What to do when the chip count is off

The chips on the table rarely match the money in exactly. Four fair ways to resolve a small difference, and when to recount instead.

At the end of a home game the chips counted are often a little more or less than the chips sold. A dropped chip, a miscount or a forgotten rebuy is usually the cause. The difference has to go somewhere before anyone can settle.

Start by recounting

Recount the largest stacks first, because a miscount of one colour in a big stack is the most common error. Check that every rebuy was written down, including the ones paid in cash. Most differences disappear here.

If it is still off, pick one rule and say it out loud

• Spread it evenly: divide the difference across all players. Simple, and fair when nobody knows who miscounted.
• Assign it to one player: someone owns up to the miscount, or the table agrees it was theirs.
• Split it by buy-in: the difference is shared in proportion to what each player put in, so bigger stakes carry more of it.

The important part is agreeing the rule before looking at who it favours, and writing down what was decided so nobody argues about it next week.

How KevesPoker handles it

KevesPoker shows the difference in chips and dollars, blocks settlement while it is non-zero, and offers recount, spread evenly, assign to one player, or split by buy-in. Whichever you choose is saved in the game record, so the adjustment is written down rather than remembered.