Question for CARDCOUNTER

[person1125]

Cardcounter -

I know that we had a thread not too long ago about tipping the dealer when you play. I don't think that you replied in that tread but was wondering your point of view on it. Since you are a dealer how does the tipping work? If I give you a $5 tip while playing do you yourself get that tip or does it go into a pot that gets split among all the dealers for that shift? Also do you think players HAVE to tip or SHOULD they tip - meaning if a player does very well and doesn't tip do you think like what a jerk or do you not care either way? I am just interested in the point of view of dealer and not from the players point of view. Thanks in advance for your reply.

[Cardcounter]

Tips are split diffently in different casinos in some casinos you go for your own and others you share. My tips are shared tips they go into a pool and my casino has a 24 hour split so every dealer makes the same hourly rate in tips regardless of what shift they worked. By far my most common tip will be a $1 bet for the dealer if they win there hand I will usually get $2 ($2.50 if they get blackjack) in tips if they lose I will get nothing. The average player will make a bet for the dealer every once in a while. But I do get players that will never tip at all win or lose but luckily they are more rare than people who do tip.

[EasyRhino]

I've noticed different dealers having different preferences between dealers among the three different ways I know of tipping at the table:

1) Simply passing the chip over to the dealer
2) Placing a seperate dealer bet
3) Adding a small bet on top of your main bet, then taking the winnings (if it wins) and tipping the dealer, while letting the original small bet ride, to potentially keep generating tips.

I actually had one dealer insist that I not place seperate bets for her, because she thought it was bad luck (And at that table, that night, she was right).

Personally, I kind of like #3, because if you go on a winning streak, it turns into a funny little running gag.

[ScottH]

Originally Posted by EasyRhino

I've noticed different dealers having different preferences between dealers among the three different ways I know of tipping at the table:

1) Simply passing the chip over to the dealer
2) Placing a seperate dealer bet
3) Adding a small bet on top of your main bet, then taking the winnings (if it wins) and tipping the dealer, while letting the original small bet ride, to potentially keep generating tips.

I actually had one dealer insist that I not place seperate bets for her, because she thought it was bad luck (And at that table, that night, she was right).

Personally, I kind of like #3, because if you go on a winning streak, it turns into a funny little running gag.

Number 3 is also the cheapest way, even though they all look like the same thing.

We can use a dollar tip as an example. In #1 you just lose a dollar. In #2 you lose a dollar automatically as well, but the dealer could get 0 or 2. But in #3 if you add one dollar to the bet and tip the winnings, then if you lose the hand you will lose a dollar. But if you win the hand, you only tip the dollar winnings, and you don't lose anything. So #3 is better for the player, and worse for the dealer.

[Mimosine]

some dealers when you tip them actually enjoy/prefer "letting it ride" rather than putting it in the tip bin. so they'll actually place the bet in front of your bet then if they win they'll take the winnings if they lose, oh well.

[mrbill]

Originally Posted by ScottH

Number 3 is also the cheapest way, even though they all look like the same thing.

We can use a dollar tip as an example. In #1 you just lose a dollar. In #2 you lose a dollar automatically as well, but the dealer could get 0 or 2. But in #3 if you add one dollar to the bet and tip the winnings, then if you lose the hand you will lose a dollar. But if you win the hand, you only tip the dollar winnings, and you don't lose anything. So #3 is better for the player, and worse for the dealer.

I generally do a variation of Number 3. I'll put a $1 chip out for the dealer and one on the top of my stack. If I lose the dealer gets nothing. If I win the dealer gets the $1 chip plus winnings plus I put the $1 I just won on my bet out for the tip on the next hand. I once went on a tear and won 14 hands in a row doing this. The dealers made somewhat more than $28(Don't remember how many BJs) and it only cost me $2.

[EasyRhino]

Yeah, on one streak I went on a week or two ago, the dealer started letting the tip ride as a conventional dealer bet, so each winning had was turning into a $3 tip. It added up pretty quickly.

[Kasi]

Originally Posted by EasyRhino

Yeah, on one streak I went on a week or two ago, the dealer started letting the tip ride as a conventional dealer bet, so each winning had was turning into a $3 tip. It added up pretty quickly.

Never seen that. If tips are shared I'm not sure I'd like him betting with my winnings. Wouldn't that mean the dealer is actually placing bets and gambling in his own casino - something I thought dealers were not allowed to do. Must be different in crazy California lol.

Anyway, when you think about it, it doesn't take much tipping to erode what little advantage one might have anyway.

[EasyRhino]

Originally Posted by Kasi

Never seen that. If tips are shared I'm not sure I'd like him betting with my winnings.

Well, he's only giving up the house edge of .5% (assuming I'd split and double down the dealer bet, which I don't always do). I haven't seen a place where the dealer can CONTINUE to let the explicit dealer tokes ride after a win.

Anyway, when you think about it, it doesn't take much tipping to erode what little advantage one might have anyway.

Very true, it's a tightrope that I sometimes fall off of.

[Kasi]

Originally Posted by EasyRhino

Very true, it's a tightrope that I sometimes fall off of.

Let me guess - when she's really cute and nice

I've never seen the point of throwing the tip to the dealer as your leaving. If anything, I tip at the beginning and maybe he'll help me out along the way.

And I'll wait for a + count to tip so he'll hopefully win and I won't have to tip again for a while lol.

At the low-limit $10 tables I play at it surprises me how few people tip anything at all.