[Percula]

All of the replies to date have good information, but I think they missed something...

Rules vary from room to room.

For example at one room I play at you can pay for drinks/food from your table stakes, tip the dealer and buy-in to the tournaments all from your table stakes.

Another room you can pay for food service and tip dealers, but not tournament buy-ins.

Yet another room you can tip the dealers, but anything else comes from your pocket.

I have yet to play at a room where it is OK to rat hole stakes.

When in doubt ask the floor.

There is another situation that comes up in regards to table stakes and that is winnings from promotions. Small wins, say <1000 are often paid in chips at the table. Some rooms say this is part of the table stakes, some allow you to pocket it. Larger wins say >1000 tend to be paid in the form of a check or cash almost never are considered part of the tables stake.