Cash Game Cashing in for part of their stack in the middle of the game? (1 Viewer)

Daddy N

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I host a 25c/25c casual cash game were most people buy in for around $20. This last game a guy lost his stack in the first hour and bought another $20 of chips and worked his way up to $60 in front of him. During the next break he asked to cash in $20 of chips and continue playing with the $40 he had left. Other than him only 1 other person reloaded and only for $5. What are your thoughts on this?
 
Agreed, it's pretty much universally not allowed.

It did get me thinking about how in casinos you're allowed to (effectively) take money off the table when paying for things at the table like drinks, food, massages, etc. It's usually a pretty nominal amount compared to most stack sizes (especially at a 2/5 table), but technically you are taking money off the table.
 
Agree with everyone else. Not allowed.

However, this seems like a very casual home game. In the spirit of keeping things friendly you can create a house rule that says something like "Once a game, a rebuy can be taken off the table once the amount of the rebuy has been recouped by the player."

It could get messy, but it's a small stakes home game.
 
However, this seems like a very casual home game. In the spirit of keeping things friendly you can create a house rule that says something like "Once a game, a rebuy can be taken off the table once the amount of the rebuy has been recouped by the player."

I made an exception one time at my (competitive, but friendly) home game when a player busted out for the third or forth time and wanted to borrow money from another player (with a large stack) to rebuy. I let the lender take it out of his stack to lend to the borrower. Technically that was against the rules, and the proper way to do would have been to make the lender take the money out of his pocket to fund the rebuy out of funds not already in play. But in the interest of keeping the extra player at the table, and keeping everyone happy, I allowed it since no one objected (I polled the table).
 
No ratholeing.

You might make an exception in a fixed limit game so long as a player leaves enough on the table to cap the betting on every street - but in general it's a huge etiquette breach.
 
It's a rule everywhere in no-limit games that you can't remove chips from the table (except for de minimis things like tipping servers & dealers, etc.). Otherwise players would have an incentive to pocket chips after winning big pots to lock in profit and avoid giving those chips away. That said, it's up to you to make clear that it's a rule at your game. Can't be wishy-washy or discretionary about it. If it's the rule, make the ruling and don't make exceptions.
 
Called going south and not allowed almost anywhere. Casinos usually have a time limit of 1 or 2 hours. Home game the only time we let someone do this is if we were playing two separate sessions one afternoon and one evening and they were different structures. Otherwise no money coming off the table unless you were heading home.
 
It's going on the website and will be hung on the wall. Thanks for all the feedback
 
.... when we pay the high hand jackpot we pay in chips and those chips are immediately in play.

I've never heard of such a requirement in a casino. And in a home game, wouldn't the high hand jackpot be awarded when play is over?
 
It did get me thinking about how in casinos you're allowed to (effectively) take money off the table when paying for things at the table like drinks, food, massages, etc.

I was thinking the same thing last time I was at Rivers. I never drink booze while playing, only free coffee or soda, tipping the waitress with a one dollar chip. So even in a long session, I would never be taking more than for five bucks off the table. To the extent that it’s not much different than tipping the dealer, I can see a case for that.

But if someone is buying a $20 massage and $30 meal with chips, that’s different. I haven’t noticed people paying for entire meals or expensive drinks with chips; but maybe I just wasnt paying attention to it. Is that allowed?
 
I've never heard of such a requirement in a casino. And in a home game, wouldn't the high hand jackpot be awarded when play is over?

* In casinos, I have only seen jackpots like high hands awarded as cash. You can buy chips with that cash, of course, but can’t top off beyond the table max.

* I’ve played in private games where a high hand rake is collected from each hand until it reaches a set amount (e.g. $50) at which point it is awarded. Or, as stated above, sometimes on the 1/2 hour or hour. I prefer the fixed amount version.
 
I agree with everyone that "going south" is not acceptable. This player is obviously new. Reminds me of some of the players that I had when my game was new... they were interested in playing some "cards." They may have had some poker experience... playing with pennies on the kitchen table with grandma, etc. They likely had more "cards" experience playing blackjack in the casino... or any pit game in the casino. In the casino (not poker room) it is perfectly acceptable to rathole chips. Often times people will get on a winning streak and set aside their original buy-in... figuring to stop playing once the "winnings" are gone. A lot of times, they will put that original buy-in back in their pocket. Again, this is perfectly acceptable with casino table games.

