Poker sets are very popular among amateurs and professionals of this game. They allow you to purchase all the necessary poker accessories in a single set and store them compactly. In order to choose the most suitable poker set, you need to know several important aspects.
Any poker set includes 2 types of necessary components – game cards and chips. In addition to them, depending on the class and configuration, it may contain dice, dealer and blind buttons, roulette, rules for playing poker and a special cloth. These accessories will help you to give a friendly game the atmosphere of a real professional competition.
Before you decide to stop your choice on one of the poker sets, you should take into account the number of participants in the game. There are poker sets with different number of chips, designed for large and small companies: 100, 200, 300, 500 and 1000 chips.
A poker set for 100 chips – well suited if you prefer to play with no more than 2-3 people.
Poker set for 200 chips – will be enough for a company of 3-4 players.
Poker set for 300 chips – can be equally divided among 5 players in the game.
The 500-chip poker set is a great set to play poker with a group of friends (5-7 people) or compete with your family.
A 1000-chip poker set is the maximum set. If you like to gather a large company (10 people) at home or play poker at several tables, this set will be the most suitable.
Poker chips are the main part of a poker set. They are also very diverse. The only constant factor is their size (diameter 3.9 cm). Everything else – denomination, colors, weight, quantity, size and material – may vary. Chips differ in their weight – light (up to 4 grams), medium (up to 10 grams), heavy (up to 11.5 grams) and extra heavy (more than 11.5 grams). Many poker chips have a special metal insert that makes the chips more stable. The design of poker chips is also very diverse. The value may or may not be specified. Both options have their advantages – if the denomination is indicated, you will not need to remember it, but if you have other rates, it will be distracting. Since the set includes chips of different colors, their face value is also different.
Playing cards for poker are cardboard, plastic or a combination.
Cardboard cards are the cheapest, but, unfortunately, short-lived. They are made of thick multi-layered cardboard and treated with a special varnish that ensures their sliding. But they very quickly lose their appearance, deform from moisture or contact with hands. Plus, they’re easy to tag.
Combination playing cards for poker consist of a cardboard core and a plastic cover. This makes them inaccessible to light, resilient and flexible, provide better safety and durability when compared with cardboard cards. But they can be marked with a fingernail, and over time they still get dirty and deformed, becoming less comfortable, slipping worse.
Plastic cards are of the highest quality. They cannot be marked, they are easy to shuffle, they are not afraid of moisture or prolonged contact with hands, and any contamination is easily removed. Cards made entirely of plastic are more durable. They are the choice of professionals.
There are 3 classes of poker sets that differ in quality, packaging and, of course, price.
First class is economy. The main advantage is the low price. The set is limited – chips and playing cards. Weight categories of chips are light and medium. There is no sticker – the drawing is applied directly to the chip.
The second class is standard. The most common sets that successfully combine quality and price. A more sophisticated design, on heavy chips (up to 11.5 grams) – dense stickers.
Premium class – poker sets are fully equipped (in different sets there are buttons, dice, a special cloth for the table and even a roulette wheel). The chips are pleasant to the touch and have a streamlined shape.
Poker accessories are optional elements, but they help to better convey the intense and gambling atmosphere of the competition. And with the help of some of them you can play additional games that are subspecies of classic poker.
Buttons in poker exist to indicate the player’s position at the table. If you are tired of constantly asking: “Whose turn is it now?”, the dealer button will solve this problem. In addition, there are buttons that indicate missed blinds and other situations that arise during the game.
If you choose a set with dice, you can play another exciting game – “Poker on the dice”. Dice are used to determine the order of moves and perform various combinations for which players are awarded victory points.
If your set includes a roulette wheel, you can consider yourself the owner of a real casino! Place your bets and feel free to spin the wheel of fortune. This is a great way to diversify the evening of the game – after intense calculations and collecting winning combinations of cards, trust fortune.
The most common and popular poker set packaging is a quality case made of fabric, leather, pewter or aluminium. It is beautiful, compact, convenient, does not take up much space and closes securely. You can take with you to visit or to a party to make the evening even more memorable. Also, a poker set is a great gift that a fan of gambling table games will definitely like.