Tip the Dealer. It is not only in the players best interest to tip the dealer, it is a standard courtesy for a service that is similar to that of a waiter. Casinos expect patrons to tip dealers and so pay them less, making the dealers actual income dependent on the generosity of individual gamblers.
Alembert
Over the years I have learned that it is not appropriate to tip floor personnel in the pit. I have recently started to get attention from hosts at the small casinos I play in Vegas. If a host provides you with room and dinner or a show or other fairly nominal comps/perks, what is an appropriate tip? Is it appropriate to tip them when you arrive, when you leave, when they give you tickets?
Also, what is the best manner to hosts to your advantage? Keep asking until they eventually say no? Ask for everything you want before your trip begins? Any advice from more experienced players will be greatly appreciated.
AxelWolf
Over the years I have learned that it is not appropriate to tip floor personnel in the pit. I have recently started to get attention from hosts at the small casinos I play in Vegas. If a host provides you with room and dinner or a show or other fairly nominal comps/perks, what is an appropriate tip? Is it appropriate to tip them when you arrive, when you leave, when they give you tickets? A Hand shake with folded up money works best. Gift cards 2nd best. The Amount should be based on what they give you. $20 up to 1k. I would give half upfront and just say Ill take care of you again before I leave. Next time you can just do it at the end.Also, what is the best manner to hosts to your advantage? Keep asking until they eventually say no? Ask for everything you want before your trip begins? Any advice from more experienced players will be greatly appreciated. You can usually get a good feel for what you can get. Their wording is key. 'Anything you want let me know' vs 'I can take care of SOME stuff for you.' If the use word like I might, or ill see what I can do, come see me before you check out. Are not so great
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
Ahigh
Now here's something I had no clue about. I would think that tipping your host would be against the house policy! Seems like a really dangerous thing for the casinos to be okay with.
tongni
it really depends what kind of player you are. if you're a recreational gambler, you might get slightly increased comps, they may squeeze you into some invite only stuff that your play doesn't quite qualify for, take off an extra 10% of your loss off your room charges making your comp balance negative, etc. for that stuff, $50 is probably appropriate.
they can also reissue free play, hold offers that you didn't make it for and give it to you later, read back your player account to you, put you in free rooms when you're not technically on property, let you know about gossip/personnel changes, edit your player account, charge off way more than they should, get you prescription drugs/narcotics/women, get you unbanned from the casino, give you non-public information about drawings, explain the marketing system to you, and many more things. those things might be worth a hundred or two to a few thousand. either way, if you're a nice guy, and you don't yell at them when things don't go your way or they have to say no, then i think you'll be in the top 5% of all their customers. remember, if you want something on either list, you should always ask. the worst they can say is no.
Wizard I've said this before, but tipping casino hosts is supposed to not be allowed, but routinely happens. It isn't expected, because hosts are already compensated for your play by the casino. However, in my opinion, and that of many, tipping hosts is well worth it if you're asking for things beyond your level play. I think it is only worthwhile for high-end players, who get over $10,000 in comps per year. A tip to the host can help you get into tournaments and other events that you might be marginally qualified for. You don't need to tip a lot. Personally, I like to make a $110 sports bet on the host's favorite team and hand him the ticket, emphasizing it will pay $210 if it wins. I think tipping cash to a host looks tacky and seems like more of an abuse of the rules. Any tip should be put in an envelope, in the interests of discretion.Administrator Don't feel obligated to tip for things you're entitled to anyway. p.s. I was thinking of making an 'Ask the Wizard' question out of this, but then found I already did in my Sep. 1, 2007 column.
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
kewlj
I've said this before, but tipping casino hosts is supposed to not be allowed, but routinely happens. It isn't expected, because hosts are already compensated for your play by the casino. However, in my opinion, and that of many, tipping hosts is well worth it if you're asking for things beyond your level play. I think it is only worthwhile for high-end players, who get over $10,000 in comps per year. A tip to the host can help you get into tournaments and other events that you might be marginally qualified for. You don't need to tip a lot. Personally, I like to make a $110 sports bet on the host's favorite team and hand him the ticket, emphasizing it will pay $210 if it wins. I think tipping cash to a host looks tacky and seems like more of an abuse of the rules. Any tip should be put in an envelope, in the interests of discretion. Don't feel obligated to tip for things you're entitled to anyway. Mike, I don't mean to judge you or anyone. But isn't tipping someone, with the understanding or even hopes of receiving something back that you are not entitled to or would not otherwise receive, nothing more than a veiled form of bribery? The fact that such activities are commonplace and accepted by society, does not push it across the line from wrong to right in my book.