I would explain to the player that this practice is not customary or acceptable in poker. Use language like "table stakes." Where the only money at risk is what is on the table... you can't pull from your pocket in the middle of a hand to add cash. You are only risking what is on the table. The flip side to this is if you run up a big stack... you can't take money off of the table. It stays until the player decides to cash out and leave.
 
I've never heard of such a requirement in a casino. And in a home game, wouldn't the high hand jackpot be awarded when play is over?

We rake $1 from ever $50 in a pot to pay our High Hand Jackpot for Quads or a Straight Flush so it is not paid regularly. If you hit it you are paid immediately. What is raked from the current session is not part of the HH, so there is always a small pot the next week if someone hits it.


* In casinos, I have only seen jackpots like high hands awarded as cash. You can buy chips with that cash, of course, but can’t top off beyond the table max.

Interesting. I have been paid high hand "Bonuses" in multiple Vegas Casino's and have never ever seen them paid to me or anyone else in anything other than chips.
 
But if someone is buying a $20 massage and $30 meal with chips, that’s different. We noticed people paying for entire meal’s or expensive drinks with chips; maybe I just didn’t notice. Is that allowed?

I don't know if it's explicitly stated as allowed, but it seems to be an accepted practice. I actually played at Rivers the past three weekend and players were definitely buying food and drinks (and even table massages) with chips off their stack. Again, it wasn't a huge deal at the 2/5 table where the average stack was around $1500, but money was coming off the table nonetheless.
 
I've definitely run into this at he games I've hosted with newer players and had to explain that it's just not at all allowed.

I did, however, have a hard time explaining why it is against the rules. It's such a basic rule that I couldn't formulate a why. Anybody got a good 1-2 liner for why rat holing is not OK?
 
Called going south and not allowed almost anywhere. Casinos usually have a time limit of 1 or 2 hours. Home game the only time we let someone do this is if we were playing two separate sessions one afternoon and one evening and they were different structures. Otherwise no money coming off the table unless you were heading home.

One of the odd rules of my local cardroom is that if you request a voluntary table change, you must take your stack down to no more than the maximum buy-in. Players use this as a way to legally rathole: win a big pot, change tables, pocket your profit.

OTOH, if your table is broken, you bring your entire stack to the new table (though some players will also use this as an opportunity to pocket some chips).
 
He could always cash out. Sit out for a bit. Then buy back in for a different amount?
 
He could always cash out. Sit out for a bit. Then buy back in for a different amount?

I wouldn’t allow this at my cash game. If someone cashed out, then decided to come back in later in the same session, it would have to be for at least what they cashed out. Unless, maybe, if the game ran for like 20 hours and they were coming back after sunrise. But even then.
 
The guy in question may be new. But I have seen plenty of older guys in both casinos and private games, who have played cards for decades, do stuff they should know by now is not kosher... For example:

* Lifting cards off the table up to their face or back of the rail;

* Picking up a stack and counting it in their lap;

* Not keeping high-demonation chips visible;

* Trying to go south (rathole);

* Trying to win at showdown by showing only one card after they were called.
 
He could always cash out. Sit out for a bit. Then buy back in for a different amount?

I wouldn't allow that. Were at the home games to win. That isn't the "only" reason were playing at the home game.

Way back when I first started hosting (using dice chips). A friend had doubled up early. He wanted to cash out half of his stack. I said no, and explained why. He said that he would just cash out and go home. I said ok, and got the bank out. He tried to argue with me about it because he wanted to keep playing. I reiterated all or nothing. He ended up cashing out and going home. I didn't invite him back. Easy peasy.
 
The only time I allow this is when I have a cash game before and after the monthly league tournament. Most guys bag their chips to play in post-cash, but ocassionaly guys want to cash out, or pay for the tournament with chips. I do allow this, as the game pre-cash is $.25/$.50 and post cash is $1/$2 - also usually dealers choice before and NLHE after.
 
The only time I allow this is when I have a cash game before and after the monthly league tournament. Most guys bag their chips to play in post-cash, but ocassionaly guys want to cash out, or pay for the tournament with chips. I do allow this, as the game pre-cash is $.25/$.50 and post cash is $1/$2 - also usually dealers choice before and NLHE after.

That is also the only exception that we allow. I forgot about that.
 

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