Any time I play a session where I plan to bet an amount that could result in a big swing, I prefer to use a BP playing rated in their real name, or I play in my real name, if possible. It’s much easier to buy in for whatever amount you need to get the job done, cash out when you’re done, and be on your way.
Of course, a lot of times this isn’t possible, leaving the alternatives of playing unrated, or playing under an alias. In both of these situations, you may end up with a pile of chips. What do you do with them?
Cash them?
In this scenario, you give up your name at the cage and do the required paperwork to get your money. This can be a tricky situation, but sometimes it’s the best move.
I once hit a large carnival game jackpot while playing unrated at a little, out of the way dump. They paid me in $500 chips, which had to be brought to the table just for this hand, as they don’t regularly stock them in the trays.
I knew they used databases I’m in, and I knew if they decided to check them for my name they wouldn’t be happy. But, if I cashed now I would still get paid and wouldn’t have to worry about what to do with the chips, so I went right to the cage and cashed them without incident. The downside tis that I almost certainly can’t return there until they forget who I am.
Another situation where It may be best to just cash out is when a play gets made and a casino obviously knows your real name and decides to 86 you. I believe that most of the damage is already done and I would rather not be stuck with a bunch of chips I have to worry about.
Sure, they may get some better pictures, but unless you have an acquaintance that wants the chips, it’s going to be a pain in the ass to deal with them. If I have a big pile of chips and it’s obvious the casino is 86ing me because they realize who I am, I generally just cash them. My name, face, and SSN have plenty of heat already; whatever extra damage they can do was probably already done when they figured out who I was and decided to 86 me.
Don’t cash them?
If the casino doesn’t know who you are but is 86ing you for the play, then the best way to avoid your name getting heat is to just leave immediately. At this point, the casino really wants to know who you are so they can add a name to your file, flyer, or database entry. If you give up ID to anyone, they will definitely make use of the info.
If the casino doesn’t know who you are and you can continue to play there because of this fact, it is best to go on not letting them know who you are as long as they continue to let you play. In this case, it’s best to avoid showing the casino your ID for as long as possible.
You may consider keeping a running chip inventory for use when playing at that casino, cashing it all out when you’re no longer welcome or otherwise done playing there. There are other alternative options in this situation, but I will leave those for you to consider.
