The Art of Ratholing

[kewljason]

I don't try to take all my chips with me on restroom breaks. There are a couple of reasons dealers encourage players to leave their chips on the table for a short break. Primarily because it forces the dealer to attempt to color you up which slows down the game. The other would be to thwart the very thing that is being discussed... returning to the table with fewer chips than you left with.

Of course we dont want the dealer to color us up. One way around this is a trick I learned from Callipygian. Buy in for small amounts. I buy in for 4 units initially. ($100) Each time I need more chips I buy in for another $100. If the count goes negative early on and I "need" a bathroom break, I probably only have a handfll of chips in front of me, at best. No need to color up. On those occasions when I do have a large stack of chips in front of me, it most likely means that the count was positive either earlier in the shoe or perhaps the previous shoe and I won some larger bets. Since the count has now tanked, this is probably a good time to leave rather than bathroom break for me, as I play short sessions.

 

[ihate17]

No time ever to color up

I don't think this will work. When you color up, they'll enter in your total chips you leave with on the computer, then when you sit down they'll start you with whatever chips you have. Unless they aren't diligent about getting people to color up.

I am going on a restroom break and that means I am running to the bathroom, got to go bad, have a bladder problem or whatever but it clearly means save my spot and I do not have time now for coloring up.

You never color up for a bathroom break if you take all of your chips. They will rarely ask you too but if they do, your emergency will handle that request.

ihate17

 

[johndoe]

OK.

Where I play most of the time they get really pissed if you don't color up. I'll hear the pit and dealers grumbling loudly about folks who don't. I'd hate to lose their love...

 

[ihate17]

On breaks or when leaving??

OK.

Where I play most of the time they get really pissed if you don't color up. I'll hear the pit and dealers grumbling loudly about folks who don't. I'd hate to lose their love...

John

I agree that when leaving a table you should color up. There is no advantage in pissing the pit off.
What I think we have moved on to here is not when you are leaving the table but when you are coming back after hitting the restroom. In this case they will rarely ask or expect you to color up, especially if you take your stack of blacks and greens but leave a few small chips as kind of a space holder so they are sure that your intentions are to return.

ihate17

 

[johndoe]

John

I agree that when leaving a table you should color up. There is no advantage in pissing the pit off.
What I think we have moved on to here is not when you are leaving the table but when you are coming back after hitting the restroom. In this case they will rarely ask or expect you to color up, especially if you take your stack of blacks and greens but leave a few small chips as kind of a space holder so they are sure that your intentions are to return.

ihate17

Ah, of course. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Finn Dog]

I think what he's saying is yes he takes all his chips with him. Say he has a stack of $600 green. when he returns he places the stack back on the table. but now its only $500 or $525 or whatever. This is the way I do it as well. I've never really understood this concept of leaving your chips at the table during bathroom break. I wouldn't leave a stack of cash. Or my wallet. Or my watch. Or my car keys, so I'm not leaving a thousand dollars worth of chips. maybe thats just me though. What happens when the dealer changes while you are away? just becomes a bigger hassle to me. I personally like to stay in possession of my possessions.

So you mean you just grab all your chips (without any sort of accounting before the dealer) post haste because of the "unexpected emergency" and they're OK with that? (I would have thought this would have left them them steaming...no?)

Best regards,

FD

 

[21forme]

I guess I never thought much of leaving my chips while I went ot the bathroom. I figured they had so many cameras on that table that it would be easily corrected. Would the casino give you your chips back or whould they say you have to file a police report and a big sorry better take your chips next time? On more than one occasion I went to take my chips to the bathroom and the dealer and pit told me to leave them there they would watch them, I guess it is my money i could have declined their offer and took them with me. Almost allways I have my wife or a friend with me so they can watch my chips while I take a break.

I always take my chips with me and rarely color up (unless it's a huge stack).

Casinos will not reimburse you if someone snatches your chips. I've heard dealers and PC tells stories about someone coming up to the table and saying something like "Hi, I'm Joe's wife/GF/friend/whatever. He had to take a phone call and asked me to pick up his chips." When Joe comes back, looking for his chips, they find out he was alone and say they're sorry (and sorry, no reimbursement).

Also, cameras are not necessarily a deterrent. A few months ago at Caesars AC, someone did a smash and grab on a locked chip tray at a BJ table in 2nd floor pit (which isn't open many hours off season). They never caught the guy and that's why there are no longer purple chips at any table in the 2nd floor pit.

 

[bjcount]

I always take my chips with me and rarely color up (unless it's a huge stack).

Casinos will not reimburse you if someone snatches your chips. I've heard dealers and PC tells stories about someone coming up to the table and saying something like "Hi, I'm Joe's wife/GF/friend/whatever. He had to take a phone call and asked me to pick up his chips." When Joe comes back, looking for his chips, they find out he was alone and say they're sorry (and sorry, no reimbursement).

