Tiger Palace chips: a collector-commissioned Paulson release
Collectors hunt for "Tiger Palace" chips, including secondary fifty-cent fractionals, a hot stamp tournament set and the primary high denominations. The release discussed here is a branded set produced for sale to collectors, rather than chips issued for casino play.1 A separate Tiger Palace resort and casino exists in Nepal; its name alone does not establish any connection to this collector release.2 The set is recent, which makes its history unusually well documented compared with older house chips.
In this guide
What Tiger Palace is
According to the Poker Chip Forum's Tiger Palace FAQ, the chips were created by a forum vendor and made by Gaming Partners International (GPI), the maker of Paulson chips. The FAQ says two production orders were placed in 2022, with sales running from 2023 into 2024.1 The same FAQ says the run used the 2021/2022 Paulson catalogue, which it describes as having 47 styles, and that the producer revived three discontinued patterns for the project, identified as 3TA14, 4TA316 and 4TSA18.1
The FAQ is a vendor-written reference and should be read as a seller's description rather than independent documentation.
The sets
The FAQ lists the following groups (sizes and counts as given there):
| Set | Contents as described |
|---|---|
| Primary hot stamp tournament | 10 chips in 39 mm, style 15, $1 up to $100,000 |
| Secondary tournament | 10 chips in 43 mm, $5 to $100,000, including a red $5 |
| Primary cash | 12 denominations from $0.25 to $1,000 in 39 mm, plus a $25,000 in 43 mm |
| Secondary cash | 12 denominations, similar range |
| Hot stamp cash | 8 denominations, $0.50 to $5,000 |
| VIP cash 1 and 2 | 8 chips each, mixed 39 mm and 43 mm |
| 4TSA18 "Bear Claws" NCV | 8 no-cash-value chips |
| 48 mm buy-in | 6 chips, $100 to $25,000 |
| Tri-moon | 3 limited chips, $25 to $1,000 |
The FAQ also states that every chip of $5,000 and above carries an embedded UV security feature, which gives you a concrete thing to check on high denominations. It adds that the hot stamp cash set was the one group not included in any sample-set sales.1
What the three wanted items mean
- Secondary 50-cent chips. Fractional chips belong to the secondary cash set. A collector wanting "barrels" of them is trying to build a low-stakes set, since fractionals are the denominations used most at a home table.
- Hot stamp tournament set. This is the primary tournament set in 39 mm with the hot-stamped design, ten denominations. Collectors seeking a "near mint" example may assemble one from parts.
- Primary high denominations. These are the upper values of the primary cash set. A trader in another thread listed Tiger Palace primary high-denomination chips among the sets he would accept in exchange for other Paulson sets.3
Condition, sound and sizes
Listings often describe these recent collector sets as unplayed; inspect the actual offered chips rather than assuming condition from their age. A forum member who bought Tiger Palace $25,000 chips noted they were lovely but sounded duller than his older 43 mm Paulson chips, which came from a casino set roughly eighteen years old. Other members suggested differences in clay formula, manufacturing age or colour could explain that.4 No one in the discussion called it a defect.
Another owner described his set as the primary denominations on the Top Hat and Cane mould, never used on a felt, with a total bank of $9,725.5
What to check before buying
- Know which sub-set it is. Primary and secondary cash, hot stamp, VIP and the 43 mm and 48 mm pieces overlap in denominations. Ask for the style number or a photo of the full face.
- Check size. Most are 39 mm, with some 43 mm and 48 mm chips. Measure.
- Check the UV feature on $5,000 and larger chips, using a UV torch.
- Check the claimed provenance. The FAQ describes this collector-commissioned release. A listing that attributes these particular chips to casino-floor use needs separate evidence; the existence of an unrelated venue with the same name is not proof.
- Contact the vendor. The FAQ names a dedicated website and says to message the vendor to ask about remaining stock; verify any seller's claims against that.
A buying checklist for the exact Tiger Palace release
Use the release family as the first inventory column: primary cash, secondary cash, hot stamp cash, primary tournament, secondary tournament or VIP. Then add denomination, diameter, inlay or hot stamp and spot pattern. The FAQ's overlapping values and sizes mean a denomination alone does not identify the chip you need.1
A practical wanted description might be Tiger Palace secondary cash 50 cent, original artwork, matching attached photo, quantity required. For a tournament set, state the point denominations and counts instead of only asking for 'Tiger Palace tournament chips'. This helps avoid offers for an attractive but incompatible release.
| Before committing | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Compare the face with the FAQ | Confirms the intended release family |
| Confirm the measured size | Distinguishes ordinary, oversized and buy-in pieces |
| List every denomination | Reveals sample sets sold as playable sets |
| Ask about relabels | Separates original artwork from later customizations |
| Check the actual lot | Shows variation in wear and storage marks |
Does a UV response settle authenticity?
It is one comparison clue for the denominations covered by the FAQ, not a complete authentication system. Compare the expected design, size and provenance as well. Likewise, a claim that chips are 'never played' should be supported by photographs of the offered group rather than inferred from the release's age.
Sources and further reading
- Tiger Palace FAQ, Poker Chip Forum: vendor-authored description of the sets.
- Tiger Palace by Soaltee, official hotel page: the unrelated Nepal property lists a casino among its amenities.
- CDI 98 cash and tournament sets for sale or trade, Poker Chip Forum: trade request listing Tiger Palace primaries as a wanted item.
- Tiger Palace sound different?, Poker Chip Forum: owner and member observations.
- PNYs, HSIs, TPs - Sell or Keep?, Poker Chip Forum: an owner describes his sets.