# Why do drug dealers in movies roll their money into fist sized cylinders? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2015, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592 "2015-08-23T09:24:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/21 "2015-08-24T19:07:06Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > If you’re using a rubber band to hold the bills together, it’s naturally going to want to curl into a roll. Keeping them flat works in a drawer or a briefcase if you can keep the stacks separate. Banks use paper bands that won’t roll up. If you can’t lay them flat or keep them in paper bands, you need something to hold the wad together and those wads are way to big for a money clip. A roll bound with rubber bands is the most secure option left. This. When I was in college, I briefly delivered pizzas, and ended up with lots of $1 dollar bills from my tips. There stack was too big to fit in my wallet, so I slapped a rubber band around it. The rubber band wadded up the singles into a roll. I didn’t mind, since it looked cool ($100 in ones is so much better than 4 $20’s for a poor college kid’s ego). Which is probably another reason why it’s used in movies. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/22 "2015-08-24T19:40:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That wasn’t the reason in _Breaking Bad_. Guys like Tuco carried big rolls around in [plastic bags.](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130507014920/breakingbad/images/8/8e/A_No-Rough-Stuff-Type_Deal_Promo.jpg) That’s because Tuco was getting his rolls delivered from his lower level guys who do keep it in their pocket, at least that’s my assumption. Notice that WW had flat stacks once he processed (counted) all his money. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/23 "2015-08-25T02:02:41Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > This. When I was in college, I briefly delivered pizzas, and ended up with lots of $1 dollar bills from my tips. There stack was too big to fit in my wallet, so I slapped a rubber band around it. The rubber band wadded up the singles into a roll. > > I didn’t mind, since it looked cool ($100 in ones is so much better than 4 $20’s for a poor college kid’s ego). Which is probably another reason why it’s used in movies. I’d much prefer having $100 in ones than four $20s now, too! ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/24 "2015-08-25T02:34:48Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > I’d much prefer having $100 in ones than four $20s now, too! And, when you’re at a strip club, it is much easier to make it rain. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/25 "2015-08-25T02:49:57Z")
When I was playing poker, I had to deal with a lot of cash. The easiest way to keep track of it and store it is to roll it up into $500 or $1000 rolls and put an elastic around it. The money stays protected, the rolls don’t come apart, and you can just throw them in a coffee can or whatever. Very handy. Flat stacks of bills are usually banded with paper bands. That’s maybe how money comes from the mint, but if you try to maintain your own stacks like that you wind up using rubber bands, and then the money curls. And when it does, the bills on the inside can easily slip out. The traditional way of carrying a lot of cash is with a money clip - you fold the bills in half and then clip them together. That works fine for smaller amounts. Rolls with rubber bands are easy to store, easy to count, and they stay together. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/26 "2015-08-25T03:33:42Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > And, when you’re at a strip club, it is much easier to make it rain. If I could consistently trade four $20s for $100 I’d make it rain everywhere! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/27 "2015-08-25T04:44:36Z")
> [@theR](#): > > That’s because Tuco was getting his rolls delivered from his lower level guys who do keep it in their pocket, at least that’s my assumption. Notice that WW had flat stacks once he processed (counted) all his money. Those rolls are way too big to fit in most pockets, or at least would be uncomfortable to walk around with. I don’t recall the drug dealers in _The Wire_ carrying wads of cash in this way. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/28 "2015-08-25T17:44:09Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > I’d much prefer having $100 in ones than four $20s now, too! :smack: Can you tell I wasn’t a math major?! ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592/29 "2015-08-27T00:35:51Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > :smack: Can you tell I wasn’t a math major?! Actually a friend _is_ a math major. He’s spent so much time doing quadratic equations, he can’t subtract one two-digit number from another. (I have no better excuse than old age.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-drug-dealers-in-movies-roll-their-money-into-fist-sized-cylinders/728592.md?page=1)