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History of chips and game tables
Introduction: Why "inventory" decides half the game
Chips and tables are the infrastructure of honesty: they speed up distribution, prevent disputes about amounts, fix the rules in the geometry of the cloth and make all actions visible. Their story is the path from improvisation to standardization, from craft to industrial safety.
Before chips: "money substitutes" and counting tokens
Before the advent of special chips, coins, counting sticks, token tokens (European counting circles for accounting and card games) were used. These items solved the main problem: to separate accounting from cash, so that the game goes faster and safer.
The Birth of Chips: Materials and Technology
1. Bone, horn, mother of pearl (XVIII-XIX centuries). Beautiful, expensive, with carvings - an attribute of salons.
2. Clay and composites (XIX century → XX): pressed mixtures with mineral fillers - this is how the classic "clay look & feel" was born.
3. Plastic and ceramics (XX century): injection molding and solid ceramic discs with full-color printing - cheap to replicate, difficult to fake.
4. Security: individual edge spots, indleys with logo and face value, microtext, UV tags, serial numbers, sometimes RFID tags for accounting in high-limit zones.
Weight and "feel." Classic casino chips ~ 9-11 g: not so much for the sake of tactility, but for the sake of a stable "heap" and a controlled throw on the table.
Colors and Ratings: Visual Speed
Color coding speeds up the dealer and pit boss. In different jurisdictions, traditions are similar (for example, low denominations - warm/bright, medium - green/black, high - violet/orange/gray), but strict palettes are not universal: each casino fixes its tables to avoid confusion and substitutions.
Plaques (rectangular "dies") in high limits are visible from a distance and are camera-friendly; often - with holograms and RFID.
How to make chips (short)
Press composites: powder → mold → rim inserts → indleys under pressure.
Injection plastic: the crust and core are cast and welded; design - under a transparent layer.
Solid ceramics: printing in a circle (edge-to-edge), then firing/lamination.
Protection: UV varnish, microdots, laser engraving, RFID chip inside, unique edge patterns that are difficult to clone.
From "random table" to tool: evolution of decks and shapes
Cloth/felt/speed clot. Early green cloth is a tribute to card tables and the "color of peace for the eyes." Modern speed cloth (Teflon impregnated fabric) speeds up the sliding of cards and chips, protects against moisture and wear.
Plank and sides. Soft armrest rail reduces fatigue, the side holds the chips. Height and tilt are standardized for dealer work and camera review.
Markup. Betting grid on cloth is a "visual law": where and how to put chips, so as not to argue about intentions later.
Anatomy of key gaming tables
Roulette
Betting field: internal grid of numbers, external fields (color/parity/tens/columns), in Europe - track (racetrack) for advertised bets (Voisins, Tiers, Orphelins).
Sides: a velvety edge absorbs chip jumps, a "marker" (dolly) fixes the dropped number.
Design task: maximum readability, fast collection of losers, sustained rhythm of payments.
Blackjack (twenty-one)
Semi-circle for 5-7 seats; before each box - dies "Insurance pays...," line "Bet here."
Shuz (deck tray), cutcard, sometimes shuffle machines.
A blackjack marker and a tipping shelf are part of the ritual of transparency and service.
Poker (cash/tournaments)
Oval table with dealer position, betting line and drop box.
Speed clot with blind/button marks on TV tables.
Rack is collected either from the bank (per pot) or in time (time charge).
Baccará/Punto Banco
A large "horseshoe" table for the ceremony of delivery, or a mini-baccarat - a compact, fast format.
Player/Banker/Tie fields, sometimes side bets.
Shuz for 6-8 decks, Banker commission plate.
Craps
Deep side with rebound (rubber "pyramid").
Fields Pass/Don't Pass, Come/Don't Come, Place/Buy/Lay, prop stakes in the center.
Stick stick and two cubes; desk team - dealers + boxman; marking provides lightning-fast accounting.
From cameras to RFID: how tables and chips became "smart"
"An eye in the sky": surveillance cameras + zoom on cloth.
RFID chips and antennas under the cloth: automatic counting of bets/payments, protection against substitutions.
UV/IR lighting: quick check of marks on chips and banknotes.
CMS/Player-tracking: the table "knows" who is playing and how much - an accurate rating instead of "by eye."
Why standardization won
Speed: more distributions/spins → higher turnover with the same margin.
Honesty: less controversial situations, everything is visible and audible.
Trainability: Dealers and players can be easily trained on a single "geometry."
Security: it is more difficult to fake inventory and crank up "schemes."
Etiquette and Ritual: Small Things With More Meaning
Chips put the lowest to the cloth - you can see the face value; large denominations - below, small - from above.
Bet-line and "no string bets" in poker: one holistic bet.
"Hands visible": palms above the edge of the table to eliminate substitutions.
In roulette - dolly on the number: until the marker is removed, hands away from the field.
Myths and facts
Myth: the color of the chips is the same all over the world.
Fact: there are close traditions, but palettes and denominations anchor the casino.
Myth: "clay" chips made entirely of clay.
Fact: These are composites/ceramics with additives and protective layers.
Myth: green cloth "for good luck."
Fact: green - about contrast and eyes; the procedure makes good luck.
Short chronology
XV-XVII centuries - counting tokens and tokens in salons; makeshift tables.
XVIII-XIX centuries - mother of pearl, bone, early clay discs; card tables with green cloth.
Late XIX - XX centuries. - press composites, standard shapes of tables for roulette/blackjack/poker/baccarat/craps.
Late XX - XXI centuries - ceramics, full-color printing, UV/microdots, RFID, smart tables and player tracking.
Glossary
Edge spots - colored inserts on the edge of the chip, serve as both design and protection.
Plaque is a rectangular "die" of high denominations.
Speed cloth is a wear-resistant fabric with impregnation that accelerates sliding.
Drop box - lock-container for cash/marking slip tickets.
Shoe - tray for delivery of several decks.
Bet line - the line separating the betting zone (the rule of "one movement").
Conclusion: Design as the language of fair play
Chips, tables and cloth are not decor, but the language of rules. They set speed, transparency and safety, turning the occasion into a manageable ritual. When the form is brought to the standard, everything wins: the player - in trust and convenience, the casino - in turnover and reputation, and the game itself - in longevity.