Damn, dealer's can get bitchy...

[ScottH]

A while back there was a thread where I caught a lot of grief for not tipping the dealers. I'm sure some of you remember. That's the subject of this thread. It's a somewhat funny run-in I had tonight due to my not tipping.

I was playing blackjack for about an hour. I bet in such a way that every blackjack I get I get a 50 cent chip. Well, I got more than my fair share of blackjacks, so I had a nice little stack of 50 cent chips (yellow in this case) forming. The dealer's always give you a bad look as they see it growing, but nothing was out of the ordinary.

I go to cash out, with my nice stack of yellow chips piled up on top of the rest. A lady approaches me. She was watching the action the whole time but not playing. I don't think she was a dealer, but obviously was at least friends with the dealers. Anyway, here is about how our conversation went.

Lady: Do you know what these chips are for? (pointing to the yellow) ... They're for tipping the dealers. Do you know how much they make? Only 3.50 per hour. What's it going to hurt you to give one of these away?
Me: It all adds up...

Lady: F@*& YOU! (Walks away)

My not tipping does not hurt the dealers. If I were to not play they still wouldn't get my tips. One thing I hate is when dealer's bitch about (out loud to try make you feel bad) the fact that they make less than minimum wage. If you want to make more than 3.50 per hour then GET ANOTHER JOB! It's not my problem you get paid shitty. Just in case anyone wants to ask me what I'd do if I worked for tips, well, I was a server once so I know.

Maybe it's because I've been strictly playing at charity casinos.

Just thought this was a funny experience so I thought I'd share...

 

[moo321]

Yeah, I think it's ****ing retarded when people in service industries bitch at you about how much you tip. I got sick of hearing it from one of my friends who is a server, and called him on it.

He said that you should ALWAYS tip at least $2 per person. And I said, look if this person has 3 tables of 4 people, and each table stays an hour and a half (which is being generous) that adds up to over $20 an hour with their wages. Do you think someone deserves $20 an hour for waiting ****ing tables at a chuckle hut? NO! I don't feel bad about tipping 15%, because that's what I think they deserve. Don't like it? Don't work there.

Since the UIGEA I've been working in sales, and I don't bitch at my friends for not listening to telemarketers. Yes, my job would be a lot easier if people didn't automatically hang up on you as soon as they find out you're selling something. I always listen to sales people for a minute or two to at least figure out if they have something I might be interested in, but I don't preach at everyone about doing the same. If you don't want people to hang up on you, don't try and sell ****! It comes with the territory.

 

[humonstick]

One time when i was playing in a casino where the dealer seems to keep their own tip. I was winning and losing, but averagely losing a little bit over time. I either got below average or no blackjack. After playing a little while without tipping him because i was down and found no reason to tip him, the ****tard started giving me attitude. He throws me the cards quite disorganized so i have to pick up the cards with more effort.:whip: When I won a hand, he used the payout chips to knock down or knock out my original bet.:whip: After like ten minutes, he started to look at his watch a few times in a way that's very noticeable to me (i guess that means "when will you leave", atleast that's what it means to me). That ****tard later even asked me if i want to play at another table with other players (pointing at the table to my right).
Short after, two guy joinned in one after another. Both guy tipped him when they won and sometimes when they lost. That ****tard changed from an attitude guy to a bitch that smiles and tells jokes.

 

[GeorgeD]

I generally play at $10-$15 tables and usually tip dealers at about .50-$1 an hour ... a bit less if I'm losing my shirt, a bit more if on a good win. I may also tip a little better if it's a friendly, personable or generally entertaining dealer. If they're real a$$holes, I hardly tip.

I'm surprised that at these tables I rarely see other people tip, but even when I've not tipped have never seen the dealer give people attitude. If they did, I wouldn't give them a red cent. Is it different at high stakes tables? Maybe they feel if you're betting green and black you must be loaded.

I thought the dealers here get minimum wage, but that may vary by state.

People should consider that a dealers or others in service industries deserve something if they provide a good service, and generally agree it's not mandatory, but still my gut feeling is that someone who can afford to but NEVER tips is a cheap SOB.

 

[Mimosine]

People should consider that a dealers or others in service industries deserve something if they provide a good service, and generally agree it's not mandatory, but still my gut feeling is that someone who can afford to but NEVER tips is a cheap SOB.

