Tipping

[Mikey]

I'm not a cheap skate, but here goes.

I'm playing at the Borgota, or at the Taj, or Trop any of the fine Atlantic City casinos.

Ok so I drag in a pot, a pretty big one.

I'm raking up the chips and through the corner of my eye I see the dealer waiting with her mouth agape as if "I OWE HER" a tip. And believe me I know that the tip was exactly what she was looking for.

Situation 2.

I'm at the Taj, and again take down a nice sized pot, it was the final hand of that dealers shift. I'm stacking up the chips and as he's leaving the table he's saying to me, repeatedly, "nice hand man..... man nice hand" He stands up turns around, does almost a 360 and says, "nice hand again" as if NOW I should be like...... "ohh here you go nice dealer, thank you so much for dealing those beautiful cards to me and it was because of YOU that I won this hand."

Gimme a break man.

I find it that some dealers are real a$$HoL$$$$. They are waiting for you to tip them because you just won a big hand. Or even after a small one.

By the way, the guy that kept telling me, "nice hand nice hand nice hand" I didn't give him anything.

And the dealer who's mouth was open I didn't toke her either.

This also brings down my mood whether I'm up or down, because they are waiting for my toke. Now I have one other thing to think about in the back of my mind, and that is, "does this dealer hate me now?" or "boy this guy is greed?"

Now let me tell you a flip side to the story. I'm sitting in a game, and there is this dealer at the Trop and he is lighting fast, I mean he whizzes those cards in there, but he is never ever sloppy. Throughout his 30 minute stint I tipped him $3 and lost 2 big pots in that game and didn't win once. I tipped him because
1) he kept the game going.
2) he was polite
3) he got more hands dealt in than the other dealers.

At the Taj, a beautiful young girl this summer, was dealing, just as fast as the guy from the TAJ, she looked like a wizard the way she was dealing, and she kept that game flying, the table literally "woke up" Anyone engaged in conversation during their turn to act, she would bark at them. Perfect dealer I'm thinking. I toked her $5 well because......she was good. By the way I lost about 20 BB when she was dealing....those cards just weren't coming out right for me, but they were coming out fast. WHEW!!!

If anyone out here is thinking about becoming a dealer. Be efficient, don't chat with the players, keep the game moving, that means
1)more hands for me.
2)more money for the casino.
3)more money in the form of tokes for you.


I like to see a good dealer, not a dealer that deals me a lucky hand, or one that waits anxiously for a tip. If I see you want my money, and that greed is in your eye. I'm sorry (pal, gal) you're not getting it.

[JTG51]

I like to see a good dealer, not a dealer that deals me a lucky hand, or one that waits anxiously for a tip.

Do you know anyone that doesn't anxiously await getting paid for doing their job?

You do realize that dealers rely on tips to make a living, right? Have you ever worked for tips? I'm guessing not.

[daryn]

i totally hear what you're saying. i always tip at poker, but when i was recently in vegas, i was playing craps and i ended up turning $50 into something like $600.. a pretty good parlay job. anyways as i colored out and was walking away from the table, this one dealer was like .. "wow, way to go man.. the dealer's really saved you there.. really brought you back"..

wow! what nerve right? i glanced back from like 10 feet away and basically threw a couple $5 chips at him. i am in no way a cheap person but i just don't play A LOT of table games and i have never really won big enough to consider a tip. i just though the way the guy said it was very rude, but i guess how else would he have gotten my attention?

[daryn]

DISCLAIMER: i always leave great tips at restaurants, always tip almost every pot i win at poker, tip all the waitresses for drinks, etc......


that said, i don't buy into your argument that people working certain jobs rely on tips to make a living. of course a waitress relys on tips to make a living but panhandlers rely on spare change, and i don't give them money. my point is i tip because of the service, not because "i have to".

[slavic]

Mikey -

I doubt your hurting any dealer with this currently. Most of the places around here tipshare so if you overtip one and undertip another it doesn't change much.

[JTG51]

that said, i don't buy into your argument that people working certain jobs rely on tips to make a living.

So you think dealers and waitresses could make a living without tips?

