Free tip money?

I am hoping for someone who is better with math to help me with this one.

I generally play blackjack. I try to tip when I'm winning.

My general practice is to get $10 in $1 chips, and place $2 on top of my bet and $1 to the side for the dealer when I have a larger than base bet out. I generally stop the tip/cap bet on the first loss, but let it ride as long as it keeps winning or pushing. As long as it's winning, every hand is $1 for the next tip, and $1 back on the pile.

It usually seems to work - my pile of $1 chips is usually significantly bigger than the $10 starting pile when I cash out, I don't have to keep getting change (although the payout is slower, due to the stack breakdown each time), and the dealer gets a nice little string of tokes.

Obviously, this won't work very well if you're up against table max, but that has yet to be a problem for me.

I see other people just get a stack of $1 chips, and just place a $1 bet for the dealer from time to time, without any particular regard to their winning or losing. It seems - subjectively - that they're getting change every few hands, but mostly holding even.

My question - am I actually doing myself a disservice with this method, as compared to just placing the dealer bet on the side? How does the math look, beyond "if you win at least 3 in a row, you're ahead"?
(For purposes of discussion, let's assume $10 base bet, and $20 ($22+$1) for the increased bet.)

I don't get what the $2 on top does for you.

The $2 on top gets me $1 to replenish my "tip money" pile, and $1 to tip for the next round.

I play carnival games (UTH, High Card Flush, Three Card Poker, Pai Gow, Crazy4Poker, Let it Ride) purely for entertainment. When I buy my first $100 at a table I get $10 in white. Normally the dealer will ask if I want any ones for the bonus bet and I say no I want ones to tip you. Sometimes they just ask do you want any ones and I say of course, they are perfect for tips. At this point the dealer is happy and other players at the table understand that tipping is something that happens sometimes. You'd be surprised how many players don't even know how to tip on a table game.

I'll bet the $10 for the dealer sometime during play of my $100, generally after a win. I know it doesn't make a darn bit of difference, but in my own mind it's to bribe the dealer to give me another. I'll continue to tip until I lose and then wait a little until another win to play for the dealer. When play for the dealer it's usually $1 on all the bets I have on the table, so it's usually $3 or so at a time. Some places only allow you to play for the dealer on the last bet of Let it Ride so I'll tip a little more often on that game.

If I'm winning I'll get more ones between hands when I run out. If I have to buy in another $100 I will still get $10 in white but tip less often and I might even leave the table with a few white when I leave. The dealer(s) always get at least $10 from me worst case even if I get hammered and more if I'm winning. I just consider it thanking them for the service they are providing me.


ZCore13

On BJ at least, I stack my tip on top of my bet and give it to them after, leaving the original bet there. It's pure superstition, but I feel like I lose more often with it out. The (psychological) upshot is that the dealer has more incentive to give me a steak since the longer it goes on, the more they'll make.

False beliefs on top of false beliefs for the win!

ER... And is there a way to unflag posts? I think I accidentally flagged ZCore's above post. Fat fingers, new phone.

Quote: Venthus

On BJ at least, I stack my tip on top of my bet and give it to them after, leaving the original bet there. It's pure superstition, but I feel like I lose more often with it out. The (psychological) upshot is that the dealer has more incentive to give me a steak since the longer it goes on, the more they'll make.

False beliefs on top of false beliefs for the win!

ER... And is there a way to unflag posts? I think I accidentally flagged ZCore's above post. Fat fingers, new phone.

Flagging takes several different people's input before it affects the post. No harm done. :)

Quote: Venthus

On BJ at least, I stack my tip on top of my bet and give it to them after, leaving the original bet there. It's pure superstition, but I feel like I lose more often with it out. The (psychological) upshot is that the dealer has more incentive to give me a steak since the longer it goes on, the more they'll make.

False beliefs on top of false beliefs for the win!

ER... And is there a way to unflag posts? I think I accidentally flagged ZCore's above post. Fat fingers, new phone.

Dealer actually makes more when it's "out in front" because dealer collects the $1 tip and the $1 win ($2 total).

A negative of it being on top is you have to bet the extra $1 or w/e if you choose to split. If it's in front, you don't have to.

I like the idea. The thing I always hated about tipping for the dealer was the obligation forfeiting the money before hand and this way you retain the right to change your mind. I wouldn't, but I like being able. Slowing the game, also a plus along with being cheap only giving the wins.

Finally figured out how to work a spreadsheet. If you want to download the file (LibreOffice ODS format), here it is.

Wins is the number of successive wins. 0 means we lose the first hand. 1 means we win the first hand, and lose the second. 2 means we win the first 2 hands, and lose the third. Obviously, we do better if we take down the big bet before we lose, and either walk or lose a smaller bet.

Spot is the wager placed in the betting circle (square, pentagon, etc). Tip is the wager placed "in front", for the dealer.

Net / Player Net is the effect to the player total. Tip net is how much was dropped in the toke box.

So, as near as I can figure, capping $2 and tipping $1 out front breaks even for the player (compared with no tipping at all) at 3 consecutive wins, and wins more vs just the base bet subsequently. It also seems to do better (or at least as well) for the player with only 1 win, as compared to the tip $1 and tip $1 + cap $1 methods.

Did I obviously screw up the math?

Quote: RS

Dealer actually makes more when it's "out in front" because dealer collects the $1 tip and the $1 win ($2 total).

A negative of it being on top is you have to bet the extra $1 or w/e if you choose to split. If it's in front, you don't have to.

true, but when you split or double for the full amount, you can still just slide them the dollar after win. Not putting the extra dollar out front for the split or double is usually not appreciated. Not as bad as surrendering and taking the dealers half of bet back too though.