This post is meant to help low and moderate-stakes players. High-stakes players have to deal with other issues when contemplating ratholing. Advantage players and casinos use the term ratholing to describe players who take chips off the table.

1. Pokerstars Ratholing
2. Ratholing In Poker
3. Ratholing Poker
4. Ratholing In Poker

You really need to do something about ratholing in poker. Ratholing is when short stacks come to the table, double up, leave, and instantly come back and buy in for the minimum again. There needs to be a period of time after you leave the table when you come back to the same table you have to buy in. Ratholing The action of taking chips or money off the table (usually surreptitiously) during a cash game. Illegal in most public card rooms, and typically viewed as a violation of etiquette in home.

There is nothing illegal when a player removes chips from the table. The practice of putting chips in your pocket is quite common among players. Ploppies who rathole chips do so in hopes of leaving the table a winner. What is more likely is ploppies will start to lose and then have to bring the ratholed chips back onto the table and eventually into the chip tray. Advantage players’ ratholed chips will usually find their way to the cashier's cage. That’s the difference between ploppies who rathole and advantage players who rathole.

Ratholing chips for an advantage player can be a winning strategy if it is done in a way that is not detected by the pit or surveillance. The problem with this play is the advantage player does not know when the move is successful. The player may think he/she was able to hide chips but was detected by surveillance, the dealer or the pit. While ratholing chips can be a winning strategy, it also can be a warning sign to the casino that they have an advantage player at the table. Ratholing in itself will probably not bring a backoff, but combined with other advantage plays that are detected by the pit or surveillance, could lead to a backoff. It is for this reason an advantage player should have a ratholing strategy as part of his/her advantage play. Where, when, how and why should be part of that strategy.

Where to rathole? This depends on your bet level and the casino. As an example, we will take a look at four casinos in Las Vegas: Mirage, Bellagio, SouthPoint and the El Cortez. Our game will be double deck using a 1-8 spread with green chips. Our sessions will be for 40 minutes. During a 40 minute play, it is unlikely your cash out will be more than a couple of thousand dollars. The Mirage cage will probably not give you a second look; $2000 is chump change to the Mirage. Your play with a 1-8 spread at green chip is unlikely to draw much attention from the pit. The only time you might have some concern from the pit would be in heads-up play, but during a busy night and with other players playing higher stakes, you should not need to rathole any chips.

If you can find green chip play at Bellagio, they will not pay any attention to you. Ratholing chips here is unnecessary. At the green chip level, you can play longer with less cover. When playing green chips at the high-end casinos, ratholing can do you more harm than good. While it is a move many players make, it can still draw attention to you.

Let's move down from the high-end casinos to a mid-level casino like SouthPoint. The first thing your scouting trip will discover is Southpoint sweats all action, red, green, black, etc. Knowing this information before you sit down for a session gives you some knowledge of how you should play. A player's green action is going to draw attention from the pit and surveillance. Any winnings will bring more attention. Keeping winnings off the table is a good strategy. You can do this through an effective rathole strategy. A $2000 win at Southpoint will cause pain for them. This is true at most mid-level casinos. These casinos are the best casinos for players to disguise their play with ratholing.

The El Cortez is a low-end casino. All low-end casinos sweat green action and higher. A player will be under constant scrutiny by the pit and surveillance when playing green or higher. Ratholing chips is an excellent way of extending your playing time if you can rathole without their knowledge. The El Cortez will sweat a $500 payout. All downtown casinos in Las Vegas, with the exception of the Golden Nugget, are low-end casinos.

Where to rathole should be part of your strategy. Red and green chip players should rathole at mid and low-level casinos and not worry about ratholing at the higher-end casinos.

When to rathole? A player should make the attempt when the dealer and the pit is distracted. Several instances might be: A dealer is paying off another player, the pit is doing paperwork or verifying a payout on another table. Any time the dealer or the pit is distracted is when an advantage player should make this play. Getting chips off the table just before a dealer change or during a shift change with a dealer or the pit is another good time to rathole. Always look for any confusion to get your chips off the table.

