the Nevada Jacks, Mardi Gras, and Desert Sands ceramics are much more textured than the Chipcos. The Desert Sands are the most textured, feeling almost like a hard cloth or even very fine sandpaper. Some people don't like this feel, but they definitely won't slide as much as Chipcos in your fingers.
- This texture makes the pictures and colors on the face a little duller, without as much sharpness. (Like a photo in a newspaper, vs. a glossy magazine.) The slicker Chipco faces make the colors really stand out.
- Ceramic texture will "break in" over time, but only a little. Well-worn casino Chipcos stack OK, but still they're somewhat slippery.

CHIP WEAR
- The worst thing about Chipcos is that their faces don't wear very well at all. Now I'm talking about A LOT of wear and tear, like the constant use at a casino. I'd defer to other people on how much wear shows on home chips used in weekly tournaments.
- If you look at casino Chipcos, you'll see two things. First, a white ring gets badly worn around the edge on the face. In fact I heard this was so bad in the old days, that now Chipco actually designs a white ring on the face for most of their chips, so it's part of the design and doesn't look bad over time.
- This top edge wear also happens because the Chipco edges are nice and square, and stay that way for life (unlike clays, where their sharp edges will get very rounded over the years from use). By comparison, the edge on the Mardi Gras is made more rounded, and the Desert Sands are very rounded. (They actually seemed smaller in diameter that Chipcos because of this rounded edge, but they're all 39mm.) The faces on these chips with rounded edges do not wear off like the Chipcos with square edges, but the Chipcos edges feel better and sharper to me. Take your pick...
- The second thing you see on well-used ceramics is general wear across the entire face. After lots of use, the colors get faded, the pictures get blurry, and they look washed out and just plain old. Like I said, this is from my collection of actual casino chips, and most home chips won't get this much use. But the "wow" that you get with new ceramics definitely goes away.

SOUND & TRICKS
- The sound of ceramics is more of a "clink" than clay. The Chipcos sound the most metallic to me of all the ceramics.
- Ceramics are very good for chip shuffling, and they make a distinct, crisp sound. I love shuffling my ceramics. As for other chip tricks, I can't say because I'm not that good.

- - - C L A Y - - -

When you're talking about clay, the first thing you talk about is Paulson. Paulson (the Endy family) was one of the pioneers of casino chips in Nevada, and Paulson chips are the REAL thing and the ONLY thing in most casinos. But since they were sold to a French gaming company, they haven't sold chips for consumer use.

All that's about to change with the new Paulson Chips coming out, see http://www.dice702.com/paulsonpokerchips.htm

I won't go through the history of Paulson fantasy chips, Blue Chip chips (made by the Endy family after the Paulson buy-out), or some of the remaining original clay chip manufacturers, notably ASM and T.R King. They all make good "clay" chips.

Each one has their own "mold" to identify their chips, shapes indented around the face of the chip. Paulson's Top Hat & Cane (in four versions) is the most famous, plus Paulson makes their chips in a "house mold" for many of the big casinos -- Hilton, Caesars, Ballys, Bellagio, Mirage, Venetian, Four Queens, etc. The new Paulson chips for consumers are going to be different from their casino mold, with the words "Paulson Chips" made into the mold.

But the Endy Flame mold (most people call it a Seashell), ASM Horsehead, "A" mold, T.R. King Crown, Nevada mold, Courts & Numerals, Martini Club Suits mold, Roman mold, Circle/Square, etc. are other good brands.

If you want real casino clay chips, you can buy used Paulson chips all over eBay, although they've gotten damn expensive lately. (Most claims of "clay" chips on eBay are bullshit, by the way.) The other true clay chips on various web sites or eBay may be called Paulson "style."

Almost all casino clays are 39mm in diameter, and most of the fanatsy chips or other true clay chips are the same size. A few Paulson fantasy chips were made in 43mm or other oversize molds, but I would stay away from these if you're ever going to mix-and-match a set or add to it over time.

