How gratuities work in the casino, and why a little generosity can go a long way
By Rob Wiser
To tip, or not to tip? It's a question you've probably wondered about at times in the casino. I certainly hope it has at least crossed your mind; after all, you wouldn't stiff the valet or the guy who lugged your bags up to your room, would you? So why should it be any different with the person who's been dealing your cards for the past hour?
Live Poker Tip #5: How to Play Poker in a Casino Poker Room Etiquette. There are live poker players out there who couldn't care less about etiquette. They just do their thing and act however they want to with no regard for the opinion or feelings of others, be it casino staff or fellow players. Those players are known as ‘‘a.holes.'. For most pots, this is an acceptable tip. By Steve Beauregard – Like tipping your waitress at a restaurant, it's customary (and respectful), to tip the dealer at your poker table when playing in a casino. And just like a restaurant tip, a toke to a dealer is meant to reward competence and acts as a 'Thank You' for the service rendered. Casino-floor employees always want a big tip - they're human, after all - but they're usually grateful for something even in the lower part of the range. We recommend planning your tipping ahead, so you don't have to make instant decisions in the excitement of the moment, a time when you often overtip and regret it later.
Nevertheless, there's quite a bit of confusion over when, and how much, it's appropriate to tip dealers and other casino personnel. Tipping is a very personal choice; there's really no 'correct' percentage, as there is with a restaurant bill. There are, however, some general rules of thumb—and some misconceptions that deserve to be cleared up.
Tipping Your Dealer
A lot of players fail to understand that dealers are part of the service industry and rely on tips to make a living. The base salary for dealers is usually minimum wage, or close to it.
A good dealer, like a good waiter, is going to serve you in a professional and courteous manner. The big difference between the two professions is that part of the dealer's job is to take your money when you lose. This is where it can start to feel personal. A player on a losing streak tends to think, 'the casino's gotten enough of money. Why should I tip, on top of it?'
This attitude is understandable, and dealers are used to it. It's also why contrary to popular belief, they actually want to see you win. The dealers don't get a cut of your losses, nor do they get penalized if you win a bunch of the casino's money. Their job is simply to deal the game and keep things moving along.
Once in a blue moon, you will come across an unprofessional dealer. I remember playing blackjack one time at a Strip casino and getting crushed by a terrible run of cards. Every time I lost a big bet, the dealer would grin and say 'ouch!' or 'that's gotta hurt!' as he swiped my chips away. Talk about adding insult to injury. Needless to say, I didn't fork over a gratuity, and he didn't deserve one.
Otherwise, as long as the game is being dealt in a professional, pleasant manner, it is appropriate to tip your dealer periodically regardless of whether you're winning or losing. There are several ways to do this. You can give it to the dealer directly, usually before you get up to leave the table. Just slide the chip (or chips) towards them. The other method, which dealers prefer, is to place a bet for them. Their job can get tedious, and by making a bet for them you're injecting some excitement into their routine.
To do this at a blackjack table, place a chip on the layout next to your bet. It doesn't need to be the same amount as your main bet; it can be any amount you want. Then, if you win your hand, the dealers wins, too. The $5 bet you placed for them is now a sweet $10 tip. (I usually tip this way, once or twice per hour. The size of the bet I place for the dealer depends on how well I've been doing.)
Craps, a more complicated game than blackjack, involves a crew of dealers who can help you out in various situations. For example, if you've been making the same bets and forget to make one, or forget to take odds on your pass line bet, they can remind you. Therefore, it never hurts—and can actually help—if you make a bet for the dealers soon after you start playing. Get them on your side. (It's best to place your bet for the dealers on the pass line, since it has better odds than the various proposition bets.)
Dividing the Pie
In most casinos, dealers pool their tips and split them. If you want to know whether your dealer gets to keep tips, or has to pool them, just ask. Some players will tip a bit more generously knowing that the money is going directly into their dealer's pockets.
