Players who are seated when the limit is changed are usually grandfathered in at the old limit. This usually results in a low limit early in the day when there are fewer players with the limits increasing as more players become available. Since all table games give the house an advantage, the larger the bets, the larger the house's profit, so the house needs to manage the minimum bets to keep the seats full. Normally the limits are set to optimize the return from the seats. Most casinos today would prefer that the low rollers play slot machines which do not require as much oversight. It also made it much easier to introduce new gamblers to table games. However, casinos floors generally had twice as many employees as they do today. The low minimums created a general excitement in the casinos as hundreds of people would jostle to play table games.

In the early 1990s in downtown Vegas, quarter minimum bets were common.

Historically the attitude has changed about table limits. However, the $2 minimum game might be available at only one table and the payout might be 6:5 for a blackjack. Often a casino will advertise a low minimum game as a teaser, a sign might read $2 blackjack 24 hours a day. Baccarat almost always has a high minimum bet since the house edge is relatively low. Also games with a lower house edge often have a higher minimum bet. A casino that wants to project a more exclusive image can set the limits higher so that the casual player walking through would not be as likely to sit down and play. Table limits can also be used to manage, in a limited manner, who plays at tables. Gaming tables have a limited resource to sell: the seats used by the players. It is a form of yield management in that the limits can be changed to optimize the profit from a gaming table.

The table limit is the minimum and maximum bet that a gambler can make at a gaming table. Minimum and maximum bet at a gaming table

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