Getting chips at a B&M

[Sully]

Another wide-eyed Internet guy who has no clue in a REAL game...

I live in Colorado, so B&M experience is limited. I've probably played a total of 30 hours, but only 5 sessions. Therefore, I am fairly comfortable at the table, but I'm a total idiot when I first show up.

When I'm first called to the table:

1. do I go to the cashier and buy my chips?
2. do I go to the table, mark my spot (with drink, or coat, or something), then go buy chips?
3. do I sit down and ask for someone to bring me chips? If so, what do I say, and when is it appropriate (i.e. during a hand, after a hand)
4. Should I have already been holding my freaking chips before my name even got called?

I can never tell how I am supposed to do this...every time I sit down, I look and feel like a total idiot, which actually doesn't hurt my action, but I wouldn't mind a least having the option to skip over the idiot part.

Also,

5. How many chips in a rack? 100?
6. General amount of BB to buy in? (I'm mostly a limit player, and would rather have more chips than a less than average amount)

Appreciate the help....

[junkmail3]

1. Depends where you play.
2. Depends where you play.
3. Depends where you play.
4. Depends where you play.

5. How many chips in a rack? 100.
6. 25+

(Serious answer to 1-4: I usually just go to my seat when they call me, put my card down (or if I don't have one (I first kick myself) then I put down my id, or coat, or something, whatever. Then if I start to walk toward the cage to get chips and they say the dealer will give me chips, I sit down. If they say they'll get them, I sit down. If they say nothing, I keep going, get them from the cage, come back, and post.)

[swede123]

Like the other guy said, it depends on the casino. In the Colorado casinos it's all 2/5 or 5/5 so I'd suggest buying in for $100 of whites (one rack) if playing 2/5 and $200 to $300 in reds (two or three stacks of $5 chips) if playing 5/5.

As far as getting your chips this depends on how crowded it is. If it's early/late and only one or two tables are open you can usually just grab a seat and ask the floor person for whatever chips you want. At busier times you will usually buy your chips before you get seated just to speed the process up a bit.

Cheers,

Swede

[CountDuckula]

[ QUOTE ]
Another wide-eyed Internet guy who has no clue in a REAL game...

I live in Colorado, so B&M experience is limited. I've probably played a total of 30 hours, but only 5 sessions. Therefore, I am fairly comfortable at the table, but I'm a total idiot when I first show up.

When I'm first called to the table:

1. do I go to the cashier and buy my chips?

[/ QUOTE ]

I usually pick mine up while I'm waiting (it's a minor pain to sit around protecting them, but it saves time).


[ QUOTE ]
2. do I go to the table, mark my spot (with drink, or coat, or something), then go buy chips?

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think it's necessary; the occasions when I've been able to get a table immediately, the floor just tells the dealer that I'm at the cage buying chips, and the seat is still there when I get back.


[ QUOTE ]
3. do I sit down and ask for someone to bring me chips? If so, what do I say, and when is it appropriate (i.e. during a hand, after a hand)

[/ QUOTE ]

Some casinos have chip runners, but I've never encountered that situation; I've always been at places where I buy at the cage or at the signup desk (the latter was the case when I went to the Aladdin and the Excalibur, and when I foolishly decided to buy in for another $100 a the Excal, the dealer summoned the floor to go get me a rack rather than selling me the chips himself).

Once, at the Taj, I observed an Asian guy sit down with a $100 bill, and the dealer tried to get him to go to the cage to buy. A.G. didn't understand (or pretended not to), and the dealer gave up and sold him the chips. So, depending on the place, that can work, too.


[ QUOTE ]
4. Should I have already been holding my freaking chips before my name even got called?

[/ QUOTE ]

Again, it's what I do; I don't know if you'll get yelled at if you're not, and if you get an immediate seat, it's impossible anyway. But if you've been waiting a while, and don't already have chips, they might be unhappy with you.


[ QUOTE ]
5. How many chips in a rack? 100?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, 100.


[ QUOTE ]
6. General amount of BB to buy in? (I'm mostly a limit player, and would rather have more chips than a less than average amount)

[/ QUOTE ]

Typically, most people get a rack of whatever denomination is most common ($1 or $2 chips for 2-4 thru 4-8; $5 for 5-10; etc.). If NL, I imagine this would be based on the size of the big blind, but I've never played live NL.

But if buying in for 2 racks makes you feel more comfortable, go for it. Some people also get a stack of a higher denomination, like 20 $5 chips to bring to a 2-4 table (although I did that once, and the dealer wanted to color me down immediately, so after that, I just went for the rack of $1s).