Pooling tips is a policy that makes sense for casinos. Otherwise, the dealers working at the high-limit tables would rake in huge bucks—some high rollers are known to tip thousands of dollars—while the dealers at the low-limit tables would barely make a living. Pooling tips encourages all of the dealers, no matter what area of the casino they're stationed in, to be courteous and professional.
This can, however, create friction among the dealers. I remember a friend of mine, a gorgeous blonde with a vivacious personality, used to deal roulette in the high-roller area of a Strip casino. The players loved her and would toss her $100 chips left and right, yet she had to share it with all the other dealers—including a few surly curmudgeons who worked the low-limit tables and couldn't care less about customer relations.
There's a legendary story about Kerry Packer, the late Australian mogul and one of Vegas' highest rollers, offering his cocktail server the greatest tip of all time. He asked her what her largest debt was, and when she told him she'd just purchased a home, he told her to bring him the mortgage paperwork so he could pay it off. According to legend, she quit on the spot so that she wouldn't have to share it with her shift mates. (Hey, wouldn't you?)
Whatever the casino's tip-sharing policy is, your generosity will be appreciated.
Most people simply tip out of courtesy; others think tipping big will help them win. If you want to spread the wealth, go right ahead. Everyone loves a 'George' (casino-speak for a generous tipper). However, it won't influence the outcome of the game at all.
Tips for Slots
When you win a slot jackpot over $1,200, the machine will lock up and an attendant will come to verify the win, have you fill out a W2G form for tax purposes, and 'hand pay' you. (Some casinos set their machines to lock up at lower amounts.) A lot of players feel one percent of the jackpot, or in that neighborhood, is an appropriate tip for the attendant. For a $1,000 jackpot, this would mean a $10 tip.
Some players give tips to slot attendants in the hopes of gleaning some 'inside information': which machines are hot, and which ones are due to hit. The attendants appreciate the extra cash and might point you towards a 'lucky' bank of machines, but as we've explained many times in Strictly Slots, no machine is ever 'due to hit.' Each spin is a random, independent event. For some players, chatting with the attendants and trying to get a scoop is part of the fun; just don't take their advice too seriously.
The Truth About 'Free' Drinks
The one person you should always tip every time—without fail—is your beverage server. 'Complimentary' means the drinks are free, but it doesn't mean the service is. Most players aren't aware that when you stiff a cocktail waitress—or get up and leave before she can bring your order—she technically has to pay for that drink. To put it simply (the actual formula is rather complicated), each time a waitress orders a drink from the bartender to serve to a customer, the drink is recorded in the computer, and she is responsible for paying the IRS tax on that drink.
When the drinks are 'free,' a dollar per drink is a good tip. Whether it's a glass of champagne or a bottled water, every beverage counts as one. Savoy casino k br s. This is why you should tip regardless of the type of drink, and tip for each one. If you request a glass of ice with your Diet Coke, $2 would be an appropriate tip, since it's technically two drinks and they're taking up that much space on her cocktail tray.
Tipping beforehand can be a smart move with cocktail service. You're letting the waitress know right off the bat that you're an appreciative customer, and she'll likely give you the fastest service possible. Even if it takes a long time for the waitress to come around to take your first drink order, just assume she's got her hands full and tip her as you normally would. It might mean better service on the second round.
Members of the service industry have a saying: the word 'Tips' stands for To Insure Proper Service. In other words, they don't think tips should be viewed as a reward; they believe the purpose of a tip is to make sure you get the best possible service. If you're settling in for an afternoon at the blackjack table, or at the slots, you might as well tip early and set the right tone.
Of course, you don't ever have to tip if you don't want to. Casino employees are used to stiffs; you'll never hear them complain about it (not publicly, anyway). But a little consideration can go a long way, and why not spread some good karma around? After all, if there's anyone in the casino you want rooting for you, it's the people handling the cards and paying out the jackpots.
Every stroll through the casino floor presents video poker players with a
seemingly endless stream of service.
From the cocktail waitresses who dutifully keep your drinks coming, to the
coin runners who take care of your financial transactions, and if you're lucky,
the attendants who deliver those precious hand pays.
