Poker chips have been manufactured from a wide selection of materials in an almost endless variety of styles since the birth of gambling and the need to track winnings. The most commonly seen materials employed at present in the manufacture of cutting-edge poker chips are plastic, clay composite, and acrylic composite. Clay chips, the oldest of the bunch, have been manufactured in the US since the late 19th century.
Back in the 19th century, poker players appear to be using any small object with value you can imagine. Early poker enthusiasts sometimes employed rough gold pieces as well as chips – normally made of wood and clay. By the 1900s, poker chip features started to enjoy a bigger prominence, and the smooth sides of older chips gave way to chips with engraved slits to keep them neatly piled up together.
There is little or no doubt that poker has increased constantly in appeal since its beginnings in the 19th century. With the explosive increase of net gaming and unique TV shows, public appeal in poker has accelerated faster than ever before. Most people are initially introduced to poker by television showslike Bravo’s "Celebrity Poker Showdown" or "Poker After Dark," and most will bet on their initial hands online. Despite internet poker’s rise, not much competes with the feeling of holding heavy clay poker chips in your hands, tossing chips into the middle of a poker table, or creating tall pilesstacks of chips after displaying a winning hand.