[Homer]

This isn't entirely related to your post, but anyway...something I've started to do recently when I go out to eat is tip a fixed dollar amount per person at the table. Tipping a fixed percentage is kind of stupid if you think about it. Why should a waiter at a diner get a $4 tip (on a $20 bill) while a waiter at a nicer restaurant gets a $10 tip (on a $50 bill), especially when often the waiter at the diner is doing more for you.

[Homer]

No they can't, and I don't think daryn is arguing that they can. If you tip poor waitresses/dealers/whatever, they will eventually not be able to make enough to live and will have to find a different job or perform their job better. If instead you tip just because you are supposed to, the quality of service you receive in the long-run will be worse than it should be.

-- Homer

[JTG51]

I agree with everything that you said. I'm not saying you should tip dealers when they do a bad job. Unless I misread Mikey's post, his gripe with the dealers was that he could tell they wanted a tip, not that they were bad dealers. There's a big difference between wanting to get paid for doing your job and doing your job poorly, isn't there?

[JTG51]

I read your post too quickly the first time. After rereading it, I'm more confused.

[ QUOTE ]
...i don't buy into your argument that people working certain jobs rely on tips to make a living.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
of course a waitress relys on tips to make a living...

[/ QUOTE ]

So which one is it?

[Mike Gallo]

So you think dealers and waitresses could make a living without tips?

Check out Resevoir Dogs from Quentin Tarantino. One of the best dialogues about tipping I have ever seen.

[JTG51]

I hated that movie so much I barely made it past that scene before I turned it off.

I'll never understand why people want to see such realistic, gory violence in a movie. Hmmm, sounds like a topic for a psychology forum. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[mosch]

There's no rule against giving a diner waitress a $10 tip on a $10 meal, if that's what you feel is appropriate.

The percentages are a suggested guideline of what is supposed to be appropriate for the level of service that you've received, but occasionally you'll find a little diner or hole in the wall that has absolutely outstanding service, or a fine restaurant with nonexistent service, but in my experience both of these are somewhat uncommon.

Tip what you want to, but if you're going to choose to not tip, think about how much work that person has done for you, even if they haven't done it very well. There's usually some value there, even if they forgot your soup, spilled your beer and thought you wanted your steak medium-well, not medium-rare.

If the service was truly atrocious, the problem is more likely to be solved by politely speaking with management than it is by stiffing the staff directly.

[Homer]

There's no rule against giving a diner waitress a $10 tip on a $10 meal, if that's what you feel is appropriate.

Agreed. I've just started to think that way recently, though. In the past I conformed to what I thought I was supposed to do.

The percentages are a suggested guideline of what is supposed to be appropriate for the level of service that you've received, but occasionally you'll find a little diner or hole in the wall that has absolutely outstanding service, or a fine restaurant with nonexistent service, but in my experience both of these are somewhat uncommon.

I understand what you're saying. In my experience, though, waiters at diners give me just as good service as those at fancier restaurants. I don't want to penalize the diner waiters just because they brought me a $5 plate of pancakes/eggs instead of a $25 plate of steak/potatoes. The act of bringing me the food is the same no matter the cost of the food on the plate.

Think about how you'd feel if someone said you should tip more per pot won at high limit poker tables, compared to low limit poker tables. Your gut reaction would probably be "Why, they're dealing the cards the same regardless of limit. What does it matter how much we're betting?"

Tip what you want to, but if you're going to choose to not tip, think about how much work that person has done for you, even if they haven't done it very well. There's usually some value there, even if they forgot your soup, spilled your beer and thought you wanted your steak medium-well, not medium-rare.

I think that one should pretty much always tip some amount. I usually tip (at a nice restaurant) 17-20% for average service, 20-25% for excellent service, 15% for OK service, and 10% for horrendous service. I don't think I've ever tipped less than 10%, though there have times at which I think I would have been fully justified in doing so.

-- Homer

[andyfox]

"through the corner of my eye I see the dealer waiting with her mouth agape as if "I OWE HER" a tip."

