Tipping in Video Poker
Tipping
in casinos has become an accepted and even sometimes expected
practice. When players have nice wins they feel generous and give
the dealer a little something in exchange for helping them out.
Although this is logically preposterous because the dealer has
nothing to do with the outcome of the game, players tip to be nice
or out of superstition.
At table games like blackjack or poker this is easy, as you can just slide a few chips towards the dealer and they can accept the tip. Also, tip sizing is pretty simple at table games - when you have a nice sized win, you throw a few dollars the dealer's way. However, when you are playing video poker tipping becomes much more complicated.
When to Tip in Video Poker
The majority of the time you won't have to tip anyone because it's just you and the machine, but a few situations arise when you might feel compelled to tip an employee.
Drink Girls
The first (and simplest) tipping situation is when drink girls bring you complimentary drinks. Most players give the girls a dollar to thank them for the drink.
Hand Pays
The other (and much more complicated) time you might tip is when you hit a large jackpot that requires a hand pay. "Hand pay" simply means that an employee or two come over and pay you in cash or check as opposed to receiving a ticket. Most casinos require hand pays for all royal flushes, and sometimes even straight flushes or quads.
Some people feel that you shouldn't tip at all because the attendant is simply doing his/her job. They are already paid a fair wage for their time, and tips aren't "built in" to their salary like waiters and waitresses.
However, other players feel that tipping is just the right thing to do after you are fortunate enough to hit a big hand. In that case, you'll need to know how much to tip. This is where things get really complicated.
How Much to Tip for Hand Pays
Hand pays can range from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands. One tipping rate that comes up again and again is $20/$1,000 of winnings. So, if you hit a $4,000 royal flush you'd tip the attendant $80. That seems pretty reasonable to me.
However, the $20/$1,000 rule doesn't make as much sense if you just hit a $200 jackpot, or if you just hit a $400,000 jackpot. In the first case you probably shouldn't even tip if they require a hand pay because your winnings are so small. In the latter case, there's no way you want to tip $8,000 for a simple hand pay. In that case, I'd probably tip $500 or maybe $1,000 and even that seems high to me.
A Strange Tipping Situation
One situation I've come across while researching tipping really had me baffled. At one casino, every time there was a hand pay all of the attendants would round each other up and supervise the hand pay in hopes that all of them would receive tips.
In my opinion this would just make players more likely to not tip at all, because it would be strange divvying up the money between six or seven people. I personally wouldn't tip a cent because I'd realize they were trying to take advantage of my good fortune.
How to Avoid Tips Completely?
If tips seem like something you'd prefer to avoid, then just sign up at an online video poker casino. There are no hand pays and no drink girls, so you will never have to tip a single cent. This will save you significant money in the long run over a live machine.
