Having a Lie-Down

This is my first time in South America and I hope you'll forgive me if I'm not up to speed with all the local customs. That said...what's up with the sideways chip piles? Walking around the tournament floor I've seen quite a few players who have eschewed the traditional "stack" and are going with a more relaxed, reclining arrangement.

This seems to work so long as you're unfortunate to have just a handful of chips, but win a few pots and you'd have a big sloppy pile sitting in front of you. Perhaps layering your chips like a can of Pringles turned sideways is an Argentinian affectation, or maybe I'm just ignorant of a rising trend. If I could remember my high school geometry I could start spouting about the volume a cylinder holds and how stacking is a far more efficient use of space. But I don't, so I won't.