LOOKS
- Clay chips have a distintive look and feel. Originally, these chips had very wide molded faces, with a small center area (1 inch or less). They were made with this printed center built into the chip, or some type of hot stamp. Often the center has a distinct texture, like the texture of the Desert Sands ceramic chip.
- The face of the chip is not flat. The molded shapes are indented around the chip on the face, and the center is almost always inlaid a little bit. In fact, this inlay is supposed to create a slight vacuum that prevents the chips from sliding when they are stacked.
- Once Chipco started making the flashy ceramic chips, Paulson had to adjust their chips to meet the desires of the casinos for flashy chips. When customers buy "collector" chips and take them home, thet's pure profit for the casino. So to keep competitive and encourage collecting, there are now tons of "limited" edition chips, and they have to look good. I think Hard Rock was probably the first to do this in a big way.
- So newer Paulson chips have larger inlays and smaller molded areas. On the newest Paulson chips, they can print pictures/colors almost to the edge. The Top Hat & Cane is actually indented into part of the picture on these chips. Look at the difference between these 3 Paulson chips:
http://www.oldvegaschips.com/caesars5bust.jpg
http://www.oldvegaschips.com/bellagio5.JPG
http://www.oldvegaschips.com/1hrvolleyball.htm
- As far as I can tell, most of the consumer clay chips have the standard 1 inch centers (approximately). I haven't seen consumer clays with the expanded/fancy faces that Paulson sells to casinos.
-But the bottom line is that the brightness and sharpness of clay chips isn't nearly as good as Chipco ceramics. The color of the clay itself is usually muted (unless they're Dayglo colors).

EDGES
- Clays are molded from a granular material, sometimes with brass shavings inserted. The new chip comes out of the mold with very sharp edges -- they will easily stand on edge.
- Clay chips can have edge spots molded into them. These are pieces of a different color clay material that is molded through the chip. It shows on the faces, and looks like stripes on the edge when you have a bunch of chips stacked up. Not all clay chips have edge spots, though.
- The molded edge spots have a "classic" look, but they definitely are not as bright or sharp as cermaic edges. I've never seen a clay chip with any printing or design on the edge.

TEXTURE
- Brand new clay chips can be chalky or dusty from the manufacturing process. They may have ridges in their mold, or have a linen or cross-hatch texture.
- Clay chips are absorbent, unlike plastic or ceramic. The oils from your hand soak in to the chip and actually improve the color and feel over time. They can get very dirty from use, if you've ever seen a stack from a casino. Check this board and other forums for lots of information about wearing in these chips.
- Clay chips do not seem as slick as ceramic, at least to me. When rubbing them together, they usually stick together just as much as you'd want. You can stack clay chips over 100 high very easily, and they won't fall over from vibration to the table, etc.
- The texture gets smoother over time and less granular, sometimes almost slick.

CHIP WEAR
- Clay chips definitely get worn. It's personal preference, but they seem to get old and still look good (like Cindy Crawford, Courtney Cox, Tea Leoni, Catherine Zeta-Jones, or Raquel Welch) vs. ceramics (like Courtney Love, Renee Zellweger, or Barbra Streisand).
- The indentations in the mold will get a little worn down, but they stay very identifiable.
- Clay edges will wear down and get very rounded with lots of use. Somewhat rounded edges are actually very desirable in a clay chip you want to bet with, rather than the brand new sharp edges which are prized for collecting and display.
- The printed inlays molded into the center of clay chips usually stay looking about the same over time, except for getting dirty. Some of this is due to the fact that the printed part is inlaid below the surface, and doesn't get constant rubbing. Hot stamps (like denominations or names stamped in gold) tend to wear off.

SOUND & TRICKS
- Clay chips have a "clack" sound. You may ask, what's "clack" versus "clink" versus "click" and I can't explain it. But you can hear the difference. Which do you like best? Beats the hell out of me!
- To me, clay chips are slightly harder to shuffle. The edges are usually worn, and different chips in a stack typically are worn different amounts, depending on how old they are. I can shuffle ceramic and plastic chips better than clays, but I'm not an expert. I think clay chips would work well for other various chip tricks that require some friction, but I can't say for sure.

[TenPercenter]

Great post Tomb. That sure is a lot of information. /images/graemlins/smile.gif I agree with nearly everything you said.

Ten

[grandgnu]

Thanks for the advice from both of you (especially Tomb, for making such a lengthy and informative post)

I think I've figured out what I don't like about these ceramics. The flat face. I think I want chips that have more texture to them, like the Roman or Horsehead molds.

Aside from ebay, are there any specific websites anyone would recommend for true clay chips (with edge spots, denominations and the indendted mold)? I'm assuming for the most part, that true clay vs. ceramics winds up being the same price (roughly a buck a chip?)

Thanks again!

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
I think I've figured out what I don't like about these ceramics. The flat face. I think I want chips that have more texture to them, like the Roman or Horsehead molds.

[/ QUOTE ]

For me, it's the fact that each ceramic chip feels like a tiny dinner plate...

