Free Casino Games / Casino chip values and colors
Casino chip values and colors
In most US casinos, a white chip is $1, red is $5, green is $25, black is $100, purple is $500 and yellow or orange is $1,000. Each casino sets its own colors, so the value printed on the chip is the one that counts. Here is the common scheme, the nicknames dealers use, and how chips work at the table.
Casino chip values by color
| Value | Common color | Nickname |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | White, sometimes blue | Whites |
| $2.50 | Pink | Pinks |
| $5 | Red | Nickels |
| $25 | Green | Quarters |
| $100 | Black | Blacks |
| $500 | Purple | Purples, barneys |
| $1,000 | Yellow or orange | Pumpkins (orange) |
| $5,000 and up | Varies by casino |
Red, green and black are the most consistent from casino to casino. Above $1,000, colors vary widely. Some casinos also make $20 chips, in a color of their own choosing.
Each casino sets its own
There is no single national chip standard. Every casino orders its own chips with its name, its colors and the value printed on each one. The color scheme above is common because it helps dealers, players and cameras read a stack at a glance. When colors differ, go by the value on the face and the edge marks.
Why the $2.50 chip exists
A $5 blackjack pays $7.50 at a 3 to 2 table. The pink $2.50 chip lets the dealer pay it exactly. Casinos with only 6 to 5 tables pay $6 on a $5 blackjack.
Roulette chips
Roulette tables use their own chips with no value printed on them. Each player gets a different color, so bets on the same number can be told apart. The value is set when you buy in. These chips only work at that table: cash them in with the roulette dealer before you leave.
How dealers handle chips
Dealers keep chips in a rack in rows sorted by color. They count by cutting stacks into piles of five so the whole table and the cameras can see the count. When you buy in, the dealer counts your cash on the table, announces the amount and pushes your chips across. You never hand money to a dealer; lay it on the felt. Casino etiquette.
Coloring up and cashing out
When you leave a table, ask the dealer to color up. The dealer swaps your small chips for fewer large ones of the same total, which are easier to carry and count. Take the chips to the cashier's cage to turn them into cash. Chips from one casino are generally only cashed at that casino.
What casino chips are made of
Most table chips are clay composite or ceramic, about 39 mm across, with colored edge spots and an inlay that shows the casino and the value. Many high-value chips carry security features such as UV marks or RFID tags, so a casino can spot fakes and track its chips.
Asking for the chips you want
When you buy in, the dealer gives you a mix that fits the table minimum. You can ask for something else: "all reds" for $100 at a $5 table gives you twenty $5 chips. At a $25 table, a $500 buy-in usually comes back as greens. If you are paid in a chip too large to bet, ask the dealer to change it between hands.
Reading a chip without the color
The value is printed on the inlay in the center and often on the edge as well. The pattern of edge spots is unique to each value at a casino, which is how dealers read a stack from the side. Under dim light or with an unfamiliar scheme, check the printed number before you bet.
Tournament chips
Chips used in poker or blackjack tournaments have no cash value. They often use the same colors as cash chips but are marked for tournament play and can't be cashed at the cage.
Chip values for a home game
For a home poker or blackjack night, the casino scheme is the easiest to follow because most people already know it: white for the smallest value, then red, green and black. Pick values that fit your stakes and tell everyone before the first hand.
Learn the games before you buy in
Play money works the same way at our tables. Practice the betting and the decisions, then bring the chips to a real game. Casino terms · Casino table games.
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Questions
What color are $100 casino chips?
Black, in most US casinos. Check the value printed on the chip, since each casino sets its own colors.
What color are $1000 casino chips?
Usually yellow or orange. Orange $1,000 chips are often called pumpkins.
What color is a $5 casino chip?
Red. Dealers and players often call $5 chips nickels.
What color is a $25 chip?
Green. $25 chips are often called quarters.
How do casinos count chips?
Dealers cut stacks into piles of five so the table and the cameras can see the count, and keep chips in a rack sorted by color.
Can you cash chips at a different casino?
Generally no. Cash chips at the cage of the casino that issued them.
More casino guides: Casino card games · Casino table games · Casino games with the best odds · Casino terms and lingo · Casino etiquette · Most popular casino games