Gratuities are the lifeblood of the gambling industry, and essentially every
employee who doesn't reside on the executive tier depends on the generosity of
players to earn their living. For this reason, games like blackjack, baccarat,
craps, and roulette come equipped with fairly standardized rules and rituals for
tipping.
These aren't hard and fast rules mind you, and any American has the right to
play for hours on end without tipping a dime. But for the most part, casino
gamblers appreciate the expertise provided by dealers and floor staff, so
sending them a $1 chip after a win – or even a $5 'redbird' when you're riding a
hot streak – is seldom an issue.
On the other hand, those of us who play their trade on machine-based games
like video poker and the slots don't enjoy that same level of engagement. In
fact, you can probably walk into your local casino, head to the video poker
parlor and take a seat, and play for hours at a time without engaging with
anybody but a stray cocktail server.
There are exceptions of course, usually in the form of casino lounges and
bars outfitted with video poker machines. Even here though, the game is played
one-on-one between you and the machine, with no staff on hand to supervise the
game, handle payouts, or otherwise earn a tip.
This dichotomy has led to a distressing situation, with the video poker
community developing a reputation for being cheap relative to the rest of casino
customers. A small but growing group of players have convinced themselves that
the lack of employee involvement, which defines other games like blackjack and
craps, doesn't obligate them to tip like they normally would.
We're not here to tell you how to spend your money, but this page hopes to
steer you down a different path. For video poker players, three common
situations will present themselves during extended sessions – and at each
juncture you'll have the chance to tip. After learning a few widely used
formulas pioneered by video poker experts over the years, you'll be better
prepared to decide when and how much to tip. But more importantly, you'll
understand why tossing a toke is the right thing to do given the circumstances.
The three employees below will become your best friends during your video
poker journey, so it's best to treat them right. For each entry, we'll run
through the standard operating procedure for tipping in that spot, along with
the perspective of a few well-known video poker pros and gambling industry
experts.
Cocktail Servers
Most experienced gamblers know the deal with cocktail servers in a casino, but
just in case you haven't heard, service industry workers rely on gratuities to
survive.
According to the income data aggregator Salary.com, the average annual income
for a Las Vegas cocktail server is only $17,132 without tips. That's just above
the federal poverty line for two-person households, and just over the line for
the three-person families.
In other words, choosing to stiff a hardworking cocktail server who just
hoofed your Seven & Seven a few hundred yards across the casino is akin to a
criminal act. Again, we can't tell you how to spend your money, but if you ever
hope to see the same server twice, tipping should be considered mandatory.
And we didn't even mention that drinks come free for players in almost all
Las Vegas casinos.
machine, risking $5 every few seconds, declining to tip on a free drink just
makes you look bad.
For the most part, players in any game – video poker or otherwise – toss the
cocktail server a $1 chip upon delivery. You can always modulate that upwards
depending on your budget and lifestyle, but never feel bad for tipping a dollar
because that's what servers expect.
If somebody really hustles and makes their rounds quicker than most, or
completes a complicated drink order correctly on the first time out, rewarding
their hard work with a redbird will make you a king among the regulars.
And that may not seem like much at the moment, but in our estimation, every
little edge makes a difference in the perpetual video poker grind. Margins are
just so thin in this game, and playing from a place of comfort can be the
difference between perfect decision making and the occasional lapse.
If you treat the serving staff well by tipping as a standard practice, with a
handful of 'bonuses' thrown in to curry favor, you'll never want for a drink,
ashtray, or anything else they can provide. Conversely, a non-tipping strategy
will turn you into video poker parlor's pariah in no time, leaving you looking
around in vain for a server while you should be focusing on the cards.
Bartenders
The atmosphere is a bit different at the casino lounge, which is usually
lined with talkative tourists clicking away at video poker machines built right
into the bar.
Here, you'll be dealing with the actual bartender mixing your drinks, and
depending on your proclivities that will entail a certain level of labor.
have money in the machine – the standard casino tip of $1 should be
well-received.
For mixed drinks and cocktails that require a little know-how to make
properly, use your judgement and up the ante. These complimentary cocktails will
typically use off-brand liquor rather than the top-shelf stuff, so don't go
crazy, but anything between a few bucks and a fiver is appropriate here.
