I played 1/2 NL the last few years in AC for fun. Usually i buyin for $200 and ask for $190 in reds and $10 in white chips so it makes it easier to tip for a drink and to post the blinds when i get there. I almost always play at Taj. I did play a few times at Showboat and Caesars but prefer taj the most. Also played some at Borgata but did not want to take the jitney there since i was on the boardwalk.

I know 2/5NL in AC is all raked now except Borgata which uses time. My question is if i sit at any 2/5 NL table in AC, am i not allowed to bring white chips at the table? Someone mentioned that whites don't play at 2/5 and i seem to be misunderstood by that comment. Then how is everyone tipping? Because i cannot see people tipping $5 per hand that they win. Most of the people i sit with at the 1/2 NL tables always tip $1 or $2. I usually tip more though but i wanted to know how it works at the 2/5 NL games.

Thanks.

It will vary depending on the room, the opponents, and the dealer, but whites generally don't play. Sometimes whites in increments fewer than five won't play (ie, if you have $9, $4 of it is off-limits). Sometimes it's up to you to decide if you want to put them all-in or not.

Don't stress it. The best way to find out the policy in the room is to ask someone who works in the room. Those people with the badges? They're there to help.

I'm thinking they just mean you cannot bet in increments other than 5. If the blinds are 2/5 then whites have to play to some extent (unless they use $2 chips).

Basically what it means is you can't bet 17 and 24 and so on. It slows down the game ridiculously and annoys everyone involved. That's why it's not allowed. They are used soley for blinds and tipping.

whites dont play but are allowed on the table you just cant go bet in increments of 1 or go all in for 567 its all in for 565

Whites have always played @ Borgata.......did they change the rule in the last 2 weeks?

This is a common misunderstanding at Taj. I've even seen dealers mistakenly say that whites ($1 chips) don't play but the floor has always overruled them. At the Taj whites play in 2-5 NLHE provided they are used in increments of $5. The player does not have the choice of whether or not they are in play. For example, if he has 18 white chips in front of him, $15 of them are in play.

I can't answer for other AC casinos.

even that can be house-dependent...

while it is almost uniform that the singles play only for blinds in MOST hands, if one goes all-in at some places, everything plays at that point (even if it results in something other than an increment of five).

There's 3 different questions that are alluded to in the OP

1) Can you have whites at the table? Yes. They're needed for blinds and will be used for tipping.
2) Can you bring whites to the table? Yes. I've never seen or heard of a room or game that wouldn't allow this.
3) Do whites play? This is separate from the other questions and varies by room. The options are:
- no whites are used only for blinds and tipping and if you go "all-in" the amount doesn't include your white chips - bets must be in increments of $5
- sort of - whites can play in increments of $5 and bets must be in increments of $5
- yes - whites are entirely in play and must be included in an all-in and bets can be in increments of $1

The middle option is probably the most common but this does vary by room so it's not a bad idea to ask the dealer when you sit.

I've seen guys at Borgata routinely make bets of $17, $22, etc., in a 2/5 game, and the dealer didn't stop them, although the players would groan, eye roll, ...

I wish !

But no, they haven't (yet !) changed the rule to disallow white chips.

If you buy white chips at the cage at the Borgata though you have to buy them in increments of $20.

Easy solution to this $5 increment bets unless you go all-in then odd whites play. 5 whites = a $5.00 increment.

John

I say that a "better" solution is to allow the $18 AI to 'round up' his value, to the 'acceptable' level. So, make everyone else call for $20, to keep those ugly white chips out of the pot.

Or, mandatory tipping of all "odd-number/leftover " white chips, so a player never has the "wrong" amount of white chips when the next pot starts.


I should have started a poll.....

$18 all-in 2 callers rounded to $20= $4.00 side pot. I don't see how this helps.

They play at the room a play at. I always throw 2 white chips in with every bet so I'm always raising to $22 or $57 ect. Really annoys the other players and its kinda funny.

It varies by casino. The most common rules are

1. Whites only play as blinds and then in increments of 5. If you have 14 whites, you even if all-in you have 4 coming back to you.

2. Whites only play when you're all in. Example - you have 90 in red and 9 in white. You cannot bet 29. If you get all-in the bet stands at 29

3. Whites play at all times. You can make weird bets but most players will advise against doing this as it slows down the game.

Just ask a dealer or the floor! Someone will know!

Its not a solution.

A solution suggests there was a problem. I see no problem with making all bets including all-in bets be increments of $5.

True, I just like to see people get action on all thier money.

It also slows the game down as the dealer has to keep making change.

I don't see how it slows down the game. In our room whites play and the game doesn't seem slower then anywhere else i've seen. We have a $5 rake + $1 drop so every pot will usually have $4 in whites in it so everyone usually has some. For the most part all bets are made in increments of $5 anyway. There will be the odd time change has to be made but it really doesn't add any significant time overall.

edit - looking back I see you were probably talking about someone making an odd chip bet every street whenever then bet.

If the dealer is good, you'll never notice the slow-down, as the need will be anticipated. But it's still time taken away from watching the action, and a few seconds here and there making change instead of just scooping in chips. Tho' while I respect psand's desire for a clean smooth game, I don't really think it's that big a deal. It's just unnecessary, and the bad dealers WILL be slower with it.

Do you use fifty-cent pieces in 1/2 games? Then why use dollars in 2/5 games?

bcuz u need to use dollars for the small blind

I used to think it was people who are better at math than they are a poker, and when they make a 3/4 pot sized bet it needs to be down to the penny. But then I realized people are making it $29 to go just to get attention.

I wish all rooms would ban the one dollar incrament bets because it only makes the dealer work 10x as hard and slows down the game while everyone waits for their change.

then try to find a 5/5 game

I find strong opinions on either side of this to be rather silly.

2/5 games run smoother using $5 betting increments, and it's totally standard.

On the other hand, making change isn't that big of a deal either, except perhaps in busy rooms where chip runners take far too long to refill the rack.

I prefer the games use $5 betting increments, but I'm not losing sleep if they don't.