Today, poker chips are a staple of casinos and gambling worldwide, but this was not always the case. In fact, these valuable tokens were not even a thought until the 1880s.
Way back when, in the nineteenth century, poker players would wager small tokens of value in place of modern day poker chips. These included tiny nuggets of gold and even gold dust. While wagering personal property and gold as currency was the norm back then, the need for a standardized betting solution was definitely evident.
In reaction to this desperate need, casino and saloon owners began handing out their own standardized substitutes, including pieces of ivory, bone, and clay. However, as you can imagine these were very easy to replicate and many early gamers caught onto this quickly. This prompted owners to begin customizing their betting tokens with personalized symbols.
And so, the idea for a standardized poker chip was born! In the 1880s entrepreneurs began to realize the potential capital gain that would come from mass producing a standard poker chip, and so they set out creating them from clay composition — just like the poker chips we know today.
The invention of the poker chip changed the way the game of poker was played and revolutionized the gaming industry as a whole. These days, casinos owners and poker chips manufacturers are better equipped to handle and catch counterfeiters. Each chip has it’s own unique weight, texture and feel. Some are even manufactured with microchips or serial numbers for added protection.
Here at Casinos by M&M, we take our poker chips seriously, using only the most authentic chips for our wide variety of poker game options. If you’re looking for a genuine, real-life casino experience, we’ve got you covered no matter the occasion!
To learn more about the services and poker games we can provide, click here to view our website or call 1-800-HAVE-A-BLAST. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter!
