I'n not sure how to start this, because I don't want to be offensive, but somehow I think that dealer tipping is a somewhat strange practice. I mean, I tip a server at a restaurant based on the quality of service, if he or she is considerate, checks in to make sure I have what I need, etc. There's no exact right way to be a server, some general guidelines, but nothing definative. For a dealer, it's following an exact set of rules. Don't flip the next card till the actions complete, ensure all bets are placed properly, etc. As a dealer, it seems to me anyway, that there aren't a ton of judgment calls. You follow the house rules, and you deal in a technically correct manner. I feel that $2 a pot (for what $50/hr) is being overpaid (I'm taking a stab at this hourly rate given $2/pot, 25 hands/hr, I could be way off). It's the same reason that I don't tip a bellhop $5/bag (I do tip them, I know they couldn't live if people didn't, and I'm not saying being a dealer is of the same difficulty level of being a bellhop). It's a job that requires no special abilities, to my knowledge doesn't seem that terribly difficult, and I don't feel deserves much more than $10-12 an hour. (You're talking to a guy who literally dug holes and lifted rocks for $12 an hour, so I probably won't be very receptive to the idea that being a bellhop or a dealer is an exceedingly difficult job).

I would like to say that I do like the idea of a dealer being paid a decent wage (does $20/hr sound reasonable? you're talking 40k/year), and perhaps letting players know that the dealer is well paid, but that an occasinal tip for exceptional service (not just average like you would tip for in a restaurant) is appreciated.