Any sort of serious mistake or rudeness will make me stiff a dealer at least once or a few times (if given the opportunity) or their whole down, depending if they fix their mistake. I don't have to know them or have history.

There's only two dealers I can think of that I vowed to never tip again.

One made a small mistake in running the game and allowed a person who wasn't the straddler to raise... I was next in position and started to muck my hand... it left my fingers but didn't hit the muck... when I realize the guy can't raise. Anyway my hand was dead, but, instead of apologizing or taking any responsibility this dealer proceeds to blame me and I ask him, "Oh this is my fault? Am I running the game?" He doesn't say anything at first and then as I'm walking away from the table he said something stupid back to me about "Learning to play poker." I came back to the table and asked him "WHAT?" ........ silence..... looks like he's gonna **** his pants... Lifetime no tip... and I'll probably sit up a few orbits if I ever see him again. (he's not where I'm currently playing.)

Another dealer sat down in a GREAT game (drunks, $, action) with a bitch attitude and told the whales to shut up... and tried too hard to assert control over the game like she was the boss of some kids or something... it was weird... one of them left... then I told her off... and she called the floor manager ... who sided with her and asked if I wanted a table change. I said no, I'd been there 5 hours she'd been there 5 seconds and was potentially about to ruin the game. Table pretty much agreed with me. Floor asked if I could let it go. I said ok. Game went on a bit, but, the mood was killed. She's not where I'm currently playing either, but, I won't tip her again.

Every other dealer ... even when made mistakes that potentially cost me money has apologized and admitted their mistake and pledged not to do it again. Or I haven't seen/tipped them again. (coincidence??)

Interesting topic, I'd be curious to hear stories from others about dealers landing on their lifetime no-tip list. I have only one:

I was sitting in a 4-8 game when a middle-aged female dealer tapped into the game and started a casual conversation with a couple older regs. She said something about how she had been locked into a 15-30 game because of an error in the dealer rotation (15-30 is the biggest game in this limit-only room). The following conversation occurred:

Old lady: Well that wouldn't be so bad, you probably made bigger tips there, right?
Dealer: No, in fact I make less on that game than I do on a 3-6 or 4-8 game! I pushed a $1000 pot to that guy sitting over in seat 8 (points). Guess how much he tipped me?
Old lady: I would hope twenty dollars, at least!
Dealer (in dramatic tone): One measly buck.

Old lady is shocked at this of course, and says something to the effect of how she would have tossed it back and said "you obv need this more than me," and the dealer says she would have done this if she could. It also should be noted that this was a quiet table, and this conversation could be heard clearly by everyone there. I said nothing, but silently vowed to never tip this woman again.

She worked mostly day shifts, and I mostly came in at night, so my moment of glory didn't happen until nearly a year later. The deck hit me in the face and I won three racks in her down in an 8-16 game, and I saw her whispering to the next dealer with a disgusted look on her face as she got tapped out. I made sure to overtip the next dealer.

Well played! I would've done the same!

I wouldn't have. You punish people for 30 seconds worth of venting? Most dealers would be irked if they received $1 on $1000, whether they say it or not. What's the big deal if someone fired off two sentences in a conversation started by someone else? Sounds like you're just looking for an excuse not to tip, which is your right, but it'd be easier to just do that from the get go instead of searching for a reason to.

I enjoy dealers who add amusement and some emotion in the box, enhances the experience.

They would??? Did they do any more work in a $1000 pot at 15/30 than a $250 pot at 4/8?

First, as written, it's at least 5 sentences (and likely more, depending on what was said in the 'wish I could have' part). Not sure why you feel the need to minimize it.

Second, the big deal is that it's completely unprofessional. Why should dealers be spared, when people get fired/sent home from the olympics/otherwise punished for 140 characters or other brief lapses of professionalism?

Refrained from labeling people as nitty and anal the first time I posted, got a response within a half hour where the issue itself was ignored, but I was corrected on whether the exchange was 2 sentences or 5. Awesome.

