Casino Etiquette: Tipping the Dealer, When to Tip, How much to Tip
Ok, this is a shameless pander – we are big believers in tipping service industry people. It helps ensure better service, both for us on a return trip and for everyone else as well.
In short, we believe in rewarding people for good service. And having the promise of tips encourages people to work harder. Someone with a guaranteed paycheck may work just hard enough to not get fired – well, that attitude is no fun at the casino table. Most people like a little extra effort at their casino experience – a dealer that is cordial, talkative, and jokes a bit is MUCH more fun than someone who can’t wait to clock out and go home. So if you find these fun dealers, tip them (by the way, would it surprise you to know that most dealer’s make minimum wage, with tips making up seventy percent of most dealer’s income?)
Now, that brings us to “how much” and “when”? Well, that’s somewhat subjective, but we’ll try our best to give you an acceptable roadmap.
To begin, how much and how often depends on the level of effort given by the dealer – if you feel they are making your game fun, once an hour is probably an acceptable tip rate. However, if you are winning, and feel generous, you can tip more than that (although don’t be “Deep Pockets Mahoney” who tips every winning hand – that’s overkill, in our opinion.) So, once an hour is a good guideline, with maybe a little extra thrown in if you are winning…
Amounts differ – they depend on the stake, your mood, etc. Five dollars is a decent tip size, and perhaps a five-to-ten percent cut on wins if you are so inclined. However, that isn’t mandatory – it is not considered bad form to keep all of your winnings (although a little extra if you win big is certainly appreciated, and can be a classy thing to do.)
Lastly, never “hand” dealers chips as tips. Put it on the table instead. If you want to get cute, tip them a bet. Put a chip to the side, along with your bet, and let it ride. Just make sure to let them know what you’re doing. It’s a fun way to make the dealer a part of your experience, and if you (they) win, they get a bigger tip!
Hope you enjoyed these tips on tipping – may your next tip big a big one (hopefully because you won big!) Good luck.
