Chip tricks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chip tricks are manipulations of poker chips. Unlike in magic, chip "tricks" are not demonstrated to fool a spectator. Rather, in the poker community, chip tricks are a way of passing time, fidgeting, showing off, looking impressive or intimidating other players.
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[edit] Etiquette
Fancy techniques of betting with chips, stacking chips, showing off with chips is accepted when gambling. In fact, one appears to be a more seasoned player if they have some style about their playing abilities. It is bad etiquette to "practice" at a live game. It is also considered bad taste to hide higher value chips behind a large stack of chips.
[edit] History of Chip Tricks[1]
Since the beginnings of organized gambling, people have fidgeted with their money, gold nuggets, chips or whatever it may have been. Only in the 20th century, with the development of better stacking and uniform chips, has modern Chip Tricks been more common. Dealers and players passing the time would inadvertently play with their chips. Of course, after years of practice, one little and unbecoming skill becomes quite smooth and interesting. Others would try their luck at a technique or two that they might have seen somewhere.
This slow process continued in casinos and private games for years. Only magicians and performers would ever take the time to try to master multiple stunts with coins or chips as part of a demonstration. After all, tricks were subtle at the table and not meant for being flashy or intimidating. But, times change. Since 1970, it has definitely become less of an etiquette issue to do fancy things at a table. In fact, players, spectators and dealers welcome unique skills at a table and consider anyone able to do masterful chip tricks and card handling as someone who “really knows how to play”! It is now part of the game and part of your poker image. Common tricks include: The thumb flip, finger flip, chip twirl, chip shuffle, butterfly and many others.
[edit] History of Poker Chips[2]
Although the first gambling house was legalised in Venice in 1626, actual poker chips as we know them now were still not used for over two hundred more years. Back in the 1800’s and prior, poker players seemed to use any small valuable object imaginable. Early poker players sometimes used jagged gold pieces, gold nuggets, gold dust, or coins as well as “chips” primarily made of ivory, bone, wood, paper and a composition made from clay and shellac.
Several companies between the 1880’s and the late 1930’s made clay composition poker chips. There were over 1000 designs from which to choose. Most chips were white, red, blue and yellow but they could be made in almost any color desired.
For two hundred years, chips have been custom made to ward off cheating. However, the ease of duplication still left the door open to cheating. Today, each casino has a unique and totally secret blend composition used to mold their chips.
[edit] References
- ^ [1] Betfair Poker article written by Poker Chip Tricks DVD Host Rich Ferguson
- ^ [2] Betfair Poker article written by Poker Chip Tricks DVD Host Rich Ferguson
[edit] External links
- Resources
- Allowed source of encyclopedic information on Chip Tricks
- Betfair Poker
- Chip Trick lessons
- Poker Chip Tricks
- Media
- Bluff Magazine and Bluff Radio(Sirius Radio) Chip Tricks talk
- Poker Listings at World Series of Poker teaches Chip Tricks
- iTunes Podcast Chip Tricks interview
- Premier Guest on Ante Up Radio talking about Chip Tricks
- About.com Famous Magicians Bio and Reviews of Chip Tricks
- Other Websites