Exactly what is that look, the waiting with mouth agape look that one can spot out of the corner of one's eye? And how terrible would it have been, if indeed she had that recongnizable look, if you had obliged her with a tip? Those a-holes, waiting for you to tip them because you won a big hand, the nerve.

[Homer]

Unless I misread Mikey's post, his gripe with the dealers was that he could tell they wanted a tip, not that they were bad dealers.

Hinting/begging for tips can make someone a bad dealer. Dealers should make patrons feel comfortable in the casino environment. If they are begging/hinting for a tip, they are not doing that job adequately.

I'm not saying I would refrain from tipping someone just because they expected a tip, but I can see how someone could feel justified in doing so.

-- Homer

[youtalkfunny]

(This is from memory, so it's almost certainly not 100% accurate.)


EDDIE: All right, cough up some green for the little lady.

(All pitch in a dollar. Pink doesn't move.)

EDDIE: Come on, throw in a buck.

PINK: Nu-uh. Not me. I don't tip.

EDDIE: You don't tip?

PINK: I don't believe in it.

EDDIE: You don't believe in tipping? (all the guys laugh) I don't know a JEW who would have the balls to say that! Let me get this straight: You don't don't ever tip?

PINK: Not because society says I have to. I mean, I'll leave 'em something, if the service was really good, if the effort was there...

BLUE: Hey, this girl was nice.

PINK: She was nice, but nothing special.

BLUE: What's special? Take you in the back and suck your d*ck?

(all the guys laugh)

EDDIE: I'd go over 12% for that.

PINK: (rubs his thumbtip and forefingertip together) You know what this is? It's the world's smallest violin, and it's playing just for the waitresses. Look, we've been sitting here a long time, and she's only filled my coffee cup three times. When I sit in a place this long, I expect my cup to be filled at least six times.

BLOND: Well, what if she's too f**king busy?

PINK: The words "too f**king busy" shouldn't be in a waitress' vocabulary.

EDDIE: I think the last thing you need, Mr Pink, is another cup of coffee.

PINK: I mean, Jesus Christ, these ladies aren't starving to death. They make minimum wage. I used to work for minimum wage, and when I did, I wasn't lucky enough to have a job that society deemed tip-worthy.

WHITE: You don't have any idea what you're talking about. These girls bust their ass! This is a hard job.

PINK: So is working at McDonald's, right? You don't tip there. Well, why not, he's bringing you food, right? But no, society says, "Don't tip these guys over here, tip these guys over here!" That's bullsh*t!

WHITE: Waitressing is the number one job in this country for non-college-graduate females. It's the one job that basically ANY woman can get, and make a living at, and it's because of their tips.

PINK: (takes all that in for a moment, then dismissively) F*ck all that! I mean, I'm sorry the government taxes their tips, but that ain't MY fault! It would seem that "waitresses" are another group that the government f*cks in the ass on a regular basis. Look, show me a piece of paper that says the government shouldn't do that and I'll sign it--put it to a vote and I'll vote for it--but what I WON'T do is play ball, and as for this "non-college" bullsh*t you're feeding me, I've got two words for you: "Learn to f*cking type", because if you're expecting ME to kick in for the rent, you've got another thing coming!

ORANGE: He's convinced me! Gimme my dollar back! (reaches for the money)

EDDIE: (protecting the money) Leave the dollars there!

JOE: (enters) All right ramblers, let's get rambling. Hey, wait a minute...who didn't put in?

ORANGE: Mr Pink.

JOE: Mr Pink? (to Pink) Why not?

ORANGE: He don't tip.

JOE: He don't tip? (to Pink) Whaddaya mean you don't tip?

ORANGE: He don't believe in it.

JOE: (to Orange) Shut up! (Orange shrugs) (to Pink) Whaddaya mean you don't believe in it? Come on you, cough up a buck ya cheap bastard. I paid for your goddammed breakfast!

PINK: (relenting) OK, I'll put in, but normally I would never do this.

JOE: Nevermind what you "normally" would do!

***

On one of my first dates with the girl who would become my wife, I took her to the theater to see this movie. We did not know what we were getting into. We'd seen a trailer for it, and it looked like a cute little comedy.

