Tipping Inside Casinos (always an interesting subject).

Quote: miles

After having the opportunity to play blackjack in Australia and New Zealand, where the dealers aren't allowed to take tips, I am very grateful to play cards with tipped dealers, at least most tipped dealers pretend to care. The dealers I had in Aus and NZ were terrible, worse than any dealer I've ever had in the US. They didn't pay attention to the game or the players, but were more interested with private conversations with coworkers. The same was true for most of the servers and bartenders. I've waited more tables and tended more bar than I care to think about. If I hadn't been working for tips there is no way I would have gone to the all the trouble to fulfill some of the crazy and downright stupid requests that I did.

You can't have encountered too many dealers if you think that's a true reflection of what they are like over here. The vast majority in any decent casino are very good and I encountered just as many bad ones in Vegas as a proportion as I have in 10 years or so of gambling in Australian casinos.

The tipping aspect is irrelevant in any argument about how good Australian dealers are. They don't need tips to survive as they are paid a proper wage (more than $20/hr).

I think that tipping is something that you should do win or lose. It doesn't have to be much but it is nice to give back a little and I'm not talking about winnings - the fact that you can afford to go to a casino in the first place generally means that you can afford it.

Some examples - A couple of years ago I was killing some time after a long and profitable session at the craps table just playing a little video poker winding down before going to bed. I hit a royal for a grand and these days, as you know, the machine pays 1199 or less. The only person within 40 feet of me was a lady cleaning the machines - I called her over, showed her the royal, and gave her $20. Made her day (and mine too).

Whenever I take chips to the window to get cash I always leave a little bit "for a cup of coffee." And when I check out I leave a tip equal to $5 a day for housekeeping.

When I play craps or blackjack I always make small bets for the dealers. And when I color if I have some extra change I give it to them to "for the box."

Throughout my extensive gambling career I've won and lost many thousands of dollars but none of that was life changing. On the other hand the couple of thousand that I've left in tips might have helped some guy or gal make the rent, feed the family, or make a another payment on a hospital bill and that is life changing.

"When I play craps or blackjack I always make small bets for the dealers" >>> Once in a while (not very often), if I am doing quite 'well' playing roulette, I'll put $10 on a street and if it hits, thats a $110 tip for the dealer. Ken

Here's a new one, new to the board anywaysI think it kind of shows what our society has declined to. One of the local casinos just had a record toke day around the holiday. So a player hears this and pulls back a $100 tip!

Myself I find that very low class but to be expected given some of what we hear the leaders of our country saying.

On another note, it seems to be getting a problem of other departments hearing the toke rate and getting upset.

Good for him.

I only play craps.. its my game of choice.. but i do believe in tipping the dealers... but i only tip when i am on the winning side.. by this i mean lets say i buy in for 100 bucks.. well lets say i am down to 20 bucks on my buy in i am not tipping... but if my next bet wins i start tipping again... and i always like to bring the dealers in on the pass line when i have white available with an odds backing it.. so if the play wins they double their tip... but when i leave the table i color up my reds and greens (never got to color blacks up yet lol) but i always toss my whites in on the tips...

i cant remember how many times i forgot i had a hardways bet up and it hit and i got paid... the dealers give you advice and watch your money, the remind you of bets you have up and they get to know you as a player and how you like to bet and when you are about to miss placing a bet the remind that as well.. dealers work for their money.

as for waitresses i rarely get drinks at a table but when i do they get a dollar for the drink even if its water.. the walk around all day they deserve that atleast.

I disagree on tipping only when winning. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not a good tipper and I make no apologies for it.

When I do tip, it's because the dealer deserves it not because I've won or lost.

Quote: kauboj

...as for waitresses i rarely get drinks at a table but when i do they get a dollar for the drink even if its water.. they walk around all day they deserve that atleast.

Yes. Its proper to tip the waitress although some of them probably make more than the gamblers make. Some craps dealers probably make more than the craps players who tip them. Door men and valets often make really good money as well. I tip appropriately most of the time. I over tip from time to time because of exuberance at winning. I stiff people very rarely but sometimes a crew really merits being stiffed. And of course if you were to ask me if my tipping brought me good karma I would say no. Yet, as someone's tag line says: "How much does it cost to knock on wood"?

Quote: FleaStiff

Yet, as someone's tag line says: "How much does it cost to knock on wood"?

That would be me.

I never connected the dots between tips and karma, but, whatever floats your boat...

OK:
To take this is a direction that it has gone sometimes, but has not played out to give me an answer.

If you don't want to Tip, that's your decision, and I am cool with it.

I prefer to tip. So, I would like to know what may be appropriate. I mean, its supposed to be 15% of the total bill in a restaurant, so that gives me a standard.

I like to play Craps. I don't place bets for the dealers, becasue if they lose, they get nothing. Just my opinion.

So, and I am not a large bank roll guy, I may buy in for $500, play the pass, and a couple of come bets, from $10-20 each bet. Some props stuff, because its amusing and my Wife enjoys it.

So, I might throw a $10 red chip to the dealers every 20-30 minutes. If I am doing well, I give more, and a little less if I am burning cash. I give up my whites when I cash out, or throw down another $10 if I am walking away.

I don't ever expect to be a George, I will never play often enough for that. But I figure, I am paying about $20-30 an hour directly to the dealers. Does that sound about right?

SFB