Pocketing Chips

[Tree]

When I bring my fiancee out with me to the casino, she insists on skimming X amount from my current stack; for example, if I started with 10 units and she comes along and sees me with 15, she wants 5 units, and so forth. This goes into her purse and I don't see it again unless I'm cashing out or I'm rebuying (which isn't usually the case).

When I play solo, I tend to follow a similar MO, but I slip chips into my breast pocket of my jacket.

I have heard from friends of mine that some casinos really don't like you doing this, can anyone confirm or deny?

 

[Tree]

I should point out that I don't necessarily always keep 10 units on the table, this was just an example, but I do like to try and not have everything on the felt at once...makes me a little nervous.

 

[Gamblor]

Ploppies do it all the time, especially giving chips to wife, so don't see any issue.

 

[Tree]

Ploppies do it all the time, especially giving chips to wife, so don't see any issue.

Lol now I feel like a ploppy-counter hybrid.

 

[Southpaw]

It is store-dependent. Some dealers and PC's will get pissed if they see you doing it, no matter how harmless you seem.

One time, there was a young couple at a local store that got scolded for sharing chips. Absolutely atrocious players they were. The girl taps out, and her boyfriend--mind you who was also playing at the same time--spots her a few chips, so as to keep her in the game. The dealer then scolds them saying that they need permission to do this.

However, at this same store, I haven't had problems rat-holing using less obvious techniques.

Spaw

 

[Tree]

My usual technique involves checking text messages on the phone that is in the same pocket heh...that and taking a couple chips off the top if I'm riffling.

 

[Solo player]

Taking chips

No one has said what denomination chips your talking about when pinching from a table. Most pits watch black chips closely. Everyone wants to pinch there big chips. But black and sometimes even green chips depending on the size of the casino along with the size of the average bet that casino normally sees are watched closely. Be careful ratholing at higher denomination chips if done over multiple trips it could or will get you backed off.

 

[Tree]

No one has said what denomination chips your talking about when pinching from a table. Most pits watch black chips closely. Everyone wants to pinch there big chips. But black and sometimes even green chips depending on the size of the casino along with the size of the average bet that casino normally sees are watched closely. Be careful ratholing at higher denomination chips if done over multiple trips it could or will get you backed off.

When my fiancee is with me, I tend to just give her reds and greens. When I'm by myself, I tend to end up with several blacks and sometimes purples.

 

[tthree]

The key piece of missing info is do you color up your ratholed chips. If you rathole enough smaller chips to color up in one pocket while the larger go into another except for 1 or 2, then color up a pocket full of smaller denomination chips before you leave like you have nothing to hide when you are sure they saw you ratholing chips it should help alleviate the casinos concerns.

 

[paddywhack]

When my fiancee is with me, I tend to just give her reds and greens. When I'm by myself, I tend to end up with several blacks and sometimes purples.

Rat holing black isn't real easy in most stores unless there's a MAJOR player giving them a lot of black action on the table.

Rat holing Purple - not gonna happen. They know you have it, whether you think you're hiding it from them or not.

Think GREEN. Get 2x ev off the table per hour in GREEN if you can swing it whether winning or losing. Does wonders for your win/loss statement.

 

[zoomie]

Rat holing black isn't real easy in most stores unless there's a MAJOR player giving them a lot of black action on the table.

Rat holing Purple - not gonna happen. They know you have it, whether you think you're hiding it from them or not.

Think GREEN. Get 2x ev off the table per hour in GREEN if you can swing it whether winning or losing. Does wonders for your win/loss statement.

Agree, though if you just swipe EV variance will give you plenty of losing sessions and not much of a cumulative win or loss. Be careful, though; if you are noticed being surreptitious that attracts very unwelcome attention. I used to be aggressive but I'm sure I was noticed. I'm lucky I survived at one store in particular. And like Paddy said, absolutely forget ratholing anything bigger than green unless the blacks are moving fast among two or more players. :whip:

 

[big Inner]

First of all how dose rat holing help your win/loss? Secondly Im new and wondering what does a session bankroll look like compared to your total bankroll? Also I had spoken with an AP who said that when he first started he was putting in 60 hrs per week to play fulltime and put bread on the table. I'm assuming you would have to go store to store, but also can you pull off 10 hours at a store in a day? Obviously there are needed breaks, but Im curious.

