who is reponsible for guarding my chips when I take a break?

I played at Cache Creek casino in CA. I left my jacket on the chair, a bottle of water and $75 of red chips on the table and walked away from the table. When I came back, the chips were gone. The dealer said he did not know anything about it; the pit boss said, it's customer's responsibility to guard his / her own chips. What do you think? Is it the responsibility or customer services? In my case, credit to my persistence to pursuit, the surveillance later told me, they proceeded with citizen arrest on my behalf, caught the guy and returned my big $75. I personally do not believe so, I think they just gave me $75 to go away. I am happy either way.

The player is responsible for their own stuff. There is a certain amount of decorum (don't touch it if it doesn't belong to you) and courtesy (place a towel over your chips in the rail on a craps table) in a casino, but these practices should not be considered guarantees that your money or stuff will be there when you get back.

At the end of the day, it is your stuff, and you alone are responsible for its security.

I think in any case you should have just left one chip to hold your spot.
It also depends on the game, table location and your table position.
At a BJ table or a game utilizing a similar table,
the dealer can easily watch your chips and hold your place,
but it isnt his responsibility technically.
At a craps table, it is more difficult to watch a player's chips, but
I have often left my chips when I am at "dealer 1" on a craps table.
I would never leave them at any other position.

It's "customer services" versus "responsibility". Good services should include protecting player's chips. Furthermore, casinos do not like players "hiding" the chips, isn't it?

Ultimately, it's your own resposibilty.


At poker, you're not allowed to take chips off the table, unless you are vacating the seat. If you're plaing poker and need a break, you should count it out, get teh count verified, and then leave, and recount when you return.

But it's still your responsibility.

One thing I think people should keep in mind is the length of time you are going to be gone from the table. Most of the time, you can tell a dealer that you are going to the bathroom, and be right back, and they will keep an eye on your chips for you. Most dealers are nice about this, and it's not a big deal. However, if the dealer is going to change while you are gone, the new dealer is not going to have any clue who you are. Thus, anybody could walk up and claim the chips. This might not apply if you're well known in the casino and all the dealers know your name. The outgoing dealer will say, "Those are Phil's chips." But for the rest of us, you may want to keep your breaks as short as possible, and try to time them so they don't occur during a dealer change.

I've seen Asian players at bac leave hundreds of dollars
in chips on the table while they disappear for over an
hour. One time a guy was gone for 90min and they
pulled his chips and when he came back he raised hell
that he was missing a black chip when they returned
them to him. The pit told him they weren't responsible
for guarding his chips, tough luck.

For starters, when you have that much on the table in front of you, then the casino will put a clear box cover over the chips- if you leave the table. They WILL guard them. You can walk around the casino with them in your pocket, but the casino would rather that you did not do so because it's a security risk. If the chips were stolen, then the casino would cover the loss. At that level of play the casino has a great deal of attention focused on protecting the player and the game.

Quote: Keyser

For starters, if when you have that much on the table in front of you, then the casino will put a clear box cover over the chips- if you leave the table. They WILL guard them. You can walk around the casino with them in your pocket, but the casino would rather that you did not do so because it's a security risk. If the chips were stolen, then the casino would cover the loss. At that level of play the casino has a great deal of attention focused on protecting the player and the game.

A box for $75? I've never seen it.

We're talking about over 100k, not $75.

these protocols are not universal.
each casino handles it differently,
even changing their policy depending on
the game, the limit, the denomination, the time of day etc.

Ultimately it's the player's responsibility. I prefer to leave my chips at the table 1) to guarantee my seat (although leaving a single small denomination chip will accomplish this) and 2) to avoid coloring up the reds and greens just to change them back out when I get back.

But there are several safe guards a player can take to decrease the threat of someone making off with your chips.

1) Cover them up. If you have enough chips, the casino can cover them with a clear plastic box or in the case of craps, a towel. I've had chips covered at a high end Las Vegas casino for amounts as little as a $1,000.
2) Take the high denomination chips with you. I always take $500 chips and above with me, but for some people it may be green's and other it may be chocolate's, it depends on your risk tolerance.
3) For those chips that you leave behind, bury the higher denominations underneath the lower denomination and closer to the dealer. This is the way the dealer chips are arranged in their rack or on their table. It's done for a reason.
4) Inform the others at the table, dealers and players that you will be right back and ask if they could please watch your chips, particularly if you've been playing at the table for a while with the same players and dealers. It doesn't make them responsible for watching your chips, but if others have even a small connection with you, they will help keep an eye out. Of course, don't abuse this, get back quickly.
5) And as mentioned for poker (but it's a good practice on all games), take a count before you leave and after you get back.

Maybe I've been fortunate, but I've never run into any issues with missing chips. You have to watch out for yourself and not depend on the casino or others to do it for you.

Player's responsibility combined with some safeguards.

(1) Always know how much you left at the table.
(2) Bury your high denomination chips.
(3) Take your greens and highers away from from the table, and color up if I have more than $50 in reds, especially at Crap tables.
(4) Tell the dealer of your estimated time of return.

Understand that if the money is gone when you get back that it's your responsibility.

Quote: Keyser

We're talking about over 100k, not $75.

I missed the change in amounts. Still thought it was 75. Usually when you have 100k on the table the pit will do a lil bit more for you than the guy w $75,

I am guessing that legally it is always the player's responsibility, regardless if it is $75 or $100,000.

However, if it is a large amount, the casino will do its absolute best to make sure that gambler is happy and that their money is safe and secure. If that means calling for a security guard to stand by table (money is covered by a clear plastic box), they will be happy to do so.

