To Tip Or Not

Discussion in 'News & Announcements' started by Joep, Sep 23, 2005.

?

What is your opinion

Poll closed Oct 23, 2005.
  1. You should always tip the slot staff on a handpay win

    8 vote(s)
    34.8%
  2. I Don't believe you should tip at all

    2 vote(s)
    8.7%
  3. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't

    11 vote(s)
    47.8%
  4. I do because they make you feel like you have to by standing there after you have been paid

    2 vote(s)
    8.7%
  1. Joep

    Joep Active Member

    In response to the post about the 2 time Megabucks winner only tipping 200 dollars on a 21 Million dollar jackpot.The poll is to find out do you believe that you should tip the staff that hand pays you on a jackpot.
     
  2. pokernut

    pokernut New Member

    My ideas on tipping: Do you tip the police officer for writing you a ticket (you should , this might save your life by slowing you down), the fireman when he puts out your house fire, the mail person for bringing your mail of course not they are just doing their job. Do tou tip the airline pilot for a safe flight? When a dealer is dealing he is just doing his job, a job the casino pays him or her to do. Casinos make their dealers rely on you for tips because they're too damn cheap to pay their own employees a livable wage. They wouldn't make their employees pool tips if they were concerned about customer service. So, tipping in a casino certainly isn't to get good service. It may be to thank someone for good service to a slight degree, but mostly that's just a false notion the casinos promote. You're there at the tables not only to provide the house with revenue but also to pay their employees as well.
    Remember the word TIP itself means: To Improve Performance, so what can a dealer do to improve his service, NOTHING legally but maybe deeper pen but with the rule of 6, cut marks on discard trays etc. very few will do this. Also remember the dealer who was rude, shuffled up every time you raise your bet, yell checks play when you increase your bet, when you tip the "friendly" dealer, the "bad" dealer gets a part of the tip too since the share tips unless you are playing at Fizgeralds where the dealers get to keep their own tips. Early in my playing days, I used to believe that tipping would improve playing conditions -- deeper pen, faster dealing, etc.
    In retrospect, rarely did playing conditions improve from tipping.
    When I played at very low stakes, tipping would eat up much of my profit.
    It was truly money thrown in the trash.
    And to the dealer who hustles tips when I am winning where were you when you dealt me losing hands, I have never heard a dealer say sorry I am beating you, here's $10 to make up for it.
     
  3. esposo

    esposo New Member

    Almost Always Tip

    The reason I almost always tip is simply out of a recognition that this is a part of the staff's income, which starts out on the low side. I'll tip less if I'm losing, more if I'm winning. If a dealer is downright surly or otherwise generally unhelpful or unfriendly, then I might not tip. It's similar, at least for me, to tipping a cab driver. I start with the assumption that I'll tip the driver. If he takes the best route, doesn't smoke up the car, and gets me where I'm going quickly and efficiently, I'll probably tip more. If he almost crashes the cab several times, makes short stops, or leaves me in the middle of the street, I'll tip far less, and in extreme cases, not at all.
     
  4. chipsmccoy

    chipsmccoy New Member

    Intent of This Thread and Poll

    I believe the intent of your poll/thread was tipping in regards to hand-pay jackpots, but the posts are, for the most part, about tipping at tables. You may want to have two polls/segment them and their associated posts. Of course you could have a third catagory re cow tipping!
     
  5. toolman1

    toolman1 Active Member

    Tip - Base it on service and work level

    Way back when, tips started as showing your gratitute for good service. Unfortunately, over the years, business owners reduced salaries and tips became, in effect, part of one's "salary".