-Mike

[MelchyBeau]

1. depends on the casino. The two I have been to in San Diego you buy at the table. I've been to others where you go to a cashier.

2. You can if you want to. Your seat has been reserved.

3. If you buy chips at the table, just pull out your cash. The dealer will take the necessary steps for you.

4. no

5. rack = 100, stack = 20.

6. I usually buy in for 25BB. I carry extra cash if I bust.

Just realize every casino is different. Just ask the floor where do you buy chips at.

Melch

[Sully]

Thanks guys....glad t oknow that every room is a little different, and maybe I'm not quite as much of an idiot as I think I am.

Now it's just a matter of making sure that the other players still think that.

[bconway6]

You’re defiantly not an idiot. I’ve seen and used all three methods myself. If I can see I’m coming up on the list and have been waiting around for a while ill go grab my chips, if I don’t notice and I get called ill go to the cage if I’m close to it or just go to the table. I have never had to wait very long though to get chips at the cage maybe 2 or 3 people, so I’ve never bothered to mark my spot at the table.

[John Deere]

Based on my experiences in AC and Vegas...

[ QUOTE ]
1. do I go to the cashier and buy my chips?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is completely acceptable. As long as the floorman (especially the roaming one, if there is one) sees that you claimed your seat, they won't give it away while you're going to buy chips.

[ QUOTE ]
2. do I go to the table, mark my spot (with drink, or coat, or something), then go buy chips?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what I usually do, just to be safe. Another reason is that it is possible that you may be able to just into the big blind right away (since the previous player will often have left just before the blinds got to him). In this case, the dealer will often offer you the opportunity to "play behind" while a chip runner gets you chips, or ask another player at the table to sell you some.

[ QUOTE ]
3. do I sit down and ask for someone to bring me chips? If so, what do I say, and when is it appropriate (i.e. during a hand, after a hand)

[/ QUOTE ]

You can do this, but I think it's pretty obnoxious (although seemingly common at places such as the Bellagio, which cater to the obnoxious). The best thing to do, though, is to put the money on the table; the dealer will see it and call a chip runner when there is a break in the action. If you do this knowingly, please at least tip the chip runners.

[ QUOTE ]
4. Should I have already been holding my freaking chips before my name even got called?

[/ QUOTE ]

Personal preference. The only one you're conveniencing/inconveniencing is yourself, so it's up to you. I'll usually take a look at the list, and if I am going to be up next or have only one person in front of me (or, likewise, if I go back later to check the list, and find this situation), I will often go buy chips. But standing around with a bunch of chips, especially multiple racks, is awfully annoying.

[ QUOTE ]
I can never tell how I am supposed to do this...every time I sit down, I look and feel like a total idiot, which actually doesn't hurt my action, but I wouldn't mind a least having the option to skip over the idiot part.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you want people to think that you're an idiot, the better move would be to loudly ask the people next to you if you're allowed to get up and leave whenever you want after winning a pot.

Also,

5. How many chips in a rack? 100?
6. General amount of BB to buy in? (I'm mostly a limit player, and would rather have more chips than a less than average amount)

Appreciate the help....

[/ QUOTE ]

[Tom Bayes]

As others have said, where and when you get your chips is completely dependent on how the cardroom is set up and the "culture" of the room. Anytime you are in a poker room for the first time, this is one of the questions you should ask the floorperson when you are getting on the list. They SHOULD give you a courteous answer.

The B&M I play most often (Aztar in Evansville, IN), you buy chips from the floorperson at the podium when you are called for your game. No one expects you to buy chips beforehand, and it's a pretty small room. When you are done, you will typically "color up" your chips and then go to the main cashier to get your money.

At the Grand in Tunica, they have a cage in the poker room where you buy in and cash out. They have an electronic waiting board and most observant players (myself included) will buy chips when they are 1st in line for their game.

The Goldstrike in Tunica has a chip runner. She calls you when your seat is open, takes you to your table, and you give her your cash and she brings back the chips. You cash out at the podium.

I think the dedicated poker room cage or chip runner is usually found at medium to large rooms, and buying in at the podium is the norm at smaller rooms.

Buy-ins during the game are handled many different ways. At Aztar, you put the money out on the table. Sometimes the dealer sells you the chips right at the table and other times calls the floor to get you chips. I really don't know why it's one way sometimes and the other way at other times-seems pretty random. It's similar at other casinos. If you need to rebuy, get your cash out. If you need to go to the podium or the cage to buy them, the dealer should tell you.