Imagup General Magazine 2024
Venues such as casinos never leave their visitors cold-hearted. They bring excitement by offering many games of chances where people try their luck. Some lose, but there are also those that win. Rare are those that managed to win so much money to make them wealthy and not having to do anything for the rest of their lives. However, this is still a dream of every gambler.
Gambling has been present in the world, since forever. One may say that’s in human genetics, to hope, to rely on luck, and to be addicted to the thrill.
Many may miss the activity due to the fact most of us are unable to move and travel, therefore try to compensate for what they are missing by switching to online casinos and betting platforms, such as 22 Bet. Online gambling sites are great and really add to the satisfaction for passionate gamblers, however, some still feel nostalgic about the atmosphere in the casinos – the food, cigars, music, bright and shiny slot machines, the sound of the casino chips. While we are all on hold, waiting for the situation to stabilize, let’s think about what is so interesting about those chips, we like to collect while playing table games. This article will give you all the super interesting facts about casino chips, you might have never heard of.
Let’s start with a history lesson…
1. First chips were invented by the Romans
You’re probably familiar with the fact that the first dice were invented and used by the Chinese. As well as that they haven’t changed much, except in the size. A lot of these games involved in gambling do have roots in very ancient history. As we already wrote, gambling is as old as the civilization itself. Romans were not so fond of the activity and the morale it promotes, so they were the first ones to prohibit gambling. This did not prevent Romans from gambling, of course, they thought of a way to continue. As gambling for real money was kind of impossible, they had to think of an alternative to use, that will represent money. Thus, the gambling chips were born. If the gamblers were caught by the guard, they had no chance to prove the gambling activity was performed. Players exchanged small disks between themselves, which had no value to the outsiders. Only the players knew the real value each disk held.
2. Colors dictate the value
Two cities in the US where you can get the best gambling experience are the famous Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Chips used in the casinos carry different values, therefore in Atlantic city, owners have come together and agreed that each chip will carry a certain value and it will be connected to the color. When you visit their casinos, you will find out that the white ones have the lowest value, of 1$. When it comes to the pink ones, their worth is 2.5 $, red ones 5 $ and the green ones are the most valuable, worth 25$. It gives you a clue, when walking past a table, what amount of money is at stake, just by looking at the colors. This is a deal in the state of Jersey, however, not in other places.
The state of Nevada, where it all began has a different set of rules when it comes to coloring. You may see red chips worth 5$ and green rooms, but there is no rule of law or an internal agreement that requires a casino to attach a color to the value of a chip.
Thirty years ago, one could have found a dollar worth chip in different colors, white, yellow, grey, blue, brown, and even black. A couple of years before, there were no chips at all. Casinos used a dollar bill. Even before, before, real silver dollars were used. Fancy, isn’t it?
Since the casinos became corporate-owned, the situation changed. Now each venue can choose the color and add the desired value to it. For example, some chose to use only white ones, like Harrah. They’ve dropped this decision by the end of the eighties, and now this color is valued 1$. This is a norm today and is also implemented due to security measures.
3. A basic set depends on the game
The color and the value of the chips is usually determined before the game. The entire basic set of poker chips, for example, is assembled out of white, red, blue, green, and black ones. This is the basic rule. However, there are some bigger tournaments of poker, where the organizers have the freedom to pick out as many colors as they like. Although there is no universal rule when it comes to the value, for most events that include poker games, standards are more or less the same.
Similar rules apply to other table games that involve chips, as well. Hence the importance of knowing the value of the chip, the same as the currency, regardless if you play Texas Hold’em, Omaha, or something else.
4. The number of chips depends on the number of players
Let’s say that you’re planning to host a poker event, and invite approximately 10 people. In this case, it is advisable to have at least 500 chips, divided into a maximum of four colors.
As your game grows and the number of people increases, let’s say up to 30 players, you are advised to have available 1000 chips, in a maximum of five colors.
5. They are mostly made of clay
Ever wondered why they make that interesting sound? It’s because the percentage of the clay inside the material they’re made of is high. Some are even made of ceramics. The weight, texture, design and color, are very carefully selected and controlled, to prevent the forgery.
Regular people don’t even think about the variety of chips until they become passionate gamblers. They are an integral part of the game and carry so many interesting stories of what has happened during the game of poker. If only the chips could talk.
