[jojobinks]

i bought the desert sands deal last week to use as my cash set.

soon, i'll have pharaoh's for my tourny set.

in the meantime, i've still got my dice that i've been using for everything the last two years.

the question; since most of my games are tourny, should i use the DS's, so they get some use, or should i keep them separate, to help keep my cash game secure? truth be told, ring games are rare for my game, so it's possible the DS's won't be used for some time.

i bought:
275: .25s
325: $1s
275: $5s
25: $25s

so i can do a T200 tournament using the chips at face value, with rebuys. but does this defeat the point of having two sets for different purposes?

thoughts?

[VARoadstter]

Originally Posted by jojobinks

the question; since most of my games are tourny, should i use the DS's, so they get some use, or should i keep them separate, to help keep my cash game secure? truth be told, ring games are rare for my game, so it's possible the DS's won't be used for some time.
...
so i can do a T200 tournament using the chips at face value, with rebuys. but does this defeat the point of having two sets for different purposes?

thoughts?

I highly reccomend using multiple sets if you have tourneys and cash games going simultaneously. The possiblity for someone to accidentally/purposefully float chips from the tourney to the cash game is a big concern.

Of course, if you are spreading multiple cash games it's not an issue as the chip values (only use chips w/denoms for cash games) speak for themselves.

Oh, one other thing...
If your touraments go on for a long time and people are just standing around waiting for the next one to begin, they are prime candidates for spreading a cash game.

[jojobinks]

thanks. what about if you alternate games. if we used these on a tourny night, would you worry about them likewise "floating" to cash game night?

[VARoadstter]

Originally Posted by jojobinks

thanks. what about if you alternate games. if we used these on a tourny night, would you worry about them likewise "floating" to cash game night?

Good question, and not one that can be answered easilly...

Bottom line, here's the best procedure I know of to avoid possible problems with chips coming into your game improperly:

1) Security - Your chips must be difficult/impossible to counterfeit. If you use dice chips you are going to get cheated.

2) Denominations - Chips used in cash games should always have a set denomination on them so they may be readilly exchanged for face value. It is possible that a player could end up with a few chips in their possession. If they have a specific value on them, there is no question as to what value the host should redeem them.

3) Accounting/Auditing - As a general rule, chips dispensed should be logged as they are being passed out (lots of TD software available can automate this). At the end of the night, spend the 5-15 minutes necessary to physically count your chips - this gets easier the more often you do it as you develop proficiency in stacking off chips.

This isn't just paranoia (I'm sure some would think so). I have been on both ends of this issue. In one instance a good friend ultimately had to stop hosting games because he was constantly coming up short and couldn't explain why. Everyone had their suspicions but it was impossible to know for sure because there was no security. In a game a few weeks ago I noticed I was missing some 25s and had to search all over to find them (they got put in with the wrong set).

It's usually -EV to host anyway (since taking a rake is a no-no) but when you're also paying out more money than you took in it can break a game in a hurry.

I know that's a long explanation to your question but that's truthfully the only way I know to do it right.

[hachkc]

Chip racks

Makes counting chips really easy.

[dammitjim]

Only use $1 and $5 for a cash game. That way if someone does sneak a chip or two in you aren't taking it in the @ss so hard. It also puts the risk/reward ratio more in your favor.