“How much are you playing?”

Lift my arms off the table and show my stack. It’s always organized enough that this should be sufficient.

Yeah you're not required to say anything verbally or give them a number, just to have your chips in view.

Whenever I ask someone this question I genuinely want to know the effective stack sizes, but I'm also watching and listening for any potential tells. So the less you give away the better. Some people are very gifted at talking comfortably without giving anything away. For most of us though saying anything at all is just potentially leaking tells. I would even say the less you move the better, as you can give something away nonverbally. I typically just move my arms out of the way and continue staring straight forward.

Obviously how meaningful the spot is makes a difference too. Like if I just made a standard open in a cash game and someone asked me I might just casually answer with a number.

usually move my hands to show my stack. If I have big chips I'll say "3 pumpkins" or whatever.

If it's someone fun I'll say I started the hand with about x dollars.

If it's someone I really don't like such as a euro trash I'll just move my hands and say nothing.

I typically show my chips silently. I was called out recently after a non-showdown hand for change in body posture as I showed my stack, leaning back and straightening up, allegedly welcoming the view with a strong holding. She was right (sample size of 1) but still y'all are spot on about avoiding info leaks. Gotta work on moving less.

"I have you covered don't worry about it"
Regardless if that's the case or not

I move my arms so they have a clear view of my stack, which is all a player is required to do.

Then 2-3 self-appointed table captains will blurt out an answer anyway.

Even worse when dealer says, “about…”

Don’t expect any tips

It depends. I'm typically easy going and friendly at the table, and if the person is also easy going, I'll just lift my hands as well as say about how much I have. If they're a tanker or a douche, I'll just lift my hands. If they just lift their hands as their request, then I'll do the same.

One guy at a 1/2 table the other day was asked how much he was playing, and he snapped "Not much". The opponent continued trying to get him to show his stack, and the guy said, "What are you, hard of hearing?! I said, 'Not much!'" Don't be this ****ing clown.

If I'm the one asking when someone either doesn't understand or is being difficult, I'll immediately get the dealer involved.

I wonder whether some players know how much you have but are trying to get a read from your answer or body language as some people have said above.

I just lift up my hands but perhaps that gives away too much info too.

So annoying when they do that lol. one guy kept asking if I had any big chips. Like bro...if I didn't have big chips 10 mins ago and haven't won any big pots since, why would I suddenly have them?

Yea with guys like this I don't even acknowledge them. I won't block my chips but they don't deserve an answer.

I splash my chips and grab another beer from my bucket.

Yes, I would think so, certainly

When I have the nuts, I like to ask how much someone has behind when I know they’re short stacked. Then I say “Oh that’s it?” before I shove. Ninety percent of the time they’ll think I’m shoving light because they’re short and call light.

They have a hand they're calling with anyway.
In fact any variation of what you do is a huge tell for strength.

You have to ask in a way that’s an insult to their manhood

My mistake!

In cash you are allowed to pull chips out of your pocket and top up if you want to.

Sounds like he was over the max

I don't not disagree with you...... but......

I think there is some exceptions/nuance that needs to be accounted for.

1. A tournament is much more strict. A dealer should ALMOST never be involved in estimating a players remaining stack. However, I think common sense should prevail. If two players are at opposite ends if the table and the calling player asks to see the stack of the betting player and still has questions after seeing their stack, I think a dealer can help out. For example, the last place I worked at had a tournament chipset that all of the colors were all dull, washed out version of each colored chip. As a result it was tricky to differentiate chips. A stack with 4 $1000 chips with a $5000 chip on top was hard ro differentiate than a stack of 1 $1000 chip with 4 $5000 chips on top. Depending upon the blind level, that could be a huge difference.

I have also had a situation where a player had terrible vision and needed me to read the cards to him. Expecting him to estimate a chip stack accross the table was absurd.

2. In cash games it is a bit more loose. A dealer should restrain from trying to estimate chip stacks, but he also needs to control the game and keep it moving. It is a balancing act. Plus in cash games there are generally more chips on the table and in each players stack. There is also generally more debris on the table. Drinks, napkins, airpod cases, whatever are more prevalent. Most cash game players also generally have a working stack they play with. They shuffle, they move around etc. This will often be distinct from their stack. This can make estimating a persons stack much more difficult.

That said, a dealer shouldn't try and estimate a stack. When trying to keep the game moving it is better to answer in accurate, but as vague as possible answers. For example, if one player accross from another player asks how much he has behind and the player raises his arms, but the calling player asks "Do you have any black?" And the betting player refuses to answer, I will occasionally answer "No." if he doesn't. It is clear the calling player cannot clearly see the betting players stack and answering keeps the game moving.

For example, the other day I had a player in seat one of a $2/$5 cash game make a big river bet into a big pot. Seat 7 (8 handed table) tanked and seat one went into stare onto space mode. Eventually seat 7 asked to see seat one's chips. Seat one raised his arms. He had 7 or 8 hundred in red two and a half ish stacks of green in front of the reds.

The problem was from seat 7, he could clearly see one full stack of green and some green behind it but it wasn't clear from his vantage point.

He asked if he had any black chips and how much green he had. Seat one sat quietly. Finally I answered that he had no black and about two and a half stacks of green.

What was the alternative?

Seat 7 clearly couldn't see seat 1's chips enough to make an estimate, the viewing angle was poor. I could have just sat there while seat 7 kept asking and maybe ended up calling the floor and asking him, so I estimated gow much green he had for him and kept the game moving.

It is admittedly a fine line.

I didn't give an overall estimate of his stack, I just responded to how much black and green he had (his question). Was the question and attempt to get info? Possibly. However, after seat 1 doesn't answer for a while, I need to keep the game moving so I answer it as if it is a genuine question.

Also, I realize that a dealer could be wrong. Absolutely. Maybe he had two and a half stacks of green plus 5 black chips that I totally somehow missed. Absolutely no doubt. That said, if it later caused confusion, I would completely admit to a floor I gave false information (and why). If seat one had 5 black chips off to the side separate from the rest of his chips and didn't correct me when I told seat 7 he didn't have any black, I would like to think a floor would take that into account when making a ruling.

All that said, I totally agree that a dealer should not get in the middle of helping a player estimate a chip stack. However the dealer also needs to keep the game moving and also wants to keep it fair so I won't ever get mad at a dealer trying to correct misinformation due to shaky circumstances (hard to see chips or a cluttered area).

It is a huge grey area and there are other things to consider.

I agree 100%. Fairness should be the predominant factor. Like I'll occasionally see a stack of large-ish denomination chips that are clearly obscured from a certain angle across the table.

If the player who can't see the chips asks how much that player is playing and the other player just moves their arms I will also speak up as an impartial player and say, "they've got a stack of black behind," or whatever.

I don't want to see anyone get basically angled by going all in when they clearly don't realize how deep their opponent is.

Have chips in view when you vpip so they don't have to ask you.

One thing dealers can do is enforce players to keep their large denomination chips out front and visible. It is rare, but I've gotten up to get a closer look at the stacks, especially if it is someone has been hugging their chips.