History of the Poker Chip

Gaming chips have been made since the birth of gambling, the most common material types used today in the manufacture of modern poker chips are plastic, clay composite, and acrylic composite. Clay chips, the oldest of the bunch, have been manufactured in America since the late 1800s.

Painting a picture of poker chips History through the ages becomes a colorful collage because of the many changes poker chips have through over the years. History of the Poker chips were not always plastic, clay, or composite; actually, for a long time, they were not any of the three! Playing for an object that represented money started back in the 1700s, but poker chips certainly were not "rounded." Instead, players played for bones and pieces of ivory. Over time, the pieces of ivory were engraved with the names of the casinos that used them-the start of the modern poker chip.

Back in the 1800s, poker players seemed to use any small valuable object imaginable. Early poker players sometimes used jagged gold pieces as well as chips - primarily made of wood and clay. By the 20th century, poker chip designs began to play a greater prominence, and the smooth edges of older chips gave way to chips with engraved slits to keep them neatly stacked together. Most recently, affordable plastic poker chips appeared in the 1940s.

Poker in the United States originated in Louisiana . With the advent of steamboats in the early nineteenth century, poker spread across the country, using the Mississippi River as a connecting device. It was there that poker earned its nickname as the "cheating game," beating out the popular Three Card Monte for its title. Poker then spread along the shores of the Mighty Mississippi and went west with the California Gold Rush of the 1840s. By the Civil War, poker was being played all over the country, and afterwards, it was the game of men from the North and South alike.

With poker being known as the "cheating game," many precautions have been taken with counterfeit poker chips. Unlike the poker chips of yesteryear, which counterfeiters could copy in any basement, poker chips are no longer so easy to reproduce. The idea of injecting molds for poker chips and adding coin inserts have helped to narrow down the problem, as have the additions of UV dyes and holograms on the face of the poker chips.

After poker took off in post-Civil War America , the game began to evolve into the version that it is today. The draw, the straight, and even stud poker became popular, and the Americans invented the Wild Card Joker in 1875. Ever wonder how poker became so synonymous with the Old West? Look no farther than the cowboys who moved west, hoping to make their fortunes in the hills. There were very few towns anywhere in the United States that didn't have a local saloon filled with rowdy men, betting any gold that was found on a game of poker.


In the early part of the twentieth century, counterfeiting the ivory pieces became quite a problem in casinos, and casinos searched for replacements for the pieces. By the 1930s, poker chips were the newest piece of gambling equipment. Casinos made chips from primitive forms of plastic, but did not mark all of them with denominations. In some cases, the chips were made in different sizes for price designation.

At first, men gambled for money on the table; they had fistfulls of cash, diamond rings, and even deeds to houses. After a period of time, however, gambling became more advanced, and gamblers began playing for poker chips. Now, people don't only play for those chips-they also collect them. Poker chips have become a hot commodity in the gambling community, almost as important as the game itself.

Over time, poker chips continued to evolve as technology advanced. Casinos first introduced clay poker chips in the 1950s, along with custom engravings and multicolored edges. The famous "hat and cane" design around the outer edge of the chip made its debut in 1955, and is still a fixture on many casino chips today.

Take a look at Las Vegas . There are casinos up and down the famous Strip, and more are springing up every day. But would you believe that it was once illegal to gamble there. In 1910, the state of Nevada made it illegal to take place in a gambling game. It's surprising to think that the unofficial gambling capital had once outlawed poker! The decision was turned over in 1935, however, and poker has since grown in Las Vegas by astronomical numbers.

Poker Today

Throughout the years, poker History has evolved from a game that was played in Louisiana between a group of French sailors and Persians to a highly competitive battle of bluffs between players with thousands of dollars at stake. Yet despite all of its changes, poker has always kept one thing: its ability to hold the attention and the minds of players all over the globe. Each generation that has played poker has managed to add something new, making poker a fun game for all involved. What will be added to the game next? Only time will tell.

The history Poker is rapidly evolving in the twenty-first century. Professional players and new players alike are finding themselves in the same games and tournaments because they all have a love of the game. People can play at home with a set of chips from the local drug store, or they can play in casinos with thousands of dollars at stake. The rush of adrenaline that goes through the body as the cards are turned over one by one can be an addicting thing, and many people play for the rush just as much as they play for the money.

In less than two centuries time, the poker history has changed drastically. Once a game mainly played by cheats, outlaws, and knife-makers aboard riverboats, it has developed into a celebrated 'sport' played worldwide. The cheat and hustler has been replaced by the professional poker player, whose celebrity status is much more akin to a professional athlete or movie star than an infamous outlaw. Poker hands are no longer dealt by professional cheats who manipulate the deck; instead, they are often dealt by software programs connecting players from around the globe