ATLARGE 2025: Apr 4-6 @ Borgata ARGEM 2025: Jun 20-22 @ Maryland Live! BARGE 2025: Jul 28-Aug 2 @ Orleans

BARGE Chip Committee

For twenty BARGE events, the BARGE Chip Committee ensured there were commemorative chips available for attendees, and that the winner of the Main Event got a chip set to take home for their home game. This page discusses that history. The BCC was one of the more consistent parts of BARGE, and predates the founding of BARGE, Inc., the 501(c)(7) corporation that organizes our fun. BCC History In March 2001, the Barge Chip Committee was formed. At that time, it appeared that the BARGE 2000 NLHE champion was unlikely to participate in the creation of BARGE chips, so a group of RGPers took the reigns and formed the BCC. The founding members were Randy Collack, Scott Harker, Andy Hughes, David Lawful, Patrick Milligan, Tom Sims and Paul Stine. ...

August 1, 2019

1993: Presto! Irwin?

The first chip set. Picture provided by Roy Hashimoto. This was the very first BARGE chip set, created by Steve Jacobs. A 300 chip home set of these chips was presented to the 1993 BARGE NLHE Champ, Roy Hashimoto. Each attendee at BARGE 1993 also received a purple chip. A few of the chips came in the form of refrigerator magnets or on key chains. In addition, Michael “kidZee” Zimmers used the artwork to produce decks of playing cards. ...

1994: Rainbow

This set was designed by Roy Hashimoto. A 300 chip home set of these chips was presented to the 1994 BARGE NLHE Champ, Dave Hughes. There were four chips sold in the sample set: blue, red, green, and black. Purple chips were given out for special reasons. We also have a white chip pictured below, but this wasn’t part of the original set. In 2025, Roy told us this: Your white BARGE 1994 chip is a bit of a mystery. […] There was someone who ordered a full usable set of several hundred chips. My best guess is that I allowed them to choose whatever colors they wanted and the chip you have somehow comes from that set. ...

2000 chips, QB Edition

This set was created by Ken Kubey, using the artwork from the BARGE 2000 lapel pin. When it became clear that there would be no BARGE 2000 chips coming from the 1999 NLHE Champ John Harkness, Ken bought some cheap plastic poker chips and applied stickers to make up this set. Some argue that this limited edition set is the “official” BARGE 2000 chip set, and the BCC set is the “make up” set. ...

2000: The Year of RGP (BCC)

The chips in the 2000: The Year of RGP set celebrate two RGPers winning major poker tournaments. Spencer “Zorak” Sun won the 2000 Tournament of Champions at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chris “Jesus” Ferguson won the No-Limit Hold’em championship in the 2000 World Series of Poker at Binion’s Horeshoe in Las Vegas, Nevada. All 8 chips have a common obverse. There are 4 chips with Chris and 4 chips with Spencer on the face. ...

2001: A Poker Odyssey

All chips in the 2001: A Poker Odyssey set have a common obverse (Buzz Aldrin holding Presto) with a different scene for each face featuring a space scene and a “Prestolith” (our version of a monolith). Notice also that there are 2 forms of the Prestolith. Development Notes Much consideration was given to switching back to Chipco International for these chips. Patrick sent this message to interested parties with a link to this image as to how chips would change from the original Paul-son design. ...

2002: Rocks

These chips were created by BARGE 2001 NLHE Champion Russell Fox, with the graphic design help of Patrick Milligan and the support and feedback of the BARGE Chip Committee. All chips in the Rocks set have a common obverse (the “Welcome to Fabulous BARGE” sign) with a different “rock” sample for each face. The colors used are the standard “Southern California” set. Development Notes Images of the proofs for these chips are available: part 1 and part 2. ...

2003: Presto! in Art and History

These chips were created by BARGE 2002 NLHE Champion Mike “Howler” McBride, with the graphic design help of Patrick Milligan and the support and feedback of the BARGE Chip Committee. All chips have a common obverse (a photographic version of the “Welcome to Fabulous BARGE” sign) with a different example of Presto! in Art and History for each face. Standard chips colors are used.

2004: BARGE Memories

This year, the theme is BARGE Memories. Each chip in the chip set has a common obverse (BARGE XIV and dice) with a different BARGE memory for each face. Standard chip colors are used. A copy of the plugs posted to RGP are available here.

2005: Las Vegas Neon

This year, the theme is Las Vegas Neon. Each chip in the chip set has a common obverse (BARGE XV and the Canadian or Maple Leaf Presto!) with a different Las Vegas neon sign for each face. Standard chip colors are used. Development Notes The BCC came up with the Neon design on its own, among a few other concepts. Patrick Milligan found a couple of those artifacts: Canadian coins and Names of Hands. ...