Choice of chips for first set

[rannavon]

Hello everybody,

I am looking for quite some time for my first chip set (it is quite an important step in a man's live... it's like your first bike :D ).

I have been looking around the Internet, reading reviews, posts on this great forum and comparing prices and I have reduced my choices knowing that:

1. I cannot afford (I wish I could, but I can't) the high quality chips (+/- $1 per chip) like the compression molded clays and the ceramics.
2. I don't want chips with a metal insert (because of the annoying "clinking" sound they make when shuffled)
3. I want my chips to have edge spots

I have recently ordered a sample of the 8g 6 stripes (aka soprano)chips. I have been playing with them for 2 or 3 weeks and I like them very much (of course I have no comparison scale). What would you think of those?

I also visited a couple of custom labels websites. I initially thought that it was only possible to stick custom labels on chips with recessed center (like Nexgen chips) but apparently it is possible on non recessed chips as well.
What is your opinion about this?
Won't the labels make the chips thicker so they won't fit in racks?
Won't the labels on each face rub constantly with labels of other chips, thus making them harder to stack, to shuffle and damaging the labels?

To conclude, here my heads-up for my set:

1. 6 stripe chips (with or without custom labels?)
2. Nexgen with custom labels (although I said no metal insert, I read somewhere that the Nexgen chips are made of a composite resin which manages to deaden the clinking sound of the insert. Is it still annoying?)

What do you think about

1. the general handling of both chips (sound, feel)
2. Look (colored edge spots vs. white)
3. To put custom labels or not to put custom labels, that is the question?

If you are still reading this, you are a true hero and I salute your courage.

Thank again for all your help.

Ran

[stevo]

Personally, I would go with the Nexgen River Poker tour - dual edge spots with custom labels. I have the 1st generation with labels and everyone likes them a ton. The rivers look even better in my opinion.

Having sampled a bunch of the cheaper chips, I have to say that the Nexgens are really a cut about.

[ky70]

I like the Nexgen choice but will disagree with the River Poker Tour version. The edge spots look very cheap close up (to me) and the edge spots on some of the samples I had were even peeling from the chip (think hangnail).

[pie taster]

if you put a gun to my head, i'd say the nexgens look better and will handle labels better....

but..............

I'm guessing for 1,000 with labels.. you are looking really really close to $300. For $50 more.......

You can have real clay (although no label nor edge spotting).
http://www.texasholdem-poker.com/forum/t10003/pics-of-my-pokerchipscom-circlesquare-chips

[circlencircle]

Personally I can’t recommend the Faux Dice chips enough, and the price is right too at about 8cents each. If you have to have edge spots then I would go with Casino Quality Clay Composites from The Poker Chip Co. Ltd. These are twice as much as nexgens (45-50cents) but worth it in my opinion. Nothing wrong with nexgens but I don’t like chips that heavy and I don’t like the way they look - still not a bad chip though.

All your questions about labels I cant answer from personally experience but logic tells me that all of those things could be problems, i.e. labels catching on each other if there isn’t a recess in the chip and what not...

[ClonexxSA]

From a distance the RPT Nexgens look awesome.

Up close they suck and they feel and sound like crap

I love the labels I have for mine but now I sincerely wish I had gone with the Las Vegas Nexgens instead.

[stevo]

Wow, I didn't think I would get that kind of negative response to the River Poker Tour chips. Let me say this... I recommended them without having ever touched em or seen em up close. I was largely baseing my recommendation on what I have read from other sites and review sites, whathaveyou.

If they are not that good, go with the original Nexgens - I did and I am really happy.

[tabascojrc]

From a distance the RPT Nexgens look awesome.

Up close they suck and they feel and sound like crap

I love the labels I have for mine but now I sincerely wish I had gone with the Las Vegas Nexgens instead.

RPT look good, but the Las Vegas Nexgen has the crosshatching which greatly improves stacking too.

[hachkc]

I have a bunch of RPT Nexgen samples and will add my 2 cents:

These chips are some of the more attactive, cheap chips on the market especially the Green and higher value colors but they are still plastic slugged chips. If you want plastic, slugged chips then these are a good choice especially if you want labels because of their recessed center.

As for the Las Vegas Nexgens, I don't have any so I really can't comment on them but one difference is they appear to have the cross hatched pattern to them.

As for mid-range chips, these would be the chips on my shortlist (in no particular order):

www.pokerchips.com
Pros: Real, real clay chips, solid colors .35/chip, custom edge spots .50/chip
Cons: Long lead times for anything custom, solid colors might be in stock

www.buypokerchips (Neophytes) / www.acehighsupply.com (Kingpins)
Personally, I like these chips. The feel and stack much better than most any other plastic, slugged chips. They have a more rubbery feel to them. The Neophytes (.50/chip - .26/chip) from BPC come labeled and denominated while the Kingpins (.26/chip) are just blank.

www.nevadajacks.com
The Desert Sands ceramics. Right now, you can get 900 chips for $400 dollars which is about .45/chip. This is probably one of the best deals on the market right now for a quality chip, unless you have an aversion to ceramic chips.

www.thepokerchipcompany.com
I've heard good things about them but no first hand experience, sorry.

www.5stardeal.com and other sites
Faux Dice Clay chips (.06/chip). Best budget chip around. Not much in the way of looks but a quality chip that can easily survive temperatures of 375 degrees, see here http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/template.php?page=2 .

[Prettey Toney]

Not to sound redundant again.

Not sure your budget,

But Nevada Jacks Desert Sands and or Skulls are around 50 cents each and for the money are a steal, and a great chip. I own 1000 of them and love them. Plan on buying 1000 more someday.

Maybe Yeltzen will sell you his, he has currently upgraded to super diamonds.

Stretch a little and go for a better chip.

[Timmay]

www.nevadajacks.com
The Desert Sands ceramics. Right now, you can get 900 chips for $400 dollars which is about .45/chip. This is probably one of the best deals on the market right now for a quality chip, unless you have an aversion to ceramic chips.

Couldn't agree more.

[Cinos3]

I dont know how you can beat the "Circle Square" mold chips from pokerchips.com for .35, granted there are no edge spots but 35¢ for a clay chip is a pretty good starter set. I dont know how big the center is on those and know they arent recessed but for the money you save on the clay chips you can get a custom size vynil label to fit the inside and have a pretty decent set of chips for around 50¢ a piece.

[pie taster]

Cinos3,

I know that you are the master of custom labels, so I'm curious if you have every tried putting a label on a true clay chip before. I'd be worried that it wouldn't stick very well.

And how akward is it to put a label on a non-recessed center?

[dgold41]

The Las Vegas 9g are good chips for the money. You just have to be careful because there are quality control issues with those chips. They feel really good texture and weight wise- They sound good as well. The LV 9g pro are not as good (the one's with the narrow edge). They also have the denominations on them already and can be purchased in custom quantities depending on the seller.

[Always_Bored]

www.nevadajacks.com
The Desert Sands ceramics. Right now, you can get 900 chips for $400 dollars which is about .45/chip. This is probably one of the best deals on the market right now for a quality chip, unless you have an aversion to ceramic chips.

Couldn't agree more.

I also have to agree. Great chips for a great price!