▁be ▁" r ath o led " ▁( rem oved ▁from ▁play ▁by ▁simply ▁pocket ing ▁it ), ▁which ▁is ▁normally ▁dis allowed , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁security ▁risk ▁of ▁leaving ▁c ash ▁on ▁the ▁table . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁many ▁games ▁and ▁virt ually ▁all ▁cas inos ▁require ▁a ▁formal ▁" bu y - in " ▁when ▁a ▁player ▁wishes ▁to ▁increase ▁their ▁st ake , ▁or ▁at ▁least ▁require ▁any ▁c ash ▁placed ▁on ▁the ▁table ▁to ▁be ▁converted ▁into ▁ch ips ▁as ▁quickly ▁as ▁possible . ▁ ▁Play ers ▁in ▁home ▁games ▁typically ▁have ▁both ▁c ash ▁and ▁ch ips ▁available ; ▁thus , ▁if ▁money ▁for ▁exp enses ▁other ▁than ▁bet s ▁is ▁needed , ▁such ▁as ▁food , ▁drink s ▁and ▁fresh ▁de cks ▁of ▁cards , ▁many ▁players ▁typically ▁pay ▁out ▁of ▁pocket . ▁Some ▁players ▁( es pecially ▁profession als ) ▁lo ath ▁removing ▁any ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁stack ▁from ▁play ▁for ▁any ▁reason , ▁especially ▁once ▁their ▁stack s ▁exceed ▁the ▁initial ▁buy - in ▁limit . ▁In ▁cas inos ▁and ▁public ▁card rooms , ▁however , ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁c ash ▁is ▁occasionally ▁restricted ▁or ▁disc ou rag ed , ▁so ▁players ▁often ▁establish ▁a ▁small ▁cache ▁of ▁ch ips ▁called ▁the ▁" k itt y ", ▁used ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁such ▁things . ▁Play ers ▁contribute ▁a ▁chip ▁of ▁lowest ▁value ▁towards ▁the ▁k itt y ▁when ▁they ▁win ▁a ▁pot , ▁and ▁it ▁pays ▁for ▁exp enses ▁other ▁than ▁bet