Color up in cash games (1 Viewer)

[DZPoker]

It dawned on me today that no one seems to ever talk about “coloring up” in cash games. I’m obviously not talking about the tourney-traditional-sense. But after a bunch of bust-outs and rebuys in a cash game...does anyone else try to mix a few more of their rarely used higher-denom chips into the game...just for fun?

Ex: quickly pull some 5s from each of the top stacks and replace with $25s. Or some of the $5s/$25s for some $100s, etc? I’m not talking about stripping the table of volume of workhorse chips...just adding some colors the game doesn’t usually see once a bunch of extra workhorse chips have hit the felt?

I’ve always done it. I get guys who like big stacks...but we like the prestige of having the rarely-seen colors in our stacks too.

Crazy talk???

 

[303Mike]

That’s where the plaques come in...

 

[BearMetal]

I do start to put some higher denominations into play toward the end of the night. For example, rebuys might normally happen with $5s, but later on, if someone rebuys they'll get a single $20 or $25 and they can choose to make cash at the table.

 

[DZPoker]

I do start to put some higher denominations into play toward the end of the night. For example, rebuys might normally happen with $5s, but later on, if someone rebuys they'll get a single $20 or $25 and they can choose to make cash at the table.

I guess I just take it a step further and actually pull chips from the table in exchange. If a few guys are sitting with $200+ in $5s...there’s just something fun about pulling $50 or $75 of them and giving each some greens (the game never sees 25s otherwise). Or if someone goes on a tear...getting the elusive black chip into their stack.

Anyone else pull chips from the table in exchange for higher denoms? I know people use them for rebuys...but I’m talking about actually coloring up chips from the table?

edited to add: my above examples are in lower limit games where $25 and $100 chips never really come out otherwise

 

[BearMetal]

I guess I just take it a step further and actually pull chips from the table in exchange. If a few guys are sitting with $200+ in $5s...there’s just something fun about pulling $50 or $75 of them and giving each some greens (the game never sees 25s otherwise). Or if someone goes on a tear...getting the elusive black chip into their stack.

Anyone else pull chips from the table in exchange for higher denoms? I know people use them for rebuys...but I’m talking about actually coloring up chips from the table?

I've done this a few times on rare instances for that mythical Hundo chip. Certainly not a common occurrence. However, I will preface my posts by saying that I'm a chip whore and I like seeing as many little circles out on the felt as possible.

 

[kmccormick100]

Once we run out of the ~4 racks of $5s in most of our sets, players rebuy in $20s or $25s and players make change, once we run out of $20/25s the $100s come out...

I really miss coloring up in casinos though

 

[DZPoker]

I've done this a few times on rare instances for that mythical Hundo chip. Certainly not a common occurrence. However, I will preface my posts by saying that I'm a chip whore and I like seeing as many little circles out on the felt as possible.

I get the lots of chips thing...but there’s also something cool about being one of the only one or two with a ___ chip, no? At least there is to my guys!!

 

[DrStrange]

I buy the lower denominations from the players with the biggest stacks and then use that for rebuys when I start getting short of workhorse chips.

I prefer to keep the rebuying player with smaller chips. All sorts of trouble can happen when someone is playing nothing but higher value chips.

This is even more important playing split pot games. Every level of chip adds a layer of complexity to the chop and thus slows down the game. God help us if the person handling the chop is less than competent.

 

[BearMetal]

I get the lots of chips thing...but there’s also something cool about being one of the only one or two with a ___ chip, no? At least there is to my guys!!

Indeed there is! The first time a $100 black chip came out, it was like that dude had the biggest bounty on him. Everyone wanted it...

 

[DZPoker]

I prefer to keep the rebuying player with smaller chips.

I’ve always had this problem with the idea of rebuys being high-denom chips!

 

[Bluegrass Poker]

We’ve always done it in our $1/2 game. Rebuys are given 4/$25 or 4/$25 and 1/$100. Get change from other players.