Many of the major casinos in Las Vegas will also provide foodservice to their
video poker bars, or even machines in restaurants. If that's the case where
you're playing, and you feel like noshing on a snack in between hands, we
recommend using the usual 15 percent tip that any other restaurant waitress or
waiter would receive.
Hand Pay Attendants
Hampton beach casino ballroom parking. The actual video poker parlor can be a solitary place for the most part.
No dealers, no pit bosses… nobody from the casino side assists your session
when playing video poker. It's simply you and your wits versus the machine's
random number generator, with no human intervention to speak of.
Until you happen to trigger a hand pay that is.
Hand pays are so named because when you land that elusive royal flush (on
Jacks or Better and related variants), or another high-value 'jackpot' hand in
other games, the machine doesn't dispense the payout per the usual procedures.
Instead of seeing your credit counter tick up, or a payout voucher issued,
jackpots which require a hand pay will lock the screen in place, while signaling
an attendant.
There's nothing quite like the feeling of earning a hand pay, with the red
light swirling overhead and sirens alerting the entire casino to your good
fortune. Personally, we find this experience to be as appealing as the game of
video poker itself, as that brief moment in the spotlight serves as validation
for the long hours of study and diligent grinding that made it happen.
After the attendant shows up, they'll whip out a stack of crisp, clean $100
bills and get to work. Watching a big payout of $4,000 being counted out in
front of you is thrilling to say the least, and within minutes you'll have your
winnings safely in hand.
But what comes next is a matter of great debate among video poker
enthusiasts.
especially after several hours of play where tips were largely avoided.
The attendants responsible for running your money over are usually young
people pursuing their first jobs in the casino industry. These fresh-faced
employees are responsible for checking your identification, and informing you
about tax form procedures (on wins of $10,000 or more) – so don't take it
personally if they ask a few questions. They're just doing their job after all,
and making sure you have everything needed to claim to your big win.
The biggest problem for recreational players isn't deciding whether or not to
tip, but finding the sweet spot in terms of amount. Winning a hand pay is a
thrill like we said, even for the most experienced players, so you'll probably
be excited and in a generous mood.
But after you win $4,000 – the standard pay for a royal flush at 800 to 1
odds on $5, when max-betting on a $1 machine – deciding how much to tip can be
overwhelming.
The industry standard says to tip 1 percent of your total jackpot win, so
you'd be forking over $40 in this instance. That may seem like a bundle for a
short trip over from the cashier's cage to your machine, but when you think
about it, sending a sizable chunk of change their way makes sense.
Scoring a royal flush in a standard game of Jacks or Better involves beating
1 in 649,740 odds. Those odds are obviously enormous, which is why you'll
remember every royal you ever hit.
That rarity works in the casino's favor, but not for the casino employee.
Sure, they'll be around to see more hand pays than you will, that's just a
factor of their job. But if an attendant works a full eight-hour shift and
delivers just two royal flush hand pays over that time, receiving $40 on each,
they've only added $10 per hour on top of their base wage.
At this point we should note that royal flushes only represent a small
fraction of the total hand pays issued by any given video poker parlor. You'll
trigger a hand pay for landing four aces and a kicker, straight flushes, or any
variety of jackpot hands in variants like Deuces Wild and Joker Poker.
A good dealer, like a good waiter, is going to serve you in a professional and courteous manner. The big difference between the two professions is that part of the dealer's job is to take your money when you lose. This is where it can start to feel personal. A player on a losing streak tends to think, 'the casino's gotten enough of money. Why should I tip, on top of it?'
This attitude is understandable, and dealers are used to it. It's also why contrary to popular belief, they actually want to see you win. The dealers don't get a cut of your losses, nor do they get penalized if you win a bunch of the casino's money. Their job is simply to deal the game and keep things moving along.