 

[zoomie]

First of all how dose rat holing help your win/loss? [ . . . ]

Ratholing helps as follows if you are playing rated (i.e., with your Player's Club card). When you buy in the supervisor who takes your card enters your buy-in into the computer. If you dig for more cash, that is recorded as well. When you "color up" (exchange of small denomination chips for larger denominations) when you finish a session, the supervisor enters what you are taking with you. The difference between buy-in(s) and exit amount is either a win or loss, and that is entered into your Player's Club account. If your cumulative net win over some period of time, say a calendar year, is "enough" (and who knows what that number must be at minimum at any particular store), management may single you out for surveillance to see if you are cheating or counting. Thus, ratholing suppresses your win and helps to keep you under the radar. :laugh:

 

[big Inner]

Ratholing helps as follows if you are playing rated (i.e., with your Player's Club card). When you buy in the supervisor who takes your card enters your buy-in into the computer. If you dig for more cash, that is recorded as well. When you "color up" (exchange of small denomination chips for larger denominations) when you finish a session, the supervisor enters what you are taking with you. The difference between buy-in(s) and exit amount is either a win or loss, and that is entered into your Player's Club account. If your cumulative net win over some period of time, say a calendar year, is "enough" (and who knows what that number must be at minimum at any particular store), management may single you out for surveillance to see if you are cheating or counting. Thus, ratholing suppresses your win and helps to keep you under the radar. :laugh:

Is this necessary with red chips? Probably not if im not playing rated right? Is it recomended that I play rated when starting out with red?

 

[zoomie]

Is this necessary with red chips? Probably not if im not playing rated right? Is it recomended that I play rated when starting out with red?

Playing rated will bet you some comps. Most places red chippers need not bother with ratholing even if you play rated. You just won't win enough to get their attention (but you might in other ways).

 

[zoomie]

Meant "get" you some comps . . .

 

[big Inner]

Hah I figured it out Zoomie. Thanks. I was talking with other people about this and was wondering what your opinion was; as I will be playing reds with a 1-10 spread meaning a max of 100, I probably won't have to do too much as far as cover play right? Just sit in on a even or slightly negative count here and there, otherwise kelly bet according to the count and wong when possible. Is this wise?

 

[revrac]

Hah I figured it out Zoomie. Thanks. I was talking with other people about this and was wondering what your opinion was; as I will be playing reds with a 1-10 spread meaning a max of 100, I probably won't have to do too much as far as cover play right? Just sit in on a even or slightly negative count here and there, otherwise kelly bet according to the count and wong when possible. Is this wise?

1-10 spread might not be enough if your playing a shoe game without good rules unless very aggressively wonging, on average should be more around 1-15.

 

[big Inner]

1-10 spread might not be enough if your playing a shoe game without good rules unless very aggressively wonging, on average should be more around 1-15.

6 deck 17s LS sound good?

 

[zoomie]

Hah I figured it out Zoomie. Thanks. I was talking with other people about this and was wondering what your opinion was; as I will be playing reds with a 1-10 spread meaning a max of 100, I probably won't have to do too much as far as cover play right? Just sit in on a even or slightly negative count here and there, otherwise kelly bet according to the count and wong when possible. Is this wise?

Well, wong when possible, sure, increase your spread per revrac's post, don't bother with cover unless you are at a really shabby low stakes place, but don't plan on homesteading for ten hours at a time either. As for Kelly betting, full Kelly has a high RoR, so you probably want to scale that back. And save up a decent BR. Good cards, and feel free to ask the forum any more questions. We have all been helped starting out.