Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Going to LV for the first time in a few weeks. In fact its the first time I'll have been to america. What the tipping situation in general?

What would you tip for? Taxi drivers? Hotel receptionists? Bell boy?

Or maybe, what wouldn't you tip for?

It seems to me that tipping will cost me a lot over a week.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

usually:

1) taxi drivers, also valet drivers if you'll have a car

2) waiters/waitresses, bartenders (any one who serves food or drink)

3) dealers

4) bell boy if they do something for you, like carry your bags

5) The slot attendant, at least if you win something

That's generally about it. Don't worry about receptionists and people like that, and no need to go overboard.

EDIT:

6) Strippers

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

This thread should get you started.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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Going to LV for the first time in a few weeks. In fact its the first time I'll have been to america. What the tipping situation in general?


[/ QUOTE ]

Here's your quick tipping guide for Las Vegas (and the US in general)

People you don't need to tip generally, these are the people who are not waiting on you so much as minding the store. Hotel clerks and cashiers.

People you can tip, but no big deal if you don't Poker room chip runner, poker room brush(*), bell captain (the guy who runs the cab stand outside a hotel), restaurant maitre d'(*)

waiters 15-20% of the total bill at restaurants

room service the same 15-20%, but generally the hotel is already adding on a gratuity percentage - look for this itemized on the bill and make up only the difference

cab drivers $2-$5 (10% or so) depending on the length of the ride, advice given, entertaining stories (do engage your Las Vegas cab drivers in conversation, they are generally full of good stories), etc.

bartenders $1-2 per round of drinks, more if you ordered a big round or the bar is crowded and you want another round later without excessive wait

cocktail waitress at table $1 standard, go higher if you are looking for a special drink or more frequent service

poker dealers $1 per pot standard

other dealers place a bet for them once or twice during your play

bell boy I tip $5 for bringing bags to the room, but I usually carry them myself

valet parking $2-$5

coat check $1 per coat

hotel concierge nothing for simple assistance, $5 or more for making something happen for you

spa masseuse, barber, hairdresser 15% or so

strippers if you are sitting next to a stage, tip each girl at least a $1-2. If you are paying for lap dances, no need to tip, but an add-on for good dances is a nice gesture.

strip club bouncers I'm paying admission, I see no need. But some do it regularly to avoid hassle or get what they consider good seats.

club bouncers I hate waiting in line for clubs, and will tip $20 if I really want in and I know it's getting me in. But that's me.

This is my opinion, and it will probably cause some debate (tiping always does) but it should not be so far off from most people's custom.

(*) these people may be able to provide special services sometimes, so a tip might be in order

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

looks pretty good to me

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Thanks, good to know these things. Don't want to offend people by not knowing the etiquete.

These tips will soon add up.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

fantastic Stevie, I'm adding this to the greatest threads FAQ! I'm sure this thread will be looked back on for a long time as a great guide.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Yeah and I suppose that depending on how much money you have/are willing to spend you can use that guide kinda like sportsbetters bet in units. Thats the way i look at it. But if you are "ballin on a budget" well then, only tip strippers. ;-D

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Bravo Steve. I love your post. This is pretty much the same stuff as has been printed in the LVA, Casino Players, and other various publications. I'm glad you posted this stuff and TT is adding it to the FAQ. It saves so much time and wasted effort of the potential/probably flame wars starting up over tipping as well.

Thank you

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

If I'm your dealer tip extra big :-)

Al

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

[ QUOTE ]
If I'm your dealer tip extra big :-)

Al

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Yeah he needs the money because he he plays so badly.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

My mom thinks I play great.

Al

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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My mom thinks I play great.

Al

[/ QUOTE ]

She said that about me too.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

zing.

Great post Steve

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

I wouldn't bother tipping strippers unless you think it's pretty clear it will get you something.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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I wouldn't bother tipping strippers unless you think it's pretty clear it will get you something.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nothing a doctor can't fix...temporarily at least [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Thank you.

