Homegame short on money at cashout

Gelin1 · #1 10-05-2007, 08:40 PM

I run a small, weekly cashgame with buy-ins at ~$40. Last time we were 5 players, but last couple of hours only 3. When we decided to quit and cashout we were short $40. I'm 99% sure of who didn't pay when he bought in. I realize it's my fault, I should have made sure everyone had paid before giving out chips (I usually do) but apparently forgot this time. Since I'm pretty sure who it was, I sent him a diplomatic text message saying I think I forgot, is it possible you didn't...etc. I didn't receive an answer and I don't know how to proceed. We're all friends (kinda) and it's a very small sum, but it's not the money that matters. I wanna be able to trust the ppl I'm playing with

What do you think?

pfapfap · #2 10-05-2007, 08:58 PM

One person to take the cash. One person to hold the chips. One person to cash them out. And in the darkness bind them.

br.bm · #3 10-05-2007, 09:53 PM

agree

and this person pays the missing money and keeps the money which is too much.

How to proceed with your friend is a different story

BillD · #4 10-05-2007, 11:52 PM

Try talking, as opposed to texting, to the player. It's a novel concept, but it might work.

I accidently noticed that I hadn't paid my buy-in when had an extra c-note in my wallet when I got home. I just gave it to the host at the next game.

TrvChBoy · #5 10-06-2007, 03:14 AM

This advice is a little late, but here is my advice for the banker:

Be deadly serious about each buy-in and cash-out. Count and double-count each one. Nothing sucks more than thinking you had a bad night at the table, only to find out you made an error in the bank. Careful banking is tough to do when you are trying to host and play at the same time. Don't let other players get their own chips or cash themselves out. If any mistake happens in the bank that night, you will immediately suspect your buddy, even if the mistake was yours! The banker typically makes about 25 transactions each night, and each transaction has potential for error. I personally double-count each cashed-in chip at the end of the night, writing down the amount after the first count, and making sure this number matches my second count. I also count the starting money in the bank at the beginning of each night and take extra care the bank's money doesn't get mixed in with my normal spending money. All of this takes more time than most games I have seen, but my bank is always square these days.

Rottersod · #6 10-06-2007, 03:29 AM

[ QUOTE ]
One person to take the cash. One person to hold the chips. One person to cash them out. And in the darkness bind them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not crazy about that. In our games we decide who will be bank and that person is responsible for all transactions and chips so if there are too many chips out (meaning too little money to pay out) it's his fault. Bank always gets paid last. After one or two times of being shorted your players will get serious and it shouldn't happen again.

Gelin1 · #7 10-06-2007, 04:10 AM

There weren't that many transactiona this evening and I have sort of a mental picture of everyone except this person's initial buy-in.
I guess I will take your advice and start double counting and everything in the future.
What bothers me is that he hasn't even responded, if I were him I would call right away if I came home and noticed I owed money to the bank. Repeted requests kind of feels like I'm accusing him and I can't be 100 per cent so I don't want to that

pfapfap · #8 10-06-2007, 10:24 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One person to take the cash. One person to hold the chips. One person to cash them out. And in the darkness bind them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not crazy about that. In our games we decide who will be bank and that person is responsible for all transactions and chips so if there are too many chips out (meaning too little money to pay out) it's his fault. Bank always gets paid last. After one or two times of being shorted your players will get serious and it shouldn't happen again.

[/ QUOTE ]

I mean it's the same person. Only one person at all in charge of chips. I've made it clear to my players no touchey the chips. There's a mystical barrier around them.

Racks help tremendously with this. I'll always give the chips a count myself (organizing them within racks to be easily identified) and then count them again with the person cashing out. I always count aloud while selling, too. Complete transparency and crosschecking.

Rottersod · #9 10-06-2007, 12:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One person to take the cash. One person to hold the chips. One person to cash them out. And in the darkness bind them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not crazy about that. In our games we decide who will be bank and that person is responsible for all transactions and chips so if there are too many chips out (meaning too little money to pay out) it's his fault. Bank always gets paid last. After one or two times of being shorted your players will get serious and it shouldn't happen again.

[/ QUOTE ]

I mean it's the same person. Only one person at all in charge of chips. I've made it clear to my players no touchey the chips. There's a mystical barrier around them.

Racks help tremendously with this. I'll always give the chips a count myself (organizing them within racks to be easily identified) and then count them again with the person cashing out. I always count aloud while selling, too. Complete transparency and crosschecking.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL. Sorry. I read that wrong then. I thought you wanted a different person to do each of those. I admit I was a bit surprised when I saw it was you who wrote that. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

GeraldGiraffe · #10 10-06-2007, 01:18 PM

A whole buyin is way too much to be down at the end of the night. The actual cash amount isn't so important. Do a quick count of the cashbox when the game starts and make sure it corresponds to the total number of chips out, and that should make it easier to keep track of rebuys.

Our homegame had this problem a few times so we made a tally chart of buyins on a little whiteboard - that worked quite well but it can be a lot of hassle unless there are people buying in more than say, 3 times a game.

Also, you could consider having a full count everytime someone cashes out, but it's a bit of a pain to do.

Your friend should be honest enough to rectify his mistake - most people are. The last time we had a situation like this we accidentally overpaid someone because a guy left saying he'd come back and took his chips off the table but never returned and we forgot about it. At the next game we explained what had happened to the guy who'd been overpaid and he was fine with it - most people would rather be honest and keep their place in the game.