Most players, when ratholing chips, try to rathole black chips. This chip is the chip the pit tracks closer than any other. Ratholing green chips is more likely to go unnoticed. Ratholing black chips can be successful if you have a strategy in place that will confuse the pit on the black chip count. For example, a new player comes into the game and loses or exchanges black chips for a different color. A player is given black chips just before a dealer change and the pit does not walk over and verify the black chip count. The new dealer may not know how many black chips the old dealer gave out. They may credit your chips to the other player if you have yours off the table.

How to rathole? All that is needed is your imagination to get chips off the table. There are dozens of ways to accomplish this strategy. I am not going to mention all of the ones I use, but I will give some examples of ways to remove chips from the table and not be detected. A very easy way to remove one chip is when the pit boss gives you your player's card back; leave it lying on the table. During a moment of distraction, slip one chip underneath the player's card; then during the next distraction, put the card in your pocket, along with the chip underneath. You can do this move several times by just bringing your player's card back out of your pocket. If you need an excuse to put your player's cards back on the table, one is when a new dealer comes in tell them you are not sure you gave the pit your card. Ask for a comp and leave the card on the table. I've made this play often in a session.

Another way is to learn how to palm chips in your hand. Ask for a cup of black coffee. They always give it to you in a styrofoam cup. Stand up and turn away from the table. Take a sip of black coffee why you're doing this drop the chips you have palmed into the coffee cup. Then just go to the restroom and take the chips out of the coffee cup. Do a sleight-of-hand when you cash out, stand up and push your stacks toward the dealer with your right hand while at the same time drop chips into your left pants pocket. Pushing chips with your right hand may be just enough distraction to cover up the move you're making with your left hand. Have your wife, girlfriend, etc. approach the table during a dealer change and ask you for some playing money. The pit and dealer may miss your donation.

It is possible ratholing could be a complete waste of time and accomplishes nothing. This is one of the unknowns in advantage play. It is difficult to verify if these techniques are successful.

The one way you do not want to rathole is on the table. I've seen players stack black chips on the bottom with green chips next and red chips on the very top in very neatly arranged stacks. This is a dead giveaway to the pit. I've also seen players try to rathole chips on the bottom of their bet with a couple of green, and then a bunch of red. This also is a tell.

Why rathole? Ratholing is a way to confuse the casino's records of your play. Advantage players want the casino to believe they are losing money. Ratholing chips when and if it works, is a way to look like a losing ploppy. When you're playing unrated the casino should not have any record of your play. Ratholing chips for an advantage player can be a winning strategy if it is done in a way that is not detected by the pit or surveillance. Ratholing, when playing unrated may buy you a little time before the eventual backoff. (See also: LV Bear’s Guide to Minimizing Risk of Personal Injury During Casino Backoffs and Barrings)

When you are scouting a casino for future play. Ratholing is one of the things you want to consider. Knowing when to rathole and when it does not make a difference is an advantage play. Having a strategy of where, when, how and why should be a part of an advantage player’s strategy.

Please log in or register to leave a comment

Poker is full of legitimate strategy techniques that you can use to gain an edge over opponents. In fact, you can literally spend a lifetime learning how to play better poker.

However, poker also includes some less savory tactics. Bum hunting, where winning players only take on less skilled opponents heads up, is one of the best known examples.

Ratholing is another cheap tactic that players use to gain an advantage. But it’s not as well-known as bum hunting.

I’m going to discuss more about ratholing, including how it works, what advantages it provides, and why opponents hate this technique.

What Is Ratholing in Poker?

Ratholing is the act of taking chips off the table during a poker cash game. Here’s an example on how it works:

• You buy into a cash game with $20.
• Your stack increases to $50.
• You remove $30 from the table to guarantee that you don’t lose it.
• Your stack is back to $20.

