Bartop Etiquette

Apoligies for a short post/question.

Soooo...

If a bartop Video Poker machine has better RTP than the ones on the floor (in a Casino), am I required to buy drinks to play it. If not, how many drinks per hour would be polite to buy (to not seem like a dick). Looking at Harrah's Cherokee and they (legally) can't comp alcohol.

How long are you taking the seat? I think the bartender is more concerned with his tip revenue than how many drinks you order.

I dont drink booze so I've had a bottle of water at a bar and tipped based on how long my friend and I sat there.

long enough over 2 days to attempt to earn 5000 tier credits... but hopefully I can find a better option (not actually likely that I would do this, just want to know the etiquette if I did so, would be on a Monday/Tuesday).

I usually have a cup of iced soda for my VP session. Sometimes I have to walk clear to the other end of the casino because the machine close to the door I walked in is usually out of ice and has warm pop. I don't hang out at the VP bars at all. Don't they give you free drinks if you're playing at a table or something? Just bring your free drink to the bar. Or, if they take points for drinks, and you can rack up points as fast as you can drink them, use points. I just don't see myself paying for drinks unless I won so much I can budget $500 for drinks each month.

So, I can stomach tipping $1 per soda, I guess, but at Cherokee Resort (NC [as I stated above]) it is illegal to Comp alcohol.

With the entire 50k coin in I would only earn 5k Reward points (CET) which would be $50. That would be a total of 5 drinks for 6-16 hours of play (and an expected loss of $250 or greater). Yes I know I am being a penny pincher, but I want to at least be a courteous one gosh darn it (don't know swearing rules here [in my early 30s]).

Well, I'd pay 25 cents for a soda and 50 cents for an ice cream sandwich at the bar. Keep those $1 chips for glasses of wine or something.

... with TITO, do you just bring a pocket-full of change from home to be able to tip like that? I swear it's like a strip club, you cant even put $1 bills into a slot machine anymore there.

Quote: Talldude90

Yes I know I am being a penny pincher, but I want to at least be a courteous one gosh darn it (don't know swearing rules here [in my early 30s]).
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Welcome to the forum.
As to swearing, Forum Rules may be found here. (I'll venture a guess that "gosh darn it" is probably OK.)

("stripes off")
As to tipping at the bar, I generally let the bartender know I'm just there for the game, they do NOT need to constantly check on me or my diet cola, and subtly signal that I do not care to converse about the weather, last night's sports highlights, or whatever. I have found this is easier outside drinking hours when the bar is unstaffed, but the machines are still open for play (this varies by jurisdiction).
I generally do not establish camp at the bar for ten hours at a time, so your situation will differ. I'll assume that you're going to get a handpay at some point, or have the bartender hold your machine while you're in the washroom, or encourage a noisy drinking-only guest not to crowd you at your machine, or... something. The bartender may not process your handpay, but they may summon a slot attendant for you. Some kind of tip is probably merited then.

Most of the bartenders I've encountered at casinos understand when a guest is there for the gambling and not the usual bar antics.
Best of luck!

no comp. no tip.