Ever been amazed by the dextrous pro poker player poker chip tricks? We have...so here is some history and info on them!
People have always fiddled when it comes to gambling. Whether that has been with poker chips, cards or even golden nuggets, fiddling has been as much a part of the gambling process as the game itself. When it comes to poker, however, the notion of poker chip tricks as an essential part of any serious poker player’s vocabulary only really began in the 1970s. Up until then, of course many poker players had fiddled around with their poker chips but the process of developing this inadvertent fiddling around with poker chips into something more smooth and interesting was a relatively long process. At the time, it was only really magicians and other stage performers who would take the time to try and hone multiple stunts with such objects. Before the 1970s, it was also considered to be rude and intimidating to fiddle around with poker chips at the poker table.
From 1970 onwards, however, poker chip tricks no longer became a question of etiquette and today a poker player’s ability to perform tricks with poker chips is even considered to be a key indicator of his own ability to play and win at poker. Some of the more difficult poker chip tricks to master such as ‘The Butterfly’ or ‘The Twirl’ can be highly impressive suggesting that your skills with the poker chips will be paralleled in your game. The truth is, however, that the techniques involved in most poker chip tricks are actually quite straightforward and to become a pro at poker chip tricks all you need to do is practice regularly with those poker chips!
One of the most functional poker chip tricks is called the backspin and this involves sending a poker chip or pretending to send a poker chip into the pot. To do this, you need to start with a fairly heavy poker chip. Holding the top and bottom of the poker chip between your thumb and middle finger with your index finger on the edge of the poker chip, place the bottom edge of the poker chip onto the felt of the poker table. Push the poker chip away from you by pressing downwards on the edge of the poker chip nearest to you; this will create a backspin as the poker chip rolls away and so the poker chip will end up coming back to you. While this is quite a fun and simple poker chip trick, try to use this only during friendly poker games, as many casinos frown upon this poker chip trick in particular.
Don’t get me wrong, however, in thinking that casinos don’t like poker chip tricks; a casino poker dealer’s ability to perform tricks with poker chips is in fact often a requirement in today’s modern casino. The ‘Shuffle’ or ‘Riffle’, for example, is a poker chip trick which is quite commonly seen in the casino today. This involves shuffling two stacks of poker chips together with one hand. This poker chip trick normally involves stacks of at least three poker chips but can involve anywhere from five or even ten poker chips. Like the ‘backspin’ this is also a relatively simple and fun trick to perform with your poker chips. This is also quite a useful poker chip trick in drawing attention away from you and your contemplation of your next move. The shuffling of poker chips with one hand can be a curiously hypnotic action!
Another relatively simple trick you can perform with your poker chips is that of the ‘Poker Chip Snap’. This poker chip trick can be quite useful for the momentary distraction of your fellow poker players. As its name suggests, this poker chip trick involves making a snapping sound with your poker chips. Possibly the easiest poker chip trick to learn, this manipulation of your poker chips is definitely not to be underestimated in terms of its potential to confuse or distract your fellow poker players.
Another quite common poker chip trick but one which is significantly harder to master than those previously discussed requiring quite a high level of hand coordination is called the ‘Knuckle Roll’. This poker chip trick basically involves a flipping and clamping motion as you create the impression of ‘rolling’ a poker chip from one side of your hand to the other. Another very difficult trick to perform with your poker chips but which will certainly make you look like a pro at the poker table is called the ‘Buttterfly’. For this poker chip trick, you will need a stack of four poker chips. You must then proceed to spread these poker chips evenly between your fingers using only your one hand.
Perhaps the most famous and intimidating of all poker chip tricks, however, is ‘The Chan’. This poker chip trick is named after poker legend Johnny Chan and you can see him perform this poker chip trick in the movie ‘Rounders’. I am inclined to call this a poker chip stunt rather than a poker chip trick and I think you will certainly agree with me if you ever watch the movie. Holding three poker chips above the rest of a stack of poker chips, Johnny Chan manages to put all the poker chips back onto the stack in reverse order. A truly impressive poker chip manipulation!
I hope that this has been an interesting article on the history and types of poker chip tricks that there are about. Remember, if you want to spice up your game, impress your friends, or intimate your fellow poker players, don’t neglect the realm of poker chip tricks and get practicing!
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