Poker Chips 101: Plastic, Composite, and Clay

There are three kinds of poker chips marketed nowadays. These are plastic, composite, and clay composite chips. So, how does one differ from the rest in the group?

Plastic poker chips explain themselves - they're made of plastic. These are the least expensive of the three and are more practical to boot. They hardly weigh much but they serve their purpose well. They are durable since they are made of plastic so they can last you a lifetime (even more!). You can find plastic poker chips almost anywhere too.

But if you're looking for more weight and character in your poker accessories, composite and clay composite chips are the products for you. These are what you'll usually find online as well.

Composite poker chips are made of ABS, which is a strong plastic material. But much different from a regular plastic poker chip, they have a metal insert that makes it weigh more. They're also called ABS chips too. These chips are shiny, they make a distinct 'ting' sound and details on their faces are visually sharp. The material, ABS, is very durable especially when it's fused and compacted to make composite poker chips.

Clay composite poker chips have metal inserts just like ABS chips but rather than being made of plastic, they're made of clay (as its name illustrates). They are very much different from composite poker chips in more ways than just what it's made of. First of all, they have a rougher, duller surface than ABS chips. Second, they are less durable than plastic. And third, they're the most expensive kind of chips out of the three.

For the most part, durability, weight and stack-ability are taken into account when buying poker chips. The first is adequately met by regular plastic and composite poker chips. And when it comes to weight, composite and clay composite chips are a sure match because they come in varying weights. With the matter of stack-ability, the more expensive clay composite poker chips undoubtedly meet this criterion the best.

There are three kinds of poker chips out there - plastic, composite or ABS, and clay composite chips. In differentiating these three, we now know that plastic and ABS chips are made of plastic while clay composites are made of clay. Composites and clay composite chips have metal inserts to add weight. And when it comes to durability, chips made of plastic will significantly outlast those made of clay even if the latter is more expensive than the rest.