Has anyone had a great experience with a poker chip vs. the traditional challenge coin, and if so who did you use?

I have seen them used in the traditional sense and they were just fine. I would suggest that you get the ones that are not stickers on poker chips but the ones that are actually apart of the chip. At my last unit we used them as incentives. They were given out by the BN leadership to all the company teams and you were allowed to give them for whatever you felt warranted one and after receiving three, they could trade them in for a 4 day pass, COA, or a unit t-shirt.

I'd suggest you use the tags "Challenge Coin" for this. Also, though I don't have a poker chip or experience with the purchase or pros/cons, I can suggest you check out a few older threads:
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-is-the-best-custom-challenge-coin-manufacturer-for-quality-and-price

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-is-the-oldest-or-most-unique-challenge-coin-you-own

https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/challenge-coin-roll-call

Best of luck.

I’ve seen poker chips used in a few different ways, and honestly, they work just as well as traditional challenge coins if they’re made properly. The key is going for the ones that are fully processed rather than the sticker ones,those feel cheap and don’t last. In my last unit, we used poker chips as incentives for different achievements, and they actually became highly sought-after because they could be redeemed for rewards like extra time off or unit gear.

Speaking of poker chips, they’re commonly used in online casinos too. Some platforms even have custom chips for games like poker and blackjack, similar to what’s available on https://topui88.net/.

I've received both. I like them both. Prices for the "traditional" coins are really getting stupid, and the poker chip style is kind of cool IMO.
Besides (again IMO). It's not what the coin is made of its what it is given for.

The Old Guard hands out coins and poker chips depending on the situation. I know because I received their poker chip when I was on a tour with them a year or so back. Although most people would generally like a metal coin of some sort, like PO1 Chris V. mentioned, sometimes the situation and story behind the coin make it even better. I display my poker chip from the Old Guard proudly with my metal coins because I had such a good time on their private tour and getting to spend time with the dedicated Soldiers that work in Arlington day and night.

This May Not Be The EXACT Same Thing,
But Until Recently, Here In Vegas, Poker Chips We're As Good As Cash & Used All Over Nevada,
And When The Clerks Returned Your Change, They' Could Use All Chips Or A Combination Of Cash & Chips. And You Could Depot The Poker Chips At Your Bank. It Was Only Due To It's Legalities, And Uncle Sam Realizing "Its An Easy Way To Avoid Paying Income Taxes On The Winnings ~~ The Poker Chips Left No Trail Of Ones Income. Chips Were And Still Are An Excellent Method Of Tax Evasion.

On the plus side, they're really cheap to make.
That's also its con.
They generally look cheap, with low contrast and muted colors.

You get what you pay for, and you definitely get a cheaper product.

Good question

Never received a Poker Chip, met a few who have. I've gotten a few Challenge Coins, don't really have an opinion about one over the other. I look at them as mementos, something to remember events of the past.