Whether you are looking to buy poker chips or you already have a great poker set, something you should know is how to care for and clean your poker chips. Now you may be thinking, “How difficult can it be and is there really a need for a two part article?” Well, a little common sense goes a long way but there are some important things that you should be aware of. These things include chip storage, playing conditions, poker chip cleaning and some special care for those expensive clay poker chips.

Storage

You may have paid good money for your chips and we hope you got a storage case with them. Every poker chip set sold here at Nevada Jacks comes with a storage case*. Storage cases are very important for keeping your poker chip set intact. Cases prevent loss and allow sets to be easily transported or stored. Cases usually come in either aluminum or wood. All good quality cases come with soft interior storage spaces to cushion and protect your chips. Cases should have latches or magnets to secure them from accidentally opening.

Also, never store your poker chip sets in your car, whether enclosed in a case OR NOT! Besides possible theft, storing chips in your vehicle can permanently damage your poker chips. The excessive heat build up in closed cars can seriously damaged your chips. They can warp, crack and even lose color and detail. For those dinosaurs out there, remember what happened to vinyl albums if you left them in your car? Same principle applies to poker chips. In fact, the better the quality of the poker chip the more likely it may be affected. The same goes for storing them in your garage or attic if it is not temperature controlled. Poker chips are generally very resilient and durable but you have to use a little common sense when storing them.

Playing Conditions

Ever walk into a casino, sit down at the table and slap your Benjamin Franklin down only see some of the most disgusting booger encrusted chips slip your way? You may have lost your appetite to gamble. Does this polished Mecca really not care about their chips? Of course they care. In fact, those chips started out as sparkling clean as your newly purchased poker chip set. How did they get that way, you ask? The answer is one simple word… PEOPLE. People touched them, shuffled them, ate and drank while playing with them. Some guy may have just changed his oil, cleaned out his kittie’s litter box, went to the bathroom and then in a rush to get a good seat on the felts forgot to wash his hands! PEOPLE!

Seriously, how well do you really know your poker buddies and where their hands have been? Complicate that with Sloppy Joes, greasy pizza and some chicken wings soaked in your favorite hot sauce during your poker tournament breaks and you have a potential poker chip disaster on your hands. Ok, pause, take a deep breathe, talk yourself down, it was only a nightmare. No matter what you do, if you pull your chips out of their case and put them in play, eventually they are going to get dirty. Let common sense rule again. Cut down on the greasy food. Discourage or ban eating at the table. Use drink holders to eliminate spills. Strategically place napkins, paper towels and even wipes around the room. Make sure there is plenty hand soap and towels in your bathroom. Sounds silly, well it works. Your chips require less cleaning. Your cards will need to be replaced less frequently and your table will not have to be recovered every week. More importantly, the fish, I mean your guests will be comfortable and will keep coming back. Additionally, if you don’t have a deluxe poker table with casino grade speed cloth on it, at least use a felt covering. This will prevent your chips from denting and scratching your kitchen table. Also, it helps prevent them rolling off the table, flying around the room and chipping on the floor or furniture. Oh yeah, if at all possible, play over a carpeted floor. Concrete and tile floors are the major cause of morbidity in poker chips.

Stay tuned to Nevada Jacks for Poker Chip Care and Cleaning Part Two of Two

* With international sets plastic chip trays are substituted for chip cases. This is done to allow the set to fit into a flat rate postal box.