    I tip based on not only the service level I receive but also on how much work one has to do to provide that service level. For a hotel stay, if housekeeping does a good job of cleaning and of course leaves enough toilet paper, I'll leave $20 for a 3 day stay. In a blackjack tournament, dealers spend a lot of time, cumulatively speaking, providing their service. Assuming you win some money and the quality is good to execelent, I feel they deserve a tip of 2% to 5% - other factors also need consideration before a final percent can be arrived at. For slots, lets face it, the person hand paying you does not do a hell of a lot of work for you. That person is simply a moving cashier. Do you tip a regular cashier? I don't think so. Therefore, if you won mergabucks on a slot, give a C- NOTE just to make the "cashier" go away. This may sound cheap, but its more that generous when you consider why we give tips to begin with.

    pokernut: I don't play casino poker but I have watched. It seems that the norm is to tip the dealer a buck every time you win. Tipping just because he's there? That sucks!

    Got to stop now. Have to go water my new baby grasses. :D
     
  6. Joep

    Joep Active Member

    Read The Fine Print

    This poll was an attempt to find out about your tipping policies in regards to slot machine hand pay winnings .So all this talk about tipping the dealers for a better game in blackjack is not revelant here.Sorry if I confused everyone.,this poll was in reponse to the new 21 million dollar Megabuck winner only tipping $200 dollars to 2 cocktail waitress and none to the slot staff.
     
  7. noman

    noman Top Member

    slot tipping Poll

    For me this is a tough one. I come out of a service background. My dear mother is still a life long waitress, she drew me into b ussing dishes for her when the regular help didn't show up.

    I was grateful for the tips waitresses gave me for the work I did for them, as my mother was grateful for the tips she received from customers for her excellent service. SERVICE.

    Since I'm not a slot player and an infrequent video poker player, it's difficult to understand why one would tip the attendents.
    and especially on a 21 MIl since that could't possibly be paid out by an attendent.

    I've had cage people, hem ha and delay a payout or issue a check in the guise of looking for a tip, I felt. figure that out.

    BUT. If the floor attendent was there to make change, to assist in anyway and frequently and with concern for the player's enjoyment, enhancement, then a tip of some kind would be in order.

    Though for whatever convoluted reasoning, I would and would think a higher percentage tip on a mediocre win rather than a certain per cent on an over MIL. would be appropriate, if the previous paragraph conditions were met.

    Just cause someone was on the floor doesn't qualify them for a cut of anything.

    As to 21 Mil. I don't see a certain percentage tip as obligatory as at a meal.
    Something to the staff over $50, each, seems a good, good will gesture that might get you recognition and whatever better service, if you're foolish enough to come back after that big of a payout.

    Those who play anything in the casino's long enough, recognize the intangible Karma, gestault, kismitt, whatever of tipping, even though it certainly doesn't make sense give the casino conditions and environment.

    Problem is, if one does tip, one faces the disdain of the recepient for not giving enough, even though you really don't have to give anything.

    So would the floor attendents be looking for 1 to 10 per cent? Duh. and ha ha.

    If one is a tipper, then tips would not only flow to the floor attendants, but the waitresses who brought the good luck with the pop or booze, to the bell hop, the valet, the desk clerk, the maids, the shoe shiner, the arogant mat r de, the wine steward and whomever a tv or movie writer could dream up. Hell, the panhandler on the street might even be able to afford a flop house for the night after "your" generosity.

    And therein lies a bit of a problem for the tipper. They're so happy giving it away, before they know it, "they bought the house" more than one round and what do they have left.

    Sorry, for the wind. But long and short. A 21 Mil. win gets someone who helped or impressed you something around $100. Others who were just there, get squat, just as the other players who didn't win the $21 mil.
     
  8. glinda

    glinda New Member

    no, no, no

    When I go out to eat, I am a generous tipper
    When I go to gamble, I intend to win money, not SPEND money
    I used to tip when I gambled, I learned that it is a poor investment and unsound financial decision
     
  9. TXtourplayer

    TXtourplayer Executive Member

    Tip with their money!

    I am not a big machine player so I never understood tipping the attendants (however I have given $40 on a $2,000 win). That was $40 to someone that did nothing for me until I won, why should they get anymore.

