How to use the chip calculator
- Choose a tournament or a cash game.
- Enter the number of players and the starting stack (or buy-in in dollars for a cash game).
- Pick your chip set, then edit the value of each color and how many chips you have.
The calculator gives every player the same stack, keeps enough small chips for posting blinds and making change, and tells you how many chips stay in the box.
Standard chip values
| Color | Tournament | Cash game |
|---|---|---|
| White | 25 | $0.25 |
| Red | 100 | $1 |
| Green | 500 | $5 |
| Black | 1,000 | $25 |
| Purple | 5,000 | $100 |
There is no official standard, but these values are common in casinos and home games. Whatever you choose, tell everyone before the first hand.
How many chips do you need?
For a tournament, 25 to 40 chips per player is plenty, with 10,000 to 20,000 in starting chips. A 500-piece set covers 8 to 10 players. For bigger games, or if you want rebuys, use a 1,000-piece set. In a cash game, give each player 5 to 10 chips of the smallest value for blinds and small bets, and the rest in larger chips.
Next steps
Once the chips are sorted, build your blind structure and tournament clock, and work out the prizes with the payout calculator.
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