Checks:
If you are familiar with the contemporary
game of roulette or baccarat, then you need
no further explanation as to how chips (which
were called "checks" back then)
were employed in the old west game of faro.
For those that do not understand the concept,
please refer to the box below for a detailed
description. In addition to excellent square-cornered playing card decks, I am glad to be able to offer a good variety
of quality composite checks. These checks
have the look and feel of the old time clay
checks used in faro banks throughout the
American Frontier from the mid-19th Century
through the 1920's.
Keep in mind, we could offer a wide variety
of modern chips, but that sort of defeats
the purpose of our reenacting endeavor! When
setting up a faro bank or preparing for 5
card draw poker or other sporting games,
as found in old west saloons, ordinary interlocking plastic chips certainly
won't cut it, nor will contemporary hologram
or other professional quality modern edge-striped
chips. This is an area where you want the
look and feel of a high quality casino chip,
with out a modern or high-tech look.
In my search for replica "old west"
chips I have found the 9 gram "Diamond"
embossed pattern chips and 11.5 gram inlaid
"Suited" pattern chips to be the
closest to what you would have found in Mississippi
riverboat and various frontier saloons of
yesteryear. I offer both of these here.
While I personally prefer the
9g diamond
embossed chips, I know there
are many that
are looking for a heavier and/or
more intricate
chip for their games. That is
why I offer
the 11.5 gram inlaid suited line.
Both types
can be customized and personalized
with hot
foil stamping, which I highly
recommend.
Don't be fooled by 3g, 4g, 7g and 8g replicas
of the traditional embossed diamond pattern
that are made of plastic and have the same
basic appearance. They definitely don't have
the same feel or sound while in play.
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| "Punters place your bets!" |
Faro is a "banked"
game, similar
to roulette, where the
players place bets
on a layout and compete
against the dealer.
In most banked games, the
player and banker
agree upon a set value
for the player's chips
at the time they care purchased.
Then, each
player has a distinctive
chip color or design
that differentiate their
bets from others.
Players place their bets
on the layout and
are paid according to the
bets they place
as play progresses. One
player might have,
say blue chips, that are
worth $1 each. Another
player might have red chips,
that are worth
say, 50 cents each. A third
player may have
white chips that are worth
$2.50 each.
Standard faro check values in the mid-1800's
were 25 cents to $10 per check, with the
most popular being 50 cents or a dollar per
check. Usually the bottom limit on table
bets was 25 cents and the top bet could be
as high as the dealer could cover, but my
research shows $25 to $50 was a standard
limit for a single bet.. keeping in mind,
you could have several $50 bets on the layout
at one time!
In most cases, unless they were privy to
the purchase, players do not know what each
other's individual checks (chips) were worth.
When a player cashes out, their checks are
redeemed at the same value at which they
were purchased. This being the case, dealers
must have a good quantity of a wide variety
on hand. I recommend you figure out the maximum
number of players you may have and stock
at least 100 to 300 (2 to 6 sleeves) per
player/color. |
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For "round" games such as poker and brag, everyone pays
using valued chips.. that is, each color has a specified value
and they are anted up into a common "kitty"
or pot.
If you are buying chips for poker or other
"round" games (such as brag), you will want to get a larger number of the low
value chips and fewer of the high value chips. You will also need to get specific colors
for your various chip values.
Basic Colors & Values:
White $1, Red $5, Blue $10, Green $25, Black $100, Purple $500
Full Range of Colors & Values:
White, $1, Yellow $2, Red $5, Blue $10, Gray
$20, Green $25, Orange $50, Black $100, Pink $250, Purple $500, Burgundy
$1000, Light Blue $2000, Brown $5000
There are some variations to these denominations
(for example, I've seen Green played as $20 on occasion and I have seen yellow used as
$1000 also), but I believe this list fairly reflects the generally accepted value for
each chip color.
