Poker chip values by color
In most US casinos, white is $1, red $5, green $25, black $100 and purple $500, with yellow or orange for $1,000. That’s the common convention, not a universal rule — and many home sets have no printed values, so you decide what each color is worth.
Common casino chip values
- $1White
- $2.50Pink
- $5Red
- $10Blue
- $25Green
- $100Black
- $500Purple
- $1,000Yellow or orange
- $5,000Gray or brown
Poker chip values by color
The table lists the common color for each casino denomination next to the color New Jersey’s gaming regulations require. Most US casinos follow the same pattern from $5 to $500; the ends of the range vary more.
| Value | Common color | New Jersey rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | White | White | Some Nevada casinos use blue or gray instead. |
| $2.50 | Pink | Pink | Mostly seen at blackjack tables. |
| $5 | Red | Red | Very consistent everywhere. |
| $10 | Blue | Blue | Less common; many casinos skip it. |
| $25 | Green | Green | Very consistent everywhere. |
| $100 | Black | Black | Very consistent everywhere. |
| $500 | Purple | Purple | Usually purple; a few casinos use other colors. |
| $1,000 | Yellow or orange | Orange | Yellow is common in Las Vegas; New Jersey uses orange (yellow is its $20). |
| $5,000 | Gray or brown | Gray | Varies between casinos. |
New Jersey also has a yellow $20 chip — which is why its $1,000 chip is orange — and its list continues past $5,000 with bronze ($10,000) and gold ($25,000). Nicknames follow the values: $5 chips are often called “nickels” and $25 chips “quarters”.
Why chip colors aren’t the same everywhere
There is no national standard. In New Jersey, the regulations (N.J.A.C. 13:69E-1.1) give each denomination a “primary color” and even pin it down on the Munsell color system with tolerances, so a $25 chip in Atlantic City is green at every casino. Nevada has no such rule, which is why a Las Vegas $1 chip can be white, blue or gray, and a $1,000 chip yellow at one casino and orange at the next.
Tournament chips are a separate world: they have no cash value, the event picks the colors, and the value is usually printed on the chip. Card rooms outside the US use their own schemes too. The rule that always works: read the number on the chip, not the color.
Home game values: 4-color and 5-color schemes
Many home sets have no numbers printed on them, so the colors are worth whatever you announce. These four schemes cover almost every game. The stack column is dealt by the same method as the chip calculator: 100 big blinds, a pyramid of small chips, and enough change to post the blinds.
| Scheme | Values | First blinds | 100-big-blind stack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 colors, casino-style Low blinds (1/2) and the same colors as a casino | 1525100 | 1/2 | 200: 25 white, 10 red, 5 green (40 chips) |
| 4 colors, tournament Home tournaments starting at 25/50 | 251005001,000 | 25/50 | 5,000: 20 white, 15 red, 4 green, 1 black (40 chips) |
| 5 colors, casino-style Low blinds (1/2) with a blue chip for easier change | 151025100 | 1/2 | 200: 25 white, 7 red, 4 blue, 4 green (40 chips) |
| 5 colors, tournament The usual boxed set (white, red, blue, green, black) at 25/50 | 25501005001,000 | 25/50 | 5,000: 22 white, 7 red, 6 blue, 3 green, 2 black (40 chips) |
Casino-style values keep everyone’s instincts intact — red is 5 and green is 25, like at any casino — and suit a game with small blinds. Tournament values start higher, so blinds can climb for hours (25/50, 50/100, 100/200…) without anyone running out of chips. If your set has five colors, the extra color between red and green makes change noticeably easier.
Value your own set
Pick the colors you own and what each is worth. Every step up the ladder is checked — can one chip be broken into the next color down? — and you get the first blinds and a 100-big-blind stack to start from.
Value your set
Every step changes easily. First blinds 25/50.
Your ladder
- White 25 → Red 50 ×2: one chip breaks into 2 of the smaller color.
- Red 50 → Blue 100 ×2: one chip breaks into 2 of the smaller color.
- Blue 100 → Green 500 ×5: one chip breaks into 5 of the smaller color.
- Green 500 → Black 1,000 ×2: one chip breaks into 2 of the smaller color.
First blinds 25/50 · a 100-big-blind stack
22 white + 7 red + 6 blue + 3 green + 2 black = 5,000 in 40 chips. Split your actual set with the chip calculator.
How to pick values for any chip set
- Make the smallest chip the small blind. With a white 25, the first blinds are 25/50 and every player can post them without change.
- Step up by 2, 4 or 5. 25 → 50 → 100 → 500 means one chip always breaks into a handful of the next color. Jumps of 10 or more leave players short of change.
- Keep the casino order. People expect red below green and green below black. A scheme that makes red worth more than black invites mistakes all night.
- Say it out loud, then write it down. Announce the values before the first hand and leave a card on the table — the host checklist has a house-rules template with a line for it.
Then give each player enough small chips to play with. How many of each color everyone gets depends on your counts and your player numbers — that’s exactly what the chip distribution calculator works out.
Questions people ask
What are the standard poker chip values?
The common US casino convention is white $1, red $5, green $25, black $100 and purple $500, with yellow or orange for $1,000. Pink $2.50 and blue $10 chips exist but are less common. It is a convention rather than a law in most places, so check the number printed on the chip.
What are poker chip values for 4 colors?
For low blinds, copy the casino: white 1, red 5, green 25, black 100. For a home tournament, use white 25, red 100, green 500, black 1,000 and start the blinds at 25/50.
What are poker chip values for 5 colors?
The usual boxed set is white, red, blue, green and black. For a tournament, value them white 25, red 50, blue 100, green 500, black 1,000; for low blinds, white 1, red 5, blue 10, green 25, black 100.
What is a black poker chip worth?
In US casinos a black chip is almost always $100, and a green chip is $25. In a home game a black chip is worth whatever the host says, but keeping black as one of your higher values avoids confusion.
Are poker chip colors the same in every casino?
No. New Jersey regulations assign a color to each denomination, while Nevada has no color rule: Las Vegas casinos mostly follow the common colors, but a $1 chip may be white, blue or gray, and the higher denominations can differ from casino to casino. Tournament chips follow their own schemes.
Can I play poker with friends without a chip set?
Yes. FizzPoker is free No-Limit Hold’em in the browser: the host picks 2–9 seats, sends a private link, and every player starts with 10,000 chips — shown as numbers, so there are no colors to learn.