1. Use your phones as chips
The quickest fix, because everyone already has a phone. With EasyPoker, one person creates a table in the browser and shows a QR code. Everyone else scans it, types a name and gets a starting stack. Bets go into a pot that every phone can see, and the winner taps to collect it.
- Exact stacks, no counting, no change
- Free, no app download, no sign-up
- Survives dead batteries and closed tabs; the host can fix mistakes
- Needs a phone with a browser and some signal for each player
2. Pen and paper ledger
Make a column for each player on a sheet of paper and give everyone the same starting number. One person acts as banker and writes down every bet and every pot. It works, but it is slow: each hand needs several lines of arithmetic, and one mistake throws off every number below it.
Tip: only update the sheet at the end of each hand. Players announce bets out loud during the hand, and the banker writes the final pot result.
3. Coins
Raid the coin jar. Use the coin's face value or agree your own values (for example, small coins are 1, large coins are 5). Coins stack and clack like chips, which keeps the feel of the game. The downside: you need a lot of them, and everyone has to remember what each coin is worth.
4. A second deck of cards
Deal a second deck as currency: number cards are worth 1, face cards 5, aces 10, or whatever values you agree. It is surprisingly playable for small groups. Keep the second deck visibly different (another back colour) so it never gets mixed into the deck in play.
5. Small objects: matches, sweets, beans, pasta
Anything small and countable works: matchsticks, dried beans, pasta shapes, wrapped sweets. Use two or three different objects for different values. It is fun for a casual game and terrible for a serious one, because the objects get lost, eaten or knocked over.
6. Board game money
Paper money from a board game has printed values, which helps. It is fiddly to handle, though: notes blow away, stick together and are hard to count at a glance.
7. Paper chips
Cut squares of paper or card and write a value on each, or use coloured sticky notes for different values. It takes ten minutes of preparation and gives you something closer to real chips than coins or beans.
Which option should you choose?
| Option | Setup time | Accuracy | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phones (EasyPoker) | 1 minute | Exact | Any game, any size |
| Pen and paper | 2 minutes | Error-prone | 2 to 4 players, few hands |
| Coins | 5 minutes | Good | Casual games |
| Second deck | 2 minutes | Good | Small groups |
| Small objects | 5 minutes | Fair | Very casual games |
| Board game money | 5 minutes | Fair | If you have it nearby |
| Paper chips | 10+ minutes | Good | Planned game nights |
If everyone has a phone, start with the phones: it is the only option that is both fast to set up and exact. If you want the feel of chips in your hand, coins or paper chips are the best stand-ins.