 

[DZPoker]

We’ve always done it in our $1/2 game. Rebuys are given 4/$25 or 4/$25 and 1/$100. Get change from other players.

Again, I’m not talking about using higher denom chips for rebuys...I’m talking about physically pulling excess workhorse chips from the top stacks at the table in exchange for higher denom chips. In front of everyone.

Indeed there is! The first time a $100 black chip came out, it was like that dude had the biggest bounty on him. Everyone wanted it...

This is exactly what I’ve seen as well. If you haven’t tried it...give it a shot!!!! Just for fun!!!!!!

 

[MikesDad]

I don't take chips off the table, but do rebuys with larger chips to get them in play once in a while
After all MOAR chips on the table is MOAR fun

 

[DZPoker]

I don't take chips off the table, but do rebuys with larger chips to get them in play once in a while
After all MOAR chips on the table is MOAR fun

That seems to be the general consensus here but IMO, there’s something equally fun if not more in being the guy or guys who the dealer asks to trade 15x$5 for some greens or 20x$5 for a single black. There’s something equally cool about putting the power chip(s) front and center in your stack.

Just feels very different than “buying” it from the guy who busted out.

 

[surfik]

Not crazy at all. I used to sell buy inns and rebays in latter stages of cash game in form of 25 and 100 chips. They were able to do get change from other players.

 

[MikesDad]

That seems to be the general consensus here but IMO, there’s something equally fun if not more in being the guy or guys who the dealer asks to trade 15x$5 for some greens or 20x$5 for a single black. There’s something equally cool about putting the power chip(s) front and center in your stack.

Just feels very different than “buying” it from the guy who busted out.

I can see how that would be cool too

 

[upNdown]

No. Once or twice a guy has requested to trade up for bigger chips, and that's fine - keep them happy. But I've also had guys leave early and cash out a bunch of workhouse chips, which has caused problems with not enough chips on the table.
So generally speaking, no, I don't take chips off the table.

 

[DZPoker]

Not crazy at all. I used to sell buy inns and rebays in latter stages of cash game in form of 25 and 100 chips. They were able to do get change from other players.

No. Once or twice a guy has requested to trade up for bigger chips, and that's fine - keep them happy. But I've also had guys leave early and cash out a bunch of workhouse chips, which has caused problems with not enough chips on the table.
So generally speaking, no, I don't take chips off the table.

What I’m talking about though is the bank approaching the large stack(s) and asking to ‘buy’ some of their smaller denom for colors not yet on the table, still leaving plenty of workhorse chips on the felt and in their stacks. The end result ‘chip-wise’ is exactly the same and with more than enough workhorse-chips still on the table, but I think the baller feeling it gives the guys who make the trade adds an interesting element.

I’ve had it happen live in casinos and always felt the same. Just doesn’t seem like hosts do it at home?

 

[upNdown]

What I’m talking about though is the bank approaching the large stack(s) and asking to ‘buy’ some of their smaller denom for colors not yet on the table, still leaving plenty of workhorse chips on the felt and in their stacks. The end result ‘chip-wise’ is exactly the same and with more than enough workhorse-chips still on the table, but I think the baller feeling it gives the guys who make the trade adds an interesting element.

I’ve had it happen live in casinos and always felt the same. Just doesn’t seem like hosts do it at home?

Rebuys for big chips later in the night? sure. But coloring up just to get big chips on the table feels a little bush to me. But it's a game, and in this case it's YOUR game, so by all means, do what you want and have fun.
I'm surprised to hear you say it's happened to you at casinos. I'm the furthest thing from a prolific cash player, but I've played my share in big casinos and cardrooms big and small, and I've never seen that happen.

 

[Bluegrass Poker]

Again, I’m not talking about using higher denom chips for rebuys...I’m talking about physically pulling excess workhorse chips from the top stacks at the table in exchange for higher denom chips. In front of everyone.


This is exactly what I’ve seen as well. If you haven’t tried it...give it a shot!!!! Just for fun!!!!!!

