Casino workers frequently refer to chips as "cheques," which is of French origin. Technically, there is a difference between a chip and a cheque. A cheque is a chip with a value written on it and is always worth the value of the printed denomination. Chips, on the other hand, don’t have values imprinted on them and the value is determined by the croupier. For instance, in a poker table, the casino may define white chips as $1 and blue chips as ten dollars; at the same time, at a roulette game, the casino might define white chips as twenty-five cents and blue chips at $2. A different example, the inexpensive red, white, and blue plastic chips you buy at the department store for your weekend poker game are referred to as "chips" because they do not have denominations printed on them.
When you plop your cash down on the table and hear the dealer say, "Cheque change only," he’s basically informing the boxman that a new player wish to change money for cheques, and that the money on the table is not in play. Money plays in many betting houses, so if you place a five dollar bill down on the Pass Line just prior to the player rolls the dice and the croupier doesn’t exchange your money for chips, your money is "live" and "in play."
Technically, in live craps games, we compete with with cheques, not chips. Occasionally, an individual will approach the table, put down a 100 dollar cheque, and tell the croupier, "Cheque change." It is amusing to pretend to be an amateur and ask the dealer, "Hey, I’m a brand-new to this game, what is a cheque?" Generally, their wacky responses will entertain you.