Just say no to 6:5 Blackjack, Continuous shuffle machines and Blackjack the Forum. All are Negative expected value.
AxelWolf
it really depends what kind of player you are. if you're a recreational gambler, you might get slightly increased comps, they may squeeze you into some invite only stuff that your play doesn't quite qualify for, take off an extra 10% of your loss off your room charges making your comp balance negative, etc. for that stuff, $50 is probably appropriate. Did I miss something? DON'T TIP FOR THIS AT ALL. That's what a host should be doing that's why they are a host.
.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
AxelWolf
Mike, I don't mean to judge you or anyone. But isn't tipping someone, with the understanding or even hopes of receiving something back that you are not entitled to or would not otherwise receive, nothing more than a veiled form of bribery? The fact that such activities are commonplace and accepted by society, does not push it across the line from wrong to right in my book.
Yes it is a form of bribery. However, it's allowed up to a point. The casinos allow it, they know its going on. They make it against the official policy just to cover their ass in case it goes to far.Don't forget hosts cant give out unlimited comps, they have a comp budget to work with. If it's to far out of whack they will eventually lose their job.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
kewlj
Yes it is a form of bribery. However, it's allowed up to a point. The casinos allow it, they know its going on. They make it against the official policy just to cover their ass in case it goes to far. Don't forget hosts cant give out unlimited comps, they have a comp budget to work with. If it's to far out of whack they will eventually lose their job. The casino's allow it, so it must be ok? The casino's allow, encourage, push players to be over intoxicated and lose money that they can't afford. The casinos allow, implement a policy of enticement for working people to cash their paycheck and spend it at the casino, before they ever get home to pay the rent and buy food. I don't allow the casino's to make the decision of what is right or wrong for me.
Just say no to 6:5 Blackjack, Continuous shuffle machines and Blackjack the Forum. All are Negative expected value.
AxelWolf
The casino's allow it, so it must be ok? The casino's allow, encourage, push players to be over intoxicated and lose money that they can't afford. The casinos allow, implement a policy of enticement for working people to cash their paycheck and spend it at the casino, before they ever get home to pay the rent and buy food. I'm confused, are you saying you think its immoral? If so why? I assume its not illeagal, i don't the gaming laws on that. Let us assume its not.
I don't allow the casino's to make the decision of what is right or wrong for me.
♪♪Now you swear and kick and beg us That you're not a gamblin' man Then you find you're back in Vegas With a handle in your hand♪♪ Your black cards can make you money So you hide them when you're able In the land of casinos and money You must put them on the table♪♪ You go back Jack do it again roulette wheels turinin' 'round and 'round♪♪ You go back Jack do it again♪♪
Robert Woolley
In my last two “Casino Poker for Beginners” articles, I introduced you to the poker room personnel you’re likely to meet. These people are paid to be there. Who pays them? You do, directly or indirectly. The “indirectly” part is what they get in paychecks, which ultimately come out of the rake — those chips that the dealer drops into a bin under the table after every hand.
Let’s talk about the “directly” part.
Tipping is always a controversial topic. If you want to start an argument on a poker-related online forum, just ask how much you should tip poker dealers. Or, better yet, express a definite opinion on the subject, and watch how everybody proceeds to disagree with you. Ask 10 poker players how dealers should be tipped, and you’ll get 11 different answers.
I won’t pretend to have the definitive answer. But I can give you some general principles that I think should govern your decision, plus my own specific formula.
Let’s start with the general. I will be so bold as to assert that if your recipe for tipping, whatever the specifics of it may be, fulfills these principles, you’re doing it right, and you may safely and confidently ignore any detractors who think you should do it their way instead:
Now for the specifics — or at least the specifics that I settled on years ago, and that have stood me in good stead ever since.
