Chip management

[Hank]

The couple of times I have played in a casino so far I have found managing my stack of chips to be very distracting. Particularly because my nerves sap any dexterity I had . I started laying out a couple of bet size stacks in front of my main stacks. That seemed to help a little.
Wining a hand is a bit daunting too (One should have such problems), because the dealer shoves a bunch of chips in front of you and I feel compelled to get myself squared away before the next deal.
Do you folks have any advice for keeping your chips under control? How tall do you stack your chips? Do you stack to a particular value or a convenient height? How do you quickly get chips in order? I read somewhere on this board that playing out of the chip racks is a flaming red flag for a newbie.
I have been watching the WSOP and WPT hoping to get a look how the pros do it.
Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Dave B]

I use stacks of 20 or 25 chips, depending on denomination. If I win a big pot and the chips are in the way of the next deal, I just look at the cards and pitch most hands. If you use two hands and can quickly gather 7-10 chips in each hand, the stacking goes pretty fast. Keep all of the chips the same height if you can.

I usually have one stack slightly away from the rest and "work" from that one. That way I am not bumping the other stacks that I wont be using each time I bet.

For betting, use multiples and lay out even stacks. For example, on a 4-8 table, to 2 bet, lay out 2 stacks of 4. A 2 bet on the river, lay out 4 stacks of 4. If you are always laying out stacks of 4, you get used to the size that each stack should be in a hurry.

BTW-I love seeing shakey hands laying out chips! This guy is usually not an experienced player or is playing more than his typical stakes.

I have seen lots of ways to stack, but this works pretty easy for me.

[Katchem]

Hey if you win a big hand stack them. Don't rush but don't poke either. The play can't progress past you until you take action so it's not like you'll miss something. I think most dealers will wait til you get most of it under control anyway because part of the game is watching what the others do.

Just my 2 chips.

[racquet000]

I rember i won a pretty nice size pot playing 1-3 limit. With all $1 chips close to $70. I was sitting right to the right of the dealer, I was collecting chips and he threw the card into my hand and it fliped over. Got all pissed at me like it was my fault. Needless to say i won that hand too. With 2 pair.....Wot wot i kick but at 1-3 limit....lol I normaly get at the casino on a thurs night and play till late friday morning more fun and tighter players. And i keep my stacks close to 20-25 also.

[saper88aa]

i usually stack them in 5 dollar stack,we usually use 25 cent chips,50 cent and a dollar. Or try to keep them all even.Dont try to make a nice pyramid like Scotty neguyen does at the wsop.

[mindgame]

This is a thoughtful question, because a lot of tells can come out of how people handle chips (See Mike Caro's Book of Tells).

I notice that new players (and even a few not-so-new) tend to fumble with chips when they have good hands. Counting out your bets in advance (as suggested by a couple veterans above) can help. Sometimes you'll see guys in such a hurry to push in a raise that they'll topple a stack with their shirtsleeve. That's a guy you might think twice about calling. Other guys like to have a fistfull of chips and reach out over the table when they bet--not letting you know if they're calling or raising. They're watching to see your reaction. Many people will literally hold their breath waiting to see if the guy is going to raise or just call. Guys afraid of a raise will typically show that somehow.

Here's the key thing, I think, and nobody's mentioned it. Find a way to handle your bets that feels natural and do it the SAME WAY ALL THE TIME. Stylize your behavior. Literally practice the move. Same thing with the way you announce a raise/call and how you handle the cards. If your moves are studied, careful, and always the same you can't give anything away. The guys giving away free info are the ones who don't pay ANY attention to what they're doing. Even asking this question shows that you're on the right track.

About stacking your big pot: Mike Caro (again) specifically mentions a tell very common while a player is stacking chips during the subsequent deal. Anxious not to delay the game, but intent on "tidying up," most players will look quickly at their hands and only play those that are better than average. A player MAY make a loose call in this situation, but if he raises it is almost NEVER a bluff.

Naturally I occasionally will bluff raise while stacking up my last pot, if I can tell someone behind me has read Caro's book. (Oh, and while it's not in the book, there is a VERY easy tell to determine who HAS read the book!)

[groton]

lol on the tell's

well here is somthing i tend to do
I make Equal Stacks of 25 to start with since i buy at foxwoods when im playing 2-4 100 bucks worth of 2doller chips

i then just make stacks of when i win equal to those with lose chips being laiyed on two of the stacks


i did this last time i played at foxwoods

i would call from One Stack and Raise from the other

any way in one of my hands i was playing I had had a Straght draw not make it but i was playing with the chips in the rear making them even and the two guys infront of me folded into me so all was left was the guy behind me to play so i made a bet from the back chips and that guy folded also
won like 50 bucks in that hand with out showing.

[DaEsHiM]

i always stack 20's. it's a nice even number of chips and a good height for me. i'll often take any chips left over and shuffel or twirl them, but when going to bet or raise i never use the chips i'm playing with. i'll set them on the table and use the stacks of 20's. as far as when i win a pot i've gotten familiar enough with what 5 chips feels like in my hand.

and as far as the comment above about shaky hands. i love to see that too. but you'd have problems with me. i have an essential tremmor, I SHAKE ALL THE TIME. every minute of every day. i thought it would be a give away for people to think i'm nervous, which is what usually happens when i first come to a table, so they either fold or raise, and it's actually helped me out in the long run. that's why my nickname is shake.