As you look at the various chips available, you will notice that different types of chips have varying weights. The assortment is quite wide and can be anything from 9 grams up to 13 grams. So what is the exact weight that a chip should be?
The real answer is, “What ever weight feels best to you.” But most people aren’t happy with that answer. Most people want to know what weight is correct. Again, the answer is a very non-committal “that depends”.
Alright. Now I’m going to stop being so dang cryptic and explain to you what I mean. The most common poker chip size is 11.5 grams. Don’t ask me why, it just is. These are the poker chips that used to flood the retail outlets (and still do in some areas) and that most people have in their garages. If you go by shear volume, then 11.5 grams is the “right” weight for a poker chip. It’s certainly the weight most familiar to the average home gamer who lives far away from a casino.
However when you get into the size and weight of casino chips the whole complexion of chip weight becomes more obscure. It is certainly not 11.5 grams.
Whether it’s for reasons of security or personal design, the weight of poker chips in Las Vegas casinos varies slightly. Some are heavier than others but generally, poker chips in Las Vegas weigh about 10 grams. This may be because 10 grams is the weight of the clay in the chips when they’re made to size. There are 13 gram clay poker chips available that are the same size as the 10 gram chips, but these chips usually have metal flakes mixed with the clay to increase the weight.
If you’re looking for a hard, fast, “official” weight; then I’d have to go with 10 grams. However go out and grab a handful of chips and mess around with them. Buy whichever size feels best for you. You may find that 10 grams is miserably light and that you’d much prefer a set of 13 gram chips.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that your home-game friends will be happy playing with for a long time because a happy player is a loose player.