Faux Chip Card Protectors = Angleshooting

[train.]

slightly off topic, but i didn't want to start a new thread.

I have a 1888 silver dollar that I'd like to use as a card protector. Can I usually do this without it being considered part of my stake? I plan on asking the floor when i get to the cardroom but thought i'd ask here too.

[mshalen]

As soon as I saw the title of this thread I knew what the OP was going to be upset about.

I bought one of those black chip stack lighters last January when I played at the Wynn. I was playing in the 1-3 game and noticed one of the players had what looked like a short stack of black $100 chips so in general conversation I asked how much he had in his stack. He then showed the lighter around the table and it was no big deal. So on a lark, since I don't smoke, I went to the Wynn gift shop and for $6 plus tax bought my first chip protector.

There have only been a few times that people have been upset about the lighter looking like a stack of chips. These occurances were in tournaments so I stopped using it when black chips were likely to be on the table. Whenever I do use it the protector is always on the cards ans I generally make a point of showing it to people who notice.

Since I mostly play 1-2 and 2-5, and only rarely are there black chips in play, this is usually never a problem.