BTW, your Olympics Twitter example (dynamite current topical reference!) has nothing to do with the hand in question and isn't a good analogy at all. Does someone making a minor comment that hurts no one for a handful of seconds (one that most casual players at the table likely nodded in agreement with) bother you that much? Must have tons of fun at the table.

Yeah, they would, maybe not outwardly, but I'm sure in their head they'd be thinking that more was forthcoming. As far as the more work question, you'd have to ask them how they feel about that. Tough for me to say what I'd tip in such a pot because I don't play 15/30 Limit and 1/2 and 2/5 NL pots rarely will be that big, but the times I have dragged such a pot I've tipped a lot more than $1.

When they're either (a) incompetent or (b) unprofessional.

...or both, I suppose.

I figured you'd miss the point of the post. Awesome.

Though I love your ability to read minds. You keep posting on what other's motivations must be and make personal insults based on a single post.

Didn't miss the point of the post at all. You dislike my viewpoint, so you forced yourself to come up with something "wrong" with it, then fired off a silly analogy which has nothing to do with the situation we're discussing.

Calling it like I see it. IMO people who are going to be sitting at the table making conscious decisions to lifetime no-tip dealers because of 30 seconds worth of commenting on players tend not to be the life of the party. I'm allowed to have an opinion just like the other poster is allowed to have his of the commenting dealer.

As far as me, I've not gotten involved at all in this thread in name calling, cursing, or insulting posters, and have analyzed the issue from both sides. I'm about the most down the middle poster in here. I respect everyone's right to make their own choice.

BTW 2ONP, could you please stop trying to read people's minds and putting words in their mouths and ascribing motives to their words/actions? It's sure easy to "win" an argument that way, but you're not arguing with what/who you think you are.

I mean, saying that I "dislike your viewpoint so ..." is pretty intellectually lazy and dishonest. Especially since I was just explaining his viewpoint because you didn't seem to get it (as evidenced by you asking further questions). That's it.

As a dealer I think this is perfect.

Dude where do you work? Get with it. Complaining about bad tippers is like the worst thing you can do. STFU and push.

I rarely drink at home. I am a social drinker who enjoys a beer or two at concerts, restaurants and while playing cards.

On one of the very rare cases I had a beer in my hand (I had a home game the night before and had an extra I wanted to get rid of) , I answered the door with it and wound up seeing one of the parents of one of my kid's friends.

I mentioned to my wife how funny it was that the woman who saw me with the beer in my hand might walk away thinking that is what I do: drink at my house, so comfortable doing so I even don't put it down when answering the door, even though it was an exceedingly rare thing.

Imagine her going home and blabbing about how I am an alcoholic or something...

My point about this is mentioned at those who see a dealer say or do one thing they don't like and they get permabanned from tips. Everyone has bad days. Imagine yourself at your worst moment at yours and now imagine your boss seeing it and not realizing it was you at your worst, but something that paints his or her view about you.

This is why I am reluctant to take 30 seconds of anyone's conversations and label them for it. I think others might want to consider this.

I have no problem with rewarding good dealers and not bad dealers. But as far as sending a message, the bad dealers will just think you're cheap and they won't get the intended message. Just about everyone everywhere (not just dealers) thinks they're good at their job.

I generally tip ~3% after taxes on a BBJ. So on a $180K pre-tax BBJ, I would have probably tipped around $4K or so. Is that being a cheapskate and would that have all of the dealers that are making $60K annually outside of a BBJ talk bad about me behind my back when they're not pitching cards? Thanks!

I agree with that. Dogs are much better than people at figuring out that consequences are a result of their actions.

But there's more going on, too. What you want out of a dealer may not be what I want. In a Vegas 2/4 game, most players want the dealer to help keep the game friendly and talkative--they want dealertainers. Back in Bobby's Room, that's not what the players want 99% of the time. It'd be pretty normal for two people at a table to be withholding tips because they think the dealer is becoming distracted and making mistakes by involving herself too much in the table socializing, while two other players are tossing $5 tips instead of $1 because they find the dealer entertaining.

