B&M newbie question

[johnnydrama]

Silly stupid B&M newbie question.
When and how can buy more chips at the table in a NL game?

Say I buy-in for the max, down half my stack and want to add back up to the max. Do I simply put money next to my stack and that counts towards my total amount if I get all-in? If so, what happens if I work my way back up and don’t realize I have more on the table I should?

Or do I put money out in front that the dealer will change into chips before the next hand? Do I say something to the dealer or he just assumes by putting cash out front that it is for change and not a bet?

Just looking to do what is right and not announce to everyone that I am a newbie (my play probably does that!)

Thanks

[LasVegasMichael]

Whether you buy directly from the dealer or from a chip runner depends on the house, but in all places, pretty much, when you want to reload, you just take the cash out, and let the dealer know. The dealer will either call a chip runner for more chips or do it out of his rack (be sure to ask for it between hands, obviously).

In most max buy in NL games, cash does not play, so they will need to change them to chips for you before you can play them (possible exception being while you are waiting for the runner, the cash may play temporarily).

In games where there is no max buy in, cash plays (usually $100 bills only), so there is no issue with pulling kore out and leaving it on the table.

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]
Say I buy-in for the max, down half my stack and want to add back up to the max. Do I simply put money next to my stack and that counts towards my total amount if I get all-in? If so, what happens if I work my way back up and don’t realize I have more on the table I should?

[/ QUOTE ]

I know a lot of people think cash on the table looks really cool, but personally I like having some black chips in my stack (which of course I leave in clear view -- I'm not talking about the Hidden Chip Trick here). But if you forget you have $100 bills playing, you could also forget you have big chips so if you think you'll forget what you're playing with then only rebuy for the standard denomination (probably $5). Also I've recently read here that at least one California room won't let high-denomination chips play and will void a jackpot because of them, which is just absurd.

For your initial buy-in it's polite to go to the cage, but after that it's expected that the dealer (or chiprunner) will accomodate you as others have said.

Again, I'm a nerd so if I'm buying in for $100 in $5 chips, I carry another 2-300 in $25 chips just to save everyone time. If I triple up to say $300 I might sell my neighbor $100 in chips and buy chips out of my pocket to keep the same amount on the table.

Probably -EV, but hey, my geekiness is so manifest that I couldn't hide it if I tried.

[pig4bill]

I just say "Dealer, one hundred behind" making sure he's looking at me, and place a hundo vertically behind my chips. That serves the dual purpose of letting the table know I have another hundred in action (the dealer always announces it) and prompts him to yell for a chiprunner.

[bav]

Specifics vary by casino. Some casinos do not allow cash of any sort to play. Some allow $100's only to play. Some allow any cash to play. So whether you can add cash to your stack can't be answered.

It's also the case that in some rooms large chips don't play. I believe MGM doesn't allow $25's and larger to play in the NL1/2 game, for instance. This is unusual, but it does depend on the room.

Most rooms follow the simple rule that you can reload your stack anytime you like up to the buyin cap. So if you have $180 and the cap is $200, you can add $20 to your stack. A few rooms have bizzare rules about not allowing reloads until you are below a specific stack size, like maybe half the buyin cap. Some rooms allow you to add enough to go over the buyin cap once you are below a specific stack size (like Luxor's ridonkulous $50 buy-in NL1/2 game where they allow you to add $50 more anytime you are below $50).

Some rooms the dealers will sell chips out of the rack. Some rooms they don't, or won't have enough chips in the rack to do it, and they'll call someone over to get the chips for you. Or typically you can just saunter over to the cage yourself and get additional chips and return them to the table (living within the confines of their rebuy rules, of course).

Easiest way to avoid issues is to just tell the dealer what you have in mind.

[johnnydrama]

Thanks for the replies so far!

So it is still intimidating [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I don't want to slow the game down. When do you tell the dealer what you want to do? Seems to be very little time between hands.

Thanks again.

[AKQJ10]

Ideally right at the end of the previous hand. The dealer will make time for you to rebuy. It's expected.

[bav]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't want to slow the game down.

[/ QUOTE ]
Especially at low limits, you're allowed and expected to ask questions. Nobody will be annoyed if you ask the floor or brush what the rebuy rules are before you sit down, or ask at the table after you sit down. Nobody will be annoyed when you drop $100 on the table to reload and ask for chips.

Don't be intimidated. But feel free to watch the games for a few minutes before you sit down...nothing wrong with that, either, and eventually you'll see rebuys happen, and see how folks place bets and get change when they don't have exact amounts, and just get a feel for how it all works.

Also many poker rooms offer classes for beginners, either at specific times of day or on demand. They're perfect for asking these sorts of questions and looking clumsy and silly and slow as you fumble with chips and cards and procedures.

[RJT]

[ QUOTE ]
Seems to be very little time between hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you ever watched paint dry or grass grow? You’ll be fine.

Btw, when buying in at the table, just put your money in front of you. If the dealer doesn’t see it at first, then when he starts to shuffle the cards move it closer to him and say what you want. If he still doesn’t see it then just make sure he sees it as he deals you your first card.