Discovering How to Compete in Craps – Tips and Tactics: Casino Chips or Casino Cheques?
Posted in Craps on 03/16/2010 02:21 am by Philip
Casino staff normally refer to chips as "cheques," being of French origin. In reality, there’s a difference amidst a chip and a cheque. A cheque is a chip with a denomination imprinted on its face and is constantly worth the amount of the printed number. Chips, however, don’t have denominations written on them and any color can be valued at any amount as determined by the house. For example, in a poker tournament, the casino might define white chips as $1 and blue chips as $10; whereas, in a game of roulette, the dealer might define white chips as 25 cents and blue chips as 2 dollars. A further example, the cheap red, white, and blue plastic chips you can get at Target for your weekly poker game are referred to as "chips" seeing as they don’t have denominations printed on them.
When you put your $$$$ down on the table and hear the croupier say, "Cheque change only," he is just telling the boxman that a new patron wants to exchange money for chips (cheques), and that the $$$$$ on the table is not in play. Cash plays in almost all casinos, so if you place a 5 dollar bill on the Pass Line just prior to the tosser tossing the dice and the croupier doesn’t exchange your $$$$$$ for cheques, your $$$$$$ is "in play." When the dealer says, "Cheque change only," the boxman understands that your $$$$$$ isn’t part of the action.
Technically, in in real life craps games, we bet with cheques, not chips. Occasionally, a player will approach the table, put down a 100 dollar cheque, and tell the croupier, "Cheque change." It’s fun to pretend to be a beginner and say to the dealer, "Hey, I’m new to this game, what is a cheque?" Generally, their wacky answers will amuse you.