How to Play Poker Without Chips
Poker is a game of chance and betting. When you play poker for cash, the amount that you bet determines who wins and loses. In order to keep track of how much you are winning or losing, most poker games use chips to represent the money that is placed into the pot. However, if you want to play poker for fun and don’t want to spend any money, you can substitute other items for the chips. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Candy
Most homes have plenty of candy that can serve as makeshift poker chips. Chocolates, pretzels, gummy bears, Skittles, and other individually wrapped candies can be marked with different denominations on each end and used to represent the values of your bets. You can also make a more permanent mark on the ends of each piece using a sharpie to create a colored circle or other symbol. It’s important to choose a type of candy that can withstand the rough treatment that the game will surely receive. The last thing you want is for your players to eat their own chips and ruin the game!
Board Game Pieces
Almost any type of board game pieces can be used to stand in for poker chips. Pieces from Othello, checkers, backgammon, Connect 4, and other game boards work well for this purpose. You can assign each board game piece a particular money value or simply count them all as one unit. Board game pieces are an excellent choice because they come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. This will make it easier to match them up to their respective denominations.
Dried Food
Dried beans, popcorn, or corn can serve as a makeshift poker chip. These types of foods are inexpensive and easy to find in your pantry. It’s best to avoid using anything that is ready to eat, though, as it can ruin the game and distract players from the task at hand. Also, a player’s hands can be sticky or greasy from the oil found on many foods.
Kitchen Utensils
Silverware, plastics, and cooking utensils can all be used as poker chips in an emergency. These can be marked with different denominations on each stick and stacked in groups to form a full stack. Many households, especially those with children, have these in the kitchen drawers anyway.
You can also break out the change jar in your home to be used as poker chips. While this method is not ideal, it can be a good alternative when you don’t have any other options available. It’s also a great way to teach kids the importance of saving and spending responsibly. This is a game that can become addictive, so be sure to set a limit on the amount of money that you will allow each player to bet with. It’s also important to appoint a banker, who will be responsible for issuing and keeping track of the chips and tallying the amounts won and lost.