You are free to do as you like in your games, these are only guidelines
and may be what most players are familiar with. Of course, if you are playing a friendly
"penny ante" game, you can reduce all of the values to 10% or 1% of
their regular value (but it is still fun to call them by their traditional values, regardless). |
| | The number of chips you will need depends
on what game you are playing and how many players you will have. For Faro, you will
want at least one color per player and a minimum of 100 chips (2 sleeves) per color,
maybe more. For poker, you will want a good quantity of white, red and blue, with maybe
one sleeve of green for every 3 players and one sleeve of black for every 6 players.
| Obviously if you want to stock for banking
games, such as faro, monte, roulette and vingt-et-un (21), as well as round games such as brag or any
form of poker, you are going to need a lot of chips. |
If that is the case, I recommend the 1000 case, which includes 20 sleeves.
I suggest 4 white, 4 red, 3 blue, 3 green, 2 black, 2 purple, 2 of one other color
(pink, yellow, orange or gray). I caution on the choice of gray because in dim lighting,
it is easily confused with purple. Yellow and orange are apparently bad for color-blind
players too. That leaves pink.. which is always a popular one with the ladies! This configuration
will give you a pretty universal setup which will allow you to play 5-7 poker players
in a round or up to 7 faro players at a table. |
You can purchase individual sleeves (50 chips
per sleeve) and make your own carry case
or bank box, or you can buy one of the combo
sets where you also have the option of selecting
a variety of sleeve colors and get the bonus
of a carry case made of oak (300 & 500
count), walnut (300 count), mahogany and
brass (500 count) or aluminum (500, 650 & 1000 count), depending upon the quantity and price range
you are looking for. Please remember, all prices listed here include Shipping & Handling as well as local sales tax, if applicable. |
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The 9 gram Diamond pattern chips are made
of a high quality clay composite resin. Each
chip is made to rigid specifications for
uniformity and is perfectly balanced to give
the proper feel and that classic "splash"
sound while in play. These quality Diamond
pattern clay composite chips are priced well
and though comparably priced, they clearly
surpass any plastic interlocking chip on
the market for historical authenticity as
well as overall texture and weight.
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 |
The 11.5 gram Suited pattern chips are made
of a similar high quality clay composite
nylon resin. They are made of real clay with
a contrasting card suit inlay and an embedded
brass metal insert to give the proper weight,
feel and sound of a real Casino chip. While
these Suited composite chips are a bit more
expensive, they are a close compromise between
a contemporary professional casino chip and
a high-end 19th Century clay check. |
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Combo Sets:
These combo sets offer you quantity discounts
on your checks with sturdy carry cases that
will help to transport and protect your checks
from damage. All cases have sturdy hinges,
snug latches and felt lining. The wood cases
have brass hinges and latches. The aluminum
cases have steel hinges and latches. These
cases will ensure a lifetime of use from
your quality clay check set.
The checks come in sleeves of
50. You can
mix and match sleeve colors within
each set,
to suit your needs. Please ensure you list your color choices
at checkout to avoid any delay in shipping
(see sample in box at right). We cannot mix colors within each sleeve
and you cannot order quarter or half sleeves.
In addition to the number of sleeves of checks
listed, each of these sets comes with a bonus
of two modern card decks. The aluminum cases
also include 5 casino-type translucent red
dice. The wood cases come with removable
wood chip trays.
Our two most popular choices are the 500
count Mahogany Case with 10 sleeves and,
of course; The Big Kahuna, 1000 count aluminum
case with 20 sleeves . The former provides
a beautiful lockable bank box while the latter
gives you an ample supply of checks at a
fantastic discount. If you intend
to craft your own bank box or other check
holders out of wood, I suggest the 650 or
1000 count sets (which are obviously our best value).
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Please Note:
At checkout, you will see
a text box that
will prompt you for your
color choices. Please
ensure you include this
information and that
it is clear and concise.
Failure to do so
will cause unnecessary
delay while we e-mail
you to get clarification.
Sample for the purchase
of any of the 500
chip sets:
List your 10 color choices here:
2 Blue
2 Red
2 Green
2 White
1 Black
1 Yellow |
You may choose from any
of the 10 colors
offered above: Black, blue,
gray, green,
orange, pink, purple, red,
white and yellow. |
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| Did you know? For some reason, a 500 aluminum
case is 20% cheaper than a 400 aluminum case.
That's why we don't offer the 400 count case
here. |
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