How to get preferred treatment in a poker room?

[Rick Nebiolo]

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After reading numerous posts over the last few months on "regulars" receiving preferential treatment in a room, I am starting to rethink my approach, which has always been low-key.

Here is what I would imagine one needs to do to become a regular who has the floorman and most dealers giving them small but significant edges (such as quietly putting them in a game when there is a long wait, siding with them on grey area table decisions, etc.) :

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I like a low key approach and your reference to using good manners; good manners are rare and under-appreciated these days. But I have a problem with your motivation, especially regarding getting preferential seating.

Yeah, the reality is tipping/being friendly with staff/etc. will get you preferential seating in many cardrooms. But that isn't true in some clubs or with some floor (I wish I could use the word "many" instead of "some" here but I've been around).

Backstory: I worked the floor for five years in the late nineties and as a host/lead prop a few years back. I may work again someday for a variety of reasons I don't want to discuss here. I'm human, I always treated the good customers (those who were nice, not necessarily those who tipped better) with a higher level of courtesy, but it never extended to preferential seating.

My view is you should treat people by default with respect simply because it is the right thing to do. Of course some people over time demonstrate that they don't deserve your respect. Even then you should treat them reasonably well; but because we are human it is understandable if we treat them a little less well than the nicer people.

If I was the floor and you had my respect for the reasons mentioned above you would have an advantage. You would get one of the first listens in a dispute over facts before a ruling and perhaps more credibility. I might work harder to get you a requested table change (without slipping you ahead of someone else that I was aware of). Or I might let you know where the "action" tables are when you ask for a seat among many. But don't expect a seat ahead of someone else ahead of you on a list.

Then again, maybe a person like me shouldn't work the floor if they have bills to pay.

~ Rick