That opening scene included, besides the tipping rant, QT's interpretation of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" as "a story about a girl who f*cks a guy with a big d*ck"; another character's misinterpretation of "The Night the Lights went out in Georgia"; and a doddering old guy talking outloud to himself as he thumbs through an old address book, leading to a quarrel. The entire scene is LACED with profanity.

My girlfriend wanted to leave the theater at that point. She was shocked to discover that I was quite prepared to hand her cab money, and let her walk out alone. I was completely drawn into this film, and willing to blow off a girlfriend over it.

And BTW, I thought "Kill Bill" was even better!

[Ulysses]

I often overtip at cheap places for this very reason. At nicer places, waiters definitely make more money. However, it's not directly proportional to the price because they have to chop up their tips many more ways. At a diner, the waitress might get much or sometimes even all of the tip. At a nicer place, it might be split with multiple bartenders/hostesses/busboys/runners/etc.

For that reason, I still tip a "standard" amount even at expensive places (for me, that's usually 20% +/- based on service. I've tipped up to 100% and as little as 0% in extreme situations).

I have changed my policy in one area, though. Bottles of wine. I now tip based on the amount of the meal (including drinks) excluding bottles of wine. Then I add a few bucks per bottle of wine. At a nice restaurant you can do just fine w/ a $30 bottle of wine or you might go for a $300 bottle of wine. I've decided that tipping $6 for bringing out one bottle and $60 for bringing out the other is just plain silly.

[daryn]

oops, my fault.

what i meant to say was, i think you are using the statement "people working certain jobs rely on tips to make a living" (which is true) as the REASON to tip.

that is what i don't agree with.

[mosch]

I don't tip more per pot when I'm playing 20/40 than I do when I'm playing 3/6, but I do tip more when the dealer does their job impeccably.

Honestly, it sounds like you've either never had the good fortune to have truly great service at a fine restaurant, or you've managed to fail to notice their efforts simply because, like a good dealer, a good waiter is easy to ignore.

[daryn]

actually, it appears as though he does delineate between good and poor service, as outlined above in his post where he talks about tipping different percentages based on service.

[Joe Tall]

[ QUOTE ]
I find it that some dealers are real a$$HoL$$$$.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure, when the see some anal-prick who dragged a 30BB pot not tip them. How could they not be?

I bet you are the type that doesn't tip a waitress because you food was overcooked.

Work for tips someday and you'll understand.

[Mikey]

I worked as a Bartender for 2 years.

I delivered Pizza for 3 years.

I was a waiter for 1 year.

[Mikey]

Poker dealers don't share tips.

[Joe Tall]

Wow, I'm wrong.

You have worked for tips and still don't understand, amazing.

[Mikey]

Ohh come on Andy, you are telling me if you took down a 30 BB pot and the dealer was sitting there saying to you, "nice pot man, wheww....nice pot." "Wow.... look at all that money... Amazing"

You're telling me that you'd smile back and tip that dealer..... if you do, you are getting suckered in.

[Mikey]

Ok, you just keep tipping those dealers that do a poor job dealing, but because they are "DEALERS" and make a living I SHOULD tip them because I did win. Sorry not me.

It doesn't make sense, if I'm being haggered for a tip, i don't like it.

I've recieved tips sometimes near 90% of the bill.
I've recieved tips sometimes near 2% of the bill.

I've been stiffed and I've received huge tips.

I didn't complain when I got stiffed, or run over to the other guys at my work and tell them I didn't get tipped sufficiently.


I wondered what it could have been??
Did I do a good job servicing that customer?
Is that person cheap?
Does he just not understand about tipping?

I look at the situation objectively each time.

[Joe Tall]

[ QUOTE ]
I look at the situation objectively each time.

[/ QUOTE ]

A dealer has her mouth open and you decide not to tip her because INTERPRET this as her wanting a tip. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif /images/graemlins/confused.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Nuff said.

[Warik]

[ QUOTE ]
I wondered what it could have been??
Did I do a good job servicing that customer?
Is that person cheap?
Does he just not understand about tipping?

I look at the situation objectively each time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sign of a true winner. If you gave the best possible service to the biggest JERK in the universe, he'd still probably throw a tip your way. Looking at the small tips objectively is probably what helped you land the big ones.