If you're looking at clay, I highly recommend you get samples from T.R. King - check out www.trking.com (http://www.trking.com) and shoot Dennis an email. He will send out samples - he sent mine out for free, and I had them in 2 days. For my money, you just cannot beat the feel/sound of T.R. King clays (except for Paulson of course). I currently own a set of the Casbah Club T.R. Kings (http://www.apachepokerchips.com/casbahclubpokerchips.html - I didn't buy from here, I bought "seconds" direct from T.R. King for $0.25 apiece), and everyone I play with loves the feel/sound, it's just that the look is pretty bland. I am organizing a group buy of chips with their King's Crown stock inlay, but with custom colors and dual edge spots. Right now the price is $0.85/chip, but I hope to maybe get it down a little lower. Get some samples, and shoot me a PM if you're interested in the group buy.

[Stump]

SPR,
What group buy are you working? What is the theme, can I see the designs, is it too late to get in if interested?
Thanks -Stump

[grandgnu]

Well, the website you gave me is a bit......amatuer looking, to say the least. But, don't judge a book by its cover, right?

I was actually just checking out the Stock Casino Inlaid Chips that he's got on the site. I'll see if I can get a sample and maybe a group buy could be in the future (heading up to Foxwoods Casino this Thursday to play in a $100 tournament, first place should be 4-5 grand, which would certainly give me the free cash to buy up new chips, otherwise, not sure when I'll be ready to buy unfortunately)

[tomb1]

The places I looked are all online sites, plus you can see some of these come up on eBay from time to time. They all send samples and that's a great way to see for yourself. If you have specific questions, let me know.

If you want Paulson clays, then eBay is now the source for any outrageously priced chip someone has and wants to make a few bucks. And why not?! America...what a country!

T.R. King and Holdempokerchips.com -- you already have their sites

Horsehead mold
http://www.kardwell.com/casino-pro-chips.htm

Modern clays
http://www.buypokerchips.com/clay-poker-chips-2.htm#modc

Nevada Jacks & Martini Club clays
http://www.nevadajacks.net/clay_poker_chips.htm

Another Horsehead mold
http://www.rounderscardclub.com/palmas/

Variety of ASM molds
http://www.pokerchips.com/chips/chips_clay.html

Variety of clay, ceramic and other chips
http://www.dice702.com/pokerchips.htm

One oddball selection -- clay feeling and less expensive, but some people have problems with durability or the mold and colors (search boards & chip review sites for info)
http://www.all-inchips.com/

Happy hunting!

- tomb

[grandgnu]

Thanks so much for the great links. I'm going to be swimming in samples (hopefully I can get some for free, otherwise I'll blow my planned bankroll for the entire set just to get the samples! yoikes!)

[Fins]

[ QUOTE ]
<snip'd good stuff> One oddball selection -- clay feeling and less expensive, but some people have problems with durability or the mold and colors (search boards & chip review sites for info)
http://www.all-inchips.com/

Happy hunting!

- tomb

[/ QUOTE ]
What a way to ruin a nice informative post... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Just don't think these compare to the others. I think 1006's (http://www.thepokerchipcompany.com) are far better chips than the all-ins and I'm still not sure I'd list them in your post.

Just another opinion,
Fins

[tomb1]

You're right, the 1006s and 1003s feel good.
http://www.thepokerchipcompany.com/Casino_Style_Chips/casino_style_chips.htm

As for the All-Ins, I included them because they're much less expensive and I said they're an oddball possibility!

After all I'd read, I was prepared to hate them. But I was real surprised when I received their samples.

Actually, I love their mold, their feel, and their edges ... for the price. I don't like the color choices, and I especially don't like "All-In Chips" printed on them. It looks like a sample advertising chip, not something I want to play with at my home games. (Same comment on the new "Paulson Chips" mold. We know they're poker chips, you don't have to mold this in!!!)

See ya all.

- tomb

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
SPR,
What group buy are you working? What is the theme, can I see the designs, is it too late to get in if interested?
Thanks -Stump

[/ QUOTE ]

Not too late - I have not even posted anything "official" yet, just slowly gathering interest here and there. Looking to get things going in a couple more weeks, just letting the holidays fade out. We have not chosen colors/edge spots yet, so if you want in, you can be in on the decision-making...but the plan is to use "classic" casino colors. To see the inlay, just go to T.R. King's website and check out their "stock casino inlay" - we will be using that one. We are going with that one mostly for simplicity - it's a nice, classic-looking inlay, and an attempt at coming up with a fantasy casino over at another board turned into a disaster nobody could agree on.

