Tipping Story

Rick Nebiolo · #1 10-24-2005, 08:56 PM

So today I’m playing 5/10 fixed buy no limit at a local B&M and the “Stiff Report” thread below ended up inspiring me.

Mid-session comes a hand where I bet $200 or so on the turn. A regular opponent with a somewhat “difficult” personality calls all-in by pushing his remaining $150. I can tell difficult probably doesn’t like his hand since he holds five $1 chips back. In this and most clubs $1 chips that add up to $5 (the minimum bet) play and my observation is they usually go in when certain opponents are strong.

I win and the dealer pushes me the pot minus the $5. I don’t want to get any bad vibes from Difficult so I keep quiet.

But I stiff the dealer.

An hour later I get in another pot with Difficult. Once again we go all-in and I cover. My AK beats his JJ and this time Difficult keeps about eight $1 chips.

Before pushing me the pot this dealer looks over at Difficult and says: “Sir, five of those one dollar chips play.” Difficult puts in the chips with only a minor scowl.

So I tip the dealer $5. It just felt right [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

KCFire105 · #2 10-24-2005, 09:09 PM

I have no problem with this. When dealers, waiters...wages are based on performance (menial wage, good tip potential) they should earn it. I typically tip 20%-50% depending on service at a restaraunt (50% for a cheap breakfast that was good service). Poor service = 9%-10% tip. I see no reason to exclude dealers from this same level of accountability. The more I enjoy a dealer, the more I tip (within reason as to not erase my positive cash flow) Big pot = above avg tip if dealt well. And if I really enjoyed them, I will take care of them as they leave the table whether I won the last pot or not.

Josh W · #3 10-24-2005, 09:09 PM

Nice story, but...

I think your story illustrates that ultimately we tip for a job well done. The first dealer didn't get a tip, because it wasn't a job well done. In the name of opportunity, I think you should (and maybe you did!) tell the first dealer (away from the table) why they didn't get tipped.

Obviously, you shouldn't need to tell dealers how to do their job, but sometimes the need is there....

Josh

Rick Nebiolo · #4 10-24-2005, 09:34 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I think your story illustrates that ultimately we tip for a job well done. The first dealer didn't get a tip, because it wasn't a job well done. In the name of opportunity, I think you should (and maybe you did!) tell the first dealer (away from the table) why they didn't get tipped.

Obviously, you shouldn't need to tell dealers how to do their job, but sometimes the need is there....

[/ QUOTE ]

After he left the box I did speak with the dealer. I left this out of the story both for brevity and the fact that including it sort of ruined the flow (I wrote it in the first draft then edited it out).

~ Rick

andyfox · #5 10-28-2005, 10:32 PM

I also see this all the time: with what they think is a winning hand, an all-in player will use their small denomination chips to get as much into the pot as possible; with what they think might not win, they won't. I've never seen any dealer force the player to put in the small denomination chips.

Really, I can't blame the dealers. The all-in player is usually not in a mood to be nudged about a few dollars. And in my game (Commerce 40-80) there are a lot of different chips ($5, $3, $1, and sometimes $2) so the all-in player might have a rainbow of chips that could be $10 or it could be $9. And there are some players who honestly don't know that the smaller chips play.

Glad to hear you explained yourself to the dealer. Not that I imagined you'd do anything but that.

Regards,
Andy

Rick Nebiolo · #6 10-28-2005, 10:45 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I also see this all the time: with what they think is a winning hand, an all-in player will use their small denomination chips to get as much into the pot as possible; with what they think might not win, they won't. I've never seen any dealer force the player to put in the small denomination chips.

Really, I can't blame the dealers. The all-in player is usually not in a mood to be nudged about a few dollars. And in my game (Commerce 40-80) there are a lot of different chips ($5, $3, $1, and sometimes $2) so the all-in player might have a rainbow of chips that could be $10 or it could be $9. And there are some players who honestly don't know that the smaller chips play.

Glad to hear you explained yourself to the dealer. Not that I imagined you'd do anything but that.

Regards,
Andy

[/ QUOTE ]

Some days I have to fight to control my inner nit. The player in "Tipping Story" is a bit aggravating though. Today, TWO HANDS after he folded out of turn with no action in a four way pot, he admonished another player for doing EXACTLY THE SAME THING when he had a shot at the pot with a weak hand! I kept my mouth shut. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

~ Rick

worm33 · #7 10-28-2005, 11:25 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I also see this all the time: with what they think is a winning hand, an all-in player will use their small denomination chips to get as much into the pot as possible; with what they think might not win, they won't. I've never seen any dealer force the player to put in the small denomination chips.

Really, I can't blame the dealers. The all-in player is usually not in a mood to be nudged about a few dollars. And in my game (Commerce 40-80) there are a lot of different chips ($5, $3, $1, and sometimes $2) so the all-in player might have a rainbow of chips that could be $10 or it could be $9. And there are some players who honestly don't know that the smaller chips play.

Glad to hear you explained yourself to the dealer. Not that I imagined you'd do anything but that.

Regards,
Andy

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't believe you have never seen a dealer force a player to put in his small denomination chips. In my game (canterbury 30-60) I have never not seen a player forced to put in his last $.

Rick Nebiolo · #8 10-28-2005, 11:38 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I can't believe you have never seen a dealer force a player to put in his small denomination chips. In my game (canterbury 30-60) I have never not seen a player forced to put in his last $.

[/ QUOTE ]

Andy and I play in LA.

~ Rick

PS And sometimes dealers do have the player put the money in. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Justin A · #9 10-29-2005, 03:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I also see this all the time: with what they think is a winning hand, an all-in player will use their small denomination chips to get as much into the pot as possible; with what they think might not win, they won't. I've never seen any dealer force the player to put in the small denomination chips.

Really, I can't blame the dealers. The all-in player is usually not in a mood to be nudged about a few dollars. And in my game (Commerce 40-80) there are a lot of different chips ($5, $3, $1, and sometimes $2) so the all-in player might have a rainbow of chips that could be $10 or it could be $9. And there are some players who honestly don't know that the smaller chips play.

Glad to hear you explained yourself to the dealer. Not that I imagined you'd do anything but that.

Regards,
Andy

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't believe you have never seen a dealer force a player to put in his small denomination chips. In my game (canterbury 30-60) I have never not seen a player forced to put in his last $.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you're spoiled by playing in such a well run cardroom.

Randy_Refeld · #10 10-24-2005, 09:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Before pushing me the pot this dealer looks over at Difficult and says: “Sir, five of those one dollar chips play.” Difficult puts in the chips with only a minor scowl.

[/ QUOTE ]

IF it can happen like this the dealer should tell the player to put the chips in. There are (or have been in the past) clubs where the player is allowed to tell the the dealer to STFU and refuse to put in the chips. In this environment the delaer should let the player ask for them.