Poker Chip Values by Color: What Each Chip Is Worth
Nov 7, 2026 · The Editors
Poker chip colors and values explained: the standard casino colors, simple values for 4-color and 5-color home sets, how many of each color to use, and how to set chip values for a home game.
Poker chips have no printed rule for what each colour is worth — a home game can set any values it likes. But casinos follow a common pattern, and using it makes your game easier for everyone to follow.
Standard casino chip colours
| Colour | Usual value |
|---|---|
| White (or blue) | $1 |
| Red | $5 |
| Blue | $10 |
| Green | $25 |
| Black | $100 |
| Purple | $500 |
| Yellow or orange | $1,000 |
These vary between casinos and states, but red $5, green $25 and black $100 are close to universal in America.
Poker chip values with 4 colours
The simplest set-up for a home game:
| Colour | Value | Chips per player |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1 | 10 |
| Red | 5 | 8 |
| Green | 25 | 4 |
| Black | 100 | 2 |
That is a starting stack of 350 in 24 chips — enough for a relaxed game with blinds starting at 1 and 2. For real money, the values can mean cents or dollars.
Poker chip values with 5 colours
Add a higher chip for tournaments where the blinds climb:
| Colour | Value |
|---|---|
| White | 25 |
| Red | 100 |
| Green | 500 |
| Black | 1,000 |
| Purple (or blue) | 5,000 |
A typical tournament starting stack is 10,000: for instance 8 white, 8 red, 2 green, 3 black and 1 purple chip.
How many of each colour
- Most chips in the smallest values. Players need to make change and post small blinds.
- Few in the highest. Big chips are for consolidating stacks as the blinds rise.
- Around 20 to 30 chips per player at the start is easy to handle. Fewer feels thin; many more and stacks get unwieldy.
How many chips you need overall depends on the size of the game. How many poker chips per player.
Setting values for your home game
- Decide the buy-in — what each player pays or receives in chips.
- Set the smallest chip equal to the small blind, or half of it.
- Make each colour a simple multiple of the one below: ×5 or ×4 is easiest.
- Write the values down and put the card in the middle of the table for the first few hands.
Chips worth handling
Light plastic chips slide around, stick together and do not stack. Clay composite chips — around 10 to 14 grams, with a metal insert for weight — are what card rooms use: they stack straight, riffle, and land in the pot with the right sound. Buying in tens lets you build exactly the colours and quantities your game uses.
