Clay Poker Chips
What You Should Know About Clay Poker Chips
Clay poker chips are not made entirely of clay. Clay poker chips are actually made of a clay composite, often with metal inside. A clay composite is necessary because a poker chip made of only clay would dry, crack and crumble. Entirely clay poker chips would not stand up to the demands of poker table use.
There is currently no standard definition of the composite recipe that may be used for poker chips to be considered clay poker chips. Some manufacturers are known to label their products as clay poker chips while in reality the chips are composed entirely of a plastic composite that contains no clay at all.
While a clay poker chip will obviously not be 100% clay, the percentage of clay in the chips may vary from one percent to fifty percent. In addition, most of the composite clay poker chips contain a metal insert to increase the weight of the chip.
The composite clay poker chips are available in a variety of weights. Standard clay poker chips are sold in weights that range from 7.5 grams to 13.5 grams. Most casinos use clay poker chips although some do use ceramic chips. The weight of casino quality clay poker chips is usually 13.5 grams or 14 grams. A quality set of clay poker chips for the at-home poker player will contain chips weighing around 11.5 grams.
Clay poker chips are durable. Under constant use in a casino, clay poker chips are expected to last up to six years. A personal set of clay poker chips should be expected to last a lifetime. Clay poker chips should only be cleaned gently with a soft brush and mild detergent if necessary. Placing clay poker chips in water, a dishwasher or washing machine will destroy the chips. Extreme high temperatures are also damaging to clay poker chips. Clay poker chips should be stored in a cool, dry location and never be stored in a vehicle during hot summer temperatures.
Poker players prefer heavier weight clay poker chips because they have the look and feel of casino quality poker chips. Well-designed clay poker chips stack well. They work fine for doing tricks with the poker chips and the sound they make is acceptable. The key to satisfying a picky poker player is to supply good quality, heavy weight clay poker chips.