One joint where i play dealers make Min Wage + tips. at one nice joint this is roughtly $22avg, to up to $65 an hour. they split tips at this joint and it sees a lot of big action.

i tip roughly $5-10 a session, and only under two conditions:
1) i'm winning
2) i like the dealer, they are making the experience better, they are dealing fast, they make corrections in favor of the players (not necessarily me), or if i give the wrong hand signal - make a blatently wrong BS move (which happens only rarely) and they wait for me to correct it, sometimes i tip when a dealer intentionally pisses off a player at the table i don't like - thus getting them to leave!

 

[ChefJJ]

i tip roughly $5-10 a session, and only under two conditions:
1) i'm winning
2) i like the dealer, they are making the experience better, they are dealing fast, they make corrections in favor of the players (not necessarily me), or if i give the wrong hand signal - make a blatently wrong BS move (which happens only rarely) and they wait for me to correct it, sometimes i tip when a dealer intentionally pisses off a player at the table i don't like - thus getting them to leave!

I'm pretty much the same way.

I definitely don't like the dealers that seem like they are entitled to cuts here and there, but ones that enhance the experience get tokes from me.

good luck

 

[tribute]

Tipping

Why would a dealer give you bad looks just because your stack of 50-cent chips grows? I don't know what joints you are playing, but I have played BJ for 10 years. I have never heard a dealer gripe to a player about tips. I don't tip much at all because I am a low stakes red chipper. If I have a winning session, I may toss the dealer a red. I have seen players let tipping go way overboard, like tipping after every blackjack. This practice will sure eat away at profits quickly. I have found that just being friendly and pleasant with the dealers will get a positive response, considering all the obnoxious, intoxicated, foul mouth players they have to deal with every day.

 

[NDN21]

When a blackjack happens sometimes my fifty-cent piece goes to the dealer. And that only happens when I am experiencing a winning session.

Sometimes I place a bet for the dealer. If it wins I take back the chip I used to place the bet but the dealer can have his winnings. If it's a push I take back the chip, at least I tried. If it's a loss then we both lose.

One time during a great winning session I placed several bets for the dealer but they all lost. When I left the table the dealer and even the pit said something (although not directly to me) about leaving a tip, probably since I had won a good deal of $. I had tipped the dealer about $8 up to that point. I told them "I did tip but I also placed a few bets for the dealer but they all lost, as you know that's the way it goes sometimes". In my eyes placing that bet for the dealer was the same as tipping them. Too bad the bets lost.

Sometimes I just give the dealer a tip straightout, no bet for the dealer but the chip goes straight to the dealer.

I did see this guy come into a casino and win his first seven bets. The guy bet $400 straight off the top then doubled until he reached the table max ($2500) then bet table max. The guy walked off with over $13000 and tipped the dealer $35. The dealer said something about a bigger tip and gave the guy a bad look.

My take was the dealer just dealt cards, not save the dude's life!!! The player doesn't actually "owe" the dealer anything. Tips are optional not mandatory. Anything is a bonus, although I do believe it would be just wrong to not tip anything on a huge winning session.

And it's not as if the dealer had anything to do with if the player won or lost, the dealer just dealt the cards as they came (as far as we know). In a restaurant the waitstaff actually has everything to do with the level of service you receive.

 

[mrbill]

I've never heard a dealer complain about tipping. The closest was one time a pit critter bought me a drink because I was good about tipping.

What he saw was my usual way of doing it. Once an hour I turn a red chip into 5 white chips. I put a white out for the dealer and a white on top of my stack. If I win the dealer gets 2 whites and the white I get paid goes for the dealer on the next hand. If I lose then I do the same on the next hand. If I lose the first 2 hands I just give the dealer the last white. This time I won or pushed 17 straight hands. With Blackjacks I think the dealer made about $35 for that original red chip and I still had $4.50 to tip with the rest of the shoe.

 

[ihate17]

A soft spot

I tend to like dealers, I have had several family members deal in the past. At the same time, though I do toke, I am not a big toker and when I run into an attitude I generally refuse to give a cent.
Actually had a dealer hold up my hit card once to show the rest of the table that if I had not hit or doubled (it was a bs play), he would have busted but instead he was cleaning off the table. So he held my card high and made it clear to everyone that he was saying it was my fault.
I calmly told him that I though that was nasty and got a dirty look for the jerk. What happened after that was extemely sweet (I like revenge), especially because this was an Indian casino where the dealers kept their own tokes. The count began rising and my bets did also. Soon I had won perhaps 6 of 7 and had max bets on the table. I get a natural and then on the next hand I get 9,9 and land up splitting vs the dealers 5. Get a third 9 plus a double down. Get 21 on the double down and 2 19's vs a dealer bust. All with max bets. As the count now begins to go down (means the big cards are coming out) I get another natural and a pair of 20's before losing another hand. A slightly less than $10,000 shoe and relief dealer approaches with perhaps a hand or two left in the shoe. With my bet now lower (count went down) I put two reds out for the dealer and the relief tells this guy to deal another hand so I remove the reds and say it is for the new dealer, which gets me another nasty look from the guy who showed me up. New dealer, a pleasant lady who I have played with before, asks me what that was all about and before I can answer another guy at the table does a perfect job of answering for me. So even this other guy easily noticed what had happened.
Anyway, the relief dealer got the reds as I won the following bet. She earned it in my opinion, because her being there meant that guy was not.

