# Poker "coloring up" procedures **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 8, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878 "2010-11-08T05:56:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/1 "2010-11-08T05:56:49Z")
When “coloring up” (taking out/puting denominations in) are you allowed to do other types of coloring up? For example: the $1000 chip is being replaced with the $25,000 and exchange: 2 $5,000/1 $10,000 5 $10,000/2 $25,000 ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/2 "2010-11-08T14:36:25Z")
I’d be surprised if there were an actual rule against this, but on the other hand most players and card rooms probably wouldn’t bother doing this, and the card room may well refuse a player’s request to do so. Apologies if you already know this, but the purpose of colouring up is mainly to remove chips from the table that are now of too small a denomination to be useful, due to increases in the blinds and antes. For example, once the antes are 100 per hand, there is no point in having any 50 denomination chips on the table, so they would usually be exchanged for 100s. This also serves to reduce the amount of plastic players and the dealer have to puch around. Changing 100s for 500s at this point, or anything higher, would not be a priority, because those chips are still needed and taking them out of the game makes no sense, unless there is a large excess of them. ---
**Author:** ![peekercpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@peekercpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peekercpa)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/3 "2010-11-08T15:24:43Z")
i agree with dead cat. i don’t know that there is any rule against it. but in tournaments coloring up is done by the house. and to some extent you want to wait for it to happen as a player. at least in the tournies i play in if say they are removing the 100’s and moving to the 500’s then you want to be sitting on 6 100’s so you get 2 500’s. of course these are low buy in games so i have no clue what they do at the wsop in that situation. and in just pure cash games the only time i “color up” is when i am putting the big chip in my pocket. i mean it makes little sense to be sitting on a bunch of hunkies if you are playing in a 5 - 10 game. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/4 "2010-11-08T15:56:53Z")
> [@peekercpa](#): > > at least in the tournies i play in if say they are removing the 100’s and moving to the 500’s then you want to be sitting on 6 100’s so you get 2 500’s. Interesting. At the low-buy-in tourneys I’ve played the “uneven” chips are raced off (i.e. cards to each player that had left-overs, highest card(s) gets the converted chip(s)). At least I think that’s what was happening - I normally just push my low chips out and trust the dealer to take care of it. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/5 "2010-11-08T16:31:09Z")
> [@peekercpa](#): > > at least in the tournies i play in if say they are removing the 100’s and moving to the 500’s then you want to be sitting on 6 100’s so you get 2 500’s. of course these are low buy in games so i have no clue what they do at the wsop in that situation. I’m not sure that that’s an advantage, though. Sure, it looks like you’re getting more money, but it’s now the small blind. Any time you wish to use that money to win more from other players, you have to put the whole $500 at risk as it’s now the minimum bet. So you go from having one bet to having…one bet. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/6 "2010-11-08T17:29:26Z")
> [@peekercpa](#): > > and in just pure cash games the only time i “color up” is when i am putting the big chip in my pocket. i mean it makes little sense to be sitting on a bunch of hunkies if you are playing in a 5 - 10 game. I assume you are playing in home games or backroom type games. Legal public poker games are played “Table Stakes” – and all home games _should_ be played the same way. That means you can not remove chips from the table until you leave the game. You won those chips at the table and the other players must have the chance to win them from you if you continue to play. Unless “rat-holing” or “going south” is specifically permitted in your game, I suggest you stop before you get caught. To phrase it mildly, it is unfair and unethical. ---
**Author:** ![peekercpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@peekercpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peekercpa)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/7 "2010-11-08T18:25:17Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > I assume you are playing in home games or backroom type games. Legal public poker games are played “Table Stakes” – and all home games _should_ be played the same way. That means you can not remove chips from the table until you leave the game. > > You won those chips at the table and the other players must have the chance to win them from you if you continue to play. > > Unless “rat-holing” or “going south” is specifically permitted in your game, I suggest you stop before you get caught. To phrase it mildly, it is unfair and unethical. and maybe i should have put quotes on that term. by putting it in my pocket i intended to imply that i was not going to bet it. certainly pulling money off the table without quitting the game is major league bad. it’s like when i play black jack and actually win (not very often). but if i am sitting at a five dollar table i have no problem converting chips to 100 bucks and then putting them aside and saying when i get down to those puppies i am done. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/8 "2010-11-08T19:03:36Z")
Ok. Just wanted to be sure we aren’t giving any poker newbies any bad ideas. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GreenHell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@GreenHell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenHell)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/9 "2010-11-08T22:14:05Z")
IAPPD: “coloring up” is the term professional staff uses for exchanging smaller denomination chips for larger ones in a cash or ring game. If you are getting say, $1000 chips, you can exchange any combination of smaller chips that add up to exactly $1000 (or increments thereof). The converse, exchanging a chip for several of a smaller denomination, is simply called making change. When in tournaments, the process is often called “chipping up”. There are a few ways to do this. The race off was mentioned above and some places will simply chip up a player who has any fraction of the (new) smallest denomination chip with said chip. I.E. anyonewith a spare 1,2,3 100s will get a 500 in exchange. While both of these offer the possiblity of a player ending up with more chips than he started with, and one method offers the risk of losing chips, the amount the chip stack changes is not really material. Less than one small bet. ---
