How to Buy In at the Craps Table

[heavy]

When you first walk up to buy in at a craps game in progress there's a tendency among new and uneducated players (you don't want to be associated with them) to just drop some cash on the table and say "change only." About 90% of the time this move will stop the roll while the stick brings the dice in, the dealer brings in the cash, the box counts it out, then the dealer confirms the amount and gives you the appropriate amount of chips. If there were any momentum in the game - you just killed it. Don't be that player.

When you first walk up to the table look for the "puck" that says "ON" or "OFF." It if says "OFF" then there is no hand in progress and you can buy in. If it says "ON" there is a game in progress and you should wait. While you are waiting the dealer may ask if you want to go ahead and buy in. The correct response is, "I'll wait until we're OFF.

If a marathon hand is in progress and you just can't resist tossing some money on the table do it while the dice are in the center and give the dealer the exact change for your bets. $70 will get you $66 inside and a buck each on the hardways. $40 will get you $18 each on the six and eight and all the hardways for a dollar. $110 will get you $110 inside. $160 across. Whatever your bet is - give the dealer that amount of money. A smaller bet - like $40 for the $18 six and eight plus dollar each on the hardways - will get you in the game and give you the opportunity to press up and out if the hand continues.

If you walk up to a game in progress and a friend of yours is at the table you can always ask him to sell you $100 out of his rack. OR as a last resort you can go to the casino cage and buy chips there. Give them $200 and ask for it in green chips. Then you can walk up to the table, toss in a couple of chips and tell them what you want without bringing the game to a halt.

Remember, a lot of old timers have a superstition about "new money on the table" bringing out the seven. And the LAST thing you want to do is throw money on the table when the shooter is about to toss the dice. The dice will land on the money more times than you'd think possible. And if it turns up a seven everyone at the table is going to hate you.

[London Shooter]

At your regular local casino or at your home base on a longer trip it can often be useful to keep a few chips back for your next session so you don't have a prob if you want to slide quickly into a hand.

[wild child]

For the serious hobby player amounts of $100 to perhaps $200 "Take Home Chips" will not
crimp your lifestyle of have the children going without milk.....
Should the above be the case,please consider finding some other pass time....
Perhaps taking your kids fishing or whatever......
....... Twenty years from now ,when you may have fewer responsibilities there may
still be a craps game to place your $ U S D at risk.......
....Your kids will be happy and well adjusted ,and I will have one less looser
begging for "Milk Money to feed the kids "

just me saying

w c

[heavy]

Just to give you an idea about how serious some folks are about what Wild Child just mentioned, I used to know a guy in Vegas who almost NEVER cashed his chips in after a session. He took them home and dropped them in his floor safe. At one time he had over $800K in chips in there. When he got read to go to the casino he'd pull out anywhere from $2K to $10K and off he'd go. These days that can be a bit more of an issue as casinos are tracking chips much more closely than they used to - mostly due to banking laws, IRS rules, and fear of both terrorist financial activities and money laundering.

[Bankerdude80]

Yeah. Not to long ago there was a story about Bellagio changing out all their high denom chips after a big robbery in order to smoke out the culprit. I think the bad guy was some Judge's son if I remember correctly.

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2010/dec/2 ... ter-heist/

How often do you think casinos change out their small denom chips?

[wiremonkey]

Funny you should post this, just went up to Rocky Gap this weekend, suprized to find they had changed out all of there chips to new ones, all denominations. ( been going there for about a year and a half, not sure how long the old chip had been in use.)

[stratocasterman]

I buy in at the nearest BJ or Baccarat table before I EVER even approach the craps table. That way I can sneak into a good roll without pissing anyone off. Guess that's the old Boy Scout in me...always be prepared.