Stacking your bets.
 

I haven't spent too much time playing poker in a casino, so I'm not very well versed in how I should be stacking my bets or if it really matters. I've played a lot of NL and limit, does the difference really matter?

Sometimes I just have a stack of chips and just essentially throw them out there (not splashing the pot, just not stacking the chips in front of me). One dealer didn't really like it and asked me to stack them, but it definitely is a habit of mine. I see on a lot of poker shows that they do the same thing, but do the dealers get annoyed with it? B&M, you decide.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

At my local B&M cardroom, it seems like Omaha H/L dealers prefer to have them stacked because of the split pots. I don't notice Hold'em dealers getting too upset if you don't stack your bets.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

The chips have to be counted if the bet amount is not clear.

If you make that a habit it will not only annoy the dealers but other players as well because it slows down the game.

You'll be viewed as a turd.

Just try and make a habit of stacking your chips in amounts that make sense when placing a bet. In no limit games...stacks of $20 for $1 chips and stacks of $25/$100 for $5 chips...stacks of $100/$500 for $25 chips...etc.

In limit games stack the entire big bet or place 2 stacks of equal amounts.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

My rule of thumb is to be sure to stack neatly 6 or more chips (in units of 3, 4, 5, or 20). Five chips or fewer can be splashed (but taking care not to splash the pot--never do that; it is a huge pain in the ass).

In split-pot games you should stack all bets neatly, as this helps the dealer.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
In limit games stack the entire big bet or place 2 stacks of equal amounts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Most dealers I know would prefer that you stack these in units of 3-5, depending on what makes sense.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
Most dealers I know would prefer that you stack these in units of 3-5, depending on what makes sense.

[/ QUOTE ]

What if you're playing 4/8, 40/80 or 100/200...those cases preferred stacks are 2, 4 or 8.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

Most dealers (like most players) just want to get in as many hands/hour as possible. It should be clear when betting in a messy pile is going to slow things down (the dealer has to count your bet, in limit or NL, so he will often have to stack it for you).

I usually play in a 4 chips/8 chip structure. Calling a flop bet, closing the action, you can practically splash the pot with your 4 chips and no one will care. However, if you 3-bet the turn with a big messy pile, you are going to slow things down considerably - people won't be sure if you are re-raising or just calling the raise, the dealer will have to make sure you actually put out 24 chips, etc...

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]


I usually play in a 4 chips/8 chip structure. ... if you 3-bet the turn with a big messy pile,


[/ QUOTE ]

I usually put out 8..8..8 and then split the last 8 into two stacks of 4 (so they can see the stacks are really 8).

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I usually play in a 4 chips/8 chip structure. ... if you 3-bet the turn with a big messy pile,


[/ QUOTE ]

I usually put out 8..8..8 and then split the last 8 into two stacks of 4 (so they can see the stacks are really 8).

[/ QUOTE ]

I slap 4 chips onto a stack of twenty and make 6 stacks of 4. Easy peasy. :P

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
What if you're playing 4/8, 40/80 or 100/200...those cases preferred stacks are 2, 4 or 8.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stacks of 4 are way better than either stacks of 2 or 8.

Concordantly, if you're playing 10/20, a turn bet can just be splashed as 4 chips, but if you raise you should stack them neatly in groups of 4.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

It's just not-that-hard! If you're playing a 3-chip game, stack 'em in 3's. If you're playing a 4-chip game, stack 'em in 4's. If you're playing NL, the bet size determines the stacking size (e.g. $35 is 3+3+1, $75 is 5+5+5, $120 is 5+5+5+5+4). And yeah, if you feel like "splashing" do it with 5 chips or less and keep your splash away from the main pot. And to save what little is left of my hair, please when you go all-in with ~$300 of uncounted reds in front of you, do not just shove 'em forward into a giant pile.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

It really depends. If you play a 2/4 chip game -- like 10/20 with $5 chips -- just tossing in two or four chips is not usually a problem... but once it gets up to six or more chips being bet at a time, you really need to stack your chips. The dealer needs to know that you have put the right number of chips in the pot and the other players would like to be able to confirm it by sight as well.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

A lot of these posters don't seem to know what you are talking about but I do. You're talking about putting in chips from one hand by setting them down over the line and then using your finger to flick them forward in a single file towards the dealer. In a bet where you don't have a whole lot of chips there's nothing wrong with that. I do it all the time, especially if I'm in seat 3 or 7 and have to reach a bit farther. It's also fine to do it if you announce a raise amount, count of the stacks (say $75 divided into 3 stacks of 5 x $5 chips) and put each stack out one at a time and after you put the last stack out you flick those chips out in a row towards the dealer like my example above. This actually makes it easier for the dealer to count. Just be tight with them and don't splash the pot.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

That's not what I was talking about actually. :P You lose.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
putting in chips from one hand by setting them down over the line and then using your finger to flick them forward in a single file towards the dealer.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where did this start? God I hate it. Makes it harder to
verify the bet amount and makes it harder for the dealer
to scoop the bets into the pot.

Stacking your bets in stacks of five or less makes the
dealers life easier and makes your game run smoother/faster.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I usually play in a 4 chips/8 chip structure. ... if you 3-bet the turn with a big messy pile,


[/ QUOTE ]

I usually put out 8..8..8 and then split the last 8 into two stacks of 4 (so they can see the stacks are really 8).

[/ QUOTE ]

This is how the cool kids do it.

At least, thats what a cool kid told me.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

It's the exact opposite. You can visually count the chips knocked over and then know how many are in each stack.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
It's the exact opposite. You can visually count the chips knocked over and then know how many are in each stack.

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course the clever kids put out two stacks of 4 chips, and one stack of 5 and knock the stack of 5 over, thus "proving" that each stack has 5 chips.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
That's not what I was talking about actually. :P You lose.

[/ QUOTE ]

sure. poser.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's the exact opposite. You can visually count the chips knocked over and then know how many are in each stack.

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course the clever kids put out two stacks of 4 chips, and one stack of 5 and knock the stack of 5 over, thus "proving" that each stack has 5 chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

If a dealer or another player can't visually count a 4 or 5 stack that is placed over the line then there is something seriously wrong. You're making up things that just don't happen.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's the exact opposite. You can visually count the chips knocked over and then know how many are in each stack.

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course the clever kids put out two stacks of 4 chips, and one stack of 5 and knock the stack of 5 over, thus "proving" that each stack has 5 chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

If a dealer or another player can't visually count a 4 or 5 stack that is placed over the line then there is something seriously wrong. You're making up things that just don't happen.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is THAT what I'm doing? Drat. I was trying to do something else. I thought I was pointing out as incorrect the theory that splashing the last stack somehow confirmed the size of the other stacks. Silly me.

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
Is THAT what I'm doing? Drat. I was trying to do something else. I thought I was pointing out as incorrect the theory that splashing the last stack somehow confirmed the size of the other stacks. Silly you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

All I know is that in a 3/6 structure, raising the turn is 4/4/4. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Stacking your bets.
 

[ QUOTE ]
All I know is that in a 3/6 structure, raising the turn is 4/4/4. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
haha dude i hate that. it throws me off when i wanna 3-bet.