Oops. But yes. I’ve done that too. Mainly $25 for $5s.

 

[DZPoker]

I'm surprised to hear you say it's happened to you at casinos. I'm the furthest thing from a prolific cash player, but I've played my share in big casinos and cardrooms big and small, and I've never seen that happen.

So I’ve apparently played in more casinos than most based on lists in a different thread, but yes...on several occasions I’ve had the dealer ‘buy back’ $5s for a few 25s when their tray got low. Obviously not typical...but I can say it’s happened in probably a dozen rooms I’ve played over the years? Certainly more than 5 or 6.

And when it does, it’s sort of a wake-up call that playerX is the leader and the rest of us are peons.

I never thought I was doing anything odd because of this until I realized no one spoke of it here!

 

[CrazyEddie]

Some people are gonna feel special when they have a bigger pile of chips than anyone else.

Some people are gonna feel special when they have the only few prize chips at the table.

Switch it up whenever you feel like.

 

[DZPoker]

Some people are gonna feel special when they have a bigger pile of chips than anyone else.

Some people are gonna feel special when they have the only few prize chips at the table.

Switch it up whenever you feel like.

Unfortunately I’ve never felt special either way...but I like to provide the feelings to others!!

 

[upNdown]

Alright, I've been such a grump, that I should add this. For my .25/.50 8-max (which was usually 5-6 max) game, I had a set with a full rack of $20s and ten of those gorgeous matsui Franklin $100 plaques. We'd generally get less than a half-barrel of the $20s in play and even then, we'd be ignoring at least a rack of $5s. But it was cool to get the bigger chips in play. One night, when a buddy ran his stack up really big, he asked to trade some chips for one of the $100 plaques. I was more than happy to oblige, because I'd paid almost $20 apiece for those plaques, they were stunning, and I'd never had one in play. So I totally get it.

 

[Jimulacrum]

One of the games I attended pre-plague would start with $0.25, $1, and $5 chips on the table. The $20s and sometimes $100s would only come out as rebuys, and only after all the $5s were in play. And there were tons of $5s. (Redbirds were the workhorse for this particular game, despite the blinds being fracs.)

Felt pretty nice to win a pot with a $20 or $100 in it, especially with so few out there.

 

[codeman00]

I guess I just take it a step further and actually pull chips from the table in exchange. If a few guys are sitting with $200+ in $5s...there’s just something fun about pulling $50 or $75 of them and giving each some greens (the game never sees 25s otherwise). Or if someone goes on a tear...getting the elusive black chip into their stack.

Anyone else pull chips from the table in exchange for higher denoms? I know people use them for rebuys...but I’m talking about actually coloring up chips from the table?

edited to add: my above examples are in lower limit games where $25 and $100 chips never really come out otherwise

I actually do this sometimes to stimulate our game to be a bit bigger game than it started out to be. I used to put 2 racks of quarters on the table for the 0.25/0.50 NLHE game. All that does is make people want to limp all the time. So I now only have a rack of $0.50 per table and as the night goes, I try give people larger denom chips for their rebuys. They were confused at first because they expected lower denom chips. I realized the more $5 and $20 chips on the table, I move the game to bit larger game whether they know it or not.

 

[Goldfish]

I don't take chips off the table, but do rebuys with larger chips to get them in play once in a while
After all MOAR chips on the table is MOAR fun

I do this as well in addition to the bag system. Doing it this way acts as a double check on the number of rebuys made in the game. Based on the number of hi denomination chips in play I can tell instantly how many rebuys there were during the course of the night (in case I failed to write one down for some reason).

 

[MikesDad]

I do this as well in addition to the bag system. Doing it this way acts as a double check on the number of rebuys made in the game. Based on the number of hi denomination chips in play I can tell instantly how many rebuys there were during the course of the night (in case I failed to write one down for some reason).

I don't track rebuys for cash games but definitely for tourneys ... also used rebuy chips