**Author:** ![GreenHell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@GreenHell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenHell)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/10 "2010-11-08T22:18:37Z")
Chessic. There is a small advantage. A fraction of a blind may be equal to a blind in terms of how you bet it, but not in what it can win you. Say the big blind is $1000. When the action (unraised) gets to you, you can only fold or call if you have $100 or $1000. However, you stand to win up to 10X as much from each caller if you have $1000. But, in practical terms, it seldom makes any real difference. If you get to below 5 BB, you are on life support anyway and have two moves. Below, 1 BB and it’s the same . . . only moreso. ---
**Author:** ![peekercpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@peekercpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peekercpa)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/11 "2010-11-08T22:24:13Z")
> [@GreenHell](#): > > IAPPD: “coloring up” is the term professional staff uses for exchanging smaller denomination chips for larger ones in a cash or ring game. If you are getting say, $1000 chips, you can exchange any combination of smaller chips that add up to exactly $1000 (or increments thereof). The converse, exchanging a chip for several of a smaller denomination, is simply called making change. > > When in tournaments, the process is often called “chipping up”. There are a few ways to do this. The race off was mentioned above and some places will simply chip up a player who has any fraction of the (new) smallest denomination chip with said chip. I.E. anyonewith a spare 1,2,3 100s will get a 500 in exchange. While both of these offer the possiblity of a player ending up with more chips than he started with, and one method offers the risk of losing chips, the amount the chip stack changes is not really material. Less than one small bet. but crap. sometimes that is the only time that i actually come out ahead. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/12 "2010-11-08T22:25:33Z")
I was using “coloring” as equivlent to “chip”, per GreenHell’s post. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/13 "2010-11-08T23:15:55Z")
I would imagine that management would want to color up as much as possible, without disrupting the game. If the antes/blinds are 300/1000/2000, they want to leave enough $100 chips on the table so that they do not constantly have to make change, but too much where players have high chip stacks. I have seen the tournament organizers instruct the dealers to color up the antes during play if the table is “flush” with lower domination chips. In cash low limit games (3/6, 4/8), almost all the players have $1 chips exclusively. Players joining a these cash games sometimes introduced $5 chips to the game but when another player wins these chips, they are typically buried in there stacks. If a player introduces a $25 chip to the game, generally the dealer takes the chip out of the game and makes change from his rack. I don’t play in the high limit and no limit games. So i can’t comment on chip denominations at those games. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/14 "2010-11-09T01:08:04Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I would imagine that management would want to color up as much as possible, without disrupting the game. If the antes/blinds are 300/1000/2000, they want to leave enough $100 chips on the table so that they do not constantly have to make change, but too much where players have high chip stacks. > > I have seen the tournament organizers instruct the dealers to color up the antes during play if the table is “flush” with lower domination chips. The color-ups usually happen during our scheduled breaks, so it would not interfere with the game (well, in tournaments that I have played in). ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/15 "2010-11-09T06:49:46Z")
I’m still not exactly sure what the OP is refering to, but we don’t race of chips in the house I play at, it’s a straight rounded up color up **GreenHell** describes. And in fact coloring up more than required is common. For instance, if you have 350 in green (25), and 3000 in black (100), it’s very common to put out all your green plus two black to receive a white (500). You’ve already got plenty of black to play with anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/16 "2010-11-09T07:26:56Z")
Missed edit window. Actually, you’d just put out one black. $350 = 4 black + a black of your own = 1 white. ---
**Author:** ![peekercpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@peekercpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peekercpa)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/17 "2010-11-09T14:25:22Z")
> [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > The color-ups usually happen during our scheduled breaks, so it would not interfere with the game (well, in tournaments that I have played in). that’s my experience with cash buy in tournies. but at the freebies at the local bars my experience is that coloring up occurs when the person running the tourney finishes his beer or when the blinds get so fracking high that it makes little sense to have a bunch of dwinky 25s sitting in front of you. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/18 "2010-11-09T14:44:00Z")
> [@peekercpa](#): > > and maybe i should have put quotes on that term. by putting it in my pocket i intended to imply that i was not going to bet it. certainly pulling money off the table without quitting the game is major league bad. it’s like when i play black jack and actually win (not very often). but if i am sitting at a five dollar table i have no problem converting chips to 100 bucks and then putting them aside and saying when i get down to those puppies i am done. I don’t play poker, but this makes no sense to me. Why would anyone care if you take the chips off the table or not. If you aren’t intending to bet with the chips, what’s the difference? If anything, taking the chips off the table (meaning, these are not ‘in play’) is more honest, not less. Why would anyone care? What peeker describes is functionally the same as taking the chips off the table. What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/19 "2010-11-09T14:58:23Z")
Its not an ethical play and it against the rules in most casinos. Since you don’t play poker, you may not understand the nuance. Basically if I just lost a big pot to a player, and that player rat-holes the money, there is a ZERO percent chance that I can win back the money. If the money is on the table, then at least there is a chance that I can win the money back. It’s similar to not be able being able to add money to your stack after hitting getting a really good hand. Suppose you start the hand with $100 in front of you, and you make a straight flush. You would like to take another $500 out of your pocket to bet with, but that is against the rules too. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878/20 "2010-11-09T16:05:40Z")
I usually exchange some small-denomination chips for larger ones when chipping up and no dealer so far has had a problem with it. I prefer to keep the smallest possible number of chips in front of me so that it’s easier to keep track of my stack. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poker-coloring-up-procedures/559878.md?page=2)