I'm also making my first trip to Vegas (and indeed the US) this summer, and I'm bookmarking this thread.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

re: poker dealers:

do you guys just tip $1 a pot, even if you win a $5 pot or a $500 pot?

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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re: poker dealers:

do you guys just tip $1 a pot, even if you win a $5 pot or a $500 pot?

[/ QUOTE ]

Entirely common to skip the tip if all you manage to do is steal the blinds, or take down a small pot with a continuation bet on the flop.

Also entirely common to throw more than a dollar for a larger pot.

But the $1 a pot practice is easy to remember and shouldn't ruffle any feathers.

PS to B&M at large-

This has so far been a civil thread on tipping practices. I think mostly because it has tried to discuss customary behavior and not opinions on who is deserving and why and in what situations. This can be a useful and helpful thread indeed if it stays that way.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Stevie, don't tap the troll cage.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

[ QUOTE ]

Stevie, don't tap the troll cage.

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I hear ya. 1C5's question warranted an answer with respect to general practice. Should have left it at that without editorializing.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

usualy if u get drunk enough 100 buck tip for every stranger you see who looks like they might be doing some sort of work is probably a solid manuver.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

One I didn't see mentioned was tipping Housekeeping. Always leave a tip for the people who clean your room. They probably deserve it the most too.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

[ QUOTE ]
fantastic Stevie, I'm adding this to the greatest threads FAQ! I'm sure this thread will be looked back on for a long time as a great guide.

[/ QUOTE ]

I love the fact that within a day after he made this post there were at least 2 new tipping threads started. Nice job.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Hotel Front Desk Person - 20$, Ask for an upgrade

depending on the hotel expect anything from a strip view to a suite, make it 50 at the best places and get something high end

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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Hotel Front Desk Person - 20$, Ask for an upgrade



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Does anyone have any experience of this working?

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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One I didn't see mentioned was tipping Housekeeping. Always leave a tip for the people who clean your room. They probably deserve it the most too.

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is this really standard? I've stayed in hotels so many times and never done this except once when we partied so hard the mess was really bad.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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[ QUOTE ]
One I didn't see mentioned was tipping Housekeeping. Always leave a tip for the people who clean your room. They probably deserve it the most too.

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is this really standard? I've stayed in hotels so many times and never done this except once when we partied so hard the mess was really bad.

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yes, its standard - but I know lots of people who don't do it because the cleaniong staff is out of sight, out of mind. I was once told that the standard is between $5 and $10 a day, but I think there is a lot of leeway - they will likely be happy to receive any tip since too many people ignore their role in assuring your hotel stay is comfortable. Its the right thing to do, but its not the end of the world if you don't.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

Well, considering you're paying for a room with daily service, it should be included in the rate. Especially if they don't get tipped much anyway. That said, if they do a nice job for the course of my stay I'll leave $5-$10 for the trip (not per night).

A bad experience regarding tipping in my experience was at Paris, where we had a deal that was something like 3 nights + trip to top of Eiffel Tower + buffet + match play + tip included for bellhop. We sign in with specific deal downstairs and told it is taken care of re: bellhop. Bellhop comes to room, insists he's never heard of the promotion and he doesn't get anything, and doesn't leave until he receives a tip. Start of one of the worst experiences we've had at a hotel (felt like we were treated like true Americans in Paris the whole time).

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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One I didn't see mentioned was tipping Housekeeping. Always leave a tip for the people who clean your room. They probably deserve it the most too.

[/ QUOTE ]

D'oh!

I generally leave a couple bucks on the pillow when on vacation, too. Forgot all about it.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

What should I be tipping when winning an MTT or a SNG?

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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What should I be tipping when winning an MTT or a SNG?

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General consensus is 3-5%.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

I need to add another person to this list after this past week.

The skycaps at McCarran.

See that long taxi line that someone says is now 2 hrs long?

Have 2+ bags (tiny laptop bag counts!)?

Find the guys with the metal carts and show them at least $5, and those guys will take you to the VIP line, ahead of the unknowing tourists, and get you in your taxi within 10 minutes.

