Guide
How to track buy-ins and rebuys at a home poker game
Agree on stakes and chip values first
Before anyone sits, agree on blinds, a typical or max buy-in, and how chips convert to dollars (for example, a $1 chip is $1). Everyone should be able to answer “what is a stack worth?” without a debate later.
Write down each opening buy-in
Record every player’s first buy-in before the first hand: name and amount. If two people buy in for different amounts, write both. Do not rely on “we all put in $200.”
Log every rebuy when it happens
When someone buys more chips, add it to their total immediately. Do not stack the extra chips and “remember it later.” Mid-game rebuys are the number-one thing that goes missing at midnight.
If someone sits out or leaves early, freeze their total on the ledger before they walk away. You still need their cash-out amount if they take chips with them, or a recorded stack if they cash out at the table.
Play with chips, not cash, mid-game
Once buy-ins are on the ledger, players should not pass cash around during hands. Chips on the table already represent money in. Extra cash for a rebuy gets logged, then converted to chips, not left in a side pile.
Cash-outs must equal money in
When the game ends, convert each stack to a cash-out amount. The sum of all cash-outs should equal the sum of all buy-ins (and rebuys). If it does not, a rebuy was missed or a stack was counted wrong. Fix that before you settle.
Then subtract each player’s total money in from their cash-out to get net results, and settle with the fewest payments.
Common mistakes
- Logging rebuys from memory after the last hand
- Assuming everyone bought in for the same amount
- Cash side deals or “just add it later” that never hit the ledger
- Letting someone leave with chips before their stack is recorded