Your new WSOP champ is a chump.

[Rzitup]

Approximately 5 years ago (give or take depending on the tournament/city/casino) the practice of withholding any of a poker tournaments prize pool for staff tokes pretty much didn’t exist. A tournament would be listed something like $1,000 buy-in + $50 entry fee. The entire $1,000 would go into the prize pool and the $50 would go to the casino. The staff was completely dependant on the players to leave tips.
At some point it became very clear that allowing the players to define the staff’s wages was not going to work. There were many factors why players didn’t leave tips, ranging from players that were backed that couldn’t tip to players from foreign countries that didn’t know to tip to players that just didn’t want to tip. Remember something, every single player but one leaves a tournament on a bad hand, a bad beat or in someway not happy.
Within the last 5 years almost all tournaments have adopted the practice of withholding a toke for the tournament staff. At the same time it has also become common practice to list the buy-in for a tournament as the flat amount ($1,000) and deduct both the house fee and the toke pool from the total prize pool.
Therefore, a tournament that is listed as a $1,000 buy-in, would have predetermined percent withheld from the total. $1,000 buy-n x 100 players = $100,000 Prize Pool. 3% for the staff equals $3,000. 4% for the house = $4,000. Total Prize Pool distributed to the players = $93,000.

Starting with the WSOP in 2004 a predetermined % was withheld in the manner described above. The total % varied from 2% - 4% for the house and 2% - 4% for the staff. Minimum 4% total (Main Event) Maximum 8% total ($500 events).
It is clearly stated on all literature that these amounts are withheld, and the staff that is doing the payouts should be making it clear as well.
What this means is that each and every person that cashes in a WSOP event has tipped the % withheld for that tournament.
With 2% of the Main Event withheld for the staff, Joseph Hachem left a tip of
Approx. $150,000. If the WSOP did not withhold a toke for the staff, assuming the %s remained the same, Joseph would have received about $150,000 more than he did.
Each and every player that cashes takes a burden of the toke pool on them. In my case I cashed for $28,375. Had they not withheld anything I would have received approx. $1,400 more than I did.

To think that Joseph did not leave a large tip is ridiculous. A total of $1,123,800 was subtracted from the Main Event prize pool and given to the staff. That’s a pretty generous toke from the players.
With that said, some players do elect to leave an additional amount. That should be considered incredibly generous. When a player does not do something that is incredibly generous they should not be called “cheap”.

[NCAces]

Well said, and it puts McManus' experience into context. I am guessing when he tipped in the 2000 WSOP they weren't pulling out the percent for staff.

NCAces

[Eegs]

I agree with this completely...if a percentage of the prize pool is set up for them there should be no need for the champ to tip.
Also, why should it be the players fault that the casino doesnt pay their dealers enough? I personally think tipping the dealers is a little ridiculous seeing as how the casino gets $4 out of every pot.

[cognito20]

1.) The organizers took money out of the prize pool for the express purpose of tipping the "staff" already.

2.) Dealers, one would assume, are included under the term "staff". Ergo,

3.) The dealers have already been tipped, and Hachem doesn't owe them one damn additional cent. Just because Greg and McManus decided to tip extra does not mean that Hachem is obligated to do the same. The dealer(s) in question should be happy that Hachem decided to give them anything extra, or at the very least they shouldn't be complaining about it.

Enjoy your $7,499,900, Joseph. You earned it.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Excellent response Mike.

In all honesty, I'd still tip anyway, it's just my way, and I'd love it if everyone thought the way I do. I've worked in the service industry for many total years (not just in poker), and because of this, I tend to be generous with the tips. Anything that encourages people to be "non-tippers" I will be against. In very large events like the WSOP, where a considerable sum is withheld for the staff, tipping becomes less of an issue, and anything left beyond the % withholding from the prizepool really is just "generousness." However, I encourage this in anyone and everyone, being generous that is, especially in times of plenty. It can only come back on you to the benefit of all.

al

[Alex/Mugaaz]

Exactly. I'm pretty reasonable. I'd tip the FT dealer a couple hundred. Then throw a party for 10-30k for X amount of people. After that I'd go home throw 40-70% to various charities, buy a decent house, throw the rest away. 7m just wouldn't change my life much more than 2m.

[rheaume]

[ QUOTE ]
After that I'd go home throw 40-70% to various charities, buy a decent house, throw the rest away. 7m just wouldn't change my life much more than 2m.

[/ QUOTE ]

you'd give 40-70% of your remaining money to charity? why not invest it, set it aside for your kids' or grandkids' futures - education, etc?
just curious

(im not saying that i wouldn't give to charity either, but 40-70% seems a bit excessive unless you're already freakin stupid rich like say barry greenstein)

[Timer]

Michael O' Malley is of course correct.

<font color="red">m1illion said:

i don't think it's about the bottom line as much as it is about the gesture. Greg(as was posted) tipped 50k, a fine amount that shows he at least aknowledged the work done. 100 bucks is just cruel

Al Capone Junior said:

Raymer has already proven himself to be a classy guy in the past, why would we be surprised if he left a particularly generous tip after winning a large sum of money?</font>

If this is true, that Greg Raymer left an ADDITIONAL $50,000 (which I seriously doubt, because Raymer is a smart guy) then I have lost all respect for him. If it is true, then he is indeed a fool.

[Rzitup]

[ QUOTE ]
Michael O' Malley is of course correct.

<font color="red">m1illion said:

i don't think it's about the bottom line as much as it is about the gesture. Greg(as was posted) tipped 50k, a fine amount that shows he at least aknowledged the work done. 100 bucks is just cruel

Al Capone Junior said:

Raymer has already proven himself to be a classy guy in the past, why would we be surprised if he left a particularly generous tip after winning a large sum of money?</font>

If this is true, that Greg Raymer left an ADDITIONAL $50,000 (which I seriously doubt, because Raymer is a smart guy) then I have lost all respect for him. If it is true, then he is indeed a fool.

[/ QUOTE ]

You wont have a need to lose respect for Greg.
The day after Greg won the Main Event we sat down and I explained to him how much money was taken out of the prize pool for the staff and exactly where that money went to. I even gave him a breakdown of about how much everyone would get.
Being the intelligent guy that he is and having been smart enough to get as much information as he possibly could, Greg then made an educated decision to leave an additional amount. He knew exactly where it would go and about how much everyone would receive out of that additional money.
There has never been a smarter tipper than Greg was on that day (excluding Barry Greenstein who takes a similar approach when he tips).

[sexdrugsmoney]

Can anyone confirm that there is a 30% tax taken from the winnings for being an Australian?

I heard this has something to do with Poker being considered a profession in the US but not in Australia.

If that's true then think about how much Hachem will really be left with.