Once in a blue moon, you will come across an unprofessional dealer. I remember playing blackjack one time at a Strip casino and getting crushed by a terrible run of cards. Every time I lost a big bet, the dealer would grin and say 'ouch!' or 'that's gotta hurt!' as he swiped my chips away. Talk about adding insult to injury. Needless to say, I didn't fork over a gratuity, and he didn't deserve one.
Otherwise, as long as the game is being dealt in a professional, pleasant manner, it is appropriate to tip your dealer periodically regardless of whether you're winning or losing. There are several ways to do this. You can give it to the dealer directly, usually before you get up to leave the table. Just slide the chip (or chips) towards them. The other method, which dealers prefer, is to place a bet for them. Their job can get tedious, and by making a bet for them you're injecting some excitement into their routine.
To do this at a blackjack table, place a chip on the layout next to your bet. It doesn't need to be the same amount as your main bet; it can be any amount you want. Then, if you win your hand, the dealers wins, too. The $5 bet you placed for them is now a sweet $10 tip. (I usually tip this way, once or twice per hour. The size of the bet I place for the dealer depends on how well I've been doing.)
Craps, a more complicated game than blackjack, involves a crew of dealers who can help you out in various situations. For example, if you've been making the same bets and forget to make one, or forget to take odds on your pass line bet, they can remind you. Therefore, it never hurts—and can actually help—if you make a bet for the dealers soon after you start playing. Get them on your side. (It's best to place your bet for the dealers on the pass line, since it has better odds than the various proposition bets.)
Dividing the Pie
In most casinos, dealers pool their tips and split them. If you want to know whether your dealer gets to keep tips, or has to pool them, just ask. Some players will tip a bit more generously knowing that the money is going directly into their dealer's pockets.
Pooling tips is a policy that makes sense for casinos. Otherwise, the dealers working at the high-limit tables would rake in huge bucks—some high rollers are known to tip thousands of dollars—while the dealers at the low-limit tables would barely make a living. Pooling tips encourages all of the dealers, no matter what area of the casino they're stationed in, to be courteous and professional.
This can, however, create friction among the dealers. I remember a friend of mine, a gorgeous blonde with a vivacious personality, used to deal roulette in the high-roller area of a Strip casino. The players loved her and would toss her $100 chips left and right, yet she had to share it with all the other dealers—including a few surly curmudgeons who worked the low-limit tables and couldn't care less about customer relations.
There's a legendary story about Kerry Packer, the late Australian mogul and one of Vegas' highest rollers, offering his cocktail server the greatest tip of all time. He asked her what her largest debt was, and when she told him she'd just purchased a home, he told her to bring him the mortgage paperwork so he could pay it off. According to legend, she quit on the spot so that she wouldn't have to share it with her shift mates. (Hey, wouldn't you?)
Whatever the casino's tip-sharing policy is, your generosity will be appreciated.
Most people simply tip out of courtesy; others think tipping big will help them win. If you want to spread the wealth, go right ahead. Everyone loves a 'George' (casino-speak for a generous tipper). However, it won't influence the outcome of the game at all.
Tips for Slots
When you win a slot jackpot over $1,200, the machine will lock up and an attendant will come to verify the win, have you fill out a W2G form for tax purposes, and 'hand pay' you. (Some casinos set their machines to lock up at lower amounts.) A lot of players feel one percent of the jackpot, or in that neighborhood, is an appropriate tip for the attendant. For a $1,000 jackpot, this would mean a $10 tip.
Some players give tips to slot attendants in the hopes of gleaning some 'inside information': which machines are hot, and which ones are due to hit. The attendants appreciate the extra cash and might point you towards a 'lucky' bank of machines, but as we've explained many times in Strictly Slots, no machine is ever 'due to hit.' Each spin is a random, independent event. For some players, chatting with the attendants and trying to get a scoop is part of the fun; just don't take their advice too seriously.
The Truth About 'Free' Drinks
The one person you should always tip every time—without fail—is your beverage server. 'Complimentary' means the drinks are free, but it doesn't mean the service is. Most players aren't aware that when you stiff a cocktail waitress—or get up and leave before she can bring your order—she technically has to pay for that drink. To put it simply (the actual formula is rather complicated), each time a waitress orders a drink from the bartender to serve to a customer, the drink is recorded in the computer, and she is responsible for paying the IRS tax on that drink.
