TIPS

Acronym? T.I.P.S. = To insure proper service? I'm not sure if that's the case, but I heard it is.

Radioactive Girl was wondering what's the appropriate amount to tip casino dealers. A good question and I hadn't really thought about it. I know when players tip excessively. I also know when they don't tip. Oh, believe me I know that.

So, here's a quick rundown. I wonder how other dealers would view it.

First, the player should expect a competent and friendly dealer. I always try to have fun with my players and make it as enjoyable an experience as possible. And I'm competent. So tip me! Here's how:

Unless you're getting absolutely killed, you should tip $5 per hour played. That's not at all unreasonable considering I deal mainly at $15 to $25 per hand tables. That translates into $825 to $1375 per hour gambled by each player assuming the blackjack standard of 55 hands per hour. Having said that, one could play as many as 100 to 220 hands per hour at a quick table with only a couple players. However, $5, even if the table is half full, will gross at least $15 per hour for the dealer and that's close to what we need to make for a living when one considers the following.

Again, as long as you're not getting killed, if you play $15 or $25 at the table you will get an the extra $2.50 chip for each blackjack. You should tip that, either as a bet for the dealer or a handout. Blackjack pays 3 to 2 so $15 gets $22.50 and $25 gets $37.50. Throw the dealer the $2.50 chip (or at least bet it for him) unless you're just getting buried that day. Again, you're rewarding him for giving you bonus hands (even though he has no control). If you're getting tons of blackjacks, tip him every other one then. Its all good.

Now I'm making close to a decent living, right?

Next, if you've made money at the end of your session (time to leave, end of gambling day, time for dinner or show), when you color up (change your chips to higher amounts), you should tip about 1%. $1 for every $100. Its not much and most players do not actually end up leaving with many chips (casinos are huge and gaudy for a reason). I think that's fair, doesn't kill the player usually and adds up for the dealer's nicely.

Now for novelty games, of which most have bonus bets that can pay quite a bit more than blackjack, one should also tip the $5 per hour played (it doesn't matter when - either as a bet every so often, or a handed tip, or the end of your session), plus for bonus payouts I think $5 for $50 to $100 payout, $10 for $200 to $1000 (again, roughly -- depends on how the night is going) and $25+ for over a $1000 depending on the payout. The guy that tipped me $500 for $4000 was being excessive. The guy that tipped me $25 for about $4000 I thought was kind of cheap (or naive).

When I'm a player I feel generosity pays back in karma. And I have a history of doing okay at the casino.

So, if every player tipped or bet those small increments for the dealers, we'd make out pretty well. Unfortunately, in my experience 80% of my tips come from 25% of my players.