 
How
to Tip the Dealer
by Henry Tamburin,
published on Monday, October 15
2001
Many blackjack players feel uneasy
about tipping a dealer because they
don't know when to tip, how much
to tip, and or even how to go about
giving a tip (a tip in the casino
industry is also known as a "toke").
Therefore, I've focused this article
on how to go about tipping the dealer.
Why should a player
tip a dealer anyway? After all tipping
won't miraculously change your luck
or the odds. One can also argue
that tipping has an expectation
of -100% which means the money you
tip is lost. And furthermore you
are under no obligation to tip when
you play blackjack.
Basically, tipping
will ensure that you will have a
friendly and helpful dealer that
will go a long way toward making
your playing experience an enjoyable
one. For most players, having a
good time with a friendly dealer
is reason enough to tip.
Another reason to
consider making a tip to a friendly,
helpful dealer is that the starting
salary for most blackjack dealers
is often at or below minimum wage.
In fact on an average month in most
casinos, tips from players often
make up two thirds of what a blackjack
dealer brings home. However, that
alone should not be the sole reason
to tip a dealer nor should you ever
be pressured into making a tip.
You should decide if a tip is warranted
based on the service the dealer
provides you when you play. Period.
In most casinos,
tips are pooled and shared by all
dealers on a shift. When a player
tips a dealer, the chips are placed
by the dealer in a toke box located
on the left side of the table next
to the dealer (there is a slot on
the top of the toke box where the
dealer drops the chips). At the
end of each shift, the chips in
the toke boxes are counted and distributed
evenly amongst all the dealers on
the shift. This "tip sharing"
tends to put peer pressure on all
dealers to perform at a high level
and it also prevents some dealers
who work high limit tables from
earning a lot more then a dealer
working a low limit table.
Tipping a dealer
also has some benefit when you ask
for comps. Sometimes busy floor
supervisors will ask the dealer
what your average bet was. By tipping
and getting the dealer on your side,
they will often give you the benefit
of the doubt and bump up the amount
of your average bet.
There are two common
ways that most players tip a dealer.
First is to simply place a chip
on the layout at any time and tell
the dealer "this is for you".
Most players who tip this way do
so at the end of their playing session
after they have colored up their
chips.
The second way to
tip is to make a bet for the dealer
on your hand. This way, the dealer
will have a stake in the outcome
and root for you to win (this usually
will get their attention and smiles).
Suppose you make
a $5 bet by placing a red chip in
the betting area (box or circle).
Say you also want to make a $1 bet
for the dealer. To do so, place
a white chip just outside of the
betting area. If your hand wins,
the dealer will pay off the red
chip with another and ditto for
the white chip. After he clears
the table of all the losing bets,
he will pick up the two white chips,
hopefully thank you for making the
bet, and then place the two white
chips in the toke box. By making
a tip bet, your $1 bet for the dealer
turned into a $2 toke for him.
There is a downside
to making a tip bet. If your hand
loses, the dealer receives no tip
(he will scoop up the red and white
chips and place them in the casino
chip rack; essentially the chip
that you bet for the dealer now
become part of the casino bank).
However, even if the hand loses,
most dealers still appreciative
the player's gesture.
This is a less common
but what I consider to be a better
way to tip the dealer. Instead of
placing your tip bet outside of
the betting area, place it on top
of your bet (inside the betting
area).
Let's assume you
bet $5 on the hand and you placed
a white chip on top of your bet.
If the hand wins the dealer will
pay you a red chip and a white chip.
You then give the dealer one white
chip representing the win from the
extra chip you bet on the hand.
Notice the difference
between the two ways of making a
tip bet for the dealer. Essentially,
bets made outside of the betting
area are controlled by the dealer
(as opposed to bets made inside
which are controlled by the player).
When you place your white chip outside,
the dealer will pay himself if the
hand wins and earn $2 (he keeps
the original $1 you bet for him
plus the $1 won on the hand). If
instead you place the tip bet inside
and the hand wins, the dealer pays
you (not himself). You then turn
around and give the dealer the $1
won for the $1 bet on the hand for
him.
This method of tipping
saves you 50% of the money you give
to the dealers and gives you the
option of betting the $1 again on
the next hand (in fact I usually
let the chip ride until I lose a
hand). The latter will give you
a lot of mileage for an initial
$1 tip bet.
It's perfectly acceptable
to base your tips on how much you
are betting. If you are a $5 player,
I suggest a $1 or $2 tip bet for
the dealer. If you are a $25 bettor,
making a $5 tip bet would be appropriate.
The above are guidelines
since how much you decide to tip
is very much a personal thing. However,
Jean Scott, author of the Frugal
Gambler, said it best: "Tip
nothing for surly service, on the
low end for mediocre service, and
on the high end for cheerful service".
My only caveat is that I never tip
a dealer who doesn't try to be friendly.
|