When the drinks are 'free,' a dollar per drink is a good tip. Whether it's a glass of champagne or a bottled water, every beverage counts as one. Savoy casino k br s. This is why you should tip regardless of the type of drink, and tip for each one. If you request a glass of ice with your Diet Coke, $2 would be an appropriate tip, since it's technically two drinks and they're taking up that much space on her cocktail tray.
Tipping beforehand can be a smart move with cocktail service. You're letting the waitress know right off the bat that you're an appreciative customer, and she'll likely give you the fastest service possible. Even if it takes a long time for the waitress to come around to take your first drink order, just assume she's got her hands full and tip her as you normally would. It might mean better service on the second round.
Members of the service industry have a saying: the word 'Tips' stands for To Insure Proper Service. In other words, they don't think tips should be viewed as a reward; they believe the purpose of a tip is to make sure you get the best possible service. If you're settling in for an afternoon at the blackjack table, or at the slots, you might as well tip early and set the right tone.
Of course, you don't ever have to tip if you don't want to. Casino employees are used to stiffs; you'll never hear them complain about it (not publicly, anyway). But a little consideration can go a long way, and why not spread some good karma around? After all, if there's anyone in the casino you want rooting for you, it's the people handling the cards and paying out the jackpots.
Every stroll through the casino floor presents video poker players with a
seemingly endless stream of service.
From the cocktail waitresses who dutifully keep your drinks coming, to the
coin runners who take care of your financial transactions, and if you're lucky,
the attendants who deliver those precious hand pays.
Gratuities are the lifeblood of the gambling industry, and essentially every
employee who doesn't reside on the executive tier depends on the generosity of
players to earn their living. For this reason, games like blackjack, baccarat,
craps, and roulette come equipped with fairly standardized rules and rituals for
tipping.
These aren't hard and fast rules mind you, and any American has the right to
play for hours on end without tipping a dime. But for the most part, casino
gamblers appreciate the expertise provided by dealers and floor staff, so
sending them a $1 chip after a win – or even a $5 'redbird' when you're riding a
hot streak – is seldom an issue.
On the other hand, those of us who play their trade on machine-based games
like video poker and the slots don't enjoy that same level of engagement. In
fact, you can probably walk into your local casino, head to the video poker
parlor and take a seat, and play for hours at a time without engaging with
anybody but a stray cocktail server.
There are exceptions of course, usually in the form of casino lounges and
bars outfitted with video poker machines. Even here though, the game is played
one-on-one between you and the machine, with no staff on hand to supervise the
game, handle payouts, or otherwise earn a tip.
This dichotomy has led to a distressing situation, with the video poker
community developing a reputation for being cheap relative to the rest of casino
customers. A small but growing group of players have convinced themselves that
the lack of employee involvement, which defines other games like blackjack and
craps, doesn't obligate them to tip like they normally would.
We're not here to tell you how to spend your money, but this page hopes to
steer you down a different path. For video poker players, three common
situations will present themselves during extended sessions – and at each
juncture you'll have the chance to tip. After learning a few widely used
formulas pioneered by video poker experts over the years, you'll be better
prepared to decide when and how much to tip. But more importantly, you'll
understand why tossing a toke is the right thing to do given the circumstances.
The three employees below will become your best friends during your video
poker journey, so it's best to treat them right. For each entry, we'll run
through the standard operating procedure for tipping in that spot, along with
the perspective of a few well-known video poker pros and gambling industry
experts.
Cocktail Servers
Most experienced gamblers know the deal with cocktail servers in a casino, but
just in case you haven't heard, service industry workers rely on gratuities to
survive.
According to the income data aggregator Salary.com, the average annual income
for a Las Vegas cocktail server is only $17,132 without tips. That's just above
the federal poverty line for two-person households, and just over the line for
the three-person families.
In other words, choosing to stiff a hardworking cocktail server who just
hoofed your Seven & Seven a few hundred yards across the casino is akin to a
criminal act. Again, we can't tell you how to spend your money, but if you ever
hope to see the same server twice, tipping should be considered mandatory.
