Poker Equipment FAQs

Quick answers to the questions we hear most often from home-game hosts. Each answer links to a fuller guide or collection if you want more detail. If you cannot find what you need, get in touch.

Chips and sets

How many poker chips do I need?

A common rule of thumb is around 50 chips per player, plus some spare for rebuys and making change. That means a 500-chip set suits a game of up to about nine players. Our guide on how many poker chips you need has the full maths.

What do the chip colours mean?

Colours are a convention, not a rule. Many home games use white for the smallest value and work up through red, blue and green to black for the largest, but you can set your own values as long as everyone agrees before the first hand. Our guide to poker chip values and colours shows common set-ups.

What is the difference between 11.5g, 14g and 16g chips?

The figure is the weight of each chip in grams. Heavier chips generally feel more substantial and stack with a more satisfying click, while lighter ones are easier to carry in quantity. Our guide to poker chip weights and materials explains how to choose, and you can browse the Poker Chipsets collection.

What are the Tangiers chips made of?

Our Tangiers Casino chips weigh 16g each, and the design is inspired by the Tangiers casino in the film "Casino". They are made from brass and resin. You can see the sets here: 500pcs Tangiers Casino 16g poker set and 1000pcs Tangiers Casino 16g poker set.

What comes in the 500pcs Tangiers set?

It has 500 chips in 6 colours, supplied in an ABS case with playing cards, a dealer button and dice. You can choose a Standard Set, with standard chip values, or a Custom Set. The 1000pcs set has the same choices in a clear acrylic case.

How do I clean poker chips?

Wipe them gently with a soft, slightly damp cloth, then dry them straight away. Avoid soaking them, and avoid harsh chemicals or abrasive scourers, which can mark the surface or the design. For more on chip care, see our guide to poker chip weights and materials.

Can I top up a set with extra chips?

Yes. Our Loose Poker Chips collection sells chips in rolls of 25, so you can add a denomination or replace a few. Chip cases are in the Poker Chip Cases collection.

Cloth, tables and mats

What is the difference between speed cloth and felt?

Speed cloth has a smooth, low-friction surface, so cards glide and chips slide, and it wipes clean easily. Felt has a soft pile that grips more and tends to pick up lint and spills. Our speed cloth buying guide compares them in more detail.

How much cloth do I need?

Measure your table at its longest and widest points, add about 10cm on every edge, and check the smaller measurement is 150cm or less, because our cloth is 60" (150cm) wide. You then order the longer measurement by the metre. The speed cloth buying guide has worked examples for rectangular, round and oval tables.

Is the cloth waterproof?

No, it is water resistant. That means small spills are slow to soak in and can usually be wiped away, but it is not designed to be soaked, so mop up spills promptly. See our Suited Speed Cloth collection for both options.

Can I return cut cloth?

No. Our speed cloth is cut to order, so it is excluded from change-of-mind returns. Please measure carefully before you order, and see our Delivery & Returns page for the details.

How is the cloth supplied?

Both of our cloths are sold by the metre and cut to order, and can be supplied either "On a Roll" or "Folded". The plain cloth comes in red, blue, green, black, platinum grey, white, gold and purple, on a roll or folded. The two-tone cloth comes in red, blue and green (on a roll or folded) and grey (on a roll only). You can see the products here: Water Resistant Suited Speed Cloth and Two Tone Water Resistant Suited Speed Cloth.

How big is the RED poker mat?

The 8 Seat Poker Table Top Mat with Betting Lines, RED has printed betting lines and comes with a carry bag. It measures 90cm x 180cm and has a foam backing to stop it slipping on the table. For help choosing between a mat and other options, read poker table top or poker mat.

Do you sell poker tables?

Our Poker Tables collection currently features the RED mat above. Folding tables and table tops are coming later.

Cards and accessories

What is the difference between plastic and paper playing cards?

Plastic cards are more durable and are usually easier to wipe clean, and they tend to handle well when shuffled. Paper cards are cheaper to replace but wear faster. Plastic is a popular choice for regular home games.

Which playing cards do you stock?

We stock Modiano and BCG playing cards. Our Modiano Carillon decks are 100% plastic, and we are adding more 100% plastic decks to the range. Browse the Poker Playing Cards collection.

What is a dealer button, and do I need a timer?

A dealer button is a marker that shows who is dealing on each hand and moves one seat clockwise afterwards. A timer is optional for a cash game, but it is very useful for tournaments, where blinds rise at set intervals. You can find buttons, tournament timers, dice and chip trays in Poker Accessories.

What do I need to host a poker night?

A table, chips, cards, a dealer button, a timer and a clear set of house rules. Our guide to hosting a poker night includes a printable checklist.

Do you sell anything to help with poker strategy?

Yes. The Poker Whizz Wheel is a pre-flop reference for Texas Hold'em. It covers all 169 starting hands and shows how strong each one is and whether to play it from early, middle or late position. You can find it, along with the Texas Hold'em Poker Tactics MP3 course, in our Poker Strategy collection.

Custom chips

How do custom chips work?

We offer personalised chip labels, and there is a custom artwork fee. See the Custom Poker Chips collection for what is available.

What is the Custom Set option?

On our Tangiers Casino sets you can choose between a Standard Set, with standard chip values, and a Custom Set. With a Custom Set you choose your own mix of chips, in multiples of 25, from the available values. It is useful when you want more of the denominations you actually play with. See the 500pcs Tangiers Casino 16g poker set.

Rules and how to play

What beats what in poker?

From strongest to weakest, the hands rank: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair and high card. A flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush. Our poker hand rankings guide has the full list, how ties are broken and a printable chart.

How do you play Texas Hold'em?

Each player is dealt two private cards, and five shared cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. You make the best five-card hand from any combination of your two cards and the five on the board, with a round of betting before and after each stage of the deal. Our guide on how to play Texas Hold'em walks through a complete hand, and the Poker Whizz Wheel is a handy pre-flop reference to keep at the table.

What are the odds of being dealt pocket aces?

There are 1,326 possible starting hands in Texas Hold'em, and only six of them are a pair of aces. That makes it a 0.45% chance, or odds against of 220 to 1. See our poker odds and probabilities guide for the other starting hands, and the Poker Whizz Wheel for how to play them.

Is it legal to play poker for money at home in the UK?

Under the Gambling Act 2005, poker played in a private home counts as private gaming and is exempt from licensing only if no charge or levy is made for taking part, so there should be no rake or kitty taken from the pot. This is general information, not legal advice. Our home poker rules guide explains more.

Ordering, delivery and returns

Is delivery free?

Delivery is free to UK mainland addresses on orders over £130 and under 30kg. Anything outside that is covered on our Delivery & Returns page.

How quickly will my order be despatched?

Orders are despatched within 24 hours on working days. Full details are on our Delivery & Returns page.

How do I return an item?

Unwanted items can be returned within 14 days. The exception is cut-to-order cloth, which is excluded from change-of-mind returns. Please read our Delivery & Returns page for how to go about it.