Give this guy a buck max. Save the redbirds for good dealers.

I tried to do that for awhile, tip the minimum for the poor dealers, and save the better tips just for the good dealers. But then I found myself dropping into the same old habit, just based on the social norms. Big pot, big tip. I should make another try at a saner approach.

That's the frustrating thing about this whole topic. In theory we tip for service, but that's not what's actually happening in poker rooms, except perhaps around the margins. Mostly we're just tipping the auto shuffler, according to social convention.

It's frustrating for me.

For 20 years I've done a good job, following all dealing procedures, paying attention,
running a fast/efficient/fair game and giving a sincere thank you for every nickel I get.

And every day I see dealers watching TV, making mistakes, not caring,
and not saying thank you for tokes... and every one making just as much as I do.

AGREED. It's really, really frustrating.

So receiving tips is frustrating? This kind of mindset makes me as a player less inclined to tip.

Like steam-raise, I do my best every day, i appreciate every single toke i get and i acknowledge each one with a sincere thank you, every time.
The frustration lies in watching bad dealers who make mistakes( because they really don't care or don't care enough to try to prevent them) and dont run the game(s) at all as close to as well as i do, receive the same level of "appreciation" from the players.

I see it every day.

Everything makes YOU less inclined to tip, from what I read. You've missed the point completely.

It's frustrating to watch someone who is ungrateful/not good at their job receive the same amount of money as someone who IS grateful/good at their job. How does this not make sense?

You're misunderstanding what he said. Assuming that it's not a deliberate misinterpretation, please go back and read what he wrote. He makes a good point, and both players and dealers should at least be able to agree that the better dealers should earn better money.

You're close, anomolistic, there is a lot that makes me less inclined to tip, but not everything. I do understand and agree that better dealers ought to be compensated more than the lackadaisical ones. It's not that I've missed the point, I'm just making another point. As frommagio mentioned "in theory we tip for service", but realistically this is brainwashing. Playing card games is the service. This service is provided by the casino in the form of the room, the tables, the cards, the organization of the games, and the dealers. For this service we pay rake. The dealers (casino provided) are part of the service, not the service. Though as it's accepted, tipping plays a role as the majority of a dealer's pay. This acceptance of tipping too often results in blind tipping, not for a job well done or not, but because you're 'supposed to'. So if it upsets you that a lesser competent dealer receives tips, keep in mind that it's the same tipping model that allows you to receive tips. Declarations or displays of frustration will not get sympathy (from somebody who doesn't just tip for the sake of tipping), but more likely the opposite. Composure in how tips are received, including compared to other dealers, is an attribute of a good dealer in my opinion.

It really is incredible that you missed the point so, so badly. Everyone who reads any other post by you should be linked to this conversation so they can understand the perspective you bring to the table. It's definitely a unique one, as I have a hard time believing a single other reader of this thread could have drawn the same conclusion you did.

The truth is I don't see a tip as coming out of my pocket or off my stack its coming out of everyone else's that was in the hand. Now maybe your a reg and you don't tip just beware of the game because the ruling that can go either way..... Well its not in your favor.. now you can chastise me and hide behind calling me unprofessional but its just good business. That's what the world is about that's why your on here stating whose worthy of your dollar. See its a power thing you have a dollar the servant wants. Well I'm no servant so that gives me the power to screw you every chance I get like you do to me. Fun game huh? I like it anyway

I do take pride in having a unique mind instead of sharing a brain with the masses. Dude, I get it, tip the good ones more, the bad ones less, tip both the same is unfair. There's nothing incredible about you seeing me in the light you perceive though.

East coast? West Coast. Don't have to get to specific but I'm curious.

And what games?

Must be Florida. No doubt about it.

Ya, that was my first thought too

Actually, I don't think it's that unusual. There are plenty of places where dealers do better than a dollar per hand, with 30 hands per down. Earlier in this thread, The Palimax posted some table tipping records from his sessions that looked pretty much like what I see at my games. He probably got some grief (he always does in this thread), but the numbers looked pretty good for the dealers. I think places like Vegas might be tougher.

Good luck getting out 30 hands a down

Usually, a "down" is 30 minutes (Bay Area it is 40 minutes).

Are you saying 60 hands per hour?

Oh my god, I had a complete brain seizure. I meant 30 per hour, 15 hands per down. Now I understand why everybody wants to move here and work at my casino!!! Hell, if it were true I'd do the same!

haha, makes sense now, Ya, you're pretty much on par with what I make now. I'm averaging $28 an hour the last 4 months when I actually started keeping track.

Haha, that was my first thought. I was like "damn! 30 a down, where do I sign up?!"

Okay, so I think I'm a decent tipper, not crazy, but not too stingy either.

I play mostly at the Tampa Hard Rock. It isn't the only room in the area, but its close to effectively so.

The problem is that they do not appropriately fire bad dealers. There are many dealers who are outright incompetent and make huge mistakes regularly. There are others who are competent, but rude, lazy or otherwise have a terrible attitude.

I've gotten to the point where I'm done tolerating this, and it seems my only real means to demonstrate my displeasure is through tipping less or even not at all for these people.

I'm interested in feedback from others on this.

Seems like sound logic to me. Tipping these people, in essence, is rewarding bad behaviors. I may be more sympathetic to "bad" dealers who try hard, but may be new, and make mistakes.

I expect new dealers to make mistakes and often defend them to others. That's not what I'm talking about.

I play in THR as well and I know what you mean, there are a few dealers that are terrible and I don't like being rude to dealers but you are right. It is a dealers job to control and run the game and if you don't think they are doing a good job don't tip as much or at all