(I flew back into town this past weekend and the taxi line was horrendous, indeed 2 hrs long - normally I'd say tip the skycap $5, but on this night I went for $10 to really make sure I'd get their attention. And you need 2 bags, my guy told me to drop my laptop case on the cart to make it kosher.)

Of course, before looking for the skycap, check out the taxi line - it's weird, there's either no one waiting for one, or the line is a mile long.

Or if you're balla (and don't have a limo) just go for the skycap and drop a nickel or two and just get it over with.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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club bouncers I hate waiting in line for clubs, and will tip $20 if I really want in and I know it's getting me in. But that's me.


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Curious as to which clubs this worked at for you. I always gave them a hundred because I thought that was standard to get in without waiting. Note that its $100 for your entire group, not per person....so if you have 5 or 6 people its not that much per person really.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One I didn't see mentioned was tipping Housekeeping. Always leave a tip for the people who clean your room. They probably deserve it the most too.

[/ QUOTE ]
is this really standard? I've stayed in hotels so many times and never done this except once when we partied so hard the mess was really bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

yes, its standard - but I know lots of people who don't do it because the cleaniong staff is out of sight, out of mind. I was once told that the standard is between $5 and $10 a day, but I think there is a lot of leeway - they will likely be happy to receive any tip since too many people ignore their role in assuring your hotel stay is comfortable. Its the right thing to do, but its not the end of the world if you don't.

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I ALWAYS leave the "do not disturb" sign up when I stay at a hotel because I:

-Don't make that much of a mess
-Don't need my bed made for me
-Don't want people in my room when I'm not there because I usually keep cash in my bags

I also never tip housekeeping. Do you think this is cheap or acceptable? I guess they still have to clean up after me, so I could see why I should tip maybe.

Also...whenever I get to the hotel I always call for extra soaps/towels/etc. because I know I won't be getting daily housekeeping....should I tip the guy who brings these up to my room?

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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I also never tip housekeeping. Do you think this is cheap or acceptable? I guess they still have to clean up after me, so I could see why I should tip maybe.

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if your going to tip anyone at the hotel it should be housekeeping because they work the hardest with the smallest wages for your comfort - but rest assured your in the majority if you choose not to, most people don't tip the cleaning crew.


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Also...whenever I get to the hotel I always call for extra soaps/towels/etc. because I know I won't be getting daily housekeeping....should I tip the guy who brings these up to my room?

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If you want extra towels, standard protocol is yes. If you ask for something that should be in room but is not, then you can skip the tip. Again its not required either way, but its a standard choice for people who tend to tip for this kind of service.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

[ QUOTE ]
I ALWAYS leave the "do not disturb" sign up...
Also...whenever I get to the hotel I always call for extra soaps/towels/etc. because I know I won't be getting daily housekeeping....should I tip the guy who brings these up to my room?

[/ QUOTE ]
I do the same DND thing (and still often get disturbed--and ALWAYS find a message-waiting light on the phone from housekeeping saying they couldn't get in but if I need anything please let them know). It's not like I wash my sheets and towels at home daily, so I don't really need it in a hotel. And it saves water and is a generally green thing to do to not pointlessly launder crap. If I'm staying a week, or whatever, I'll let 'em in once after 3 or 4 days.

But I do always leave a few dollars for 'em.

I've been in places that had an official Tips for Housekeeping envelope. Seems a little gauche, but perhaps it avoids problems with the staff thinking a random $5 in the room is their tip when it wasn't so intended..

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

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Hotel Front Desk Person - 20$, Ask for an upgrade

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Does anyone have any experience of this working?

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Not spamming, but http://www.frontdesktip.com/ will give you a good idea for a specefic hotel.

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

When is it appropriate to tip the floor in the poker room. I have always been ??? about that...

Re: Genral tipping advice in LV
 

[ QUOTE ]
When is it appropriate to tip the floor in the poker room. I have always been ??? about that...

[/ QUOTE ]bump for this question. I'm usually a pretty good tipper but I've never tipped a floor person just because I never really see a good opportunity to.