poker chip
poker chip — noun
1. a small round piece of plastic that stands for a set amount of money while peopl
a small round piece of plastic that stands for a set amount of money while people play card games for money
Tanvi stacked her red poker chips into three neat towers before the next hand.
literal sense: physical gambling counter
Each blue poker chip at the table was worth five dollars during the tournament.
collocation: poker chip worth [amount]
Otis dropped a poker chip on the floor, and it rolled under the card table.
The casino gave each new player twenty poker chips to start the friendly game.
Talia pushed all her poker chips into the middle and waited for the others to fold.
用法筆記
Always a physical object in this sense; the plural is far more common than the singular because players handle many at once.
2. a person or thing that one side can use or trade to gain power in a deal or argu
a person or thing that one side can use or trade to gain power in a deal or argument
The two countries treated the captured soldiers as poker chips in the peace talks.
figurative: human beings used as bargaining leverage
Rania knew the new factory was her strongest poker chip when she met the mayor.
collocation: strongest / biggest poker chip
Cheap oil became a useful poker chip whenever the small nation needed a favour.
Tunde used his years of loyal service as a poker chip during the salary meeting.
- bargaining chip
much more common fixed phrase for the same idea
- leverage
uncountable; the power itself rather than the thing giving it
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here nothing physical is meant; the subject is usually a person, group, or resource treated coldly as a tool. Often follows 'use ... as' or 'treat ... as'.