Casinos set no universal tipping conventions such as those used for valets or bellmen. Many dealer tips are according to how much you are betting or how much you are winning. Unfortunately, most players tip a lot more than they aware – and win a lot less than they think.
For instance, suppose you bet $5 every hand at the full blackjack table (usually six players). You choose to tip only when you are dealt blackjack (an ace and any of 10). Because a blackjack gives you an extra $5 (at 2-to-1 odds), you share the bounty with your dealer by putting a $5 bet for him on the next hand. This action equals to roughly $15 worth of tips for your dealer each hour (or a tip every twenty minutes).
You should expect a loss of $6.70 during that time period. Your modest tipping in reality gives the dealer about twice as much cash as you lose. If everybody at your table follows similar tipping practice, the dealer gets close to $100 each hour in tips! I have told you how not to tip; now you must know how to tip properly.
Keep the following guidelines in mind when you tip the dealer:
- Just think of tips like dog treats. The amount of cheddar cheese is less important to Fido than the feeding frequency. He will roll over just as happily for a chunk as he will for a sliver. So you need to spread out your tips and be sure to make them in small amounts.
- Putting a small bet for a dealer when you first join the table is certainly appreciated.
- Make amends. If you are getting bad service or you are playing with a rude dealer, a tip is a great way to end the cold war and bring the dealer back to your corner. But if that is not your style, or if you believe he does not deserve it, by all means you shouldn’t hand over a gratuity.
- Always keep track of your tips. It is important to keep a very rough estimation in your head of how much you have tipped. The amount may surprise you.
Tipping doesn’t require a hard-and-fast rule. A dealer or casino will never ban or kick you out you for refusing to tip. Keep in mind that those guidelines are simply that – guidelines. Look how more-experienced gamblers at your table give tips and make note of the relationship they build with the dealers. Shortly, you should develop a feel for what is appropriate and what is not. Just as important, you have to get a feel for what type of tipping pattern matches your budget and personality.
It should also be noted that tipping is not required, or even possible, at an online casino.
