Craps Strategies

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Casino employees frequently allude to chips as "cheques," which has its origins in France. In reality, there is a difference between a cheque and a chip. A cheque is just a chip with a denomination imprinted on it and is forever worth the value of the written denomination. Chips, however, don’t have denominations imprinted on them and the value is defined by the table. For example, at a poker table, the croupier might define white chips as $1 and blue chips as ten dollars; whereas, in a roulette game, the casino might define white chips as twenty-five cents and blue chips as two dollars. A different example, the inexpensive red, white, and blue plastic chips you purchase at the department store for your Friday-night poker game are called "chips" due to the fact that they do not have denominations imprinted on them.

When you put your money down on the table and hear the croupier say, "Cheque change only," he’s just informing the boxman that a new competitor wish to change money for chips (cheques), and that the cash sitting on the table is not in play. Money plays in most betting houses, so if you put a $5 bill down on the Pass Line just prior to the player tosses the dice and the dealer does not exchange your cash for chips, your cash is "live" and "in play."

Technically, in live craps games, we gamble with with cheques, and not chips. Every now and then, a player will approach the table, drop a one hundred dollar cheque, and say to the croupier, "Cheque change." It is amusing to pretend to be a beginner and ask the dealer, "Hey, I am new to this game, what is a cheque?" Frequently, their comical responses will entertain you.