On Tipping the Dealer

[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]

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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.

[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.

[trillig]

In Vegas low end games I have been in, quarters enter into every pot while they take out the rake, and yes the dealers can take them, all tips are put in the tip box which is taken on some set schedule to a back room, all the $ is combined and divided equally among all dealers that shift and put on their paychecks... Hourly rate for dealers is generally state minimum wage but they get wide range of tips... so they do OK! I recall a dealer and I got in the discussion of auto insurance, I had just moved out here.

He drives a 2000 BMW and his wife, a 2002 Mountaineer... can't be doing too badly, and I had cheaper insurance, but of course because I drive.... NOT THOSE! LOL!

OH yeah, 50 cents is a fine tip by the way, you are playing with your money and with the rake... starts to eat up profit.

Figure 30 hands an hour.... That's $15 in tips... plus minimum wage, call it $5 to make it easier.... $20 an hour minimum to deal friggin cards!!!
Please come back and tell me how stressful it is, so I can sock it to ya!
[I've had much much more stressful jobs making less...]

--t

[trillig]

I realized later that 30 hands an hour might be pushing it, but possible with lots of PF or flop ending hands, an auto-shuffle machine, and a good dealer.

FeliciaLee said that her mom was a poker dealer and did very well, and that where she was in Vegas, the poker dealers kept THEIR tips, but the pit dealers (BJ, Craps, Roulette, etc) shared tips.

When in doubt, ask the dealer, they will tell you.

-t

[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.

[FeliciaLee]

[ QUOTE ]
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

[/ QUOTE ]
Ask the dealer to chop. They will know what you mean and will not be offended.

My Mom was a poker dealer for years at the Ameristar in St. Louis/Charles. I was born and raised in St. Charles. I usually play there when I'm in town visiting my Dad and Grandparents. Maybe someday we'll meet up.

[FeliciaLee]

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Where I play, if you try and tip a dealer $.50 they won't take it. They will toss it back and then tell you to, "Remove the quarters from the table. They don't play." I've seen it happen at least twice.


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If this ever happened on a table where I played, even if the comment were not directed at me, I would not tip the dealer for the remainder of my time there. And I would make a comment to the card room manager at some point (without naming the dealer).

Yes, dealers take abuse. Yes, I understand they work for their tips. And I understand the dealer being pissed off about no tips or small tips. But even if the tip is a true insult (an actual nickel or dime), they should save the steam for their breaks and their peers. That's professional behavior. And it's professional behavior (for example, mistake free dealing and curteous help to new players) that earns tips.

Smart ass remarks deserve punishment from the table.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree completely, Stevie. I can't tell you how much I loathe greedy dealers. I have also had quarters tossed back to me at Indian cardrooms. They are usually accompanied by a smirk or some sarcastic comment. I understand that they are not "allowed" to accept quarters, but there is a way to be polite about someone attempting to make a kind gesture.

Here's another "bad dealer" example:

If I find change on the floor, I always give it to the dealer at my table. Always. One time I even found a $20 bill. Call me naive, but this is not MY money, this is FOUND money.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago at the Belle, the following incident happened.

I found a penny on the floor next to the dealer's chair. I picked it up and gave it to the dealer. All of the dealers at the Belle know that I give them any change I pick up, whether it be a penny, or a $20 bill.

Anyway, this particular dealer has always had a bit of a sarcastic attitude. He said "thank you" very politely, then threw the penny behind him, over his shoulder, while smirking to everyone at the table about my "tip."

I went and picked up the penny. I told him, "That was very rude! I would have given you the money no matter the denomination. I guess you are too good to take pennies, even though they have helped build this country!"

He sarcastically said, "Yeah, I guess that is because Lincoln is on the penny, and he freed the slaves?"

I dropped it, but I also stopped tipping this dealer.

Sometimes kindness is rewarded by callous rudeness.

[Dylan Wade]

I have a good tipping story that happened not too long ago. There was a huge pot in the 1-2$ game I was playing, probably a $50 pot. The dealer pushed the pot to the winner, only to have the winner furiously shove the pot back into the middle. The dealer was confused for a minute, thinking he made a mistake or mis-read the hand. He started to push the pot slowly back to the player "No no, you won the hand, sir." The player said "No, you won it."

Anyway, that was a pretty awesome tip. I felt bad because the dealer really did deserve it, he was really great. He was kinda old, had been dealing for about 3 hours without a break, and was telling some cool stories of Old las vegas and all the corruption and violence he witnessed in the 70's.