Poker chips are typically made from a hard, durable plastic. The most common colors are black, red, green, and white.
They come in various shapes and sizes, but the most common are the standard 52-card deck. The edges of the chips are typically rounded so that they will not damage hands or tables. .
The chips are often genericized with a company’s name or logo, but they are not legally trademarked. Some poker players refer to them simply as “chips.
” Others call them “poker chips.” .
When a player is dealt an initial hand of poker, he or she places the appropriate number of chips face down on the table in front of them. The game begins with each player anteing in accordance with the rules of the particular poker game being played.
After all players have placed their ante, each player is given two cards face down and is then free to play.
The object of poker is to make as many hands as possible that can be won with two cards (a straight, flush, full house, etc.).
When a player has two cards that together make a specific type of hand (e.g., a straight), that player can place those chips in front of him or her and then take another turn playing.
A player who has three or more cards that together make a specific type of hand (e.g., three consecutive kings) can “raise” (increase) their bet by placing additional chips into the pot before taking another turn playing.
If another player also has three or more cards that together make that same type of hand, then that other player can either call (raise) the bet or “put” (add) more chips into the pot before taking another turn playing.
If no one has any such hands at the end of several rounds of play, then the pot is divided among all players based on their individual chip stacks at that point in the game.
