Best strategy to get chips from Vegas casinos? (2 Viewers)

MGMDGEN

MGMDGEN

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What's the best way to properly obtain a bunch of chips from a Vegas casino? For example, can you just walk up to the cage and ask for 500 $1 chips at the Bellagio? Do you need to tell them you're taking them to give to friends or use for home poker nights? Or can you just put a few handfuls of $1 chips from the craps table into your pocket? Should you tell the pit boss what you're doing or why you're taking them?

Wanting to help friends get some chips, but don't want to break any rules, be impolite, or get into trouble. Thanks.
 
Cage won’t sell if no poker. Never sold me any chip at any casino.

I walk to tables and ask for a few each of whatever I want in early morning. Do the same for few tables, craps table work the best.

If they still don’t sell or an ass, just play 1-2 hands at your comfortable bet size then leave.

If dealers helps you find nice chip or ones you want, then tip $5. I always hold $5 on my hand separately from my wallet to incentivize selling chips to me. And it works much better. Dealers are sleepy and bored in the morning, plus they get extra cash doing regular work. Win win right?

If pit boss is nice, then tip him too. If he’s an ass, then leave the scene as it’s really not something you’d want.

One pit boss at Bally’s in May 2022, I was harvesting $100s. He said “you’re smart, you know if you flip that chip you can sell for $200, but I can’t since I work here” then tipped dealer $5, then him $5 and he refused to take the tip. I got a nice Bally’s $100 and is in my collection.
 
greenchip said:
Cage won’t sell if no poker. Never sold me any chip at any casino.

I walk to tables and ask for a few each of whatever I want in early morning. Do the same for few tables, craps table work the best.

If they still don’t sell or an ass, just play 1-2 hands at your comfortable bet size then leave.

If dealers helps you find nice chip or ones you want, then tip $5. I always hold $5 on my hand separately from my wallet to incentivize selling chips to me. And it works much better. Dealers are sleepy and bored in the morning, plus they get extra cash doing regular work. Win win right?

If pit boss is nice, then tip him too. If he’s an ass, then leave the scene as it’s really not something you’d want.

One pit boss at Bally’s in May 2022, I was harvesting $100s. He said “you’re smart, you know if you flip that chip you can sell for $200, but I can’t since I work here” then tipped dealer $5, then him $5 and he refused to take the tip. I got a nice Bally’s $100 and is in my collection.
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Thank you for the suggestions. Don't mind playing a bit, and the comfortable bet size is pretty large, but when finished playing craps, they always want to color you up, so a few handfuls of $1 chips become a few $5 and $25 chips. :-(

And going in when they're less busy and simply asking might work for a few chips, but can you ask for a big stack like 50 or 100? Fwiw, it feels like a $5 tip means nothing to many Vegas dealers. Probably have to hold at least a twenty for them to even begin to care. Might have something to do with how tips are pooled among all of the casino's dealers?
 
MGMDGEN said:
Thank you for the suggestions. Don't mind playing a bit, and the comfortable bet size is pretty large, but when finished playing craps, they always want to color you up, so a few handfuls of $1 chips become a few $5 and $25 chips. :-(

And going in when they're less busy and simply asking might work for a few chips, but can you ask for a big stack like 50 or 100? Fwiw, it feels like a $5 tip means nothing to many Vegas dealers. Probably have to hold at least a twenty for them to even begin to care. Might have something to do with how tips are pooled among all of the casino's dealers?
Click to expand...
Vegas strip usually has low table minimums on morning like $10 for Excalibur Mirage etc. $25 for Bellagio Venetian Wynn. They will be $25, $50, or $100 tables at nights.

Yeah? They helped me with $5 on my hand, some even said "I don't need it, I just grabbed you chips." and I'm like thanks!!! $20 is bit too much unless you get a nice sharp rack of chips from the back of cage.

Yes some casinos have tips pooled, but better than nothing. I have a better success rate with $5 on my hand. Less chance of them saying "You need to play to get chips."

