Tipping The Dealer

We see a lot of people sitting down at a table for the first time and staring down the dealer, as if he or she were the opposing shooter at the O.K. Corral.

If you're one of these folks, please cool yourself down.

There is one thing to remember about your relationship with the dealer, relative to your decision to tip or how much to tip. He or she is not necessarily your adversary. While it is true that the dealer is there as a representative of the casino, he or she is there with some self-interest too. Dealers would like to see players make money at the table (or at least some of them) because that means more money in their pocket. People tip more when they win than when they lose. Don't blame the dealer if the cards or the rolls of the dice or the spins of the roulette wheel do not work out in your favor; they haven't pre-programmed anything to guarantee you'll lose. He or she is just carrying out the rules of the house in each and every game.

One of the best ways to extend a gratuity to a dealer is placing a bet on their behalf (after winning a 3-2 payoff on a natural 21 presents an opportunity, for example). This way, you can actually have the dealer rooting for you to win so as to double the amount of the tip. If you do happen to win, it is good policy to hand over the chips at that time rather than continue to parlay them, because you're bound to lose a hand sooner or later and you don't really want a nice dealer to go away empty-handed.

Doing it in that manner will also serve you and your game because there won't be as much inner tension within you. There's no need to feel combative; just do your best, stick to your strategy, and play to win.

That's one of the best "tips" we can give you.