Buy in levels

**DoubleDownSoft21** · 08-12-2018, 08:44 AM

You hear people say "don't buy in for too much". But should the count get strongly positive, you want to have the ammunition there ready to go. Yes, its great if you already have chips, but many times that isn't the case. The only benefit I see to a small buy in is that it's easier to Wong out. And if one repeatedly is going to the wallet taking out hundreds after every other hand, doesn't that garner more attention than a large buy in? If I spread $10 to $100, is $500 too big of a buy in? Thoughts?

**Freightman** · 08-12-2018, 08:51 AM

Shoe game, 20 min bets is sufficient.
Pitch game, 12 min bets is sufficient.

Red flags galore if you buy in for 1k, and then bet $10 table min. As far as big co6nts, lots of ways to look natural pulling money out.

**Three** · 08-12-2018, 09:18 AM

A ploppy believes he will win every round when it starts. Buy-ins that anticipate too big of a losing streak will probably draw attention. Especially when they anticipate a losing streak at a much larger bet than you are currently making. Depending on spread half a max bet to two max bets.

**jimmybond007** · 08-12-2018, 09:18 AM

Digging into the wallet looks much more like a gambler. Buying in 500$ and betting 10$ looks like a counter. I've pegged counters before just by seeing the ratio of their chip stack and current bet was too large.... watched for a few mins and sure enough they are counting.

Betting a 10$ min I wouldn't buy in anymore than 200$

**DoubleDownSoft21** · 08-12-2018, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by jimmybond007

Digging into the wallet looks much more like a gambler. Buying in 500$ and betting 10$ looks like a counter. I've pegged counters before just by seeing the ratio of their chip stack and current bet was too large.... watched for a few mins and sure enough they are counting.

Betting a 10$ min I wouldn't buy in anymore than 200$

$200 is usually what I buy in for. I've tried $100 a number of times but feel a bit restricted.

Is it a good idea to not cash in all of one's chips at the end of the session so one can have a little extra firepower for the next trip back?

**Meistro123** · 08-12-2018, 11:05 AM

Depends, heads up I prefer a big buy in, with other people I prefer very small maybe five min bets, especially if there is a chance that I bounce soon.

**Talmadge** · 08-13-2018, 03:55 AM

Originally Posted by DoubleDownSoft21

$200 is usually what I buy in for. I've tried $100 a number of times but feel a bit restricted.

Is it a good idea to not cash in all of one's chips at the end of the session so one can have a little extra firepower for the next trip back?

Thats what i like to do. I never cash in my chips after a session.
It's also one less interaction with the pit on your return from having to buy in.

**ZeeBabar** · 08-13-2018, 04:56 AM

I usually pull out $200 or less (if I have a hundred dollar note and anything over $20 in smaller notes including $1 notes). The latter is good for a tip for a drink or occasional side bet. I believe it throws of heat to see smaller bills at $10 table.

At $25 minimum table, I start with $200 or $300 and cash for more at $200 each time.

Unless it's a crowded casino, I cash in at the cage and always in correct amount as I have had the pit call the cage to check how much I cashed in on an attempt to check if I had rankled any.

**DoubleDownSoft21** · 08-13-2018, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by ZeeBabar

I usually pull out $200 or less (if I have a hundred dollar note and anything over $20 in smaller notes including $1 notes). The latter is good for a tip for a drink or occasional side bet. I believe it throws of heat to see smaller bills at $10 table.

At $25 minimum table, I start with $200 or $300 and cash for more at $200 each time.

Unless it's a crowded casino, I cash in at the cage and always in correct amount as I have had the pit call the cage to check how much I cashed in on an attempt to check if I had rankled any.

Several things here; apparently the pit suspects you are counting? Also, why bother calling the cage? You can easily leave the table, go to a restaurant to eat, go to a bar, go play slots or poker, or just go home. Nobody is obligated to go straight from coloring up at the table to the cage to cash.

**cc12b** · 08-13-2018, 08:19 AM

I usually buy in around 20x table min, if I know this dealer gives good pen I buy 30x.

**ZeeBabar** · 08-13-2018, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by DoubleDownSoft21

Several things here; apparently the pit suspects you are counting? Also, why bother calling the cage? You can easily leave the table, go to a restaurant to eat, go to a bar, go play slots or poker, or just go home. Nobody is obligated to go straight from coloring up at the table to the cage to cash.

The pit suspected I was rat holing. They must have figured out some additional chips were missing and called the pit on an empty morning with just another ploppy playing that table. As I waited in line, a cashier answered the phone and glanced at me, wrote down on paper my name. I had rat holed some Green chips. I left those chips in my pocket and checked out exactly as much as I had cashed in.

**Three** · 08-13-2018, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by ZeeBabar

The pit suspected I was rat holing.

The pit knows you are ratholing and hoping to get an exact amount of what you left with rather than assigning every unaccounted for chip to you.

Originally Posted by ZeeBabar

They must have figured out some additional chips were missing and called the pit on an empty morning with just another ploppy playing that table. As I waited in line, a cashier answered the phone and glanced at me, wrote down on paper my name. I had rat holed some Green chips. I left those chips in my pocket and checked out exactly as much as I had cashed in.

This might be a procedure many casinos have of tracking larger denomination chips. After you color up they call the cage and tell them to expect you to be cashing chip totals or denominations that they may ask for ID to redeem otherwise. This is a normal procedure. Many places have your file entered by your picture especially if you play unrated. The picture may come up at the cage or surveillance to help them know you are supposed to have certain chips or a certain amount of chips. This helps them flag SAR and structuring situations and more quickly cash out large denomination chips. If they don't keep a picture of you or your card information associated with large denomination chips you may have to go to a lot of trouble to cash them. They will only cash them if you can prove you where the one that left a game with them. They try to keep enough information on file to have the proof themselves so they can cash the chips that you left with in a timely fashion.

Of course these same procedures can be used in more intrusive ways with other objectives.