craps table etiquette

On Friday night, my girlfriend had an exceptional winning streak throwing dice: she rolled 5 unique points at a Harrah's property which offered the Fire Bet. Out of the dozen or so gamblers at that craps table, only one man had bet the Fire Bet. His $5 bet netted him $1,250.

Frankly, my girlfriend was disappointed that this man hadn't tossed a $100 chip her way, as a gracious "thank you". She had certainly earned herself a profit from her winning streak, but she's a $5 bettor, and had already lost money earlier in the evening, so her net winnings were modest.

I'm not suggesting that craps players ought to be obliged to pay a commission to shooters who roll exceptionally well, because to be honest I've personally never paid a shooter who helped me win. But I've also never won $1,250 from a $5 bet at a craps table.

Thoughts?

It never (almost) occurs to me to pay the shooter, probably because I don't believe they have any influence on the outcome, and therefore aren't doing anything but rolling the dice. (Unlike the dealers who are working hard when numbers keep hitting!) I have seen some winners do it either directly or with a three way hardways bet. Funny this came up now -- just Friday night I hit the point with a hard 8 that the guy to my left had $25 on and he tossed me a nickel chip which I then made a dealer passline bet on the next come out. When he took over, he hit something that was really good for me and I returned the $5 to him -- first time I've ever paid the shooter.

Should you expect it? I say no, by no means should you expect a big winner to pay you for a lucky roll. You win what you win based on your own bets. Be gracious if someone feels like paying you, and turn it (or part of it if it's a large amount) over to the dealers. In this case, if this guy had tossed me $100 I'd probably have split it 50/50 with the dealers.

i was playing at binions once and this guy had $150 on hard 6 and $150 on hard 8 and gave the left side of the table (4 other players) each a $2 bet on hard 6 and 8. it was fun because then everyone on that side started rooting for him and he hit it and everyone was happy.

Quote: reno

On Friday night, my girlfriend had an exceptional winning streak throwing dice: she rolled 5 unique points at a Harrah's property which offered the Fire Bet. Out of the dozen or so gamblers at that craps table, only one man had bet the Fire Bet. His $5 bet netted him $1,250.

Frankly, my girlfriend was disappointed that this man hadn't tossed a $100 chip her way, as a gracious "thank you". She had certainly earned herself a profit from her winning streak, but she's a $5 bettor, and had already lost money earlier in the evening, so her net winnings were modest.

Thoughts?

Let me take the other side for a minute. The other guy might have been more than $1250 in the hole from his earlier sessions. His net win may have been modest too.

He may have been so stunned to win the fire bet he was nt even thinking about anything else except the excitement of the moment. Think about how you would feel. Would "I'd better give the shooter a hundred bucks" even be crossing your mind? I can sure as hell say it wouldnt be crossing mine.

Being new to craps, with a casino near me finally getting a dice table 3 months ago, Im not sure of the right thing to do.

Here it works out pretty simple. Id buy the shooter a drink, as drinks aint free here.

The last time I was in Las Vegas, I made 5 numbers on the fire bet while I was the shooter. Only one player had a $5 fire bet out and I had placed a $1 fire bet for the dealers.

It felt great having the dealers drop $250 and down on my $1 toke, and it never crossed my mind that the player who had a $5 fire bet out should have tipped me. He threw the dealers $50 when he got payed, which was the correct thing to do, in my opinion. Then again, considering my spread on the layout, $50 or $100 would not have been that much money for me.

If any winning player did decide to throw some cash my way, I would immediately toss it out for the dealers, either as a bet, a down and drop, or as a combination of the two. After all, the dealers are the ones doing all the real work. I am just throwing the dice.

Quick side story. A few years ago, I was playing craps at the Manadalay Bay and this very nice little old man was the shooter. He had a $10 pass line bet with 2x odds and maybe $34 inside. Anyway he gets on a nice 20 or 25 minute roll and makes this jerk of a high roller about $40,000 during that time. The high roller doesn't tip the dealers a cent, but at the end of the roll tosses the shooter a banana ($1,000 chip) as a thank you.

The little old man, smiles, thanks the high roller, waits for the high roller to color up and leave, and then tosses the banana to the box man and says, "$1,000 and down for the boys. You guys are the ones doing all the work."

The table was stunned. My jaw hit the floor. But it was a real class act, and one I promised to follow if I was ever in that situation.

Quote: gambler

If any winning player did decide to throw some cash my way, I would immediately toss it out for the dealers.

Immediately?

Quote: gambler

...but at the end of the roll tosses the shooter a banana ($1,000 chip) as a thank you.

The little old man, smiles, thanks the high roller, waits for the high roller to color up and leave, and then tosses the banana to the box man and says, "$1,000 and down for the boys."

WAITING, would be proper ettiquette.

I wouldn't expect anything at the Craps table as a tip and if I do get one, I usually turn it into a bet for the dealers sometime later on.