Ratholing (a.k.a. “going south”) can be pulled off in different ways. In the scenario above, you remove money from the table and continue playing.

Another method involves leaving the table and buying back in later with a smaller amount. Here’s how this would play out:

• You buy into a game for the maximum of $200.
• Your stack increases to $400.
• You leave the table.
• You return and buy back in with $200.

You’re basically doing the same thing in this situation as you did in the other scenario. The main difference, though, is that you’re actually getting up from the table for a while.

Ratholing is impossible at many online poker rooms. After leaving a table, you’ll have to buy back in with the same amount you left with (e.g. $150).

You may also be able to sit at the same table again after some time has passed with less than you left with. This situation all depends upon the dealer’s memory and if the same players remain at the table.

Certain poker sites allow ratholing in their fast-fold variants. Fast-fold poker sees you move to a new table as soon as you fold cards, rather than waiting for the hand to finish.

The sites in question will let you stand up from your seat and quickly sit down with a lesser amount. Keep in mind, though, that this scenario only plays out with specific fast-fold versions.

Why Is Poker Ratholing Often Banned?

As mentioned above, the majority of online and live poker rooms ban ratholing. But why is this tactic such a big deal?

It makes sense that you can’t rathole in poker tournaments. Before an all-in call, opponents must know how many chips you have and what it’ll take to knock you out.

The restriction on cash game ratholing is more ambiguous, because you can technically pick up your chips and leave any time. However, poker rooms definitely have good reason for banning ratholing in this setting, too.

The main problem with ratholing is that it takes money off the table. Going further, many players get angry when they’re deprived of the chance to win back losses.

Here’s an example:

• An opponent wins $50 off you.
• They pocket the $50, thus, removing money from the table.
• You and other players have no chance of winning that extra $50.

On one hand, you should seemingly be able to pick up chips at any point in cash games. But the problem is that it’s an unethical move that disparages players and hurts poker rooms.

Every poker site or land-based cardroom that I’ve played at in recent years has an anti-rathole rule. They ban any practice that can harm their business or annoys customers.

Can Ratholing Help You Win in Poker?

Ratholing is looked down upon by both cardrooms and poker players. Nevertheless, some people still use this technique in an attempt to gain an advantage.

The benefits of ratholing are slight and specific to individual players. In other words, this tactic won’t benefit every type of player.

Some ratholing perks are similar to those with short-stacking. The latter refers to purposely playing at a cash table with less than the maximum buy-in (e.g. $40 at a $200 buy-in table).

The first thing that ratholing does is reduce your potential losses in any hand. This method becomes attractive when you hate risking large amounts during all-in decisions.

Another thing that ratholing can do is tilt your opponents. If you’re playing in a setting where you get away with it, then they might get so annoyed that they begin playing worse.

Of course, ratholing doesn’t provide any massive advantage. It has more internal value than anything, especially if you’re a bad post-flop player who wants to minimize risk.

But some players have convinced themselves that ratholing provides a house edge of epic proportions. Appeasing these players is part of the reason why poker rooms ban the practice.

Why Do Poker Players Hate Ratholers?

I just mentioned how certain players believe that ratholing gives opponents a massive advantage. While not necessarily true, this is one of the reasons why people hate ratholers.

However, there are other reasons behind this hatred as well. Many players consider ratholing to be terrible poker etiquette.

Pokerstars Ratholing

Everybody wants a chance to win their money back, even if they just end up losing more in the process. Ratholing not only robs them of this chance, but also takes table money out of circulation.

Ratholers are looked down upon in terms of skill level, too. The general perception is that good players can defend their stack, rather than resorting to pocketing part of their winnings.

Poker rooms themselves dislike such players. Ratholers take money away from games and generally annoy everybody else at the table.

Finally, this practice would destroy the game if it were continually allowed. Imagine how destructive the following scenario would be to poker:

• Everybody who wins a big pot takes that money off the table.
• Those who’ve banked their winnings eventually leave for the night.
• Soon, the poker room has little money circulating around.
• All remaining players are forced to quit early, because no more chips are available.

