Unzip; let's see who is biggest

Rick Nebiolo · #1 09-26-2005, 05:16 AM

Earlier tonight at a local card barn one table of $5/10 blind fixed buy NL had three players with over $4000 in chips with one having almost $12,000. Not one big stack player had colored up and in two of the cases the chips were stacked in racks to the player's left. One guy had about 12K and his racks were three wide and eight high. The poor guy between him and the dealer had about ten inches of room.

Obviously the huge stack players were showing off but it should be clear they were also lacking in courtesy. It's OK to have a lot of chips (unfortunately I usually have to buy them [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]) but they should always be between the player's elbows in a full table. I believe it's OK to use racks when allowed but players should have enough chips out of racks to make proper and fast bets.

Most rulebooks don't address this problem so the floor doesn't have much leverage in trying to enforce reasonable courtesy. To remedy this, IMO most cardrooms should add something similar to the following to their rulebook:

Chips and Racks: Chips may be kept in racks on the table (note: except in jackpot games) but players must keep a reasonable amount of chips out of their racks to keep the action moving. To insure adequate room for all chips and racks must be kept between the player's elbows. In NL and PL, larger chips and bills must be kept in plain view. Chips or racks must not obstruct opponent's view of cards or make it difficult to deal.

Anyway, this has always been a problem but tonight was ridiculous.

Just my opinion.

~ Rick

Evan · #2 09-26-2005, 05:47 AM

Encouraging, or even requiring players to stop using racks at the table would probably do wonders to advance your cause.

private joker · #3 09-26-2005, 07:23 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Encouraging, or even requiring players to stop using racks at the table would probably do wonders to advance your cause.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. Racks are totally unnecessary during play. Hustler used to have a rule disallowing racks on the table, but they recently revoked it for no good reason. During the time that rule was instituted, brushes would deliver the chips, take them out for you, then take the plastic away. I loved that.

But if the players in question would just stack monster towers/pyramids of those chips without racks, I think there should be a rule that the floor can require a player to color up should his chip volume reach an unreasonable level that distracts or affects the play of the hand.

jba · #4 09-26-2005, 09:48 AM

agreed. unrack em boys, lets play some cards.

Al_Capone_Junior · #5 09-26-2005, 12:56 PM

Let's wait till after the next magoo festival on nov 5th to start enforcing this rule. Otherwise what are Dynasty and Howard Burroughs going to do with their $1000+ buy-ins for our 2-4 game? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

al

p.s. good idea tho. Personally, if it was like that I would just force them to color up. After all, I'm the floor, and it's my job to RULE WITH AN IRON FIST [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Rick Nebiolo · #6 09-26-2005, 02:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Let's wait till after the next magoo festival on nov 5th to start enforcing this rule. Otherwise what are Dynasty and Howard Burroughs going to do with their $1000+ buy-ins for our 2-4 game? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't realize that was commonplace with Dynasty. A couple years ago Dynasty, Clarkmeister, my Hero/Girlfriend and I had about $1000 to $2000 each in a 3/6 crazy pineapple game at the Bike. Dynasty had close to $2000 and actually won at least half during his first ever crazy pineapple play!

[ QUOTE ]
p.s. good idea tho. Personally, if it was like that I would just force them to color up. After all, I'm the floor, and it's my job to RULE WITH AN IRON FIST [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you have to eliminate racks as suggested above as long as people keep them inside the elbows and don't play out of them. Sometimes racks make no limit betting easier when mostly $5 chips are in play, especially with the advent of fixed buy no limit with big blinds (e.g., $5/$10 blinds and $500 fixed-buys). Players will often just push out a rack when betting $500 or any amount that fits in a rack. This seems to speed things up and increase action.

~ Rick

callydrias · #7 09-26-2005, 05:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
After all, I'm the floor, and it's my job to RULE WITH AN IRON FOOT [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP

Sparks · #8 09-26-2005, 11:52 PM

Hey Rick,

I was actually getting a kick out of seeing all those racks on the table, since I had never seen so many in front of one person. I'm not sure if that casino has a rule against it, but I doubt anyone objected at the table because the game was quite cantankerous and if someone didn't like it, they probably would have said something. That pour guy in the 9 seat had like no room!

But, with all the people at the rail watching the game, and with the crowds that gathered around the table on the big hands, I have a feeling that no one at the table minded the monster chip rack tower. In fact, I think they liked it. Just my take.

Sparks

Randy_Refeld · #9 09-27-2005, 12:43 AM

ANything you bring to a poker table should fit between your elbows. Players should not play out of a rack. How would we ever teach the difference between playing out of a rack and having rack on the table?

Rick Nebiolo · #10 09-27-2005, 01:29 AM

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I have a feeling that no one at the table minded the monster chip rack tower. In fact, I think they liked it.

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I probably used a bad example. The chip racks were excessive but like you said the players were probably having fun. In general though racks kept outside the elbows are becoming more and more of a pain in the rear in many games.

~ Rick