How did the "11.5 gram myth" get started?: 
We don't suppose anyone knows for sure, but here is a theory. Previously, the only poker chips that were easily available to the home market were the very inexpensive and light chips that one could buy in a local drug or toy store. Chinese factories began to make poker chips made out of plastic, but if they were solid plastic, they would be too light - so they put a metal disc inside the chip, and this brought the weight to 11.5 grams. So, 11.5 grams "became" the official casino weight. Not because they were trying to make an 11.5 gram chip, but rather because it just turned out that way.

"Official Casino Weight": 
Among chip enthusiasts, this phrase has developed into the punch line of many jokes. How did it get started? We think that because of the poker boom, many e-tailers were quick to want to sell poker chips. The marketing material that the factories and distributors provided with the chips stated that they were the "official casino weight" of 11.5 grams, and not knowing any better, the retailers posted this misleading information on their internet stores.

The truth, of course is that there is no "official weight" for a poker chip. The Nevada Gaming Commission does not do random weight checks of Vegas casino's chips! Can you imagine an episode of the popular NBC television show "Las Vegas?"

       Tonight on Las Vegas:       Danny (Josh Duhamel) and Mike (James Leisure) are surprised by a visit from 
                                                 the Nevada Gaming Commission for an official 'chip weigh in.' The Montecito's 
                                                 poker chips are found to be 11.2 grams, three tenths of a gram short of the
                                                 official casino weight! The Montecito is shut down until it can get it's chips up to the 

                                                 standard!
                                 

As you can see from the photos above, the average weight of a Las Vegas poker chip is actually below 10 grams. Some coin inlay styles are around 12 grams, but as a rule - around 10 grams is the average. Also remember that chip weights can vary within chips of a particular design. This is due to the amount of ink used as well as other factors as well.

If 11.5 gram is good, then heavier must be better?
A funny thing started happening around 2005. We started getting advertisements from companies  who were making chips that were supposedly "better" than the supposedly "official" 11.5 gram chips! These chips were 12, 13 and even a staggering 14 grams! We guess someone who knew very little about casino chips, assumed that the quality of a poker chip was determined by it's weight, so they started making and marketing heavy chips. If you hold a stack of twenty, 14 gram chips, you will notice that they feel like a brick! It is actually 80 grams (about 9 chips worth) heavier than a stack real poker chips!

Does weight equal quality?
In a word, no. We could make a 20 gram poker chip out of fine Italian marble. This would hardly make them great poker chips. There are many factors in determining which poker chips are best for you and your budget.  For those wanting a casino quality ceramic chip, our Next Level chips are an excellent choice. They are used by card rooms, poker tournaments, and home games all over the world. Remember that even our stock designs can be customized to any denomination, or any text or graphic that you would like at no additional charge.