how to figure tips for tourney dealers

[Greg (FossilMan)]

What can I say? Andy's a great guy, but on this issue he's wrong.

I still don't see why in two tournaments, one costing $200, and another costing $1000, where the total amount of dealer time per player is only slightly higher in the latter, why you should tip 5x more in the latter.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[VarlosZ]

At my cardroom in New York, tipping anything less than 5% of your prize is frowned upon -- perhaps seriously depending on the floorperson at the time.

Then again, New Yorkers are notoriously good tippers, I'm proud to say.

[ZootMurph]

I'm glad someone asked this question. I play 2 tournaments a week in Atlantic City. I have finished at the final table in three straight.... thanks, please hold the applause... anyway, I just started playing tournaments for a little changeup, so I had no clue. One tournament is a $30+5 buyin (8 pay), and I came in 7th one week ($97) and 3rd the next ($267). Both times I asked the floorperson what she thought I should tip, and she said 'whatever you want'. I hate that answer, LOL. So, I tipped $7 the first week and $27 the next. I thought I was under-tipping. Now, the next Monday I play in a $50+10 (20 pay), and finish 4th for $1200. I ask this floorperson what I should tip, and he says at least 5%, so I tip $75.

I'm thinking about this, and the two 30+5 tournaments have 81 players (9 tables, 9 per table). The tournaments generally go for 4-5 hours. $2430 prize money, and with 5% tip that is about $120. For 9 dealers averaging 3 hours each. That's not even $6 an hour. Just doesn't seem right, somehow.

BTW, I'm not, never have been, nor will I ever be a New Yorker, and I'm a notoriously good tipper as well [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[VarlosZ]

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, I'm not, never have been, nor will I ever be a New Yorker, and I'm a notoriously good tipper as well [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Just for the record, I didn't mean to disparage implicitly those living in the hinterlands (that is, outside New York City). It's just that the cost of living here is so high that I have to squeeze as much value out of the city as I can, and sometimes that involves being passively snobbish; it's one of the perks we get. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[CrisBrown]

Hi Varlos,

[ QUOTE ]
Just for the record, I didn't mean to disparage implicitly those living in the hinterlands (that is, outside New York City). It's just that the cost of living here is so high that I have to squeeze as much value out of the city as I can, and sometimes that involves being passively snobbish; it's one of the perks we get.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL

As a novelist, I deal with New Yorkers all the time -- editors, etc. -- and it's sometimes rather humorous to hear the "passive snobbery" as you so eloquently put it. One of the most humorous examples concerned a book that was partly set in Montana, where two characters went out to dinner and one ordered shrimp.

The line-editor wrote this gem of a New-Yorker-ism in the margin: "Shrimp??? In Montana???"

To which I replied: "Yes, and they even have flush toilets too!" [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Cris

[neotope]

[ QUOTE ]
At my cardroom in New York, tipping anything less than 5% of your prize is frowned upon -- perhaps seriously depending on the floorperson at the time.


[/ QUOTE ]

I think all that means is that they are not paying the dealers enough so they want you to tip 5% to make up for the money that they don't give to the dealers.

[VarlosZ]

[ QUOTE ]
I think all that means is that they are not paying the dealers enough so they want you to tip 5% to make up for the money that they don't give to the dealers.

[/ QUOTE ]
They're not paying the dealers anything -- in fact, the dealers pay the club a $10 cleaning fee for every night they work (as some clubs make their dealers stay after closing and do custodial work as well).

The dealers work exclusively for tips, but it's not as bad a deal for them as it might sound. A dealer working an 8 hour shift (of ring games) might make over $300 for the night (though often less, of course).

The dealers do get a small hourly wage (plus tips) for working the tournaments, but it is much less profitable than working the cash games. Hence, it's important to tip well. If the dealers were paid more, the rake would simply be higher, so you might as well factor a decent tip into the price of doing business.

[Eric P]

the formula is whatever you feel like, i suppose they would want/expect 5% of your winnings as most the dealers I know do. They will like more they will take less, if it was a set thing then it wouldn't be a tip, it would be part of the rake

[orbie]

thanks for the info. playing and dealing diffrent tournaments, I've recieved this question several. I think I can give some kind of awnser now.