You're overvaluing whatever you think you're losing in value here.

I prefer a dealer who engages in conversation and makes the game feel more social and less serious, but if I talk to a dealer, I always watch the table to prompt them when they miss the action.

You are a grade A pos thief.

I'm all for Mason's rule "don't talk in the box".




I'm talking about when I'm sitting at the table and a dealer rotates in, sits down and specifically says hello to me, or if I come to the table and they greet me like they're my friend in a way that makes it clear they know me. They are just being nice but I would rather they not do anything that provides any information to the other players that don't know me. People will play differently against you if they think you're a regular. So many dealers don't realize how their small actions can affect the game.




See the "how to look like a fish" thread. It's loads of value. If the dealer greets me in a way that makes it clear that I play poker frequently, that conveys all kinds of information about me that they do not deserve to have.

You pull the dealer aside and explain to him that by identifying him as a player who had played at this casino before, you had inadvertently given away critical information that compromised your whole game plan.

After this conversation, the dealer will recognize you as a loon, and will avoid greeting you in the future.

Believe me, as a reg, I have already made you as a reg or a newbie before the first orbit is over. A dealer saying 'Hey, bub, what's up?' is not giving me any information I don't already have.

In my experience, players who prefer "shut up and deal" dealers are the $1 per hand guys but will always look for reasons to not tip (pot too small, chop pot, just lost a big pot)... Why would I cater to them when I could chat up a rec player who may tip in one hand more than a shut up and deal guy tips in ten? That being said, I'm about speed above all else. If the guy(s) I'm chatting with are holding up the action or if I start missing check because I'm chatting, then I cut back on it.

A quick dealer who can potentially bring life to a game is way more +EV for good players than the very slight (if it's even there to begin with) EV you gain by players thinking you might be a reg because a dealer addresses you by name. How absurd

Unless I'm quite friendly with you, it wouldn't be anything more than just a "Good evening, everyone."

If I regularly chat with you, then I might ask you how your day is going, etc.

I call all players by their names listed in Bravo, whether I know them or not -- it's the best way to get their attention.

Also, if you're a reg, then the whole table is already going to know.

What’s interesting about your position here is the fundamental basis of why are you at your job. Is it to make as much money as possible? To please the most amount of people? To make the fewest mistakes or deal the most hands?

It doesn’t really bother me either way and there is a good chance your motives change from day to day or even down to down based on lots of factors. As a player though, I prefer most hands possible and then least amount of mistakes and since poker is my only income I will probably not blow you away with my tipping either.

This is the nut low, where I play especially they pool tips. So stiffing the dealer does not the impact it would at a non-pooled casino.

Sigh...no one in this thread understands the value of being a ringer (to the people in the game who don't already know you).

First as Crispen said you over value the worth of that bit of knowledge at low stakes it don’t matter

Second the few who will pick and use that knowledge already know you are a reg

Finally being a reg doesn’t come close to making you a finger. You might be but in my experience those thinking that and stating things like you have are not so amazingly good.
Some of the easiest people to beat are bad regs. Just being known means nothing

Most regs are mediocre or bad. Players who are actually paying attention know that their names are showing on the little bravo screen in front of the dealer, so me greeting you by name doesn't mean I know you.

This reminds me of off duty dealers who freak out about people knowing they're dealers. They think other players will be afraid of them because of this, even though most players know that as a whole we're terrible players.

The being chummy thing I think is being blown out of proportion. The people most chummy with the dealers seem to be the reg fish/whales, anyway.

Sometimes they do cross the line, though. I walk into a room I hadn't been to in a year, sit down at a table where a dealer I know (and like). He immediately goes "Hey man! How's things? Still playing for a living?" ****er! I was a deer in headlights. It's not the end of the world, but it kind of blew up my spot.

CupOfSalt,

The Breakroom Dealer thread is a little slow right now. Would be cool if you could tell some of your dealing stories there. Usually the only reason I come to this forum and occasionally click on a thread like this to see what all of the whiney regs are complaining about this week. Your posts here, however, were a breath of fresh air. Thanks for posting!

I think you are mistaken. I probably make much more from the one dollar a hand tippers on a whole than at any of the tables with gambling Armenians tossing 20-40 dollar tips on the big hands. Of course I would much rather be on that table, but those tables are much more rare. I mean, the 3k in tips I make in a month comes from somewhere, and most of the time it's from the regs, not the rec players.

I prefer not to talk when I'm in the box, but I have made friends with a lot of people where I work so sometimes it can't be helped. If anyone makes it a point to say something to me about talking, I will oblige their request.

Thanks Cowboy. I’ll try and put some stories together.