poker chips

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Small flat round pieces used to stand for money when playing poker or other casino games.

   Grammar: Used as a plural noun: 'The poker chips are on the table.' For one piece, say 'a poker chip'.

   Patterns

   • a stack of poker chips
   • buy poker chips
   • cash in your poker chips

   We ran out of poker chips, so we used coins instead.

   He stacked his poker chips neatly while he waited for the next hand.

   The casino sells poker chips in five colors, each worth a different amount.

2. 2nounplural

   A set of these pieces sold together as equipment for playing poker at home.

   Grammar: Often follows 'set of' when talking about the whole boxed set: 'a set of poker chips'.

   Patterns

   • a set of poker chips
   • a poker chip set

   She bought a set of poker chips for her brother's birthday.

   The wooden case holds two hundred poker chips and two packs of cards.

Word forms

Common combinations

a stack of poker chips

He pushed a tall stack of poker chips into the middle of the table.

clay poker chips

Clay poker chips feel heavier and more professional than plastic ones.

cash in poker chips

At the end of the night you cash in your poker chips at the desk.

poker chip case

The poker chip case has a lock so the pieces don't fall out.

Synonyms and how they differ

tokens

Use 'tokens' for similar pieces in any game or machine; 'poker chips' is only for poker and casino table games.

counters

British speakers often say 'counters' for board-game pieces, but for poker the usual term is 'poker chips'.

Word family

chip noun

A single small flat piece used in games, or a thin slice of food such as a potato.

Commonly confused: poker chips or chips?

Practice

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