And we didn't even mention that drinks come free for players in almost all
Las Vegas casinos.
machine, risking $5 every few seconds, declining to tip on a free drink just
makes you look bad.
For the most part, players in any game – video poker or otherwise – toss the
cocktail server a $1 chip upon delivery. You can always modulate that upwards
depending on your budget and lifestyle, but never feel bad for tipping a dollar
because that's what servers expect.
If somebody really hustles and makes their rounds quicker than most, or
completes a complicated drink order correctly on the first time out, rewarding
their hard work with a redbird will make you a king among the regulars.
And that may not seem like much at the moment, but in our estimation, every
little edge makes a difference in the perpetual video poker grind. Margins are
just so thin in this game, and playing from a place of comfort can be the
difference between perfect decision making and the occasional lapse.
If you treat the serving staff well by tipping as a standard practice, with a
handful of 'bonuses' thrown in to curry favor, you'll never want for a drink,
ashtray, or anything else they can provide. Conversely, a non-tipping strategy
will turn you into video poker parlor's pariah in no time, leaving you looking
around in vain for a server while you should be focusing on the cards.
Bartenders
The atmosphere is a bit different at the casino lounge, which is usually
lined with talkative tourists clicking away at video poker machines built right
into the bar.
Here, you'll be dealing with the actual bartender mixing your drinks, and
depending on your proclivities that will entail a certain level of labor.
have money in the machine – the standard casino tip of $1 should be
well-received.
For mixed drinks and cocktails that require a little know-how to make
properly, use your judgement and up the ante. These complimentary cocktails will
typically use off-brand liquor rather than the top-shelf stuff, so don't go
crazy, but anything between a few bucks and a fiver is appropriate here.
Many of the major casinos in Las Vegas will also provide foodservice to their
video poker bars, or even machines in restaurants. If that's the case where
you're playing, and you feel like noshing on a snack in between hands, we
recommend using the usual 15 percent tip that any other restaurant waitress or
waiter would receive.
Hand Pay Attendants
Hampton beach casino ballroom parking. The actual video poker parlor can be a solitary place for the most part.
No dealers, no pit bosses… nobody from the casino side assists your session
when playing video poker. It's simply you and your wits versus the machine's
random number generator, with no human intervention to speak of.
Until you happen to trigger a hand pay that is.
Hand pays are so named because when you land that elusive royal flush (on
Jacks or Better and related variants), or another high-value 'jackpot' hand in
other games, the machine doesn't dispense the payout per the usual procedures.
Instead of seeing your credit counter tick up, or a payout voucher issued,
jackpots which require a hand pay will lock the screen in place, while signaling
an attendant.
There's nothing quite like the feeling of earning a hand pay, with the red
light swirling overhead and sirens alerting the entire casino to your good
fortune. Personally, we find this experience to be as appealing as the game of
video poker itself, as that brief moment in the spotlight serves as validation
for the long hours of study and diligent grinding that made it happen.
After the attendant shows up, they'll whip out a stack of crisp, clean $100
bills and get to work. Watching a big payout of $4,000 being counted out in
front of you is thrilling to say the least, and within minutes you'll have your
winnings safely in hand.
But what comes next is a matter of great debate among video poker
enthusiasts.
especially after several hours of play where tips were largely avoided.
The attendants responsible for running your money over are usually young
people pursuing their first jobs in the casino industry. These fresh-faced
employees are responsible for checking your identification, and informing you
about tax form procedures (on wins of $10,000 or more) – so don't take it
personally if they ask a few questions. They're just doing their job after all,
and making sure you have everything needed to claim to your big win.
The biggest problem for recreational players isn't deciding whether or not to
tip, but finding the sweet spot in terms of amount. Winning a hand pay is a
thrill like we said, even for the most experienced players, so you'll probably
be excited and in a generous mood.
But after you win $4,000 – the standard pay for a royal flush at 800 to 1
odds on $5, when max-betting on a $1 machine – deciding how much to tip can be
overwhelming.