Good advice here for people who have a hissy-fit when they don't get tipped.

Here's another tipping situation... two weeks ago at the local indian cardroom. Slow dealer who was letting people act out of turn. I won probably 3 pots during her sitting. Tipped her a buck fifty total cause the pots were small and she was so damn slow.

Next dealer was one of those dealers who can get the 2nd card to you before you have a chance to look at the first. DAMNED FAST... and he'd practically throw chips at people who acted out of turn (myself included once by accident). I only won one pot with him.

Which of the two dealers do you think took home more that day from me?

gratuity
Noun
something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service

Good service = good tip. Average service = average tip. Bad service = bad (no) tip.

I don't see what's wrong with that.

Bugging a customer for a tip is BAD service.

[mosch]

Yes, but he goes on to directly state that the job of a diner waitress is the same as that of a fine restaurant. This implies that he's either missing much of the subtle effort that the best waiters and waitresses put forth or he's had the misfortune of getting only below average service when he's been at "better" restaurants.

I'm not, in any way, implying that diner staff lacks the skills or the work ethic required to provide top-notch service, but it's the same as a poker player playing too many tables, they're simply spread too thin to do as well as they would if they were only playing one table.

[mosch]

Looking at you is bugging you?

You need some thicker skin, my friend.

[andyfox]

Yes, I'm telling you I'd smile back and tip the dealer.

It's a part of life in the card room. We tip when we win a big pot. Like we tip porters when they carry our luggage to the room. Or waiters when they bring us our food. Unless there is a good reason for not doing it. If the dealer/porter/waiter is nasty, or completely incompetent, or racist, or Osama Bin Laden. But saying "nice pot" or having a "look" on his face doesn't qualify.

Is that getting suckered in? I don't think so. However, I would tell the floorman that it's very impolite for a dealer to say "nice pot." Not to the person who won it, but to the others at the table who didn't win it. Nobody wants to have it reiterated to him that he just lost a big pot. The floorman should advise the dealer not to do this.

In our game, most of us include the tip with our hole cards when we pass them in.

[Warik]

[ QUOTE ]
Looking at you is bugging you?

You need some thicker skin, my friend.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you miss the part of his post where he quoted the dealer? "nice hand man..... man nice hand" He stands up turns around, does almost a 360 and says, "nice hand"

You need some thicker glasses, my friend. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Homer]

Honestly, it sounds like you've either never had the good fortune to have truly great service at a fine restaurant, or you've managed to fail to notice their efforts simply because, like a good dealer, a good waiter is easy to ignore.

Whoah, whoah. Why are you making it sound like I'm a cheap bastard? I never tip below 15% unless the service is horrendous, and I regularly tip 20% or more. Additionally, when I go to somewhere less expensive, I tip in the 25-40% range, because, as I said, why should someone get less just because my food is less expensive than in a fancier restaurant? I'm not sure what I've said to make you think I am cheap.

Incidentally, I've probably only been to a "fine restaurant" once or twice in my life. To me, a nice meal is Olive Garden or something in that price range.

-- Homer

[Homer]

Okay, I think I understand what you're saying now. I think some of the confusion stems from a different perception of what a nice/fine restaurant is. By your definition, I am guessing that I have only been to a fine restaurant a few times. On these occasions, I did experience incredible service, and tipped appropriately.

-- Homer

[JTG51]

They do in a lot of places.

[mosch]

Ah, good! I truly didn't intend to insult you, or imply that you're cheap. Besides, if you were truly cheap you'd have taken me up on that offer I made during dinner at the Borgata /images/graemlins/wink.gif

It sounds like you tip generously but not without justification. I certainly can't disagree with that.

At first I thought you were implying that the servers at a high-end steakhouse didn't do anything that a diner waitress doesn't do. I assumed you'd either had a horrible run of luck at high-end restaurants, or that you were sufficiently distracted by your company that you hadn't noticed the service.

[The Dude]

Homer,

Never, ever feel bad about not leaving a tip when the service is awful. I watied tables for four years of my life, and I tried damn hard to be the best waiter I could. I can't count the number of tips I got that were >50% of the tab (Olive Garden level restaurant).