[toots]

great post!

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, the website you gave me is a bit......amatuer looking, to say the least. But, don't judge a book by its cover, right?

I was actually just checking out the Stock Casino Inlaid Chips that he's got on the site. I'll see if I can get a sample and maybe a group buy could be in the future (heading up to Foxwoods Casino this Thursday to play in a $100 tournament, first place should be 4-5 grand, which would certainly give me the free cash to buy up new chips, otherwise, not sure when I'll be ready to buy unfortunately)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, they clearly know nothing about making websites, but luckily their chips are great.

Also - see you at Foxwoods Thursday. I play those tourneys often; they're fun. Usually pretty stiff competition in the top 40 or so.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Well, the website you gave me is a bit......amatuer looking, to say the least. But, don't judge a book by its cover, right?

I was actually just checking out the Stock Casino Inlaid Chips that he's got on the site. I'll see if I can get a sample and maybe a group buy could be in the future (heading up to Foxwoods Casino this Thursday to play in a $100 tournament, first place should be 4-5 grand, which would certainly give me the free cash to buy up new chips, otherwise, not sure when I'll be ready to buy unfortunately)

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, they clearly know nothing about making websites, but luckily their chips are great.

Also - see you at Foxwoods Thursday. I play those tourneys often; they're fun. Usually pretty stiff competition in the top 40 or so.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's awesome, look forward to hopefully playing with ya. It's 100 miles there and 100 miles back, so I don't get out there too often. I placed 7th out of 200 in one of the Tuesday night events, but that was when it only cost me $55 total, looks like they run about $330 with all the rebuys and add-ons nowadays.

Also, talked with Dennis over their 800# and ordered up some samples. Also ordered up samples from buypokerchips.com

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
That's awesome, look forward to hopefully playing with ya. It's 100 miles there and 100 miles back, so I don't get out there too often. I placed 7th out of 200 in one of the Tuesday night events, but that was when it only cost me $55 total, looks like they run about $330 with all the rebuys and add-ons nowadays.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's "only" 80 miles both ways for me - I go a lot! You'd be surprised how quick you get used to the ride. My commute to work is only 2 miles; that's how I justify it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

The rebuy tournaments at Foxwoods are horrible...absolute shootouts in the beginning.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That's awesome, look forward to hopefully playing with ya. It's 100 miles there and 100 miles back, so I don't get out there too often. I placed 7th out of 200 in one of the Tuesday night events, but that was when it only cost me $55 total, looks like they run about $330 with all the rebuys and add-ons nowadays.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's "only" 80 miles both ways for me - I go a lot! You'd be surprised how quick you get used to the ride. My commute to work is only 2 miles; that's how I justify it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

The rebuy tournaments at Foxwoods are horrible...absolute shootouts in the beginning.

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh heh, I have a one minute commute to work as well, under 2 miles. But the wear and tear on the ol' 1995 chevy lumina ain't what she used to be, ya know? It's got 120K miles on it, but still runs well. Only do about 5K-6K miles per year on it now, so that helps. But I'm in no hurry to get back into car payments, higher insurance levels, etc.

[grandgnu]

Hello again everyone!

Well, I got my 10-chip sample from buypokerchips.com in of the Modern Clays.

Upon first removing them from the package I felt them and didn't like them because they were very chalky and kinda rough feeling. But I remember reading about having to break the chips in.

So I shuffled them throughout the day and their feel is much nicer now. I love these chips, the classy look, edge spots, feel, mold, etc.

I'm still waiting for my sample of TR King clays to come in so I can compare them. The TR Kings seem a bit more reasonably priced.

[tomb1]

Yeah, the Modern Clays are very nice. And they'll get better with age, like all clay chips.

But you're right, they're pricey, like all the good new chips. The Nevada Jacks/Martini Clubs are a tiny bit less, and the Kardwell Horseheads a little less than that. And the new Paulson James Bond chips (#3) are in the same range. Especially in sets of 300-500-600.

As far as break-in, the more you play with them the more you'll get:

(1) oiled-in surfaces from your hands, which makes the colors look brighter, and "seals" the clay for a durable finish that's a little harder and smoother, and

(2) slightly rounded edges to soften up the sharp mold edge.

There are other posts in this and other boards about oiling and the pillowcase trick. Here's a recent thread: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1413013&page=2&view=colla psed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
Also: http://www.texasholdem-poker.com/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7051 and follow the link in the second post to a bigger thread.

