On Tipping the Dealer

[mosch]

I tip a minimum of $1/pot. Good dealers (fast, efficient, run the game well) get $2/pot. Good dealers who don't deal me any winners get $1 at the end of the round. If I'm feeling generous, or if a dealer is particularly good, I'll toss them the occasional nickel.

If you win a tournament, I've always heard 3% as the standard tip, since the winners have to take care of toking the dealers for everyone, as fair or unfair as that may be.

Not tipping is allowed, but it's just bad form. It's akin to stiffing a waitress. Unless they've done an extremely poor job, they deserve something.

[Still the Spank E]

I went, I saw, I tipped--$1 on every pot won. In the future I intend to do a little better (say, $2) for the dealers who are really friendly/entertaining, whatever. I don't believe in stiffing anyone for any reason short of true nastiness. I also don't believe in basing the tip on the kinds of cards I've been dealt. Is there anyone over the age of eight who needs it explained to them that the dealers are not DECIDING which cards you'll be dealt? A tips are "to insure proper service" (it's either "proper" or "prompt," I can never remember), so if you think stiffing someone for not giving you good cards is appropriate, try OVER-tipping, maybe they'll start dealing you pocket aces every time. I recommend $20 per pot.

[Still the Spank E]

I'm glad to see that this post has had such "legs." The subject clearly is on the minds of/touches a nerve with a lot of people.

[Rams_Law]

Here's the thing for me: I understand that tips are the substantial portion of a dealer's earnings; that if it wasn't a $1 tip it would be a $2 rake increase, because the house would have to cover 'overhead' and take its cut.

However, several things routinely piss me off, anywhere tipping is customary (and even more where it is not).
First, when the tip is 'expected' more than it is earned; even if it is part of the salary, it still has to be earned.
Second is the coy bull [censored] about how much of a tip is expected. If this is your livelihood, you shouldn't be satisfied with 'whatever you think is appropriate'. A service provider should have a number in mind for what they expect per hand, per table, and give a straight answer when asked a straight question. The guilt trip and puppy dog eyes make me want to wretch. The homeless guy on the corner begs for a living, and he doen't get any of my money. You're gonna have to work for a living if you want some of it.
Third, is the sheer proliferation of people who 'expect' tips, but that and other topics are for another day.

[RollaJ]

Here is the rule:
Always tip $1, BUT....
Not if more than 10% of the money just pushed to you (then dont tip)
Never tip less than .002 of the pot, so if over $500 tip $2
tip $2 for Quads and straight flushes

[gt6062b]

Maybe it's just here, but in St. Louis (Ameristar), the average tip at all levels is $.50 (pink chip), which always seemed a little light to me. The dealers are usually pretty friendly, good service, but the 3/6, 6/12, and even 20/40 (!) all seem to tip 1 pink chip, even on large pots. There have been exceptions, of course, but that seems to be the norm out here.

The comments about quarters I'm not finding as offensive as most, but that may just be me. The .50 chips are allowed as tips here because you can use them as poker currency in stacks, for example. My understanding is that in a chip game, cash doesn't play, and therefore quarters wouldn't be allowed on the table? Am I missing something here? If you only wanted to tip .50 and didn't have a chip to do so, couldn't you tip every other pot, or when the dealer leaves?

Anyway, happy holidays people, win lots of money between now and the New Year.

GT

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
My understanding is that in a chip game, cash doesn't play, and therefore quarters wouldn't be allowed on the table?

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do people keep saying this. Just because coins might not be game currency doesn't mean they can't be on the table. I can keep a ceramic frog on the table if I want to.

Since the tips go into a separate container, there is no reason one cannot tip the dealer cash. Any dealer who would refuse a fifty cent tip can live without it.

[LetsRock]

In some situations, cash is not allowed on the table except to make change. It's a legal loophole in some of the "grey area" gaming in states that have some forms of legalized gambling. I've played at a Indian casino in CA and it was explicitly posted that cash is not allowed on the table.

I don't really understand the difference between what's legal here and what is not. We have public card rooms (lowball, holdem, omaha), state lottery, horse racing and plenty of Indian casinos with "real casino" style gaming, but many forms of gambling are generally considered illegal. It's a screwy state.

[Wake up CALL]

". My understanding is that in a chip game, cash doesn't play, and therefore quarters wouldn't be allowed on the table?"

This is only true in Missouri where the state is trying to protect you from losing your lunch money. In nearly every other location in the world cash plays. Some casinos restrict this to $100 bills but they all allow you to have change on the table and tip in any manner you wish.

[Vehn]

Cash does not play and is not allowed on the table at Canterbury.