Another thing, more humorous:
Dealer walks up to table and sees that I have a bunch of whites ($1 chips) and silver in front of me, and actually asks if I know what those are for.
Tell him that I am not sure but they keep piling up since I seem to be surrendering about every other hand. (Happened to be true but you might use that line, if you wish, in a house that offers surrender)
His reply was an excellent one: "Give me some of those and I will color them up for you."

ihate17

 

[MEDITANK]

I get a natural and then on the next hand I get 9,9 and land up splitting vs the dealers 5. Get a third 9 plus a double down. Get 21 on the double down and 2 19's vs a dealer bust. All with max bets.
ihate17

Good gosh, the very same exact hand I got cleaned out on. Glad your's worked out at least.

 

[ihate17]

That time

Good gosh, the very same exact hand I got cleaned out on. Glad your's worked out at least.

Meditank

Like everything else in blackjack, I have also suffered through those times where it does not work out. Only sure hand I know about is when you get a blackjack and the dealer has a 2-9 up.

If it makes you feel better, my last Vegas trip had a max bet situation that did not work out.
Spread to two hands with the big bets out and get a 20 on the first and a pair 2's on the second. Get a third 2, and then a 10 and 7 for 19. Second hand get a 9 double and get 21. Third hand get an 8 double and get a 3.
Dealer is showing a 7, turns a 6 and turns an 8, taking 4 bets and pushing 2.

Stuff happens

ihate17

 

[MEDITANK]

Meditank

Like everything else in blackjack, I have also suffered through those times where it does not work out. Only sure hand I know about is when you get a blackjack and the dealer has a 2-9 up.

If it makes you feel better, my last Vegas trip had a max bet situation that did not work out.
Spread to two hands with the big bets out and get a 20 on the first and a pair 2's on the second. Get a third 2, and then a 10 and 7 for 19. Second hand get a 9 double and get 21. Third hand get an 8 double and get a 3.
Dealer is showing a 7, turns a 6 and turns an 8, taking 4 bets and pushing 2.

Stuff happens

ihate17

OUCH! I'm sorry that happened. Yes indeed, this game can be a double edged sword. It's funny you mentioned the part about mentioning your losses as the dealer was very well aware of my prior losses earlier that evening on DD's as he was the 1st dealer I faced that night, this was his 2nd rotation into this table. Even the PB came over to share in my shock. This particular casino has extremely great customer service, care, ambience, probably the best I've ever seen. Very comfortable, great rules. it's just that I cannot win at this casino. I know this will eventually change and flip flop over to the other shops that I win at will then become the losing shops. It's just frustrating nonetheless.

 

[ScottH]

Why would a dealer give you bad looks just because your stack of 50-cent chips grows? I don't know what joints you are playing, but I have played BJ for 10 years. I have never heard a dealer gripe to a player about tips.

It happens fairly frequently for me. From either a player or a dealer. Most of the time it isn't a direct confrontation though. Here is another story about this subject that also happened to me in another casino yesterday, same day as the story from the original thread.

Dealer says out loud to another dealer about 15 feet away (intentionally for me to hear), "Does 3.50/hour pay your bills?" The other dealer said something I don't remember, then the dealer responds, "It doesn't pay mine either".

I do not act like an asshole in any way. I never do anything to offend the dealer or anyone at the table. I just sit there quietly or casually talk to another player. I could see them being mad that they have to deal to an asshole not giving tips, but I don't cause any problems and they keep trying to make me feel like they can't feed their families because I'm not tossing over my 50 cent chips...

 

[GeorgeD]

Sometimes I place a bet for the dealer. If it wins I take back the chip I used to place the bet but the dealer can have his winnings. If it's a push I take back the chip, at least I tried. If it's a loss then we both lose.

One time during a great winning session I placed several bets for the dealer but they all lost. When I left the table the dealer and even the pit said something (although not directly to me) about leaving a tip, probably since I had won a good deal of $. I had tipped the dealer about $8 up to that point. I told them "I did tip but I also placed a few bets for the dealer but they all lost, as you know that's the way it goes sometimes". In my eyes placing that bet for the dealer was the same as tipping them. Too bad the bets lost.

