Question about keeping chips (3 Viewers)

[mugs]

I see people say they have chips in their pocket or jacket and when they get low they just add the chips from their pocket. But I also see casino rules that you can't remove chips from the table. so how do they get the chips into their pocket? Do they save them from a previous day? is that ok? doesn't that defeat the puropse of having a max buy in amount?

 

[Coyote]

It's an ugly form of cheating, named "ratholing".
It violates the "table stakes" rule. Whatever money is placed on the table is at risk and cannot be withdrawn, unless you cash out.

By the way, welcome to the forum.

 

[Goldfish]

Ratholing aside, many hi stakes/regular poker players do not cash in their chips at the end of each session and maintain a healthy stash of chips for buyins and rebuys. A lot of players use crown royal bags to keep their chips (they think the bags are lucky). Also, many casinos have safety deposit boxes that players can rent so players can keep chips/cash at the casino (for convenience and safety reasons). Around my way, MGM has boxes for rent and MD LIVE recently got rid of their boxes (which has been a problem give the rash of player robberies). The big games at MD LIVE have dried up for that reason.

 

[AlbinoDragon]

This is an issue when you are at the table and playing, as @Coyote says, but when you leave the table at the end of a session, there's nothing saying you can't put chips in your pocket. If you watch episodes of High Stakes Poker or other televised cash games, the players usually have their rebuys in chips in a bag nearby. It saves a trip to the cage or a dealer having to make the exchange.

This is mostly for higher stakes games as it's unlikely someone at a $1-$2 game would have chips on hand for rebuys or add-ons.

You do see this as against the rules in tournaments as it can have a player bring chips into a game that they weren't originally issued for, increasing their stack above what the players started with. One could easily "chip dump" to another player in the same event, which is also against the rules and just bad form. This is the situation I think of when I hear about people "pocketing" chips and less so in a cash game.

 

[LowerBama1714]

Don’t really see a problem with “going North”…

 

[mugs]

Thank you all for the replys. and thank you @Coyote for the welcome.

new to poker and am wanting to play live, there are just some things like this one, i wanted to get answers to so i don't do something stupid and get into trouble.

 

[drdr]

Don’t really see a problem with “going North”…

So long as not in a live hand.

 

[LowerBama1714]

So long as not in a live hand.

 

[umbkcshah]

When I go to the cage to get my initial chips, I'll get another 100 in green (25s) to top up if I drop 50 or so from my stack if playing 300 or lower max buy in. Saves the dealer some hassle, etc.

Going north is something that many will debate. Better players like it because it increases their edge by being able to put weaker players in more uncomfortable spots. House rules, if you want uncapped, host your own game.

 

[Tonystark137]

I see people say they have chips in their pocket or jacket and when they get low they just add the chips from their pocket. But I also see casino rules that you can't remove chips from the table. so how do they get the chips into their pocket? Do they save them from a previous day? is that ok? doesn't that defeat the puropse of having a max buy in amount?

Typically, its when you end a session, on the walk to the cage, I tend to pick out a chip if I wanted to save one.

 

[Taghkanic]

I get extra chips at the cage when I buy in.

To top up *between hands* if my stack gets low, so I don’t have to call for chips.

***Not*** for going north in a hand, which is against the rules for very good reasons.