Is there any reason to NOT buy your chips at the BJ table?

[21forme]

I have an AP friend who prefers to buy his chips somewhere other than the BJ table. He usually plays anonymously and believes if you just sit down with chips, rather than buy it, the pit is less likely to give you grief about not having a player's card.

Does anyone else agree with this approach?

 

[ihate17]

Yes, to a point

Just sit down and start to play. The dealer does have to call the pit to change your cash to chips or to change your color. So, often the pit does not even know you are there.

Once playing if you must change a purple or black, reach into your pocket for more chips, place any large bets or start piling up some big chip stacks, the pit will definately know you are there and perhaps now ask you if you have a players card.

ihate17

 

[EmeraldCityBJ]

Another thing to consider:

Who besides a card counter walks into a casino with a bunch of chips and just starts playing? Perhaps there are good answers to this question, but I can't think of one. While it's true that players can jump from one pit to the next at large casinos, I expect they probably have a pretty good sense of where the chips are going if you're carrying around a lot of them. It seems to me that if they are unable to figure out where your chips came from, it might make them even more suspicious.

 

[ihate17]

Locations such as Vegas

Another thing to consider:

Who besides a card counter walks into a casino with a bunch of chips and just starts playing? Perhaps there are good answers to this question, but I can't think of one. While it's true that players can jump from one pit to the next at large casinos, I expect they probably have a pretty good sense of where the chips are going if you're carrying around a lot of them. It seems to me that if they are unable to figure out where your chips came from, it might make them even more suspicious.

Many people go to places like Vegas and do most of their playing in the hotel where they stay. In this case, there might be no reason to cash out everyday, just take your chips, put them in your room safe or under your pillow and hit the tables tomorrow with chips.

Also, your arriving at a table with a couple of blacks just might solve a lazy pits problem. He earlier could not account for who took a few blacks and now you come in, problem solved for him.

ihate17

 

[mdlbj]

Another thing to consider:

Who besides a card counter walks into a casino with a bunch of chips and just starts playing? Perhaps there are good answers to this question, but I can't think of one. While it's true that players can jump from one pit to the next at large casinos, I expect they probably have a pretty good sense of where the chips are going if you're carrying around a lot of them. It seems to me that if they are unable to figure out where your chips came from, it might make them even more suspicious.

When I lived in Seattle, I would walk into Goldie's with a crew of my Asian friends and empty a hefty load of black chips onto the table. And jump into the middle of a shoe. Most of the chips came from buying into poker tourneys and walking out after a marginal win.

In vegas, buying in for 5k is not a big deal at a $25 dollar table. In smaller establishments, its all about perception.

You can put down as much money as you would like at a table with no arguments from a floor manager or pit boss yet, you should use a players card if you want the comps.

Dont be scared. If you all are playing perfectly, then you should not sweat the little stuff.

 

[Diver]

table hopping/ wonging?

Due to limited games at local casinos, I've not had the opportunity to wong in and out, plus I'm mostly playing DD games that don't allow mid-shoe entry. But I'll be in Vegas soon and expect to play a fair amount of shoe games since a lot of the better DD games are beyond my $25 min. If you sit down mid shoe with a stack of chips, is that in itself apt to draw some attention to your play right off the bat, or am I right in thinking it's routine enough to be unremarkable?

 

[ihate17]

Quite ordinary, with exceptions

Due to limited games at local casinos, I've not had the opportunity to wong in and out, plus I'm mostly playing DD games that don't allow mid-shoe entry. But I'll be in Vegas soon and expect to play a fair amount of shoe games since a lot of the better DD games are beyond my $25 min. If you sit down mid shoe with a stack of chips, is that in itself apt to draw some attention to your play right off the bat, or am I right in thinking it's routine enough to be unremarkable?

If you colored up at the table you left and now sit at a new table, it is exactly what nearly everyone does. If you come in with 60 red or something similar, you will get questionable looks and maybe even a comment.