I can also tell you that there were several times when I blew it to the point where I felt bad the guest left a tip. You should tip according to the level of service, and don't feel bad if that means leaving without a tip.

The best service I've ever had was with a friend at lunch in a hole-in-the wall Chinese restaurant. I paid the $9 tab with a $50 and left. One of the worst instances of service I had was at a $30/ plate dinner on a date. Not only did I leave no tip, I found a manager and told them about my experience. (Sometimes a principle is more important than looking cheap in front of a girl... sometimes /images/graemlins/smile.gif)

My point is this... if the dealer's bad, I don't care how big the pot is or how much she depends on that tip to pay her bills. I won't compensate somebody for doing a less than adequate job. If the dealer's great, it doesn't matter whether I won a single pot on his rotation, he's getting a nice tip.

[Lawrence Ng]

Mikey,

I know this one waitress who works at a local restaurant that I go to often. The food there is good and quite cheap. I really enjoy eating there. Anyways, she is really quick with my orders and always gets whatever else I need even though it's really busy there. I have never seen her frown and she is always trying her best to keep a smile even though I know sheh is really tired from running around constantly.

One time, I barely had enough cash (they take cash only) for my meal so I couldn't leave much a tip - like 20 cents or something like that. I felt bad, because I always leave her a great tip. She didn't say anything, she just smiled and wished me a nice day.

The next time I went back there, she was the same old quick serving, always smiling to me waitress. So I gave her a tip equal to my meal which was $12.

Tips are always based on quality of service. Good service deserves a good tip. Great service deserves more. But the only tip bad service deserves is a tip to advise them not to ask for a tip unless they improve service.

Mikey brings up a good point with regards to service playing poker.

A good dealer:

1. Deals fast and accurate (not flashing cards, or misdealing 3 cards)

2. Keeps players who are in hands quiet and always speaking english.

3. Reads hands well and not muck hands by accident.

If dealers expect tips, then we the players expect those things.

Dealing a "big pot" doesn't warrant a tip.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[MMMMMM]

"Why should a waiter at a diner get a $4 tip (on a $20 bill) while a waiter at a nicer restaurant gets a $10 tip (on a $50 bill), especially when often the waiter at the diner is doing more for you."

I see your point, but the IRS doesn't look at it that way, and calculates the amount of income tax owed based on presuming the tip is 12% of the meal cost (don't take this as gospel and the exact percentage might be off slightly, but that was my rough understanding as of a few years ago). So a waitperson at a restaurant getting a $4 tip on a $50 meal still must pay tax on that tip as if it were a $6 tip. Also, if I'm not mistaken the computerized cash register systems track the total cost of meals sold by each waitperson so there is no fudging possible. The waitstaff each end up responsible for taxes on 12% of their gross sales as well as on their small hourly wages.

Anyone with actual knowledge of this matter please feel free to correct me or to elaborate.

[Mikey]

[andyfox]

"I won't compensate somebody for doing a less than adequate job. If the dealer's great, it doesn't matter whether I won a single pot on his rotation, he's getting a nice tip."

That's not the way the poker world works. If somebody does a less than adequate job in a job that involves tipping as a significant percentage of the income derived from the job, then leave less of a tip. Stiffing should be left for a completely incompetent job or for unacceptable behavior. Looking like they want a tip does not qualify, to me, as behavior that disqualifies them from a tip.

Tips to poker dealers are not given at the end of a shift for good work. The accepted norm is that tips are given for winning hands. Each player shares in this accepted tipping practice.

[JTG51]

Nice post Andy. I wish I had just written that instead of babbling my way through five posts.

[Mikey]

Andy you are right in some aspects.

I believe that if you are new to Poker and don't understand how the game works, and you toke the dealer after you drag in a pot, that is fine. I mean that is pretty much routine.

I am assuming that most of the posters on here especially the ones responding to this thread have had sufficient poker playing experience in a brick and mortar casino.

A dealer who haggles for tips or is waiting for a tip especially from me because I understand how this game works will not get one from me.

