Tipping at Underground Poker Clubs - Line Check

[jackdaniels]

So I play for fun and profit at a local 4-8 (limit) club and have noticed that I am one of the VERY few that tip the dealer only $1 when I win a pot. If the pot is REALLY big (above 20BB) I will toss in $2 for the dealer. All the other players tip anywhere from $3-$20 when they win a pot. Since this isn't a casino I am pretty sure these dealers work for tips, but with the vig being what it is ($4-$5 rake per pot and $1 to high hand jackpot) I am pretty sure it would be too hard to turn a profit if I were to tip like the other players do.

Am I being a nit here and should tip more or am I doing the right thing?

TIA

[psandman]

Keep in mind that these dealers have additional dangers that a casino dealer doesn't.

These guys face arrest if the club is raided (even if players are are not arrested, dealers are almost always arrested) and the likelyhood of a robbery is much greater in a private illegal club than in a casino. So maybe you should consider compensating them a little better because of this.

[W. Deranged]

From my experience a good matrix for tipping in certain scenarios to which you vaguely allude is:

$1: Small pots, blind steals
$2: Normal pots (say 6-10 bb)
$3: Big pots (10+ bb)

That should work relatively well. This is what I use for games in the 10/20 to 30/60 range, so maybe require slightly bigger pots to give the bigger tip at 4/8.

[jackdaniels]

Another poster PM'ed me that he plays it the same way ($1 tip on every hand, even blind steals and $2 tips in big pots). He reminded me that dealers at these joints are often far from "Honest Abe's" and as such I should always protect myself against the possibility that they will be screwing with my hands since I don't tip as much as other players. Well, I agreed with him and try to always be aware of the dealers actions, how the pitch cards, how much money they take out of the pot and how often they do. I suspect that this is the biggets problem in "under-tipping" the dealer.

Since I will never be able to compete for the dealers "affection" with someone willing to tip $20 after winning a $150 pot, I guess I will have to continue being pleasant, polite, cheerful and vigilant at the table - while maintaining my tipping policy (as stated above).

[TMTTR]

In 10/20 and 15/30 club games, my tip ranges from $1 to $5 ($5 being reserved for tremendous multiway pots). If you are playing 4/8 AND the game is raked, I don't know how you could tip more than $2 on a hand.

[F0rtysxity]

sounds fine jack, I'm one of the players who tips more but less is fine too. Change the $3 tip to a $5 tip for the big pots (double ups etc) and no one will say you're a nit.

[*TT*]

$1 a pot, at all times for me. I did get some lip once from the club's owner, he apologized after when I reminded him that most players don't tip every single pot like I do so it all balances out that I don't tip bigger for the bigger pots.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[AlaskaGal]

I play 1/2 NL and 2/5 NL in the same type of setting. I tip $1 for small pots, $2 for average pots and I toss a redbird for pots over $100. I once watched a friend tip a dealer $50 on a $500 pot. I told him later I thought he tipped too much - especially because that particular dealer is painfully slow. She is lucky to deal 10 hands in a 1/2 hour.

When I have counted the tips in the rack, I notice the dealers around here are averaging about $30 per 30 minute down.

[Death Valley]

Dealers in my game make about $50 an hour. Some people tip $1, others tip2-5, and some tip more. One guy has tipped over $50 a few times on $1000+ pots. To each their own. I would be pissed at anone who complained that tipping $1 is not enough, the house has no right to complain

[bav]

[ QUOTE ]
I would be pissed at anone who complained that tipping $1 is not enough, the house has no right to complain

[/ QUOTE ]

In an underground cardroom, the house can complain about anything it wants to.