When playing table stakes, you may not borrow or reach into your pocket during a hand. You may only bet, call, or raise with the chips/cash that you have in front of you. If you run out of chips during a hand, a side pot is created for others still involved in the hand. A byproduct of table stakes is the exciting all-in play. You may have seen Daniel Negreanu toss several $50,000 bricks of cash into the pot and announce: ‘I’m all-in’, during GSN’s High Stakes Poker telecasts.

Phil Laak has been known to sloppily push all his chips forward and then tie his hooded sweatshirt tight to prevent a tell.