I usually try high limit pit (for casino without poker) when there is no player and dealers are so so bored, especially for $25s and $100s. Don't do it with $1s and $5s, there aren't that many at high limit pit.
 
Got back from Vegas last month and just asked politely (in my extra exaggerated British accent) at the cage for 4 $1 chips as souvenirs. Rinse and repeat this a few times.

Then while playing blackjack I’d pocket a few $1s and keep asking to change up $10 for 10 ones so I could tip. Then I’d tip the dealer $1 and keep paying cocktail waitress with notes. It’s suprising how fast you can build up a big stack of 1s after a couple of days.

My only regret is not getting more 1s from Tropicana - does anyone have loads of these?
 
Getting a rack of chips is normal for poker. You don’t need to give a reason.

I mean, I’d just go to the poker room cage and ask for (say) $100 in chips. When asked how you want it, say all $1s.

Go back later when the shifts change, or try a different cage.

As far as how you get these out of the casino, that’s up to you.
 
Interesting discussion. Firstly I have never been to Vegas so I have no experience. But, there is no way casinos are paying $1 for $1 chips in the amounts they need, so it would make sense to sell them at $1 for $1, like printing money. They would still count as $1 if returned to casino in any case. Even more so with higher denoms, lower fracs that maybe cost more to produce I can see, just maybe. But just what is the deal here, it doesn't make sense?... Interested. :unsure:
 
BillyPaul said:
Interesting discussion. Firstly I have never been to Vegas so I have no experience. But, there is no way casinos are paying $1 for $1 chips in the amounts they need, so it would make sense to sell them at $1 for $1, like printing money. They would still count as $1 if returned to casino in any case. Even more so with higher denoms, lower fracs that maybe cost more to produce I can see, just maybe. But just what is the deal here, it doesn't make sense?... Interested. :unsure:
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If they are Paulsons they are definitely more than $1...actually more than double that for even the simpler chips.
 
Craps is my preferred method when looking for a barrel or two. (If you are staying a few days you can hit the tables enough to rack up... ask me how I know)

MGMDGEN said:
Don't mind playing a bit, and the comfortable bet size is pretty large, but when finished playing craps, they always want to color you up, so a few handfuls of $1 chips become a few $5 and $25 chips. :-(
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If you are there with a friend, have them stand with you to watch and you hand the good ones for them to hold for you as you play.
If you are by yourself, cargo pants make it easy to pocket enough chips and that they don't get damaged.

I don't do it when I roll, I just segregate the good ones until my roll is done.
Then make sure you have cherry picked before you ask to color up.
 
Colquhoun said:
Exactly. That's why so many new $1 Vegas chips are hotstamped Paulsons or they're the ICON ceramics.
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If I were consulting for a casino I would recommend a plain Jane $1 like RHC hotstamp and then fabulous, bright THC $5s and $25s. Then tell them to keep brand new racks of the higher demons on hand and sell to whoever asked. There would be people here lining up everywhere.

In reality, I think some casinos have opted to use THC $1 chips because the inlay is smaller and folks wanting a souvenir chip might be more likely to take a larger inlay $5 or $25. Works just the opposite for a chipper!
 
Search this site for "harvesting." Lots of interesting threads, tips, and stories about getting chips out of casinos
 
Wifey said:
Craps is my preferred method when looking for a barrel or two. (If you are staying a few days you can hit the tables enough to rack up... ask me how I know)
Click to expand...

I’ll definitely bite. I’ve only ever played craps once - quite late, and quite drunk - so I’d honestly like to hear what makes it such a good game for harvesting compared to anything else?
 
The poker room is your best friend when it comes to harvesting chips. Not all casinos have poker, but for the ones that do that is the way to go. It's what they do all day every day exchange racks of chips for Hundred dollar bills.....
 
