Poker Etiquette — Think of the Dealers
July 24th, 2008
When you play poker, do you think only of your own chip stack, and nothing else? No, I’m not talking about the other player’s treasure, I’m talking about the dealer! Do you tip him out? Do you think you should?
Obviously I’m not talking about online poker here, but live event poker, the real thing. The dealer is there to serve the players their cards, and I think we should reward him or her for their efforts.
The winner of the game should definitely pay out the dealer with a chip or two to show appreciation, especially if the pot was a big whale of a pot. What’s $50 or $100 when you just raked in a cool $50,000 in a high stakes game? Trust me, the few fast food meals you just sacrificed by not saving $100 to tip the dealer are better left uneaten.
Like restaurant tipping, don’t let a bad casino experience sour the tip you give a dealer, either. Unless he’s the one swearing at you or pouring drinks on your head, don’t punish him for the foibles of a bad casino. Block all that out, and give the dealer a tip. Who knows, he could be the one that makes the final call on whether you get a sweet comp or not.