The industry standard says to tip 1 percent of your total jackpot win, so
you'd be forking over $40 in this instance. That may seem like a bundle for a
short trip over from the cashier's cage to your machine, but when you think
about it, sending a sizable chunk of change their way makes sense.
Scoring a royal flush in a standard game of Jacks or Better involves beating
1 in 649,740 odds. Those odds are obviously enormous, which is why you'll
remember every royal you ever hit.
That rarity works in the casino's favor, but not for the casino employee.
Sure, they'll be around to see more hand pays than you will, that's just a
factor of their job. But if an attendant works a full eight-hour shift and
delivers just two royal flush hand pays over that time, receiving $40 on each,
they've only added $10 per hour on top of their base wage.
At this point we should note that royal flushes only represent a small
fraction of the total hand pays issued by any given video poker parlor. You'll
trigger a hand pay for landing four aces and a kicker, straight flushes, or any
variety of jackpot hands in variants like Deuces Wild and Joker Poker.
All of those winners offer significantly lower odds than the royal flush, so
naturally, attendants will be far more active than our example outlined.
Knowing they've probably heard the hand pay siren sound a few times before
you got there, and they'll hear it a few times after you leave, is a logical
justification for scaling your tip percentage down by half to 0.5 percent.
Handing over a $20 bill mere moments after getting your hands on $4,000 might
leave you feeling like a cheapskate, but all things considered, it's a perfectly
acceptable baseline to work with.
Especially if you're a frequent player, semi-professional, or outright pro.
Players like us put in hundreds of hours on the machines, grinding through
thousands upon thousands of hands in pursuit of that most elusive of prey for
casino game player: a positive expected return.
Video poker is our game of choice for a reason, as it's combination of
skill-based gameplay and an extremely low house edge on most games – including a
negative house edge on a handful of variants – makes it the perfect way to eke
out a profit.
Casino Poker Tipping Etiquette Games
But when profit is the name of the game, and the margins can't get any
slimmer, sending hard-earned money back into the casino economy almost seems
cruel.
The game's greats know this too, which is why some of the most successful
video poker players to ever live are among the stingiest tippers around.
In a 2012 blog post written by Bob Dancer, video poker's resident expert and
the recognized 'Godfather' of the game explained exactly why he tips just $0.50
on $4,000 hand pays – oronly one-tenth of 1 percent.
According to Dancer, frequent players like himself have one major factor
working against them when it comes to tips.
Because grinders tend to play at much higher stakes ($5 or $10 max-bets) than
the average recreational video poker fan ($0.50 or $1 max-bets). This alone
makes the job of turning a profit that much harder, because the inevitable
swings that come with the territory cost significantly more money to withstand.
And as Dancer explains, the higher stakes result in adjusted odds that make
hand pays far more frequent.
In his estimation, based on decades of professional play, triggering a royal
flush at the $0.50 max-bet level is a 'pretty rare, every 40,000 hands event.'
Conversely, for players at the $5 or $10 max-bet level, 'you're probably getting
hand pays every 400 hands.'
Dancer then dives into the mathematics of that disparity, but we'll give you
a crash course.
Players at the higher stakes are receiving hand pays 100 times as often as
their low-stakes counterparts. Thus, they should be tipping 1/100th of the
amount to compensate – which equates to only $0.20 per hand pay as opposed to
$20.
Dancer is no fool, and he's not advising anybody to toss the attendant two
dimes as compensation, but he uses this math to form a new baseline for pros and
high-frequency players. For him, that baseline is $1 for an $8,000 jackpot while
playing at the $10 max-betting machines.
We can't argue with a man who takes home millions of dollars in W-2G tax
forms, but Dancer's approach is simply too rigid for our tastes.
Casino Poker Tipping Etiquette Advice
SummaryCasino Poker Tipping Etiquette Rules
And that's really what tipping in video poker is all about – personal
preference. So long as you're giving the attendant a reasonable reward for their
time and energy, feel free to tip based on your budget, the stakes in question,
the service received, and any number of factors.