Easy Poker Chip Tricks Anyone Can Master
If you have a stack of poker chips sitting in front of you, there are tricks that you can master to better pass the time. Sometimes, these simple hand tricks can distract players, but in most cases, they only add to your mystique or professional look.
Whether you’re at a casino or playing with friends at a pub, you can use these cool hand tricks to “wow” people around you.
Knuckle Roll
Want to learn how to roll a coin on your knuckles? It’s a lot simpler than most people think. You’ll only need one chip for this trick, and you can even practice with a coin. Let’s get started.
- Start with the chip on top of your pointer finger’s knuckle
- Use the middle finger to flip the chip to the next finger
- Continue using your ring finger and then pinky to flip the chip
- When you’re at the end, use your pinky to guide the chip to your thumb moving it over the palm of your hand
- Push the coin back up top of your pointer finger using your thumb and restart
The knuckle roll is something that looks really neat and can be mastered with even a large coin. While it may sound a bit complicated to get started, the hardest part is the positioning. Share Hobbies has a superb video tutorial you can follow:
Chip Twirl
You’ll need three chips in hand for the twirl. Stack all three on top of one another and:
- Hold the chips between your thumb and pointer finger
- Push the middle chip down using your middle finger
- Pull the middle chip using your ring finger by pushing your finger outwards
- The chip should move to between your middle and ring fingers
- Twirl with your middle digit and place back into the stack
This is one of the poker chip tricks that looks so hard but is really simple when you give it a try. Watch this video to see how to perform the trick yourself:
Spread
One of the cool tricks to do is called fanning. You can choose as many poker chips as you like for this trick, but I suggest starting with four or less chips to get started. Once you master this technique, feel free to add additional items into the mix.
- Place all of the coins on the table
- Push down on the top of the pile
- Move your hand to the left, creating a trail
You’ll want to see this trick in action to better understand how it works. Once you have a grasp on fanning all of the chips out, you can practice going in reverse to stack up all of the poker chips again.
You can watch a professional pull of this trick here:
Shuffling
One of the best chip tricks is shuffling your chips. You’ll want to start with ten chips and split them into two even piles. Once you’re ready, follow these steps to perform the trick:
- Place the pile of chips next to each other in the middle of your hand
- Push the piles close enough that they touch each other
- Press firmly with your thumb and little finger
- Use your middle finger to push the second chip under the first and continue down the pile
- Slide your finger up and the trick is complete when you have a stack of 10 chips in your hand
Shuffling is an oddly satisfying trick that anyone can do. You’ll need to have some patience to learn this one, but it’s one that’s satisfying. If you’re having difficulty visualizing how to perform any of these poker tricks, you’ll find more than enough videos online.
Here’s a YouTube video that shows this trick really well:
Thumb Flip
An iconic trick that everyone has seen at least once or twice before. The trick uses your thumb to flip the chip. You’ll want to start with a stack of three or four to get started. The next steps are:
- Rest the chips between your thumb, pointer finger and ring finger
- Use your thumb to roll the chip up
- Flip the chip to the back of the stack and proceed to the next chip
You’ll be using your thumb to guide each chip over the pile and to move it to the back of the pile. Once you have a firm understanding of this trick, it’s one that you’ll find yourself doing without even paying attention to it.
Another great video which demonstrates how to perform the thumb flip trick:
Chip Bounce
If you’re not the best at performing the finger tricks that we just discussed, you’ll like the ease of the chip bounce. This is an opportunity to forget about your dexterity and use the bounce of the table.
What you’ll need is a stack of chips to get started and some time to practice.
The next steps are:
- Angle your chips slightly in your hand
- Allow one chip to fall from the stack by loosening your hold
- The chip should bounce on the table and back upward
- Catch the chip on the bounce so that it re-enters your stack
While this sounds simple enough, and it’s relatively easy, you will need to put in some practice. Over the course of your time playing poker, you’ll find a lot of people perform this trick because it’s so easy to do.
If you have a table and a few handy chips, that’s all you need to get started.
What about other neat tricks? You’ll find a lot of people using the vanishing chip technique and numerous others. If you want to go more in-depth with your tricks, check YouTube to see tricks from some of the world’s best players and dealers.
A lot of avid gamblers find that playing with their chips becomes somewhat meditative and will help them focus on the game and stay calm. Whether you’re trying to distract others or zone out while waiting for your turn, these neat poker chip tricks can help.
About author
Harry is a long-time member of our team and has been working with CasinoHEX UK for a number of years.