But complaining outloud at a table about get $1/hand dealing a 20/40 game is pretty universally recognized as unprofessional. Don't do it.

I work in a busy room and there are plenty of dealers who this board would consider spoiled/entitled/etc.

Not a one of them would ever complain (even in the safety of the breakroom) about a $4000 tip on a $180K jackpot.

A dollar on 1000 dollar pot may be below avg on a 1/2 - 2/5 game, a 20/40 game that's a medium sized pot. That dealer is crazy for complaining. In my room you can get you fired for talking about tips and this dealer is complaining at a table about it. Totally unprofessional.

I left out some vital information in my story. The dealer in question was definitely one of my least favorites in the room to begin with. She often had a negative attitude and never seemed happy to be there. Her complaint about the tip was in no way "amusing" nor did it "enhance the experience."

Fwiw, I am also a dealer. I am typically pretty forgiving and will still tip if a dealer doesn't say thank you or is soft-hustling for tokes (I hate both these things). I am certainly not looking for reasons not to tip someone. Please note the portion of my OP where I mentioned she is the only dealer I will never tip again.

There is a place in every casino to complain about tipping - it's called the break room. Identifying and complaining about a bad tipper in front of a single player (let alone an entire table) is simply unforgivable, no matter how bad your day was. Any decent dealer knows never to do this.

You didn't even need to say this once, since I do no such thing whatsoever, and you certainly didn't need to post it twice in two hours.

Dynamite post, other than the fact that I don't deal. Also, very classy to announce "STFU". If I came anywhere near saying this I'd be booted from here immediately. You for some reason are allowed to get away with it, in the middle of a statement where you for some reason decide to incorrectly tell the forum that I'm a dealer.

Well worded, intelligent, accurate post, which fully covers that no one should take a 30 second or single sentence snapshot of someone and utilize it to determine their life story. Unfortunately, it's 2012 and we're on the Internet, that's all people ever do, so sadly, your request for consideration will probably be ignored.

They would be ridiculous to do so and sure as hell shouldn't. $4k for being the individual lucky enough to deal the particular board required for this to happen is more than generous. I would think no one would complain about this.

Also, off topic, but "generally"? How many BBJ's have you been a part of?

This would seemingly make my point that you were looking for a reason to stop tipping this person even stronger.

Not much we can do but agree to disagree. It's 20-30 seconds of mild conversation that your average person wouldn't remember two minutes later and that no one should be offended by. You used the word "unforgivable" to describe it. I would save words like that for someone who tried to sexually assault a 4 year old, not someone commenting on lousy tipping once. Really seems excessively nitty to allow this to be what you take out of the experience of going to a cardroom.

By the way, I think talking about tips negatively at the table is very unprofessional and I would never do it. The closest I might come is when pushing out of a table where I was stiffed a lot is I might say to the dealer I am pushing "wow, that table was rough," but I would say that about a table where everyone was a jerk who tipped too.

However, I would not let someone making one unprofessional comment cloud my judgment of them as a dealer as a whole. We all make mistakes. I hope that people don't label me a bad dealer because I made a single small mistake in a hand - but yes, this does happen.

I am pretty good at what I do but I make mistakes. And there is a player who stopped tipping me for a long time because I made one mistake - his neighbor's card was pitched closer to him than would have been ideal so he grabbed three cards. This caused a misdeal. A player paying attention would not have even grabbed theb other card - it's not like it was pitched to the wrong seat entirely - but despite that I said "I am sorry" as I announced the misdeal and took in the cards in but a player at the other side of the table who also wasn't paying that much attention asked why the misdeal.

I replied "A player took his neighbors card by mistake." The player got livid - "Are you saying it's my fault?" Um, no. I apologized the second it happened, taking blame; I merely replied to a question from another player.

It shouldn't have been a big deal, but to this player it was. He even pointed it out a month or so later when loudly explaining why he never tipped me again.