Once in a while, you will shoot for five points or throw numbers in such a way that a high roller will make lots of money from you. I've had maybe four phenonemal rolls in my craps career (fire bet for 5 points or 8+ points) that I remember and my wife has had one or two, and I only remember getting tipped on one of those occasions. I've been tipped a couple of other times for hitting a hard 10 when someone had $143 on it ($1,001) or for some other middle bet. But I never expect a tip for a great roll nor should anyone else.

Best advice is that if you want to win money at the craps table, bet the money yourself, especially the fire. I always bet more on myself when I am throwing.

Quote: reno

Frankly, my girlfriend was disappointed that this man hadn't tossed a $100 chip her way, as a gracious "thank you".
[..]
Thoughts?

Quite frankly it would never occur to me to tip another player, even the shooter in a craps game. An exception would be if the shooter were a friend, relative or just someone I was playing with, someone I knew. And then it might take the form of buying him dinner at an expensive place, or giving him a nice gift.

Quote: reno

Frankly, my girlfriend was disappointed that this man hadn't tossed a $100 chip her way, as a gracious "thank you".

I missed this question my first time here.

Sounds like your girlfriend was upset that she didn't win enough on her own. Kinda like she was expecting to take a commission on someone else's winnings, without risking her own money.

I think your girlfriend needs a reality check.

On the flip side, I do occasionally tip a shooter - but only in this one scenario: If there's a gal who seems to be alone, I'll ask her if she wants to shoot. If she gives any kind of week excuse to not shoot, I'll tell her that I'll place the bet for her ($5 pass) and if she wins, she can keep it.

One time, the gal was hitting all kinds of numbers, but made only two passes. I did well and gave her $25 when she was done.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

One time, the gal was hitting all kinds of numbers, but made only two passes. I did well and gave her $25 when she was done.

You should've bought her two drinks instead :)

One afternoon last August, I went to a $5 crap table at Fitzgeralds in Tunica. Usually, I prefer to play near the end of the table, but that afternoon there were two open positions near the corners with towels covering the rack – it was as if they were to cover some players' chips during a break, but there didn’t appear to be any chips covered in either position. I took a position next to the stick man and asked the box man what the towels were for.

He just said, “Those positions are reserved.” The man standing at the end right between the towels said, “They’re just protecting me; where would you like to play?” I took a look his way and noticed that the black chips in his rack were the smallest ones there, and he had plenty of chips. I responded that I was fine next to the stick and that I just hadn’t understood what was going on.

A little later, as the shooter, I made my point of 8 the hard way and collected an extra $9 for the chip I had bet in the center. After the payouts, the gentleman at the end tossed me $200. I don’t remember just how much he had riding on the hard 8 and on the line, but I think the one roll may have made a significant addition to even his rack. I was shocked and could only say what a generous gesture that was. I asked whether I could thank him with a handshake, and we did.

I don’t know whether the black chips he gave me were really for my hard 8 roll or whether in some way this reflected a sort of mutual respect coming out of the original exchange – he understood my desire to be near the end of the table and offered me the “reserved” position, while I recognized the appropriateness of “protecting” him and granted him his space. I have no idea who he was, but his level of action certainly had to be out of the ordinary for an afternoon at that $5 table. As it turned out, the $200 he tossed to me exactly canceled my loss to the house for that session.

With the low level of my own wagers, I don’t expect to ever be in a situation where my wins would make it appropriate for me to extend such a gesture to another shooter.

Quote: boymimbo

Quote: DJTeddyBear

One time, the gal was hitting all kinds of numbers, but made only two passes. I did well and gave her $25 when she was done.

You should've bought her two drinks instead :)

MRS. Bear might have objected.... ;)

Mrs. Bear would probably object you handing women tips instead of men, then, no? ;)

Once at the Rio my wife and I were playing and she hit the "Fire Bet" with 6 unique points. The place went nuts. It was 5 deep all the way around with people watching. She was tipped by a few people, some who had the Fire Bet and some who just made a fortune betting on her. It was about $500 total in tips.

Funny story about that roll. The last number she hit was a "5". Everyone was taking the Come Line on her rolls with odds (including me) and she never, and I mean NEVER, rolled a 5 until her come-out roll after hitting her 5th point. It was probably 30 minutes of rolling without a "5". There were mountains of chips on every number on the board except the "5" and the "10" (the 5th unique point she made). She rolled a 5 on the very next roll.

If the shooter has a decent run and ends up netting me a decent chunk of change then I'll usually throw a couple reds his/her way in appreciation, especially if you get a virgin female shooter up there and lady luck strikes.

I've tipped $100 on a 5-point $5 Fire Bet ($1,250). I had $1 for the box, and they were very appreciative. While the $100 was a big % of the FB, I had also made money on about 8 points with full odds.

My buddy was once given $800 for a 45 minute roll, where the guy must've made $100k.

I also like to play $5/$1 hardways that I parlay and control. Parlay once for the box, if it hits again, pay them 1/2, press the other half.