POKER

Traditional poker is a five-card game. The dealer passes out cards one at a time in a circle – one card goes to one player, the next card goes to the next player, and so on. The circle continues until all players have five cards. Players look at their cards and decide which cards they would like to keep and which cards they would like to trade in order to increase their chances of getting the best hands. Rarely does a player have a strong enough hand on the first deal.

The dealer will check in with each player, in the same order in which their cards were dealt, to ask if they would like to trade out any cards. Typically, players put the cards they want to give back on the table in front of them, the dealer takes them, and then deals the same number of new cards. Typically, players can trade in up to four cards, though house rules vary.

After players get their new cards, they are looking at their final hand. They then decide whether to fold or stay. Folding means that the cards and any bets made up to that point are forfeited. Staying means playing through the hand and seeing if it wins. Staying also requires matching any bets or raises that are made.

Several variations of poker are played, including one in which seven cards are dealt and “stud,” which deals some cards so they are face up and visible to all players. These variations influence the chances for putting together a stronger hand, as well as betting and playing strategy for other players.

Playing poker can be fun and exciting. The game is fast-paced, and it can have high stakes. With all the betting action in most poker games, it would be too confusing to have a lot of cash bills flying around. Instead, most professional games — and plenty of household games — use colored chips. In many casinos, these chips are marked with their denominations so there isn’t any confusion about what is being bet. However, classic poker chips are unmarked, and you are supposed to identify their values by color.

Common Poker Chip Values and Colors

Poker chip values can vary by casino, tournament, or individual game. However, there are some common values that you are likely to see wherever you go. Knowing these values will put you at ease, giving you a baseline of understanding when you enter a game.

The standard poker chip set has four colors:

• White: $1
• Red: $5
• Green: $25
• Black: $100

The general trend is that chips get darker as their value increases. However, you will find exceptions to this.

Poker chips are small discs used to represent monetary value when placing bets in a poker game. The chips are made of hard plastic, and they are a couple of inches in diameter. The chips are colored, and they may have a graphic in the center, such as the casino’s logo. If you are using chips in a home game, the center may be blank. Often, chips also have a striped border.

When you go to a casino, you would purchase the amount of chips you want from the cashier. Then you take those chips to the game you want to play, and you put down the chip corresponding to the bet you want to make. When you want to raise your bet, you add the appropriate colored chip.

Poker Chip Colors and Denominations

Typically, casinos use chips in traditional colors with the usual values to maintain consistency. There will be some overlap with the four- and five-color sets, but since casinos offer a variety of high- and low-stakes games, there will be a greater range of values.

Usual poker chip colors and denominations include:

• White: $1
• Red: $5
• Blue, Brown, or Orange: $10
• Green: $25
• Black: $100
• Purple: $500
• Yellow, Orange, or Gray: $1,000
• Orange, Gray, or Red/White/Blue: $5,000
• Dark Green, Dark Blue, or Brown: $25,000
• Light Blue or Gray: $100,000

Casinos will also often have chips with clearly marked values, so there is no confusion. Players will know exactly how much they are betting by looking at the value printed right on the chip.

Determining Poker Chip Stack Sizes

Most casinos put chips together by value in stacks of 20. In a tournament, when a player busts out, the remaining players will acquire their chips. However, as the games progress to higher stakes, those lower-value chips accumulate and go unused. Therefore, most players will trade out their lower-value chips for higher-value ones to keep their stacks at a manageable size.

Rules can vary for home games based on the stakes. If the blinds are low — like $1 and $2 — players usually won’t need higher-value chips. However, if players want a high-stakes game, they can assign new values to the chips and distribute them accordingly. Typically, home games give each player 25 to 50 chips. Stack sizes would be determined by what makes the most sense for the game.

Blue Lake Casino Hotel is proud to offer exciting games of poker to give players many opportunities for play — and perhaps to win big. Visit us today to join a hand or even to sign up for a tournament.