    Now when I play Blackjack I will tip a couple of different ways. I'll buy $10 in $1 tokens and play $1 in front at the start of play (reguardless of the amount I am playing). I tell the dealer that this is playing something for them reguardless what happens. If I win they make $2 that hand and if I lose they are not getting anything anyway. Now I do tip more if I end up a winner.

    My favorite way to tip is place a $5 chip on top of my bet (not out in front as normal). Why because I am in control of the tips. I ask them what they want to bet on the next hand $5 or $10. If I get on a roll can turn a $5 chip in to a very nice tip. The nice thing is how much more the dealer REALLY wants you to win when you are controling their tips.

    It is legal and you can give a bigger tip on a winning session, only it is coming from the casino and not out of you stack of chips. I have gone on winning runs where the dealers tips have been hundreds of dollars, but only $5-$10 out of my stack.

    I also asked the dealers how much they want to bet (I make them tell me how much they want to bet) They will tell you they can't, but just force the issue and you'll get them to.

    I was betting $50 down in Biloxi last year on one hand and the dealers had $200 on top and you get credit for all of the bet. Just helps your avg. bet.
     
  10. richgarcia

    richgarcia New Member

    Tipping Poll Opinion

    This post relates to tipping the staff handing out a jackpot.
    It addresses no other tipping event. That was the only question posed by Joep.

    First, this specific individual who won $21 million, did not tip the staff anything. He did tip $100 to each of the two cocktail waitresses. The Casino offered to advance him what ever money he’d wanted to leave the staff. He declined the offer.

    This individual is a regular player at that Casino. There’s an iterative interaction with the staff over a long period of time. Generally, there’s a bond/friendship established between player and personnel. He has a regular and continuous relationship with the staff. Leaving them nothing, I find repugnant.

    Next, tipping the staff of machine payoffs in general. There are an infinite number of excuses/rationalizations offered regarding why someone doesn’t tip these people. Tipping the staff is not mandatory. It is left to the discretion of each individual. In this case, I do not think of it as a quid pro quo for special services rendered. I think of it as sharing one’s good fortune with them. The amount of the tip is not as important as the act itself. It’s sharing a happy event. The tip is the manifestation of one’s good luck and generosity.
     
  11. Joep

    Joep Active Member

    New Poll

    Well at least we know that richgarcia and chipsmccoy pay attention to the question posed .Now as far as Txtourplayer goes I believe he just post to post.How in the world can he have more post then the adminstrator does that itself is a problem ,Maybe we should have a poll about Txtourplayer posts. :laugh:
     
  12. What if one does not possess generosity? How can what doesn't exist be manifested?
     
  13. Walt

    Walt New Member

    To tip or not to tip?

    As a frequent VP player, my tips on hand pays have ranged from $0-100. My decision is based on where I am and can I buy quicker service or assistance during a long play. From talking to a few "pro" VP players, they say it's a no win situation, so they just don't do it. Now, in the case of the 21 mil jackpot, what would the slot attendants consider satisfactory? I have no idea. But I do like the $200 given to the cocktail waitresses. This is a practice I have started. I hit a jackpot this past Christmas Eve and rather than tipping the attendant, I tipped the waitress and the little old lady who goes around emptying ashtrays and doing general cleanup. What gratitude! I'll never have a dirty machine in that place again. I guess the point is, attendants do nothing for us until we win, these other guys are providing a service win or lose.

    And while it's not the topic, I agree almost totally with pokernut. If the industry cared, tips wouldn't be shared! I played at Fitz yesterday and tipped the dealer for no reason other than she was courteous (did I mention cute?), and trying hard to make my time with her a pleasant one (which she did). Bottom line is, we would have much friendlier dealers if everyone kept their own tips.

    However, I think it's perfectly fine to tip firemen! :flame:
     
  14. richgarcia

    richgarcia New Member

    It can be acquired

    I was taught that you can't prove a negative.
    I was also taught generosity. It's a social skill which one generally
    learns from one's peers. It helps to make for a more civilized society.
     

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