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Chip Poker
The easiest way to learn the different poker tricks is to practice over and over again. It is often difficult to practice when playing poker because it is more important to concentrate on the game.
Poker Chips Trick
Poker Chip Twirl Steps
The twirl, like most poker chip tricks has many variations. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Dutch Boyd of the World Poker Tour (WPT) says he uses poker chip tricks to intimidate other players. The steps below are what work best for me.
- 1. Hold 3 chips between the thumb and index finger with the outer chip about half an inch from the finger tips. The inside chip is about an inch from the finger tips.
- Put the middle finger on the bottom of the inside chip and put the ring finger below the 3 chips(about half a centimeter down).
- Slowly loosen the grip on the 3 chips with the thumb and index finger. Since the inside chip is held in place with the middle finger and the outer chip is held in place because it is closer to the finger tips, only the middle chip should fall.
- Now that the middle chip is about half a centimeter below the outer and le inner chips, it is ready to be moved out.
- Tighten the grip on the outer and inner chips with the thumb and the index finger.
- Move the ring finger directly under the thumb pressing against the middle chip.
- Move the middle chip out and away from the outer and inner chips by applying pressure with the ring finger and using the index finger as the pivot point.
- Verify that the middle chip is completely clear of the outer and inner chips.
- While holding the middle chip between the ring finger and the index finger, rotate it 180 degrees by moving it with the middle finger, such that the middle finger moves towards the palm of the hand.
- Slide the middle chip back into place by moving the ring finger and thumb towards each other using the index finger as the pivot point.
I have seen some players that can do the trick by skipping steps 1 through 5. That is, they are able to move the middle chip out without a lot of setup. As you practive the trick you will see why this is. Over time, it becomes easier and easier to separate the middle chip from the outer and inner chips. With practice the trick gets so easy that you can do it over and over again without looking or thinking about it.
Steps For Shuffling Poker Chips
Shuffling chips can be frustrating at first but in time it becomes easy. Starting out, it is easier to learn on a soft surface like a pillow or a couch. When I first started trying the trick I only used 4 or 5 chips on each side. Being right handed, I position my fingers such that the index finger and the middle finger are on the left stack while the ring finger and the pinky are on the right stack. The thumb starts out on the left side of the right stack, lifting it slightly as the stacks are pushed together. Once the lift has been initiated, the thumb slides over to the right side of the right stack to help push the two stacks together. Note that on a soft surface the thumb can stay on the right side of the right stack the entire time because the initial lift can occur by simply pushing the two stacks together.
Once the first few chips fall into place on the bottom, the rest of the chips seem to follow easier as your hand moves up the pile. One fun exercise is to start with 2 stacks of different color chips. If you shuffle them consistently you can notice certain patterns.
The main thing to remember is that the more you practice shuffling the chips the easier it gets. When I first started with 4 or 5 on each side I thought that was difficult. Now I can do 10 on each side and it keeps getting easier.
Front To Back Poker Chip Trick Steps
Like most tricks, the front to back trick appears difficult at first. However, I think it is one of the easiest tricks once some practice is done. The idea is to hold 4 or 5 chips parallel to each other and move one from the front (or left) side of the stack to the back (or right) side of the stace. I do the trick right handed. I begin by placing 5 chips in my right hand in between my fingers, applying the most pressure with my pinky and middle finger as the top photo shows. I nudge the chip on the left loose before starting the trick. Once the left chip is loose (about one millimeter above the others), I apply heavy pressure to the 4 remaining chips with my pinky and middle finger. I then spin the left chip directly up using my thumb to roll it as the middle finger acts as a pivot point. Once the left chip is high enough, I pull it down and to the right using the thumb as the poker chip tricks photos show.
The key to this poker chip trick is to make sure the stack of chips is held firmly while the left chip is rotated up. Another important concept is to bring the left chip down and right quickly once it is in the correct position.
As with other poker chip tricks, the routine gets easier and easier over time. I recently saw an episode of The World Poker Tour where Scotty Nguyen appeared to combine a variation of this poker chip trick with the twirl poker chip trick, seemingly alternating between the two.
The trick is so easy once mastered that I've learned other ways to do it. Lately, my favorite method has been to use the most pressure on the pinky and the ring finger. It is interesting that for me the pinky is essential on this trick yet for the twirl poker chip trick it is the exact opposite, the pinky is not used. I really enjoy alternating this front to back trick with the twirl trick. In this way I can hold 4 chips in a hand and do both depending on how I feel. One thing I find myself doing lately is have the thumb and pinky touch each other just before the chip is spun upwards.
Occasionally I see people struggling with this front to back poker chip trick and I believe it is because they are not using their pinky properly. The pinky is key to holding the other chips in place while the one chip gets flipped. There should be plenty of space between the pink and the ring finger at all times so that the pinky can have enough pressure on the chips to keep them where they belong. The first few times I tried keeping the pinky in the proper position it did not feel natural but over time I got used to is and now it is second nature. Often when people do not have the pinky in place they knock over the other chips with the flipped chips and they have to bring their other hand over to straighten things out. When this trick is done properly only one hand is used at all times.
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