The Recorded History of Poker Chips

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Poker chips have been manufactured from a wide selection of materials in an almost endless assortment of styles since the birth of wagering and the requirement to track winnings. The most commonly seen materials employed at this time in the manufacture of modern poker chips are plastic, clay composite, and acrylics. Clay chips, the oldest of the group, have been made in the US since the late 19th century.

Back in the 19th century, poker players seemed to use any small object with value you can imagine. Early poker enthusiasts at times employed rough gold pieces along with chips – chiefly manufactured of wood and clay. By the 20th century, poker chip designs started to employ a bigger prominence, and the smooth edges of older chips were given up to chips with engraved slits to keep them neatly stacked together.

There is little doubt that poker has increased steadily in appeal ever since its origin in the 1800s. With the explosive increase of internet gambling and specialty TV shows, public interest in poker has accelerated more rapidly than ever before. Many folks are first introduced to poker by television showssuch as "Celebrity Poker" or the Travel Channel’s "World Poker Tour," and many will compete in their 1st hands on the web. Regardless of internet poker’s growth, nothing competes with the feeling of mixing heavy poker chips in your hand, throwing chips into the center of a casino table, or creating tall pilesstacks of chips after displaying a winning hand.