Flawless Poker
THE DEEP-STACK TABLE · BEGINNER

What Is Buy-In in Poker?

The amount paid to enter a tournament or obtain cash-game chips.

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What it means

Tournament buy-ins may include a fee; cash-game buy-ins become table chips.

AT THE TABLE

A practical example

You sit at a 1/2 cash table with a 200 buy-in.

Where you will hear it

Cash game. The exact usage can vary with rules and context.

Related concepts

StraddleAn optional live blind bet posted before cards are dealt under house rules.Explore ↗Table StakesA rule limiting a player's risk in a hand to chips already on the table when the hand begins.Explore ↗RakebackA reward returning part of a player's paid rake under a room's program.Explore ↗SessionA defined period of poker play used for records and review.Explore ↗RakeA fee the operator takes from eligible pots or tournament entries.Explore ↗

Keep learning

Study this idea in a wider poker context, then return to the dictionary whenever a term needs a closer look.

Explore Cash Game Cosmos in Poker Galaxy ↗Read 6-Max No-Limit Hold’em Cash Game Study Guide (PDF) ↗

Published 2026-10-15 · Updated 2026-10-15 · Flawless Poker Cosmic Codex