[ English ]

Casino personnel generally refer to chips as "cheques," which has its origins in France. Technically, there’s a difference between a chip and a cheque. A cheque is just a chip with a value printed on it and is forever worth the value of the printed on it. Chips, however, do not have values imprinted on them and the value is determined by the dealer. For example, in a poker table, the croupier may value white chips as $1 and blue chips as 10 dollars; while, at a roulette game, the croupier may define white chips as 25 cents and blue chips as two dollars. Another example, the inexpensive red, white, and blue poker chips you buy at Wal-Mart for your weekend poker game are referred to as "chips" due to the fact that they do not have values imprinted on them.

When you plop your money down and hear the croupier announce, "Cheque change only," he’s simply telling the boxman that a new bettor wants to change money for cheques, and that the money on the table isn’t in play. Cash plays in most casinos, so if you put a 5 dollar bill down on the Pass Line just prior to the player rolls the dice and the croupier does not change your money for chips, your cash is "live" and "in play."

Technically, in actual craps games, we compete with with cheques, and not chips. Occasionally, a player will approach the table, drop a one hundred dollar cheque, and inform the croupier, "Cheque change." It is a blast to pretend to be an amateur and ask the croupier, "Hey, I am new to this game, what’s a cheque?" Generally, their comical answers will entertain you.