I have left relatively large amounts of chips ($10K+) at a table, and never was worried or scared that it was gone. The pit boss covers it with a box, I throw out a tip for the crew to "watch my chips" and go off to the bathroom. Honestly, I would probably be more worried about walking to the bathroom with $10K in chips in my pocket. There are no cameras in the bathroom, after all.

Quote: gambler

. The pit boss covers it with a box, .

Do pit bosses even exist anymore? Aren't they all
called floor managers now?

I thought it goes dealer, boxman (for craps), floor person, pit boss, then shift supervisor. Are they now just floor managers?

I always live my chips at the table. Never had any problem, and I play a lot...UNTIL VERY RECENTLY. I was at Caesars Windsor, and left $115 in red at the table. Came back and it was gone. Security was near useless. I did my own detective work, and tracked down the guy who was sitting next to me. He was wearing a Cleveland Browns jacket, so I caught him before he left on the Cleveland bus. He realized his mistake (he didn't understand why he had so much red), and paid me $115 in CAD right there. Hooray for self-help. By the way, he must have been 75+ so I considered it an honest mistake. Plus, I feel sorry for Browns fans anyway :)

I was at one of my local establishments playing a little BJ tonight. I was on one of my favorite dealers tables, one I have known for 11+ years. We normally have good banter back and forth, usually about the players, spoken in "code" that most dont catch onto. I brought up the this question as the gent at 3b took a break while she shuffled, asking her if he could leave his chips.
She reminded me that on "the old boat" there were little signs on the tables saying " not responsible for chips left at a table" or something to that effect. Other players on the game got into the discussion and it morphed into dealers missing the boat when it left the dock, and players trying to talk their way off the boat when the doors where shut.
Break time came, and another dealer came in and on we played, the same 5 players the whole time. 3b hit a losing streak and ended up leaving. I moved about half my stack over, and had every intention of moving one seat left, taking his place. Never actually moved, and slowly added to the stack.
Original dealer taps back in. At this point I have stacked about 300$ in red and green, plus a mishmass of white and pinks. in front of the empty seat at 3b, kinda keeping anyone else from sliding in. I have about 85 in front of me to play with.
After a few minutes, I needed to grab a couple white to make a "royal match" and a dealer bet. So I casually reach over to my other stack, grab a pink and 2 white. Dealers mouth drops and hits the table " what are you doing?" she says, eyes just as wide as possible, completely stunned. Im a little stunned, then manage to say.... oh i moved a few bucks over, those really are my chips. Other players confirmed, the move. I had completely forgot she was gone when the guy left and I moved stuff over. I suffered about 5 minutes of funny looks and ribbing, before finally reaching the color up and out stage.
I just found it funny that I pulled same move that we had discussed not 30 minutes before, as well as the discussion here.

Although a towel or a plastic box can be put over the chip rail on a craps table if you speak to them before leaving, its a casino! Chips are fungible, a moments distraction and they are gone. Why risk it. Take your money with you and don't never trust nobody!

Although the casino is not ultimately responsible, it is not difficult for them to review the footage to find out where they went. Of course the casino does not have the right to detain the suspected person (as we've seen with all the lawsuits about them detaining AP). All they can do is identify who may have taken them and ask them to return the chips. If that person doesn't they have to give the footage to the police for them to try and get your money back.

If the casino racked up the chips since they've been sitting there for a while, they should have counted down the chips on the table to confirm the amount and logged it to ensure that it all gets returned when/if someone comes back to claim them. If you think you were screwed somehow, a quick mention to going to the gaming control board "should" get resolve any complaints since it all was recorded.

If you plan on being gone from the table for longer than a quick break you should take your chips with you just in case, though. If the player that took your chips doesn't have a player's card for the casino to ID them, you are SOL.

At my casino it's dealer, floor, shift supervisor, pit manager.

The dealer or box person can do their best to try to protect your chips, but they can't run someone down.

Also, once a player left the table, leaving his chips. His wife came back to play, and he didn't return for a little while. I had seen them together before, but I wasn't exactly sure, so I didn't let her play until he returned to verify they were together.

I've also seen this guy leave the craps table, with a stack of every color from white to black. I always thought he was kinda nuts for doing that. It's pretty easy for a guy to pinch chips from your stack on a craps table with you their, not to mention how easy when you're not there. I'll do as others have suggested, take my black with me, and bury the green in red, with the green closest to stick, and white to the outside.

Quote: ewjones080

I'll do as others have suggested, take my black with me, and bury the green in red, with the green closest to stick, and white to the outside.

Why not just do what everybody else does: wear adult diapers and never leave the craps table! Either that or take your money with you.

Quote: brianparkes

Although the casino is not ultimately responsible, it is not difficult for them to review the footage to find out where they went. Of course the casino does not have the right to detain the suspected person (as we've seen with all the lawsuits about them detaining AP). All they can do is identify who may have taken them and ask them to return the chips. If that person doesn't they have to give the footage to the police for them to try and get your money back.

In this particular case, the surveillance did place citizen arrest on my behalf (i.e. with my agreement) and returned me the chips. (Well, this was what I was told.) The subject matter is about "customer services" vs. "responsibility". Ultimately, it's player's responsibility, but all casinos like to be perceived as having good customer services. In this case, the GM wrote to me: "I am both surprised and disappointed our staff was uncooperative in your attempt to retrieve your missing funds." I am not sure if this is an apology. But, I helped him remove one thief, he should be appreciative.