Keeping Track of the Money with a Clean Bank & Rack Maintenance

Questions & Answers

Q: “At what point in the game do you take care of rack maintenance? I am new at the dealing game and just seem to always forget that important part of the game!”

A: As we talk about rack maintenance, keep in mind that this applies to most table games, such as pai-gow, mini-baccarat, 3 Card Poker and more; and is not limited just to blackjack.

At the end of every hand, after you’ve put your cards in the discard rack and you’re waiting for the player to make their next bet, that right there is the moment when you’ll clean and organize your rack. This is the best time for rack maintenance because the time it takes you to complete this will be the same amount of time it takes the players to make a wager. The dealer can keep the game flowing smoothly while always having a nice, clean rack.

When organizing your rack, keep in mind that the most valuable chips are placed in the center where the dealer can protect them better, while the lower value chips are placed on the outside. Make sure there’s a spacer in between each stack of twenty so that way the Floor Supervisor can look at your rack from far away and be able to immediately tell how much you have. And if your casino is on fire and everything is burning, don’t panic, wait for management to frantically rush to your table, lock up the rack, making sure none of the chips can be stolen, and then both of you can run for your lives.