Traditional board games are great for family reunions, but if you’re looking to spice things up, a game of poker is a great idea. You’ll need a good set of poker chips before you can host a poker game, so what constitutes a good poker chip set?

Like the Versa Games JPC 500-Piece Crown Casino Clay Poker Chips, the best poker chip sets consist of durable, high-quality chips and may include added accessories.

The most important consideration when buying a poker set is the chip quantity. You don’t want to organize a poker game only to find that you don’t have enough chips come game time.

Poker can be played with as few as three or even just two players. In that case, a smaller poker set of just a couple hundred chips should suffice. However, if you're looking to play with four or more players at a single table, it's a good idea to have a poker chip set with at least 300 chips.

Poker chips are made from plastic, clay composite or ceramic. Plastic chips are the cheapest, while the most common chips in home poker sets are clay composite chips. Clay composite chips usually have casino-inspired designs and solid weight, but some of them can be pretty slippery. Ceramic chips are the most expensive, but they’re also the smoothest and allow for more customization.

Players prefer heavier poker chips because they’re more durable and less slippery, so they’re easier to handle or shuffle than lighter chips.

The minimum weight standard for a poker chip is 11.5 grams, a typical weight found in most clay composite chips. The best poker chip sets weigh 13.5 grams, but these sets are also more expensive.

Some poker chips have casino-inspired designs and printed denominations, which can be helpful in setting up games. These chips can have denominations as low as $1 and can go as high as $500. Poker sets of these chips are usually more expensive than chips with solid colors and no denominations.

Most poker chip sets include at least one deck of playing cards, but some come with two. Some poker chip sets even come with dice which are handy if you want to switch up games or decide who deals first.

The most common variation of poker is Texas Hold ‘Em. In Texas Hold ‘Em, there’s a designated dealer each round with the small and big blinds sitting directly to their left. Since these designations rotate after every round, it can be easy to lose track of them, so some poker chip sets come with designated buttons for each position. It makes life easier for everybody during a game of poker.

You can find a modestly priced poker set with a good amount of chips in the price range of $30-$70. However, expect to pay over $100 for larger sets or sets with heavier casino-style chips and other features.

A. No. Poker can be played even with cheap plastic chips. However, a heavier poker chip indicates better quality and more closely resembles a casino-style poker chip. Most intermediate and experienced players prefer the feel of heavier chips, even in friendly home games.

A. Yes. Chips with denominations can be scaled down to represent smaller amounts of money. For example, a $25 chip can be treated as a $0.25 chip.

Versa Games JPC 500-Piece Crown Casino Clay Poker Chips: available at Amazon

Our take: This poker chip set is diverse and contains professional-grade casino poker chips and a few extras.

What we like: It contains 500 casino-style chips, each weighing 13.5 grams and divided by several colors and denominations. The set comes in a durable aluminum carrying case and includes two decks of playing cards, five red dice and a dealer button.

What we dislike: Some customers feel that the case isn't strong enough to hold the complete set of heavy poker chips in place without deteriorating quickly.

Da Vinci Professional Casino Del Sol Poker Chips Set: available at Amazon

Our take: You won't find a poker set with this many high-quality chips for the price.

What we like: This set is cheaper than other 500-chip poker sets, but the chips are still high-quality as they're made from a clay composite and weigh approximately 11.5 grams. The chips come in five different denominations and are stored in a durable steel frame case with securing latches and hinges. It comes with two decks of cards and buttons for the dealer, small blind and big blind.

What we dislike: Some customers found that there weren't enough $5 chips when playing with a full table.

Fat Cat by GLD Products Texas Hold 'Em Claytec Poker Chip Set: available at Amazon

Our take: An excellent set for home games that comes with everything you need for an awesome night of poker with your friends and family.

What we like: This set features 500 stripped-dice pattern clay composite chips, each weighing 11.5 grams. The chips come in five different colors without any denominations printed on them. It includes two decks of cards and three place buttons for the dealer, small blind and big blind.

What we dislike: The case is flimsy, and some customers reported minor design flaws on some chips.

Kevin Luna is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.

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