Poker Chip Values by Color

Last updated: May 15, 2026

Standard poker chip values by color: White $1, Red $5, Blue $10, Green $25, Black $100, Purple $500, Yellow $1,000, Orange $5,000. These are nearly universal across U.S. casinos including Las Vegas. WSOP tournaments use non-monetary tournament chips (denominations like 25, 100, 1,000+ representing seat value, not dollars). Home games typically use simpler 4-color sets with custom values. This page covers the complete casino chip reference, tournament chip schemes, and home-game setup guidance.

Casino Cash Chip Values (Standard U.S.)

These 8 chip colors cover virtually every U.S. casino cash game. Higher denominations (yellow $1,000, orange $5,000) are typically only seen in high-roller rooms and Bobby's Room at the Bellagio.

Color	Cash Value	Tournament Value	Notes
White	$1	25 / 100	Lowest standard denomination. Sometimes pink or grey in European casinos.
Red	$5	100 / 500	Most common chip in low-stakes cash games. Universal across all major casinos.
Blue	$10	500 / 1,000	Used in $2/$5 NL and tournament play. Some casinos skip blue and go directly to green.
Green	$25	1,000 / 5,000	Standard chip for mid-stakes cash games like $5/$10 NL. Common in casino tournaments.
Black	$100	5,000 / 10,000	Standard for $10/$25 NL and high-stakes cash. Most common 'big chip' in casinos.
Purple	$500	10,000 / 25,000	High-stakes chip for $25/$50 NL and above. Sometimes lavender or pink in European casinos.
Yellow	$1,000	25,000 / 50,000	High-roller chip — used in $50/$100 NL and major tournament late stages.
Orange	$5,000	100,000+	Ultra-high stakes — rare except at WSOP final tables and Bobby's Room games.

Home Game Chip Values

Most home games use simpler 4-color sets. Values depend on the stakes — a $20 buy-in tournament uses different chip values than a $200 cash game.

Color	Home Value	Tournament	Notes
White	$0.25 / $1	25	Cheap home chip — typically the smallest denomination
Red	$1 / $5	100	Standard mid-range home chip
Green	$5 / $25	500	Often replaces blue in home games
Black	$10 / $100	1,000	Highest standard home chip — sometimes purple replaces black

WSOP Tournament Chip Scheme

The World Series of Poker uses its own tournament chip color scheme. WSOP chips have no cash value — they represent only your tournament position. The Main Event starts with 60,000 in tournament chips.

WSOP standard tournament chip values

Yellow25 (smallest)
Red100
Green500
Black1,000
Purple5,000
Yellow (II)25,000
Orange100,000
Pink500,000

How to Set Up Chips for a Home Tournament

For a typical home tournament with 6-10 players, follow this chip distribution to keep stacks manageable as blinds rise.

$25 buy-in, 6-player tournament

Each player starts with 5,000 chips: 8× white (25 each), 8× red (100), 6× green (500), 2× black (1,000). Total chips on table: ~150. Blind structure starts at 25/50, rises every 15 minutes.

$50 buy-in, 8-player tournament

Each player starts with 10,000 chips: 10× white (25), 10× red (100), 8× green (500), 4× black (1,000). Total chips: ~250. Longer levels (20-25 minutes) for better play depth.

$100 buy-in, 10-player deep stack

Each player starts with 20,000 chips: 12× white (25), 12× red (100), 12× green (500), 8× black (1,000), 4× purple (5,000). Allows multi-hour deep stack play.

Cash game — $1/$2 NL home game

Buy-in $100-$300. Use real-value chips: 20× white ($1), 20× red ($5), 10× green ($25). Each player typically needs 50-100 chips at the table.

Definitions

Denomination

The dollar value or tournament point value printed on a poker chip. Standard cash chips have denominations from $1 to $5,000+. Tournament chips have point values like 25, 100, 500, 1,000+.

Coloring Up

Exchanging smaller-denomination chips for fewer larger chips at the table. Used during tournament breaks to keep the chip count manageable as blinds increase.

Stacks

Standardized chip groupings — a 'stack' is typically 20 chips. 'I bought 5 stacks of red' means 100 red ($5) chips for $500 total.

Tournament chips — sometimes notated 'T$' or 'T' to distinguish from cash values. T$10,000 starting stack means 10,000 tournament chips, not $10,000.

Buy-in

The amount paid to enter a game or tournament. Cash games: buy-in equals chip value. Tournaments: buy-in is paid in cash; you receive tournament chips representing your seat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the standard poker chip colors and values?

Standard casino chip values: White $1, Red $5, Blue $10, Green $25, Black $100, Purple $500, Yellow $1,000, Orange $5,000. These are the most common across U.S. casinos including Las Vegas. European casinos sometimes use slightly different colors, but red-green-black for $5/$25/$100 is nearly universal.

What color is a $25 poker chip?

Green is the standard color for a $25 chip in U.S. casinos. Green chips are used in mid-stakes cash games like $5/$10 NL. The color green has been associated with $25 since the 1960s — the term 'a green' or 'a quarter' refers to $25 in poker slang.

What is the rarest poker chip?

In active play: orange ($5,000) and brown ($10,000+) chips are the rarest. They appear in high-roller rooms and WSOP final tables. The rarest collectible chips are pre-1980s casino chips from defunct properties — some sell for $5,000-$50,000+ at auction. The rarest poker chip ever sold was a $25 Mary Lewis casino chip that fetched $100,000 in 2007.

Do all casinos use the same chip colors?

No — there is no universal standard. The most consistent colors are White $1, Red $5, Green $25, and Black $100 — these are stable across U.S. casinos. Higher denominations vary: some casinos use purple for $500, others lavender or pink. European casinos sometimes have different schemes entirely. Tournament chips at WSOP have their own scheme that doesn't map to cash values.

What chips do you need for a home poker game?

For 4-6 players, you need approximately 300-500 chips in 3-4 colors. For 8-10 players, 500-1,000 chips. Standard ratio: 50 lowest-value, 100 mid-value, 50 high-value per player. For a $25 buy-in tournament with 6 players: 1,500 chips total in white/red/green/black. Quality clay or ceramic chips are recommended — plastic chips feel flimsy and are easily counterfeited.

How are tournament chips different from cash chips?

Tournament chips have no cash value — they represent only your seat at the table. Each player starts with the same chip count regardless of buy-in. Tournament chips can be any denomination: WSOP Main Event starts with 60,000 chips, while a $50 home tournament might start with 5,000. Cash chips have explicit dollar values printed on them and can be exchanged for cash at the cashier any time.

What is a 'check' in poker chip terminology?

'Check' is casino slang for a chip — derived from 'gambling check.' When a dealer says 'cash a check,' they mean exchange a chip for cash. The verb 'check' (as in 'I check') comes from a different etymology meaning to pass without betting. Context distinguishes the two — chips are called 'checks' or 'chips' interchangeably by dealers.

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