How to Perform the Poker Chip Twirl Trick

The poker chip twirl trick, also known as the chip spin or chip twirl, is an advanced chip trick that is popular among seasoned poker players. A number of professional poker players have performed the poker chip twirl on television, adding to the popularity of this slick trick. Although the chip twirl can be one of the most difficult poker chip tricks to master, it is a great deal of fun once you are able to execute it perfectly. If you would like to give it a shot, here’s how to do the poker chip twirl trick.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Three poker chips

How to Perform the Poker Chip Twirl Trick

1. Make a short stack of three poker chips and hold them between the index and ring finger, with your middle finger serving as a back-stop to keep the chips from falling out of your hand. It is pretty much the same grip when you do the thumb flip poker chip trick. This grip cradles the chips in a way that also leaves room for your thumb, directly across the chip from the index finger. When you place the chips in your hand, be sure to place them about an inch from the fingertips.

2. Using your ring finger, loosen the middle chip from your grip and allow it to gently roll down below the other two chips. An alternate method is to use your thumb to loosen the two outside chips and to roll them up until they are above the middle chip and held in place by the thumb and index finger.

3. Bring your pinkie finger up to support the bottom of the chip as it rolls out along your index finger. Once it is firmly in your possession, you can remove the ring finger entirely.

4. Place your ring and middle finger on the edge of the chip, which is now being supported by your pinkie and index finger. Once they are on the edge of the chip, push both fingers in towards the palm. This will rotate the chip 180 degrees, causing the twirl effect that the trick is named after.

5. Move your ring and middle finger out of the way, then use your pinkie finger to begin lifting the chip back up into the stack. This is easily accomplished by simply rolling it along the index finger. You can also use your thumb to roll the other chips down at the same time, helping it to seem a little more fluid.

Tips & Warnings

• It is helpful to start with two different colored chips. Have the two chips on the outside be one color and use a different color for the middle chip, making it easier to tell how well you are performing the trick.
• There are many variations on how to do the poker chip twirl trick. If this one doesn't work for you, try another method.
• There are several difficult parts to this trick, but the hardest is the twirl. It can be easy for the chip to spin without losing its position on your finger. Just keep practicing and you will eventually own this chip trick.

Resources

• Poker Chip Twirl Instructional Video