Also, cameras are not necessarily a deterrent. A few months ago at Caesars AC, someone did a smash and grab on a locked chip tray at a BJ table in 2nd floor pit (which isn't open many hours off season). They never caught the guy and that's why there are no longer purple chips at any table in the 2nd floor pit.

Even the store tried to get away with a fast one. Recently a guy colored up and left a black chip to hold his spot. The dealer left a marker in his box too. After 15 minutes the floor supervisor told the dealer to lock up the chip. Not three minutes later the guy comes back looking for his chip. The floor supervisor was quite embarrased.

BJC

 

[Finn Dog]

I always take my chips with me and rarely color up (unless it's a huge stack).

Don't the dealers and PBs get pissed if you do this?

 

[Thunder]

I've heard and witnessed way too many horror stories about chips being stolen to leave them at the table. I've had people "accidentally" take my chips while at the table!!

 

[21forme]

Don't the dealers and PBs get pissed if you do this?

Rarely.

 

[Finn Dog]

I've heard and witnessed way too many horror stories about chips being stolen to leave them at the table. I've had people "accidentally" take my chips while at the table!!

So just to be clear on the mechanics of this: when you do this, do you show the dealer your stack at all or account it in any way--or just nonchalantly put it away and ask him/her to hold your spot for a few minutes?

 

[rukus]

So just to be clear on the mechanics of this: when you do this, do you show the dealer your stack at all or account it in any way--or just nonchalantly put it away and ask him/her to hold your spot for a few minutes?

one thing you can do if you want to appease the PB so he can track his chips but no actually color up is the following: discretely split your stack something like 80/20 or 90/10 and grab each pile with one hand. slip the 20% or 10% in your pocket as you blatantly hold up the other hand with most of the chips and actively tell the PB/dealer how much you are walking away with.

for instance, pile of 8 greens. split it into 6 and 2. slip the 2 into your pocket as you hold up and show the PB/dealer the other 6 chips and offer the fact that you are walking away with $150 dollars. if he insists on coloring you up, give him just those 6 chips, and there you go, you have quietly pocketed $50...

 

[Finn Dog]

one thing you can do if you want to appease the PB so he can track his chips but no actually color up is the following: discretely split your stack something like 80/20 or 90/10 and grab each pile with one hand. slip the 20% or 10% in your pocket as you blatantly hold up the other hand with most of the chips and actively tell the PB/dealer how much you are walking away with.

for instance, pile of 8 greens. split it into 6 and 2. slip the 2 into your pocket as you hold up and show the PB/dealer the other 6 chips and offer the fact that you are walking away with $150 dollars. if he insists on coloring you up, give him just those 6 chips, and there you go, you have quietly pocketed $50...

And we have a winner: First Place! :1st:

That's the best idea I've heard!

My thanks to all,

Best regards and good cards,

FD

 

[moo321]

one thing you can do if you want to appease the PB so he can track his chips but no actually color up is the following: discretely split your stack something like 80/20 or 90/10 and grab each pile with one hand. slip the 20% or 10% in your pocket as you blatantly hold up the other hand with most of the chips and actively tell the PB/dealer how much you are walking away with.

for instance, pile of 8 greens. split it into 6 and 2. slip the 2 into your pocket as you hold up and show the PB/dealer the other 6 chips and offer the fact that you are walking away with $150 dollars. if he insists on coloring you up, give him just those 6 chips, and there you go, you have quietly pocketed $50...

I do that trick a lot. I also have a few chips in my pocket before I pull this maneuvre.

 

[itakeyourmoney]

Would it work to just keep all of your chips in your pocket? I play much smaller stakes than most of you, but I've often thought about keeping like all reds in my left pocket and all greens in my right pocket (or just keeping all of my chips in one of those plastic buckets they have for old ladies with their quarters haha). This way the PB, the dealer, and the EITS won't have any idea at all about how much you've made/loss.

 

[moo321]

Would it work to just keep all of your chips in your pocket? I play much smaller stakes than most of you, but I've often thought about keeping like all reds in my left pocket and all greens in my right pocket (or just keeping all of my chips in one of those plastic buckets they have for old ladies with their quarters haha). This way the PB, the dealer, and the EITS won't have any idea at all about how much you've made/loss.

Yeah, but then they'll know you're ratholing.

 

[Cherry7Up]

Yeah, but then they'll know you're ratholing.

Please elaborate on this moo--why does it hurt the ratholer for the pit crew to know about it?

 

[Finn Dog]

Please elaborate on this moo--why does it hurt the ratholer for the pit crew to know about it?

The pit believes anyone concealing wins is a card counter.

 

[rukus]

I do that trick a lot. I also have a few chips in my pocket before I pull this maneuvre.

ditto. its the premise of all great magic tricks. deflect the attention!