This situation would create an environment where players had to win quick or miss out. Poker would also be a much different game and one that was less fun to play.

Pros of Poker Ratholing

Ratholing In Poker

So far, most of the evidence goes against ratholing. But those who employ it may gain one or more of the following positive benefits.

Reduce Variance

Poker variance can affect you at any point. When variance isn’t in your favor, you can lose quite a bit of money.

Going further, it lowers the overall amount of variance you’ll experience in poker. You can’t lose as much during an all-in pot when only playing with $25 at a $100 buy-in table.

Limit Your Post-Flop Decisions

You may be a solid pre-flop player, but struggle with post-flop play. Ratholing can help in this regard when you’re playing with a smaller stack.

All you need to do is pull enough chips off the table to have less than the maximum buy-in. The lower your stack, the less you must worry about in post-flop play.

Here’s an example:

• The table’s maximum buy-in is $100.
• You rathole the point where you have $30.
• Nobody can ever force you to call for more than $30 post flop.

The amount of money you stand to lose during all-in calls decreases significantly in this situation. Furthermore, you can use ratholing until you improve as a post-flop player and feel more confident.

Throw Opponents off Their Game

Sometimes, you may get away with short stacking, even when an opponent or two notices. These same opponents may begin grumbling without actually telling on you.

They might become so annoyed that they’re concentrating on you instead of their own game. In extreme cases, they’ll become tilted and start making bad plays as a result.

Fairly Easy to Get Away With in Live Poker

Many real money online poker sites program their software to ensure you can’t rathole. You’ll be forced to buy in for the same amount of chips as you left with or have to choose another table.

Live poker, on the other hand, presents opportunities for you to rathole in certain cases. Most notably, you can slip chips into your pocket when others aren’t looking.

You can also play within the limits of ratholing rules. Here’s an example on how this can work:

• You leave the table with $400 worth of chips and want to pocket $300 of it.
• A live or online poker room forces you to sit out at least an hour before doing this.
• You wait exactly 60 minutes. You buy in for $100.

If all else fails, you can simply point to the fact that you’re within the house’s rules.

Cons of Poker Ratholing

Ratholing isn’t the worst poker sin, but it’s highly unpopular among both players and poker rooms. That said, this strategy has some notable downsides.

Most Poker Rooms Ban Ratholing

The biggest downside to ratholing is that it’s flat-out prohibited in almost every case. Maybe you’ll find a fast-fold variant or poker room where it’s allowed, but don’t hold your breath.

This tactic removes money from tables, meaning poker rooms won’t earn as much rake. It also gets on players’ nerves and can make the game less fun overall.

Many Players Hate Those Who Rathole

You may be perfectly fine trying to float a poker room’s rules and ratholing when possible. But are you willing to play with a bunch of opponents who suddenly hate you?

Poker has certain unspoken etiquette rules. Ratholing definitely violates these rules and will turn the table against you, even when you wait the allotted amount of time before rebuying.

Prevents You From Maximizing on the Nuts

Perhaps you don’t care about what other players think. However, you no doubt care about your own winnings.

Ratholing can be bad strategy, because it prevents you from maximizing your great hands. Your smaller stack will prevent you from capitalizing on those times where you have a nut flush.

Conclusion

Ratholing Poker

Ratholing can provide some small advantages, especially when it comes in the form of short stacking. You can minimize variance and reduce the difficulty in making post-flop decisions.

Ratholing In Poker

The goal, though, is to reach the point where you’re not relying on ratholing and other gimmicks. You instead want to be a solid player who’s confident enough to play without pocketing small profits.

Many poker rooms make this decision easy for you anyway, with anti-ratholing rules. Players further dampen the matter by giving you crap about using this tactic.

Overall, I don’t recommend ratholing, because the downsides outweigh the benefits. But you might still consider it as a short-stacking strategy until you become a stronger player.