Currency Exchanges in Casinos

[hitthat16]

I understand a common way to play abroad is to exchange USD for the local currency at the cage. Usually you will get a receipt saying that they will sell back your USD if you produce the same amount of local currency you originally bought, and that this transaction has to happen within a certain time frame.

The only concern (and honestly it's not too big of one) is that if I lose even a penny I'll be "stuck" with my local currency and then have to eat a percentage of it to change it back to USD at a traditional location.

So my question is this: Is there an optimal amount of local currency to purchase? Too small and I can picture myself returning to the cage multiple times to buy local currency if I go on a bad run. Too big and I run the risk of being stuck with that currency even if I lose just a small amount.

Am I overthinking this?

[vagabond]

Not all casinos require the exact same amount of local currency on cash out, so you can probably exchange up to an even $100 of your exchange. Very few I’ve seen require the total sum returned, and if you’re just shy of it why not exchange a little bit more on the outside or use at ATM to collect the difference?

As for exchanging enough cash, I usually convert enough for 10-20x max bets at first. I don’t want to risk running out of cash if there are other players at my table. On the other hand, it looks great to the casino manager the more times you have to run back to the cage.

[ZenMaster_Flash]

Last year I took a small pile of Euros and Pounds to the cage
at the M.G.M. Grand in Las Vegas. I had a player's card and
matching fictitious I.D. It took approx. 25 seconds to count
the currency and convert it into dollars, and print my receipt
clearly showing that the actual bank conversion rate was used.
No charges, no fees, no penalties, etc.

[Freightman]

Last year I took a small pile of Euros and Pounds to the cage
at the M.G.M. Grand in Las Vegas. I had a player's card and
matching fictitious I.D. It took approx. 25 seconds to count
the currency and convert it into dollars, and print my receipt
clearly showing that the actual bank conversion rate was used.
No charges, no fees, no penalties, etc.

In my neck if the woods, you get fleeced on currency exchange.

[hitthat16]

Interesting, Flash. I never pegged you as one that would use false ID.

[ZenMaster_Flash]

"Flash. I never pegged you as one that would use false ID."

Why not ?

[hitthat16]

I've seen false ID usage considered negative EV on this page, and I figured you would be among the group that agrees.

[Ustonzen]

Do what you gotta do - like so many other things in the biz its only neg ev if you get caught