Closing a cash game cleanly is mostly discipline: the same steps, in the same order, every night. Use this checklist before anyone leaves the room. When every step is done, the money in the box, the chips on the table and the ledger all tell the same story.
1. Stop new action and freeze the ledger
- Announce last hand and stop accepting new buy-ins.
- Note the closing time and who is still seated.
- Make sure every buy-in taken during the night has been written down — no "I'll log it later" entries.
2. Count the chips
- Rack every remaining stack, seat by seat, and record each player's chip count.
- Count the float (unissued chips) separately.
- Check: chips issued − chips in the float = chips on the table. If it doesn't match, recount before moving on.
3. Match every buy-in to a slip
- Pull the buy-in slips (or signed entries) and total them by player.
- Every cash buy-in should have a matching amount in the cash box.
- Every marker (credit buy-in) should have a signed slip naming the player, the amount and the time.
- Flag any entry without a slip and resolve it now, while the player is still in the room.
4. Record cash-outs
- Pay each player out from their counted chips.
- If a player still owes on a marker, net it: chips cashed out minus the marker owed. Record both the gross figures and the net result.
- Have the player confirm the final amount before cash changes hands.
5. Record markers and post-ups carried forward
- Any marker not fully repaid becomes an open balance — record the player, amount and date.
- Any cash, chips or crypto a player left with the house (a post-up) should be recorded as held for that player.
- Carry these balances into the next game's opening ledger so nothing is forgotten.
6. Record rake, tips and staff pay
- Total the rake collected for the night.
- Total the tip box, then split it using your agreed rule (for example by hours worked or a fixed dealer/house split).
- Record hourly pay for floor staff, dealers and anyone else on shift.
- Record expenses paid from the box: food, drinks, supplies, room costs.
7. Work out the night's profit
Profit = rake + house share of tips − staff pay − expenses.
Do this calculation once, write it down, and use that single figure everywhere. Two people calculating profit two different ways is how disputes start.
8. Split the profit between partners
- Apply each partner's agreed percentage to the night's profit.
- Round to whole dollars and give any rounding remainder to one named partner, so the shares always add up to the total.
- Record each partner's share against their own balance, even if it isn't paid out tonight.
9. Reconcile the box
- Opening cash + cash buy-ins + marker repayments − cash-outs − staff pay − expenses = cash in the box.
- Count the box. Any difference is a variance — record it with a note, never just "fix" it.
10. Sign off
- The person running the game and one partner (or a second staff member) review the totals together.
- Both sign or initial the closing sheet.
- Lock the night: after sign-off, any correction should be added as a new, dated adjustment with a reason rather than editing the original numbers.
Tip: if you run this checklist on paper, keep the slips with the closing sheet for at least a few months. If you'd rather not, Ledgr captures signed slips, nets cash-outs against markers, splits tips and partner shares, and locks the night in one tap.