You can speed up the oiling process if you apply some oil yourself. It's a pain for a lot of chips, but after they soak for a day or two they're much better. Just put a drop on your fingers and rub it in to all the clay surfaces on a few chips at a time.

My opinions: DO NOT use 3-in-1 oil or other petroleum oils, they smell and could break down the clay. DO NOT use cooking oil, it gets rancid. DO USE pure mineral oil (or some people say baby oil), like oil you can buy for oiling wooden cutting boards (at Bed Bath & Beyond, which I'm sure you visit regularly!).

Have some fun!

[grandgnu]

You've been exceedingly helpful each time you post. I think I'd probably just break them in au' natural. Let all my players help out and do some of the work breaking them in.

It might be awhile before I purchase though, trying to save up for the New England Poker Classic at Foxwoods this Spring. I'd like to play 2-3 events, but at over $500 each, plus lodging and other expenses, well, dunno just yet.

Gonna see if I can pick up an extra shift at work here and there, and sock that dough aside. Plus, I'm going to try my damndest to start winning some of my own home games and put that money aside also. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Fins]

Hey Tomb1,
Don't know if anyone else is experiencing this but for all your posts I keep getting a "Connect to MSNusers.com" pop up... sometimes multiple popups for pics you post. I don't connect so I don't get to see the pics /images/graemlins/frown.gif

Looks like you avatar is linked there.

Anything other than signing up to avoid these popups? Plus I'd like to see the pics you post.

Anyone else know or experiencing this?

Thanks,
Fins

[warewulf]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Tomb1,
Don't know if anyone else is experiencing this but for all your posts I keep getting a "Connect to MSNusers.com" pop up... sometimes multiple popups for pics you post. I don't connect so I don't get to see the pics /images/graemlins/frown.gif

Looks like you avatar is linked there.

Anything other than signing up to avoid these popups? Plus I'd like to see the pics you post.

Anyone else know or experiencing this?

Thanks,
Fins

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, me too. Fix it tomb! I saw it pop up a few times and canceled it. Too much Microsoft crap on my PC already!

Good call Fins!

[ott]

Shouldn't you guys be using Mozilla Firefox already instead of IE?

[grandgnu]

Alright, looks like SOME posters (won't name names...) have taken this thread off-topic. *smirk*

So anyway, just got my TR King samples in the mail today. I have to say, I was underwhelmed, at least when comparing them with the slightly more costly buypokerchip.com Modern Clays.

The TR Kings feel more plasticy, closer to my Dice chips than the Modern Clay samples I have.

So I've made my decision, that I'll eventually purchase the Modern Clays, just love the feel of them, the schmell of them, the taste of them (sorry, Goldmember reference)

Now I just have to win some money at this Thursdays Foxwoods tournament so I can afford a set of 1000 or so of these puppies!

Thanks for all your help everyone!

[Fins]

How's that solve the problem /images/graemlins/confused.gif Do you see his pics/avatar w/o connecting to MSNusers? Heard good things just too lazy to investigate/change.

Sorry Grandgnu not trying to HJ (just perpetuating it I know /images/graemlins/shocked.gif)...

Back on topic:
Good Choice - the BPC MC's, I loved my samples though the cost is what helped drive me to customs. I had the same feeling regarding my 1 TR King sample... for multi-edge spot clays I like the BPC MC's & NJ's two sets (think I like the Martini's best). Take pics when you get 'em! Have only seen vendor pics.

- Fins

[grandgnu]

Well, it might be awhile. Right now I have a 1500-chip set of the Dice 11.5 gram chips (14 cents each, ghetto-style!)

The Modern Clays from Buypokerchips.com are signficantly more costly, although I think I'll go with maybe 1000 of them when I do bite the bullet.

Finished 30th out of 250 last week in the $100 NL Hold 'Em tourney at Foxwoods on Thursday. Was only playing to finish in the money, this time around I'll be playing to win.

The blinds and antes get agressive enough that semi-bluffs and steals become extremely useful when utilized correctly. If I can win enough there, I can afford these chips right away.

[tomb1]

Okay, I don't know what the stupid MSNusers thing is, but obviously it's from my hosting. I'll take my avatar down and try to find a way to get pics without this crap. Sorry.

- tomb

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
The TR Kings feel more plasticy, closer to my Dice chips than the Modern Clay samples I have.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya think? I think the inlayed T.R. Kings feel the most like Foxwoods Paulsons (cash, not those AWFUL tournament chips) out of all the home chips. The Modern Clays feel flimsy to me - they're manufactured by Blue Chip, correct?

