Basics

Welcome, everyone. This is where I’m going to spell out the basic way I look at this very versatile poker chip trick, based on the “Mexican Jumping Chip“. If you sit at a poker or blackjack table and like to fiddle with your chips, check it out.

Chip Flip Jumps

It’s performed by placing a chip or chip stack overhanging the edge of a another chip or chip stack, and then coming down on the overhang with a third chip or chip stack to make the overhanging chips flip over and jump onto the chips that flipped them.

After exploring some of the many possibilities of this great trick, I’ve come up with the following terms that I use to describe the different aspects of the trick.

The Chips

The chips I use are standard 39mm wide by 3.3mm thick gaming/poker chips. They weigh between 9 and 12 grams, depending on the brand and composition. There are 2 basic types as it relates to this trick:

• Sharpies – Chips that have a sharp edge. Paulson poker chips sold in stores and online are examples.
• Rounders – Chips with a rounded or beveled edge. Paulson poker chips from a casino are examples. Almost all poker chips, except high end clay, are Rounders.

(Also see: “The Zeros and Tiddlys, Sharpies and Rounders”)

The Chip Stacks

• Jumper(s) – The chip or chip stack that flips and jumps from one stack (the Base) to the other stack (the Catchers).
• Base – The chip or chip stack off of which the Jumpers flip and jump.
• Catcher(s) – The chip or chip stack that catches the Jumpers after the jump.
• Sitter(s) – An optional chip or chip stack which the Catchers are stacked onto while catching the Jumpers.

(Jumper1 is a one-chip Jumper stack, Base4 a four-chip Base stack, etc.)

Flip Jump Types

• Diver – The Catcher stack is shorter than the Base stack.
• Rollover – The Catcher and Base stacks are the same size.
• Climber – The Catcher stack is taller than the Base stack.
• Combination – Multiple Flip Jumps without re-stacking the chips.
• Pullover – Combination jump mistake, i.e. an intended double combo that pulls both Jumper stacks over on the first Flip Jump.

Describing Flip Jumps

I use a shorthand code way of describing the basic Flip Jumps using 3 characters. The first is the number of Jumpers, the second the size of the Base and the third the number of Catchers.

143 means:

• 1 Jumper chip flipping off a Base stack of
• 4 chips onto a Catcher stack of
• 3 chips:

1 off 4 onto 3.

When the number of chips in a stack exceeds 9, I use the letter codes to the right to signify the chip count.
2A2 means: 2 off 10 onto 2.

When a Sitter stack is used, a fourth character is added.
2824 means: 2 off 8 onto 2 onto 4.

Combination jumps are described using a dash between each individual jump description, such as the 152-233 seen in the Flash animation above.

A letter prefix and/or suffix can also be added to describe the numerous variations listed below.

I hope this way of describing Flip Jumps will make it easier to talk about the various jumps, as well as searching this site for a specific Flip Jump.

Some Basic Examples

Chip Flip Jumps on this YouTube video:

• 332
• 152-233
• 161-242-224
• 224
• 1412

Basic Examples - 0:28

History

The Chip Flip Jump is based upon, and is an expansion of, “The Mexican Jumping Chip”, a poker chip trick introduced by Benji “The Ace” Jaimes. (Also see: “My First Flip Jump: The Mexican Jumping Chip”).

I tend to look at it in a much broader way then just a simple one-chip single jump trick. You can flip and jump more than one chip at a time, do multiple jumps without re-stacking the chips, and do several different types of catches. I like to call the broader physics principle of this trick the more generic and descriptive “Flip Jump”. I see the “Mexican Jumping Chip” as the most basic one-chip, one-jump version of this very versatile way to manipulate chips.

Variations

Catches

• High-Catch – Catching the Jumpers in the air before the Catchers contact the table surface. (suffix = h)
  161h - 0:12
  

• Turnover – Turning your hand and the Catcher stack over, and flipping the Jumpers with what was the top side of the Catchers into your hand. (suffix = t)
  161t - 0:12
  

• Pinch – Pinching the Catchers between your index and middle fingers, and then flipping the Jumpers onto your index finger and pinching to hold them with your thumb. Then you slip out your index finger. (suffix = p)
  161p - 0:12
  

• Underhanded – A jump off the opposite side of the Base from a normal jump. This takes place under your hand. (suffix = u)
  161u - 0:10
  

• Snatch – An Underhanded High-Catch. (suffix = s)
  161s - 0:12
  

• Backtwist – A jump off the opposite side of the Base from a normal jump, where you also twist your Catcher arm and turn the Catchers over to flip and catch the Jumpers. (suffix = b)
  161b - 0:13
  

Stacking

• Thumb Slide – Turning your hand over and using your thumb to slide the Jumper chip/chips off the bottom of the Catcher stack onto the Base stack. (prefix = ts)
  ts1-161t - 0:11
  

• Finger Slide – Using your finger to slide the Jumper chip/chips off the top of the Catcher stack onto the Base stack. (prefix = fs)
  

• Bounce Start - Bouncing the Jumper chip/chips up onto the Base stack from the table. (prefix = b)
  b1-143 - 0:06
  

• Tiddly Start - Jumping a Jumper chip up unto the Base stack from the table using the Tiddlywink technique. (prefix = t)
  t1-141 - 0:08
  

Miscellaneous

• Switcher (or Slinky) - Combination jumps where the Jumper and Catcher stacks switch places after each jump. Usually starts using a Sitter stack. (prefix = s)
  2A35-s352 - 0:10
  

• 2-Handed (or Left-Right) - Combination jumps done with both hands using a single Base stack. (prefixed = l & r)
  r171-l161-r242 - 0:14