Nanook said:
The poker room is your best friend when it comes to harvesting chips. Not all casinos have poker, but for the ones that do that is the way to go. It's what they do all day every day exchange racks of chips for Hundred dollar bills.....
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I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. I haven't been to any Vegas poker rooms, but all the ones I've been to (few) they've all had a reception at the front where you sign up to join the game. Do you just bypass these people and walk straight to the cage, or do you actively need to be playing poker and you just go up for an "additional rack"? Is it normal to leave the poker room with a rack "just need to go to my room, I'll be right back" kind of thing? Or do most places not care?
 
paulkersey said:
I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. I haven't been to any Vegas poker rooms, but all the ones I've been to (few) they've all had a reception at the front where you sign up to join the game. Do you just bypass these people and walk straight to the cage, or do you actively need to be playing poker and you just go up for an "additional rack"? Is it normal to leave the poker room with a rack "just need to go to my room, I'll be right back" kind of thing? Or do most places not care?
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Ok let's take Bellagio for example. There are like 30 tables in there and two reception podiums at the two main walkways into and out of the cardroom. There are people constantly coming into and out of the cardroom for other reasons like to go to the bathroom or to get food or just to take a break, whatever. Probably 10-20 people walk right past those podiums for every one that stops so if you just walk right past & act like you know where you are going no one will stop you or even think about it at all. Walk right back to the cage and ask for a rack of red and a rack of blue. Again totally normal for a 1/2 nl game which there will be many of.

If it makes you more comfortable sign up for a 1/2 nl game and sort the chips either while waiting for the game or even while sitting in the game.

I wouldn't walk straight out the door with 6 racks of blue $1 chips, but it's not like there are guards looking to confiscate chips from people going from the poker room into the casino
 
Last edited:
andrebttx said:
I’ll definitely bite. I’ve only ever played craps once - quite late, and quite drunk - so I’d honestly like to hear what makes it such a good game for harvesting compared to anything else?
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It's good for getting $1's not by the rack, very easy to cherry pick. This is because of the odds...ask someone like @Racer96 about that...I can never remember.
It's a bit chaotic, lots of things for everyone to watch other than you. (Not that it will go un-noticed, they just won't care)
It's actually fun to play when you get a good table with a few good rollers.
 
Wifey said:
It's good for getting $1's not by the rack, very easy to cherry pick. This is because of the odds...ask someone like @Racer96 about that...I can never remember.
It's a bit chaotic, lots of things for everyone to watch other than you. (Not that it will go un-noticed, they just won't care)
It's actually fun to play when you get a good table with a few good rollers.
Click to expand...

Oh I’ve very much wanted to play craps with a big group, it looks like a fun “team” game, kind of like roulette, which I really love to play. It’s just been intimidating with all of the different bets. But I guess it makes sense that you can end up with a lot of 1s, I remember a lot of stuff like 5:6 pay ratios and all that.
 
allforcharity said:
Good luck finding a table that pays 3:2 on blackjack anymore. And getting multiple blackjack payouts in a single session.
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Oh, you can find 3:2 alright… its just Bellagio and co. start it at $100 hands.

There is some 3:2 on Fremont still, but I’m not sure if any of them have snappers.
 
I just tried getting some $2s from the Golden Nugget. I didn't try asking the cage for a few souvenirs since I was trying to get a few barrels. They turned me down though and said they're only available at the tables. I put my name in the 3-6 limit game. I was called in 5 minutes, got my chips but they only play with 1s. lol and they looked like they were plastic. I was too tired at the time after working 4 days straight at 14 hour shifts so playing is not ideal to harvest chips that night. Another time I guess.
 
NVFlip said:
I just tried getting some $2s from the Golden Nugget. I didn't try asking the cage for a few souvenirs since I was trying to get a few barrels. They turned me down though and said they're only available at the tables. I put my name in the 3-6 limit game.
Click to expand...

You'll need to upgrade your game to 4/8 to have any chance of harvesting $2s.
 

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