another tipping question (sorry)

[AaronO]

I play very little live poker, but when I do it's 1-3 NL at the Argosy in Indiana. Based on what I've observed, it seems that it is customary to tip the dealer after every hand regardless of pot size. Most all players even throw the dealer a dollar after taking the blinds uncontested. This just seems crazy to me, and I typically do not tip unless I win a significant pot.

Is this wrong of me? Should I be tipping every pot if everyone else is? If this has been covered in another thread I apologize, and would greatly appreciate a link to any relevant threads. Thanks.

[gobboboy]

I always tip $1 for every pot that goes to the flop. 'Significant pot' means what exactly?

[djcarter66]

I would not tip an unraised pot even if 3 people check it down. Sometimes its dealer dependent too, if they really stink why I'm I tipping a dollar out of a ten or fifteen dollar pot.

Now if the pot is "significant" maybe 10x BB I think a dollar is fine.

Ultimately its a personal decision but tipping after picking up blinds sound silly.

[AaronO]

Gobboboy, your blinds are a little bigger than mine, so I can understand tipping a dollar for winning those [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] And I would define significant as 10X BB.

[bav]

You have to make up your own mind. You already state everyone else is toking more, so you've already figured out you're being a lot cheaper than the norm. How does that make you feel? Since you came here to ask, apparently you are NOT very comfy with this.

My own choice is to tip $1 every pot unless we chop or I lose money on the pot (like getting quartered at Omaha, or winning a $10 side pot and losing the $100 main). But I'm also perhaps slightly less generous than I otherwise would be when it comes to adding a 2nd dollar to my toke. I honestly believe dealers feel better about getting toked $1 on a $6 pot than they do for getting toked $2 on a $50 pot.

[AaronO]

Bav-
You are correct. I am now uncomfortable with not tipping every hand, mostly because I did not realize that was the norm. I had always assumed that tips were reserved for larger pots, and that dealers did not "expect" a tip every hand. In fairness, no dealer has never looked at me crosswise when I didn't tip, but if I am breaking an unwritten rule, I would prefer not to do that.

Like I said, I am not a regular live player, so I just don't know what many of the norms are and am looking for some guidance. I still think it is ridiculous to tip 25% of a pot, but if that is expected, then I guess I should change my ways.

[pfapfap]

Trust me, the dealers are thinking nasty things about you, and over time you may be held more strictly to the nittiest of rules, not be given benefits of doubt, etc. That they're not saying anything or acting any differently but rather taking it in stride is a sign that they deserve even more to be tipped.

Think of it this way. This is a service industry, and by playing in a cardroom you have entered a tacit agreement with the house that you as a player will support the dealers that have volunteered to run your game. Everybody at your table is paying the dealer's wages except for you. The dealer is probably only mildly irritated, but the table as a whole should be upset that you are forcing them to carry your burden.

In the end, however, it's your choice. I may disagree with those who choose not to tip, and I may think that by and large their arguments tend to fantasize that we live in a different culture than we do, but I'm not going to discuss it with anyone who doesn't show an interest in the topic. And I have no interest in argument, I'm just stating a viewpoint.

It all boils down to how you feel about Mr. Pink.

[AaronO]

Thanks. That adds a lot of perspective. Again, it was never my intention to slight anyone or act outside of what is considered the norm. I simply don't play enough live poker to know what is expected of me with regard to tipping. My understanding was not the viewpoint that you represented in your post, so it is helpful for me to hear from those that play live a lot. Your post makes a lot of sense, and I do respect your opinion.

[quickfetus]

Interesting, although I couldn't disagree more strongly. . . I'll write out a reply when I finish this research paper. For now, back to "The Realist Consensus, the Zionist Mind, and the Arab Question."

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Tip however much you want, whenever you want. Don't tip when you don't want to. Never tip if you don't want to. How much you tip is 100% your business.