At the same time if a dealer is efficient even if I don't win that deserves a toke and believe me they are happier when they see a customer toke when they didn't win a pot than the routine "tipping when I win."

It makes them think. It makes them think.....hmm, I'm wondering why this guy tipped me when he didn't even win a pot. I guess it must be because i do a very good job when dealing the cards.

Now that will stick out more in their day knowing, that they received a tip because they made a good service and they knew that i was watching them. Even if I tip only $1, it probably sticks out more in their mind throughout that day than the maniac who tipped them a RED BIRD, when he dragged in a pot.

[skaboomizzy]

In regular restaurants, I typically tip 20-25%. I never really have a chance to eat at "nice" places unless I'm on a date, which is rare for now until I lose weight, which means I'll be less inclined to go to a restaurant. Ahh, the vicious cycle. But to give an example... for a meal with slightly below-average service, I tipped $3.something on an $18 bill. I hope that's not too low.

To contrast... once a week, I'll hit a Chinese buffet place for lunch from my work. The buffet for lunch is $5.95 + 7% tax. I get ice water to drink (Atkins diet!) and usually just get two plates worth of their multitude of chicken dishes and am quite fulfilled. I get seated immediately, everytime I go to the buffet I come back to a full water glass, and the waitress stops by about every five minutes to see if she can get me anything. I tip her $2 on a $6.30 bill because she makes sure I have something to drink and that I get my bill promptly so I can get back to work on time (damn 45 minute lunches!).

In the poker realm, I was at the Seminole Casino on I-4 near Tampa a few weekends ago. There was one jerk player to my left who consistently wouldn't toss his chips into the middle where the dealer could reach, etc. So we get this nice older gentleman to deal, and he's keeping the game lively and quick. Jerk to my left is on his cell phone pre-flop before he calls, dealer tells him to get off the phone. The flop comes, one bet, calls around to jerk who is STILL ON THE PHONE. Dealer tells him his hand is dead, play goes on from there, jerk leaves the table.

Even though I was down about $60 on the day and never won a hand he dealt, I tipped him $2 before I left just for keeping the game going.

So yes, I appreciate good service from those providing it. And I'm sure that dealers have some of the more high-stress service industry jobs around. If I were to drag a $30 pot at the Seminole casino, it's not gonna kill me to give $1 or $2 to the dealer if he or she is keeping the game running smoothly.

Edit to add: Replacing out my [censored]s. Family forum!

[andyfox]

I understand your point. "if a dealer is efficient even if I don't win that deserves a toke and believe me they are happier when they see a customer toke when they didn't win a pot than the routine 'tipping when I win'."

But I don't believe it is so. Dealers have come to expect tips from the winner of the pot. When they get one just because a player appreciates the effort they put out, it is unusual. It just doesn't happen very often. I believe they remember the $5 tip from the maniac.

A few dealers are trying to be the very best dealer they can be. Most probably just look at it as something to pay the bills. They're trying to get the most they can out of it. Some see the wisdom of dealing more hands per hour, of moving the game along, of being efficient and careful and polite. Others just hope for a lot of big pots.

In Japan, there's no tipping. Not for doormen, not in restaurants, nowhere. It was really quite nice. Especially when they give you the traditional bow. It seems as if they're saying we're doing this nice thing for you not because we want or expect a tip but because it's the way we don things here because it's right.

But we have a tipping society, for better or for worse. An egregious error or unacceptable behavior, I agree, no tip. Otherwise, I consider myself fortunate to be able to play cards and I'm not going to stiff a dealer when I rake in a $600 pot because he looked at me sideways.

[M.B.E.]

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I see your point, but the IRS doesn't look at it that way, and calculates the amount of income tax owed based on presuming the tip is 12% of the meal cost (don't take this as gospel and the exact percentage might be off slightly, but that was my rough understanding as of a few years ago).

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I found this hard to believe, so I did some research and discovered to my surprise that it was close to the truth:

http://www.taxfables.com/Columns/Audits/IRS_Innovative.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2002/10/07/story3.html

http://hourlyandskilled.monster.com/rest/articles/taxingtips/