Poker Chip Calculator
Calculate optimal chip distributions for your tournament
Tournament Settings
Chip Denominations
Chip Distribution
Per Player
Tips for Chip Distribution
- • Standard setup: 10,000 chips with 25/50 blinds works well for 3-4 hour games
- • Smallest chip = small blind: If blinds start at 25/50, use 25 as your smallest denomination
- • Aim for 25-35 chips per player for good playability
- • Color up (remove small chips) when blinds increase past their value
- • Keep extra chips aside for rebuys/add-ons if your tournament allows them
Frequently asked questions
How many poker chips do I need for 4 players?
Aim for 25-35 chips per player, so about 100-140 chips for 4 players. A standard 300-chip set covers 4 players with plenty spare for rebuys, and stretches to about 8-10 players.
How should I split chips between colours?
Give each player a handful of the smallest chip for blinds (6-10), the most of the next chip up for betting (6-12), and fewer large chips that hold most of the stack value (4-8). The calculator above works out the exact split for your starting stack.
What starting stack should I use?
A 10,000-chip stack with 25/100/500/1,000 chips and blinds starting at 25/50 suits a 3-4 hour game. For a deeper game, use a bigger stack with 100/500/1,000/5,000 chips (the Deep Stack preset).
When should I colour up?
Once the blinds are well past your smallest chip, swap the small chips for larger ones at a break. Round each player's leftover small chips to the nearest larger chip.