Poker is a card game in which bets are placed based on the hand dealt. Poker chips come in various colors and styles. Some sets include playing cards, a dealer button and dice and come in a sturdy case. Larger poker chip sets of around 1,000 pieces are widely popular at amateur poker parties and tournaments for managing time.

Poker chip sets are essential as they contain all the accessories necessary to play poker. Chips with denominations displayed on either side are typically used for multiple players to track money, wins and losses throughout each hand. In Texas Hold 'Em, poker chips are used to call bets and then placed in the ante for the winner to collect.

Poker chip sets are also used for professional poker tournaments, and come in denominations of $5, $10, $25, $50 and $100. High-limit poker chip sets are often used at designated casino tables to display larger denominations, from $500 to $25,000. Poker chip sets are not always used for placing actual money bets; some sets are left blank as a way to teach new players how to play and bet.

Poker chips are made from clay, metal, ceramic, wood or plastic. Clay and ceramic chips are usually the most popular and come with hidden metal inserts used for weighing them down during play. Wooden poker chips are sanded and polished and often have engraved denominations on either side. These make great gifts. Plastic chips are often used with board and children's games as they are inexpensive and easy to replace. Metal chips are popular in casinos and can often be used to play slot games, such as video poker. Poker chip-set carrying cases come in aluminum, plastic or wood and showcase a felt inner lining compartment to secure chips. Some cases also have separate compartments for dice and poker cards.

Poker chip sets come in a variety of colors, such as blue, green, white and red. Chips may have a design inlay on the opposite side of the denomination that displays graphics, such as small playing cards, horseshoes, Las Vegas signs, hearts or diamonds. Poker chips are generally round, about the size of a silver dollar, and come in different weights, from 9 to 14 grams. Typically, the higher the number of grams, the more expensive the poker chip set is. The edges of chips are often slightly indented and colored to make for easy identification.

When buying poker chip sets, consider what they will be used for. For the occasional party, a small set containing 300 poker chips will suffice for four to six people. For larger parties or tournaments, poker sets containing 1,000 chips would be more practical. Clay and ceramic chips in particular move fluidly on a felt-top table. If using a wood or metal table, a lightweight chip made of wood or plastic would be better.