I would also put only some of the chips on the table. Say you left with $1,000 and come into a $10 game, why put the whole $1,000 on the table. Just put 1-2 hundred and keep the rest in your pocket.

ihate17

 

[SilentBob420BMFJ]

Another thing to consider:

Who besides a card counter walks into a casino with a bunch of chips and just starts playing? Perhaps there are good answers to this question, but I can't think of one. While it's true that players can jump from one pit to the next at large casinos, I expect they probably have a pretty good sense of where the chips are going if you're carrying around a lot of them. It seems to me that if they are unable to figure out where your chips came from, it might make them even more suspicious.

i disagree, and dont see why when you become an AP, that now everything that was considered normal activity, is now suspicious.. when i was playing BS only, i would sometimes take home my chips instead of cashing them.. think about it tho, we are discussing if its weird to be in a casino with chips.. the casino doesnt care where you got them, because they know where you got them, from the casino! the reason casinos want you to color up, cash out when you leave, and keep track of blacks has nothing to do with card counters, so i see no reason to be worried

Due to limited games at local casinos, I've not had the opportunity to wong in and out, plus I'm mostly playing DD games that don't allow mid-shoe entry. But I'll be in Vegas soon and expect to play a fair amount of shoe games since a lot of the better DD games are beyond my $25 min. If you sit down mid shoe with a stack of chips, is that in itself apt to draw some attention to your play right off the bat, or am I right in thinking it's routine enough to be unremarkable?

your fine

 

[EmeraldCityBJ]

i disagree, and dont see why when you become an AP, that now everything that was considered normal activity, is now suspicious.. when i was playing BS only, i would sometimes take home my chips instead of cashing them.. think about it tho, we are discussing if its weird to be in a casino with chips.. the casino doesnt care where you got them, because they know where you got them, from the casino! the reason casinos want you to color up, cash out when you leave, and keep track of blacks has nothing to do with card counters, so i see no reason to be worried

This has a lot to do with where you play.

In the Seattle area, most casinos are quite small (typically 10 tables or less), and it's pretty unusual for someone to walk into a casino with chips in hand. It is also very common for casinos to go out of business - most often because they went bankrupt. If you have any of their chips when this happens, you're SOL.

I think I've learned from this thread that many of my valid concerns where I play are not things people need to worry about elsewhere.

 

[mdlbj]

Another thing to consider:

Who besides a card counter walks into a casino with a bunch of chips and just starts playing? Perhaps there are good answers to this question, but I can't think of one. While it's true that players can jump from one pit to the next at large casinos, I expect they probably have a pretty good sense of where the chips are going if you're carrying around a lot of them. It seems to me that if they are unable to figure out where your chips came from, it might make them even more suspicious.

You will be able to do this more when your bankroll grows and play with higher stakes.

 

[SilentBob420BMFJ]

This has a lot to do with where you play.

In the Seattle area, most casinos are quite small (typically 10 tables or less), and it's pretty unusual for someone to walk into a casino with chips in hand. It is also very common for casinos to go out of business - most often because they went bankrupt. If you have any of their chips when this happens, you're SOL.

I think I've learned from this thread that many of my valid concerns where I play are not things people need to worry about elsewhere.

this could be true, and you will have to take that in mind when you read my posts or anybody elses, and this goes for everybody.. but seriously, saying "who else but a card counter already has chips" is an incorrect statement regardless of the casino i would think, because think about it, when you walk up to a table, and already have chips, how does anybody know you werent just at another table? unless the entire casino consisted of 1 pit with all the table games in a circle, i dont see any reason for alarm.. besides, if you did walk in with a bunch of chips, why would that make you a card counter? if i did a poll, i bet 9/10 of the card counters cash out their chips, and i bet 9/10 of the non-counters cash out their chips..

IF a casino were suspicious of you because you already had chips, they certainly wouldnt think about counting, but perhaps tax evasion or something.. there are enuf things to worry about, and i dont want beginning counters to read all the paranoid threads on here and think omg i better not count, sounds really risky

 

[Trever Kirk]

I have an AP friend who prefers to buy his chips somewhere other than the BJ table. He usually plays anonymously and believes if you just sit down with chips, rather than buy it, the pit is less likely to give you grief about not having a player's card.

Does anyone else agree with this approach?

no i think thats stupid.