I know what you mean but I think they definitely realize who is tipping and who isn't. It's hard to get much better service for being a slightly bigger tipper, but the ones that don't tip definitely get served way after everyone else.

While they're pouring drinks or handing out bills or whatever, it's not hard to make a slight glance around and make a scan of tips even if they don't take it immediately. People can 24 table poker, it's not hard to notice these small details!

"Imbalance" suggests it's unfair. In practice it's just a little mobility within those professions. They start in some diner or dive bar, get experienced, and then get into better places with better tips.

You could probably make a case for tipping uglier and older waitstaff better, if you're looking to correct something. Hotness goes a long way in tipped professions.

I'd say everytime. I'd say someone thinking you're implying they should tip every once in a blue moon is better than having to have your bartender give you more change. It's like the opposite of taxi drivers saying they don't have change for 20's etc.


Agame,

You just sound like a marginal tipper with weird justifications. Also there's times where a bartender might be juicing it a little, but mostly they're just being friendly.

killer,

I was more thinking of specific situations like when the bill is $23 and you give him $40. Should he give you 10/5/1/1 or a 10 and 7 ones? With $28 should he give you 10/1/1, 5/5/1/1 or a 5 and 7 ones? Does it make a difference if that bill was for 2, 3 or 4 drinks?

Me and a friend both ordered a shot of Johnnie Blue. The bartender said it was $35 for a shot and $40 for "essentially" a double pull (I'm guessing a shot and a half). We each got a double, ldo. When she punched it into the pos, she found out that a double was actually $45.

She felt bad (we were like w/e) but she talked to the owner who was sitting on the other side of the bar and came back and said she could give an additional single pull (total, not for each) for free. The bottle was sealed and when she got done, 1/3 of the bottle was gone. If it matters or not, the bartender stuck a cocktail straw into my glass and did the finger thing to siphon some off for a taste.

Assuming a double was a shot and a half (they were closer to real doubles, 3oz, to begin with), then she poured about an extra 1 oz above instruction (not counting the heavy pour to start). So, her talking to the owner got us nearly an extra single shot each (don't know if the owner said give us each a shot and she said it's only one total to help her tip or not).

So, cliffs: we were supposed to get a shot and a half for $40, but the price was $45 and we ended up with basically 2oz extra each (although neither of us wanted to drink that much).

Everything else was standard before that (a beer and a shot each), and we split the bill at $65 each.

Amount of tip all considering? Just curious how you guys would nit this up. I'm not a nit (not more than breaking down all that above), so I just left a good tip and went on with my night.

lol

You sound like you didn't read all of my posts.

Any discussion of tipping at the poker table here? A running debate at our home game is tipping in high stakes games (as if it would ever be relevant for us) for pots won, with one extreme being that the service provided in a 1/2 is the same as 1000/2000 and so tipping should be the same in both games ($1/pot or similar) and the other being that tipping should be proportional so if you typically tip $1 in a 1/2, tips would be $1000 in 1000/2000.

This was prompted by overhearing some dealers complaining about how cheap they consider the high stakes players to be. Apparently each player in the game just throws in $5 or something like at the end of the down so the dealer might get tipped $25-$50 per down (5-10 handed game) in a game that has $100K+ on the table.

What do you think tipping at high stakes should be? Why?

Lol, at tipping 1k in a 1k/2k game. That would add up to millions each year toked from a single player.

There's an entire thread in the brick and mortar forum with thousands of replies and dealer contributions.

They are not doing anything special when they're dealing either game. In both cases, they're supposed to do their job competently. Just because people are swinging around a lot of money doesn't mean the dealer should be a millionaire for pitching cards. Have your buddies do a few calculations on what tipping 1k would do for the player's bottom line and the dealer's bottom line.

And yes, many dealers think they should be getting green or black chips when they deal high-stakes games because the players are better off than them. **** them.

not that I disagree with you z4, but just to play devil's advocate...

Do you tip more on a $500 dinner for 4 than a $100 dinner for 4? If so, why?

What to tip is largely determined by societal norms, not hard and fast reason. Tips when dining out at restaurants are generally done on a percentage basis. Poker tokes are not.

I agree. Doesn't really make sense though, and you can't justify it using logic as z4 was trying to.

AGame,

The standard logic-based argument for that has two components.

1) The more expensive place has more support staff per table for tips to be shared between, fewer tables per server, longer dining time, etc.

2) The level of service at that place is a much more skilled job requiring much more experience, training, knowledge, etc.

Both of those are true and support a significantly higher absolute dollar value tip, but whether or not they support the full difference is a different question.

I think it's an even more interesting question when comparing something like a coffeeshop/diner type place and a casual dining place where average checks are 2-3x, but level of effort and service are pretty identical.

And then you can take it to the always fun discussion of how much to tip on a $50 bottle of wine vs a $500 bottle of wine...

I would say give them enough change (on these weird spots) to be able to give a range to tip. So I'd say giving the extra singles is ok. So like the bill being $23 and the change is $17 obv. You'd likely be tipping 4-5 bucks that doesn't leave you with a massive amount of singles. With $17 in change I'd likely go 10-7. That allows them to leave a few options at tip and they aren't stuck with too much change imo. Also can go 5-5-7 too. But I'd say giving 5 extra singles is never bad. I don't think it matters too much on extra drinks etc. I'd say just giving them enough change to have the options to either make it rain or leave a marginal-normal tip.

I wasn't being a jerk. It's just a weird gripe is all. Plus unless you think they're juicing the tip I don't see a problem.

Saying I seem like a marginal tipper when I routinely give 20-30% is either you not reading or lol ignorant.

WTF. This guy's insane skillz are needed on a demolition team if he can screw up an engine while appearing to jump a battery.

Holy ****ing ****, you know it all. Why did you bother to grace us with your presence?

There is a tipping containment thread in B&M which discusses poker tipping. I guarantee that 100% of the dealers who post in it would be happy with $30-$50/down.

um what?

I was referencing how you said if youre tipping cash you tip less than if it's credit regardless of the amount.

Every few weeks I go out to lunch with colleagues at a local Mexican place. There's normally 5-7 of us and all separate checks. They have really cheap lunch specials where the average ticket comes out to about $6 and that includes tax. This is a sit down place where the server seats you and gives you the menu, brings your drinks and chips and salsa, and then your meal. What is a reasonable tip to leave in this situation?

You should be extra generous to the server for them having to deal with 5-7 separate checks and to make up for the knobs that invariably will stiff them.

I'm probably leaving $10 on the table, assuming you don't pay on the way out. If you pay as you leave, I'm leaving $3-$4 behind when I head to the register. That's one of those times where leaving 20% is an insult.

OK. Most people seem to leave $1, which just seems ridiculous to me. I feel like $2-3 is reasonable in this situation. Less than $2 seems insulting, but more than $3 seems a bit over the top.

For me at least, the work involved for the server definitely factors in, even if the bill itself is tiny.

If it's a full-service deal with drinks/refills/chips/food as described, with say 6 people/6 separate checks she's got to write and ring up, the 20% (~$7) bit goes the window. $2 per head is probably defensible but $3 per would be my answer.

Same scenario only by myself on lunch, same service level, a $5 would be the floor regardless of the lunch special cost. Diner counter for coffee+, or a pizza shop girl bringing out two slices, only two exceptions I can think of.

That's only in the rare scenario of ordering individual drinks at a bar. It does not happen often but is completely standard nonetheless.

You guys go to the same place every few weeks and never bring cash and get separate bills for $6. wtf?

yah really. f you guys what are you all, like 19?