Sometimes I just give the dealer a tip straightout, no bet for the dealer but the chip goes straight to the dealer./QUOTE

I usually place a bet for the dealer and give them the bet and the wins, or leave it on a push. Sometimes I even double the dealer bet on a split or double. Sometimes I ask if they'd prefer a straight tip. Most thank me for the toke or thank me for the try ... if not I'm less likely to do it again.

I'd say it was pretty crappy of them to make comments that you only bet for him and didn't tip. He wouln't get crap from me next time.

W

I did see this guy come into a casino and win his first seven bets. The guy bet $400 straight off the top then doubled until he reached the table max ($2500) then bet table max. The guy walked off with over $13000 and tipped the dealer $35. The dealer said something about a bigger tip and gave the guy a bad look.

Why do they think when you win big you should tip big? Do they give you back part of your loss on a bad session? The same dealers if teased about dealing bad hands say "I just deal the cards ... don't control what comes out."

My take was the dealer just dealt cards, not save the dude's life!!! The player doesn't actually "owe" the dealer anything.

Yea, but paramedics get low pay and they would probably be insulted if you offered them a tip for saving their life.

And it's not as if the dealer had anything to do with if the player won or lost, the dealer just dealt the cards as they came (as far as we know). In a restaurant the waitstaff actually has everything to do with the level of service you receive.

Yea some have an attitude if "tip me if you win" but "don't rag on me if you lose". These are the guys who doo't understand that good service from a dealer isn't making you win, but dealing clean, getting your signals right, and asking if you're sure you mean to make that bas BS mistake .... though they don't know when you splitting 10's is a good call. Checking if you're sure is good dealing; going into a long explanation why it's a bad play is an arrogant a$$hole dealer. Excellent dealing is the above plus adding a little personality to the game ... friendly banter, a few jokes etc, though if you don't like it and don'trespond to that stuff they should chill

 

[Mimosine]

Excellent dealing is the above plus adding a little personality to the game ... friendly banter, a few jokes etc, though if you don't like it and don't respond to that stuff they should chill

these are all the reasons i try to tip. a good conversation, friendly comments, helpful pauses and patience when i'm deciding what to do, when i see a dealer do something nice for other "helpless" players, when there is a dealer i like, who cuts good, who deals fast ----who i plan on playing A LOT with---- these are the people i want to look favorably on me and my play.... it's worth the few bucks to me. when i walk up to their table and they smile and are happy to see me, it is worth it - because it most likely means a heat free session.

 

[EasyRhino]

A smart dealer should realize that a bet on their behalf is just as good (well, basically just as good) as a direct toke.

With my bet now lower (count went down) I put two reds out for the dealer and the relief tells this guy to deal another hand so I remove the reds and say it is for the new dealer, which gets me another nasty look from the guy who showed me up.

Classy of the relief dealer to offer the bozo to play out the hand when you placed the toke bets.

 

[GeorgeD]

these are all the reasons i try to tip. a good conversation, friendly comments, helpful pauses and patience when i'm deciding what to do, when i see a dealer do something nice for other "helpless" players, when there is a dealer i like, who cuts good, who deals fast ----who i plan on playing A LOT with---- these are the people i want to look favorably on me and my play.... it's worth the few bucks to me. when i walk up to their table and they smile and are happy to see me, it is worth it - because it most likely means a heat free session.

Right on ... unfortunately in those places that split tokes, the jerk dealers get the same share. Wonder if they ever keep track of what each dealer takes in tips.

 

[Mimosine]

Right on ... unfortunately in those places that split tokes, the jerk dealers get the same share. Wonder if they ever keep track of what each dealer takes in tips.

no they don't really keep track of that, and a few friends who are dealers really resent the miserable SOBs that don't even try to be nice, because they get their "share" too.

even though the dealer's don't get to keep the tips directly, the ones worth tipping remember who does and doesn't tip and thank you at the end of their shift, and welcome you to their table, the best is when they hold your spot for you for along time in a neg count when you're busy wonging/backcounting another table, they get extra tips from me!!!

 

[person1125]

I have somewhat changed my mind on this topic lately. I mean if you are winning the dealer wants a tip....how about if you are having a bad night do they throw a min bet back to you? No. So if I'm in a winning streak why should I tip? I could lose everything over the next several shoes, so I end up -EV but the dealer ends up +EV. I think you should wait until you color up or stop for the night. If you are up and have had a good night, sure leave a little tip, but if you have had an ok night and are up a little or down - NO TIP.