Either way though, I hope you find exactly what you're looking for!

[grandgnu]

I didn't have a chance to play with the cash chips at Foxwoods last time, just the tourney chips.

I'm not sure who manufactures what, I just really liked the multi-colored edge spots on the Modern Clays and the overall feel of them compared with the TR Kings (although my girlfriend liked the Kings)

Good luck with the group buy though. Are you heading to Foxwoods again this Thursday? I'm going to play that tourney again and see if I can't snag 3-5 grand. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't have a chance to play with the cash chips at Foxwoods last time, just the tourney chips.

I'm not sure who manufactures what, I just really liked the multi-colored edge spots on the Modern Clays and the overall feel of them compared with the TR Kings (although my girlfriend liked the Kings)

Good luck with the group buy though. Are you heading to Foxwoods again this Thursday? I'm going to play that tourney again and see if I can't snag 3-5 grand. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

The cash chips are Paulsons - the "best" clay chip there is, according to pretty much anyone you ask. Check a few out on Thursday and let me know how you think they compare. FWIW, the tournament chips are also Paulsons, but they are not the same material...they actually feel like plastic/metal slug chips, I think they might be.

Nah, too early in the year to be wasting a vacation day on a casino visit. Good news though - I won back my $100 entry fee and the $80 I lost playing craps when I took down the 17-man tourney we had at my place Saturday night. Back to even for the week! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[toots]

[ QUOTE ]
The TR Kings feel more plasticy, closer to my Dice chips than the Modern Clay samples I have.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. They're also about 1mm smaller (in diameter) than most of the other samples I have (Paul-Son, Blue Chip, Chipco, RT Plastics).

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
The cash chips are Paulsons - the "best" clay chip there is, according to pretty much anyone you ask. Check a few out on Thursday and let me know how you think they compare. FWIW, the tournament chips are also Paulsons, but they are not the same material...they actually feel like plastic/metal slug chips, I think they might be.

Nah, too early in the year to be wasting a vacation day on a casino visit. Good news though - I won back my $100 entry fee and the $80 I lost playing craps when I took down the 17-man tourney we had at my place Saturday night. Back to even for the week! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, the tourney chips felt like they might be slugged, wasn't sure. They were hella dirty though. I had more schmutz under my fingernails after chip-shuffling than I've had in my life! God, poker players are so steenkin' dirty!

Congrats on evening up, good luck on moving into a profit. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The TR Kings feel more plasticy, closer to my Dice chips than the Modern Clay samples I have.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. They're also about 1mm smaller (in diameter) than most of the other samples I have (Paul-Son, Blue Chip, Chipco, RT Plastics).

[/ QUOTE ]

So Toots, do you like any chips significantly more than the Modern Clays from buypokerchips.com? And if so, what price range are they and where can they be found?

[toots]

Those modern clays look like Blue Chips.

Good enough, I suppose, but I prefer Paul-Sons (of course), with Blue Chips tied for second with the A mold from pokerchips.com. The only reason I don't like the pokerchips.coms better is that they restrict your edge spot choices too much.

[grandgnu]

[ QUOTE ]
Those modern clays look like Blue Chips.

Good enough, I suppose, but I prefer Paul-Sons (of course), with Blue Chips tied for second with the A mold from pokerchips.com. The only reason I don't like the pokerchips.coms better is that they restrict your edge spot choices too much.

[/ QUOTE ]

So, pricewise are the Paulsons similar to the Modern Clays? If so, where can I get some samples and where can I buy sets at a good price? Thanks again!

[toots]

Price-wise, they cost more, because they spent the last two years not offering any for sale to the public. You can find them on eBay.

Or, wait for the new orders to arrive at dice702.com and... was it holdempokerchips.com?

But, they are the people who make the chips for most casinos (Foxwoods included).

[tomb1]

Hi all,

I changed the picture hosting for my avatar, so could somebody please see if the problem has gone away? (I can't tell since I never had the problem, of course -- the old Microsoft site recognized my computer). Post or PM me.

Thanks,

- tomb

[warewulf]

fixed.

[Fins]

The colors are all messed up... should look like this:
http://www.mindspring.com/~tfcchips/images/ugahelmet2.jpg

/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Other than that it's fixed - Thanks,
Fins

[tomb1]

They teach humer real good in Athens! Oh, I mean humor (they don't teach speling very good)....

Actually, I like the Dawgs, they done good this last bowl. And I'm in Atlanta for the night.

But thanks for the feedback on the picture.

- tomb