Craps shooter getting tips from big players

On another thread, AZDuffman asked the question whether you've seen or been tipped as a shooter by big players at craps. I've seen $5 bets (even $25) made for the shooter, but ...

Back in January, I was on a one night junket to Taj Mahal. Fairly late on Friday night, I was at a $10 table betting PL+odds and 32/34 inside, pressing modestly on wins. Table was fairly cold, I remember the nines being particularly brutal because when the dice came around to me (I was in the 10 corner), the guy to my left hops the nines (to keep me from establishing a nine point). A few shooters prior to this, a guy buys in for $5K (!) and starts betting something like 330 inside.

My roll is the first big one I've ever had (only started playing seriously the last 8-10 casino trips). Not sure of the clock, but I think it was 13 points (never had a 4 or 10 point), although no more than 2 or 3 of any place number (kinda weird). Made about $2K on the roll. After I sevened out, dealer hands me a black chip from a guy at the other end of the table. Wasn't expecting that, but I didn't refuse. :-) A few shooters later, the High Roller gets the dice but doesn't do much. Promptly cashes out $19K and change and hands me 2 blacks.

Rolls like that seem to make all the grinding out at cold tables worth it!

I was in Las Vegas a couple years ago with a buddy of mine. He called me from the Venetian telling me that a certain Pittsburgh Steeler football player was shooting dice there. Being from Pittsburgh and a big Steeler fan I walked over (I was staying at Harrahs). I got on the table and when it was my turn to throw, I had one of those rolls that you dream about. I was playing $10 pass line with full odds on the back, turned $200 into over $2500.

After rolling a couple points there was an older guy at the table who was making $100 hard-way bets for me (which none hit). After he gave up on the hard way bets, he just started to toss me black chips after every point. I ended up with either $400 or $500 extra dollars.

Also, after shooting we all left and I got to have a couple "sodas" with the Steerler.

FYI- I gave my buddy $400 for making that phone call and telling me to come over. If it wasn't for him, I'd had never won.

Nobody has ever tipped me.

I've heard of a shooter getting a tip but giving it to the dealers if they've been stiffed. I think I'd keep the money myself if I ever got it.

I've probably had a few rolls where I deserved to be tipped but I often play so early in the morning that I'm alone at the table so there are no other players to benefit from a humungous roll wherein I keep hitting various numbers until finally getting a decision on my measly minimum line bet.

Quote: jjc312pitt

I was in Las Vegas a couple years ago with a buddy of mine. He called me from the Venetian telling me that a certain Pittsburgh Steeler football player was shooting dice there. Being from Pittsburgh and a big Steeler fan I walked over (I was staying at Harrahs). I got on the table and when it was my turn to throw, I had one of those rolls that you dream about. I was playing $10 pass line with full odds on the back, turned $200 into over $2500.

After rolling a couple points there was an older guy at the table who was making $100 hard-way bets for me (which none hit). After he gave up on the hard way bets, he just started to toss me black chips after every point. I ended up with either $400 or $500 extra dollars.

Also, after shooting we all left and I got to have a couple "sodas" with the Steerler.

FYI- I gave my buddy $400 for making that phone call and telling me to come over. If it wasn't for him, I'd had never won.

Maybe I will have similar results at Rivers when they open. Bound to be Steeler Players there on a regular basis. Word is they are working to get some kind of endorsement from a certain former offensive player, which I will leave to the board to speculate on.

I told this story before, but here's the short version:

I had a drunk a-hole stagger up to me as I was shooting, put like $600 each on the hard 6 & 8. I threw an easy 6. He replaced it with $700. I threw an easy 8. He replaced that with $800. I threw a hard 8! That's it. Three rolls and he left the table - but not before giving me $25.

---

On my last trip, I was doing well, and feeling good, when a player sevened out. The next person, a woman with her daughter. She hadn't been betting, but the daughter had, so I knew she wasn't planning on shooting. I put $5 in front of her, told her to shoot, and if she won anything, she could keep it.

First roll was an 11. She then threw something like 8, 12, 3, 7. Sigh. But at least she made $5....

Quote: AZDuffman

Maybe I will have similar results at Rivers when they open. Bound to be Steeler Players there on a regular basis. Word is they are working to get some kind of endorsement from a certain former offensive player, which I will leave to the board to speculate on.

On a somewhat related note, I shot dice with Donavan McNabb on a Royal Carribbean cruise back in like 2003-2004. A the time I barely knew how to play, and was focused on the game trying to learn what was going on. He was standing right next to me playing with a friend, and I didn't even realize it for probably 20-30 minutes. He wasn't betting huge stacks or anything, but respectable amounts.

What was cool was no one bothered him at all, just let him play like anyone else. He was friendly, but pretty reserved. I never saw him again on the ship the rest of the trip.

Quote: jjc312pitt

I was in Las Vegas a couple years ago with a buddy of mine. He called me from the Venetian telling me that a certain Pittsburgh Steeler football player was shooting dice there. Being from Pittsburgh and a big Steeler fan I walked over (I was staying at Harrahs).

I played Three-Card Poker next to a Steelers defensive lineman at Mountaineer Casino in West Virginia. He was a really nice guy, but it was kind of bizarre. He didn't seem that big in person. After the pit boss finished his shift, he made sure to go around the table and get his autograph.

BTW, I don't believe in tipping the player. I think you should tip the dealer instead. If I got a $100 tip from a shooter, I would give it to the dealer. (Okay...maybe split it 50/50 :))

I got tipped 5$ on a south carolina casino boat. I had a couple nice rolls, and an older gentleman in a navy hat kept saying "alright shooter". I think it went to the dealers which was ok, it was only my 2nd time playing craps, and although they were getting tips, it was small amounts.

