How much do I need?

[JasonM]

Starting a home game in the near future. For the most part just gonna have a 9-10 handed 3-6 or 4-8 game. What would be the recommended number of chips and denominations I should have? My local card club uses all $1 chips for it's 3-6 and 4-8 games. I have played in games where they use $5 chips as well but I didn't really care for that. Suggestions? Opinions? What works best?

[LetsRock]

I'd reccommend you just get a bunch of chips of one color for a limit game. the value of the chip can be whatever you need it to be for your limit (.50, $1, $3, $5 etc) and the game will be much faster than dealing with multiple colors of chips.

If you see a NL game in your future, this advice is null and void. You can get a multi color set and just consider all chips (regardless of color) to be the same value for limit games.

I'd recommend you have enough chips for about 3 buy-ins per person. With that many chips, there'll be enough chips on the table for players to buy from each other if you run out.

[slamdunkpro]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd reccommend you just get a bunch of chips of one color for a limit game. the value of the chip can be whatever you need it to be for your limit (.50, $1, $3, $5 etc) and the game will be much faster than dealing with multiple colors of chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

One word of advice with this set-up. You need to inventory your chips in and out to prevent someone from pocketing a stack at a 3-6 game, then cashing them in at a 10-20 game.

[LetsRock]

True.

[Phat Mack]

You don't mention what games you will play, or what the buy-in is. Let's say it's hold 'em. If you play 3-6 or 4-8 limit hold 'em nine- or ten- handed, you could easily have $1500 - $3000 on the table. That's a lot of $1 chips. If you play 2-4 with $2 chips, that's half as many, but still a lot of chips.

The good news is that having mountains of chips on the table, and mountainous pots, will stimulate a lot of action. The bad news is that all those chips are expensive, and can be a pain in the ass to handle. If you are contemplating split-pot games, all those chips will slow down the game and create a LOT of work for the house.

I only know of one home low-limit hold 'em game that uses $1 chips exclusively, and it is extremely successfull. But if it were me, I would have three colors: 1, 5 & 25. I would probably want 100 1's, 300 5's and 100 25's.

The best advice I can give you is to first determine the max amount of money that will be in play, then work backwards to how many chips you'll need, and how much you want to pay for them.

[Hedge Henderson]

[ QUOTE ]
I would probably want 100 1's, 300 5's and 100 25's.

The best advice I can give you is to first determine the max amount of money that will be in play, then work backwards to how many chips you'll need...

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Good advice. For limit poker, the plurality of your chips should be equal to the small bet. You're going to need more than one denomination, JasonM. Otherwise, you might have to use 1500-2000 $1 chips for your $4/$8 game.

I'd throw some big denomination chips in there, too, though. You may want to have a tournament someday and it'd be a pain to post that late-round $200 blind with $1 chips.