Tipping

I've always wondered about proper tipping. I am a $25 black jack player, and my method is to tip-bet $1 per hand per $100 bet, and I only tip if I win the previous hand. I play one hand at $25, win, play a hand at $35 + $1 tip bet, then I increase my bets as I win. Once my bet gets to $150 or more, I start to tip $2 until I get to $250, etc. This is primarily the only time I tip, as I don't think Texas Hold Em Bonus or Let it Ride really lend themselves to tipping. In craps, I make hard-way bets for the dealers. In the end, the aggregate amount that I end up tipping ends up being fairly substantial if I'm half-way lucky.

What does everyone else do?

It does disappoint me that all of the tips are pooled. Sometimes you get great dealers who deserve it, and sometimes you have terrible dealers. Although I understand how impossible it would be to keep tips separated.

I think it is silly when I play poker and see some people who tip only when they win. The dealer has no effect on the player's turn to win unless he does something extraordinary to prevent a hand from being misdealt. So, regardless of my success during a dealer's stint at my table, I guess what that dealer is making per hour in wages and tips and try to reward him for making the game more pleasant no matter how much I won. Smiling, speaking to me at all, and not showing disdain for players' foibles can lead me to tip from $1 to $4 dollars for a 20-minute session. Admittedly, this can pain me more when I have few winnings, but that should be included in my bankroll.

I tip a few different ways. Even though I never have hardways for myself, I do throw hardway bets in for the crew. Only on the 6 & 8 though. The vig is too high for the 4 * 10. I also:

Put a few bucks on top of my odds. I figure they only get $.90 of every dollar thrown on the hardways so I like the odds because they should end up getting $1 for every dollar people have on they're odds.

I also like to put up bets on the 6 & 8 and add a few dollars to the 4 & 10 if I already have those numbers bought for myself. This way they get the true odds since I'm covering the vig.

I'm sure they'd appreciate even $1 across the numbers even though they only get even money. It's suprising how many people don't tip at the craps tables. I mean come on, craps dealers are the hardest working dealers in the casino. I feel it's like someone going out to eat and then stiffing the wait staff. If you can't afford to tip them for their service (& help), you can't afford to go out to eat or go to the casino.

It's definitely best to tip while you're playing. You look like a stiff if you wait 'til you cash out. If you threw a bet for yourself in or forgot to throw one in and bring it to the boxman's attention, the crew is more likely to go to bat for you. They're also more likely to look out for you and your bets. everyone forgets to put odds down once in a while or spaces out and puts an odd amount for odds on the 5 & 9. It's good to have them rooting for you and looking out for you.

Finally, if I'm with a few friends, I usually get them to throw in a few bucks with me to get them on the 6 & 8 faster and more often so they can benefit from a hot roll when it comes. Let's face it, the lower vig bets are better for the player and the dealer's tips. I always get upset when player's put the crew on the hardways and then keep parlaying it never getting a dime in their box.

>Put a few bucks on top of my odds... so I like the odds because
>they should end up getting $1 for every dollar

I am not following you. You mean the free odds I assume? I have assumed you can't just *add* to that and say it is for the dealers? Or how do you do it?

PS I have found when you sort of get inventive on how you tip the dealers, they get confused about what you are doing. The "two-way yo" they get. When it is my turn to throw the dice, I'll make that, it also focuses the dealer's attention on what you are doing when you tip when your turn to toss the dice.

Quote: odiousgambit

>Put a few bucks on top of my odds... so I like the odds because
>they should end up getting $1 for every dollar
I am not following you. You mean the free odds I assume? I have assumed you can't just *add* to that and say it is for the dealers? Or how do you do it?

The player might not be at full odds but even if he is, many casinos used to allow a player to exceed table limits slightly with a bet "on its back" for the dealers. So a player might call out a certain bet that was at table limits but would also call out "black on its back"... to indicate that a one-hundred dollar bet for the dealers was to be added to it. Nowadays casinos seem to be more opposed to this. Some dice players still make only a portion of their odds bet for the dealers. As long as no one is confused, I guess its okay.

I make separate line and odds bets for the dealers.
And in BJ if I make a bet for the dealer and then Double Down, I add to the dealer's money too.

I’m working on a page about casino tipping etiquette. Personally, I only bet for the dealers in blackjack. Otherwise I just give the tip directly. In craps, I always take the max odds in craps, so there is no space left for a dealer tip. I’m sure the dealers would prefer you tip them directly than make high house edge bets with the tip, like the hard ways or two-way yo.

The “how much” to tip is the tough question. Tips should be mostly based on service, as opposed to how much you win or lose. I also hate to throw out a fixed percentage. As the average bet goes up, tips should go up, but the percentage basis can go down. Let me throw this out there as an idea. If your average bet is m, then the tips per hour should be at least (5*m)^0.5. For example, a $10 player should tip $7 per hour, a $50 player $16 per hour, a $200 player $32 per hour. If I’m winning I would go a little more, losing a little less. Please file that under opinions. I welcome all comments.

Yes, dealers often seem to prefer a "dealer hand in" rather than a bet being made for them. I usually make a bet for the dealers that is reasonable, such as a line bet at craps. A center bet that has a high house edge is a nice gesture but all too often its only a gesture. With a line bet they've got a decent chance and with a "dealer hand in" they've got it locked up for sure.

I imagine a numbers cruncher might tip seven dollars per hour but I think its easier to remember something such as 5 an hour or 10 an hour. White cheques are for tips. Easier to just grab a red or two reds than to do a Red and two Whites.

I would only make a line bet for the dealers if you are prepared to back it up with another tip if a point is thrown. If you don’t make the odds bet, or take it for yourself, it will look stingy. If I had to bet for the dealers, as opposed to a direct tip to the box, it would be on the field. The house edge is higher than a line bet, but at least there is no confusion and no additional tipping required.

I think that as a craps regular, the casino crew appreciates either a direct tip or a chance to win big money. Rather than putting a buck on the pass line and then backing with odds (which would garner them max a $12 tip), I would just toss them a red chip. What I usually do when I know it's my last roll is to flip them a red chip (I am a red chip player and play for about three hours in a session) and then put them on the hardways for $1 each. That way, they get a guaranteed $5 with the possibility of another $36. That's my minimum tipping, no matter how I do. If I am having a particularly good session, then I tip better.

For blackjack, I tip generally in the middle of my session by a direct tip after a blackjack and doing a "dealer" in the game tip for close to the end of my session.

For all other games, I tip directly based loosely on time at the table and whether I win or lose. For slots, I tip about 1% on a handpaid jackpot.

I also always tip based on service. I purposely do not tip unfriendly dealers.