Dealers
I tip cash-game dealers one $1 chip for every pot I win or chop. It’s the same if I just pick up the blinds, or I win my biggest pot of the night. I increase that to $2 or occasionally even $3 if the hand takes unusually long to play out.
Hands might take longer because of multiple side pots, or because of the need to count down large stacks of chips, or because the floor had to be called to settle some matter, or because players had difficult decisions, each requiring time to think. The extra money is to compensate the dealer for the fact that he or she will get out fewer hands than usual in this down (a “down” being the time dealing to one table, usually 30 minutes).
I will tip an extra $5 if I win a high-hand jackpot. I also like to give a little extra reward to dealers who are exceptionally good. Once in a while a dealer really impresses me with how he or she keeps the game running smoothly, rapidly, and enjoyably. For such outstanding performance, I give the dealer an extra $1 chip as he or she is leaving for the next table, along with the message, “I like how you run the game.”
Similarly, I like dealers who consistently enforce the rules. Some dealers are reluctant to correct players who are talking about the hand in progress, or speaking in a language other than English, and so forth. Sadly, players who get called out — even in the most respectful manner — for breaking rules get embarrassed and tip less, which makes dealers gun-shy about rule enforcement. So when a dealer professionally handles a difficult situation like that, I do the same kind of end-of-down extra, with an encouraging message such as, “Thanks for handling things so well.”
Just as an aside, one of the reasons I prefer the two seats next to the dealer is that I can deliver those tips and messages quietly and semi-privately. If I’m in another seat, I might wait until I can catch the dealer away from the table, rather than have all the other players watching and listening.
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Maybe something like once a year, a dealer will do something so outrageously insulting or unprofessional that I will stiff him or her — no tips for the rest of the down or shift. It would take too long to explain the kinds of bizarre circumstances that have led me to that “nuclear” option, but they’re very, very rare.
Those are guidelines I follow when tipping dealers in cash games. Tipping of tournament dealers is a separate matter, which I’ll address when I do an article on all aspects of tournament play.
Cashiers
There are only three ways to leave a cash game: If I lose all of my chips, I have no reason to stop at the cashier, let alone leave a tip. If I leave with a profit, I routinely tip the cashier $1. If I’m cashing out but with a loss, I don’t tip.
I realize that this is not strictly logical; after all, the cashier is doing close to the same amount of work either way. I admit that it is mostly an emotional point for me, in that it’s easier to give away a tiny bit of my profit than it is to deepen my loss.
So I repeat: On each of the specifics of my methods, one could argue that there are different, and even better, ways of doing it.
Chip runners
It’s rare that I play in a casino that uses chip runners, so I haven’t developed the habit of tipping them. On the occasions that I’m in a place that uses chip runners, I usually only think about tipping them long after it’s too late. It’s possible that this neglect means that I’m a horrible person. I’d like to think that if my regular places of play used chip runners, I’d have this process worked out better.
Appropriate Tip For Delivery![]() Floor personnel
If the floor person does me some special service, such as counting out and bringing me a high-hand jackpot, I’ll tip a dollar. Otherwise, I have not found much call for tipping them. It would be unseemly, for example, to tip such a person for making a call in a table dispute that goes your way, just as a baseball player doesn’t tip the umpire for calling him safe at second base. Unlike the other people in this list, floor personnel are not being paid minimum wage, and are therefore much less dependent on tips to make a living.
Cocktail waitresses
I think $1 per drink (whether soft or hard) is both decent and standard.
I’ve asked a few dealer friends about my tipping protocol, and they have all endorsed it as one with which they have no argument, which pleases me.
One final thought: If there is a poker room where you think you will be spending a lot of hours over a long period of time — your “home room,” so to speak — err on the side of tipping more generously. You might be pleasantly surprised at all the ways the staff can make your time there both more pleasant and more profitable if they decide you’re a player who is worth extra effort to keep happy.
Miscelaneous Information. Fallsview casino parking rates 2018. Wheelchair or Mobility Scooter Rental?.
Robert Woolley lives in Asheville, NC. He spent several years in Las Vegas and chronicled his life in poker on the “Poker Grump” blog.
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Appropriate Tips For Services
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