Before joining a live poker table in Colombia, separate the blinds, the permitted buy-in and any applicable charges. They describe different parts of the game. Knowing one does not tell you the others or the total cost of your visit.
At Poker House in Sabaneta, current amounts are confirmed with the team. The figures below are a reading exercise, not advertised stakes, buy-in limits or prices at the club.
What the blinds tell you
In games with a small blind and big blind, these are compulsory bets associated with particular table positions. The two numbers do not, by themselves, tell you how much you can bring to the table.
If a message uses shorthand, ask for the full amounts and currency: “Are those the small and big blinds, in Colombian pesos?” Confirm the variant and betting structure as well. Familiar-looking numbers do not establish all the game conditions you may know from a US cardroom.
Buy-in and stack are not interchangeable
In a cash game, your buy-in is the amount exchanged for your starting chips. Your stack is the collection of chips in front of you and changes as you play. Cash tables can set minimum and maximum buy-ins; see PokerStars’ explanation of cash games for the general distinction.
Ask for both ends of the permitted range. Do not assume the required entry is a particular multiple of the big blind. Replenishing chips may also have conditions you should clarify separately.
A worked example in Colombian pesos
Practice example only: these figures do not describe an available game or Poker House prices. Suppose a table has a 2,000 COP small blind and a 5,000 COP big blind.
| Example figure | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Blinds of 2,000 / 5,000 COP | Two different amounts, both in Colombian pesos |
| A 250,000 COP stack | 50 big blinds: 250,000 divided by 5,000 |
| A 500,000 COP stack | 100 big blinds; this does not establish that the buy-in is allowed |
The calculation describes a stack relative to the big blind. It does not recommend an amount to play with or define an actual table’s accepted entry range.
Spanish-language messages may use a full stop as a thousands separator. In this example, “5.000 COP” means five thousand Colombian pesos. If punctuation or abbreviations leave room for doubt, ask the team to write the amount in full.
Confirm the currency and any charges
Ask explicitly for COP amounts. A “$” symbol alone does not establish that a figure is in US dollars. Keep the confirmed peso amount separate from any conversion quoted by your financial provider; this guide does not provide an exchange rate.
Ask whether there is rake, commission or another charge, how it is calculated and when it applies. Also confirm the process for buying and exchanging chips and which payment methods are accepted. “Cash game” names a poker format; it does not establish which payment methods a venue accepts.
Put the details into one enquiry
Our live cash games page connects you with the team. A useful question is: “What are the blinds, minimum and maximum buy-in in COP, and any applicable charges?” Add your planned date and arrival time.
For a tournament, ask about the entry cost, included charges and structure separately; tournament chips have a different role, covered in cash games vs tournaments. Once the format is clear, confirm table availability before travelling to Sabaneta.