How to use the poker chip distribution calculator
- List your chips, one kind per line: the value and then how many you own, such as 25, 100. Values can have up to two decimals.
- Enter the number of players and the starting stack for each.
- Choose whether you prefer many kinds of chip in a stack or the fewest chips.
- Read the stack for one player, the chips used by the table and what is left over of each kind.
Formula
each stack: sum of (chips of a kind x its value) = the starting stack
chips of a kind per player <= chips owned / players, rounded down
many kinds first: maximize kinds used, then minimize chips; fewest first: minimize chips
The page checks every mix of chips by dynamic programming over the kinds of chip, so the answer is the best one for your preference and not a first guess. If no mix makes the stack, it says what each player can have at most.
Eight players with 5,000 each
With 100 chips each of 25, 100 and 500, and 50 chips of 1,000, eight players can each have at most 12, 12, 12 and 6 chips of those kinds. Preferring many kinds, the best stack is 4 chips of 25, 4 of 100, 1 of 500 and 4 of 1,000: 13 chips worth 5,000. The table uses 104 chips and leaves 68, 68, 92 and 18 of the four kinds.
Preferring the fewest chips instead, each stack is five 1,000 chips, 5 chips in all. With small denominations, 0.25, 1 and 5 chips for 4 players and a 25 stack, the fewest-chip stack is 5 chips.
Choosing between variety and fewest chips
A stack with several kinds of chip makes change easier and looks like a real stack. A stack with the fewest chips is quick to deal and count. You can switch between the two and the table updates at once. When the two give the same stack, the result is the same either way.
Everyone gets an identical stack, so the number of chips of each kind per player is capped by your supply divided by the players, rounded down. Leftover chips can be held back for rebuys or breaks.
What the page does not plan
Only equal starting stacks are planned. The page does not choose blinds, buy-ins or the number of rebuys, and it gives no advice on play. It also does not model changing chips during the game. For the odds in a hand, the Pot Odds Calculator is a separate tool, and the Dice Probability Calculator covers dice. To keep a tally of points, use the Score Keeper, and to share people into even groups the Balanced Team Generator.
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Assumptions and limits
- All players get the same stack, made of whole chips.
- Chip values and the stack are in the same unit, with at most two decimals.
- Up to 10 kinds of chip and 1,000 players are supported.
- The result describes how to share chips and says nothing about betting or play.
Frequently asked questions
What if the page says no mix makes the stack?
Your chips cannot add up to that stack for that many players. Each player may have too few of some kind, or the values may not combine to the stack. Try a smaller stack, fewer players or add chips.
Can I have decimals in the chip values?
Yes, up to two decimals, so quarter and penny chips work. They are handled as whole cents inside the calculation.
Why is the answer different from the one I use?
Many mixes make the same total. The page picks the best one by your preference, so another mix can be just as valid. Switch the preference to see an alternative.
Do I have to use every chip?
No. Chips left over after the stacks are dealt are listed in the last column. They can be kept for rebuys or for changing chips during the game.