Had an aweful night at the table. The table was so choppy that I slowly bleed $50 over the course of 2hours. It was not fun at all. I was at the point of leaving when it came turn for me to shoot. There was a medium size bettor at the other end of the table that bought all the hardways for $25 each. I proceeded to throw a pair of hard 8s and hard 10s. Then back to hard 8s again. After the 5th hard 8, I placed a hard 8 for myself for a nickel only to seven out. I felt like crap.

But then, the bettor on the other end of the table who made a decent amount yelled "hey shooter, great roll" and tossed me 2 greens. I was a happy duck for getting back to even and I thanked him for it and promptly left. Guy had a gorgeous gal next to him. I guess thats karma when you make what $1k on my roll? Wish all big bettors would do it. I got lucky breaking even.

Doesn't always happen though. I was at a table in the Excalibur and I began hitting hard 10s. The whale next to me was betting black on the hardways and even pressed the hard 10. I hit about 4-5 hard 10s before throwing a 7. Then the guy complained, "You didn't throw it the same way! You should have thrown it like the last time." What a prick. I'm down, he's up, and he's rubbbing it in.

Quote: teddys

BTW, I don't believe in tipping the player. I think you should tip the dealer instead. If I got a $100 tip from a shooter, I would give it to the dealer.

In an earlier thread, I mentioned a gift from a craps high roller for my shooting in Tunica last year. Rather than repeating it, here's a different, lower-level-bettor story that doesn't involve much money at all.

When I visited the Greenbrier in WV a few months ago and was playing $10 blackjack in their Tavern Casino, there were several green-chip players at the table who didn't really seem to know what they were doing. They kept asking (probably) rhetorical questions about how they should play hands. I don't generally offer advice to strangers at the table, but I did make a comment that the mathematicians had figured out what the best play is on any given hand, meaning basic strategy.

So on one hand the player next to me gets an Ace-7 against a dealer 10. He asked the whole table, "What am I supposed to do with that?" I responded, "Do you want to know what the mathematicians would say?", to which he replied, "Yes."

I told him they would hit it, so he took a hit. His third card was a 3 giving him a 21 over the dealer's 20. That card, and the $25 win, gave him a pleasant surprise, and I don't think he had really been planning to hit his 18 until I spoke up. He thanked me and slid a $5 chip over to me.

On the next hand, that chip was out in front of me as a bet for the dealer, and it won. I think everyone was happy with how that worked out. In particular, I was happy that my comment hadn't cost him his bet.

I have received tips for my shooting a few times from big winners at the Craps table. I once threw three elevens in a row. A player who parlayed and pressed his $5 Yo into more than $8,000 gave me two green chips. I don't think there's anything wrong with spreading the good fortune.

Quote: Asswhoopermcdaddy

I was at a table in the Excalibur and I began hitting hard 10s. The whale next to me was betting black on the hardways and even pressed the hard 10. I hit about 4-5 hard 10s before throwing a 7. Then the guy complained, "You didn't throw it the same way! You should have thrown it like the last time." What a prick. I'm down, he's up, and he's rubbbing it in.

I think the correct response is "You were making me nervous," or "You were making me jealous."

I was playing at a blackjack table with the 21+3 side bet (pays 9:1 for a flush, straight, straight flush or trips using your 2 cards & the dealer upcard). I wasn't playing the sucker bet so the player next to me gave me a $5 chip & asked if he could play my side bet spot too. I obliged and promptly won $45 for him. I slid the winning chips to him and he insisted that I keep one of the chips for myself. I graciously took the tip and was a little suprised when he slid me another chip and asked to bet the bonus for him again. I continued placing bets for him for at least an hour and made at least $50 in tips by doing so as he would always give me a chip back. I felt a little awkward when he busted later and left the table broke as I was sitting there with half of his buy-in. He just wished me good luck and thanked me for letting him play my bonus spot.

I had a roll at Tunica 2 years ago that went for 1 hour and 10 minutes. There were a few of us that made a few thousand on that roll, but not a single person tipped me. The guy two to my right said he got back the $6,000 he was down. After I sevened out, everyone on the table passed on the dice, and they came right back to me. Alas, I made one point and a quick 7 out.

In Biloxi last year with a point of 8, I rolled a hard 10. The guy 3 from me on the hook gives me a fist bump, but I was zoned out and not really focused on the game. My wife is behind me and says, "wow you sure made that guy happy." At this point I look closer at the table, and the guy has $500 on each hardway. He collects his 3500, presses all his hardways to 600, hands me a black chip, puts $25 on each hardway for the dealers, and then as the dice come to me, throws a 100 on the hard 10 "for the shooter to bring it back." It would be great to say I hit it..... but I choked. :-(

Quote: RaleighCraps

In Biloxi last year with a point of 8, I rolled a hard 10. The guy 3 from me on the hook gives me a fist bump, but I was zoned out and not really focused on the game. My wife is behind me and says, "wow you sure made that guy happy." At this point I look closer at the table, and the guy has $500 on each hardway. He collects his 3500, ...

Hey, Raleigh, which casino in Biloxi pays $3500 for a winning $500 on a hard 10? Remind me not to play there. :-)

Quote: Doc

Hey, Raleigh, which casino in Biloxi pays $3500 for a winning $500 on a hard 10? Remind me not to play there. :-)

Paying 7:1 or 8 for 1 is normal for a hard ten/four.

Quote: ahiromu

Paying 7:1 or 8 for 1 is normal for a hard ten/four.

Doh! It must have been too late in my time zone...at least my brain went to sleep. When Raleigh said the point was 8, I immediately began thinking in terms of a hard 8, in spite of what he said and what I typed. Sorry, Raleigh, just write it off to my senility. My apologies to all.