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TIPPING: Is There Two Sets Of Rules?
The Question
Are there two sets of rules for craps players?
Is there one set for players who TIP frequently, and are
recognized as good tippers by casino employees?
Is there another
set of rules for players who DONT TIP, and are regarded by casino employees as
fleas, strokers or high-maintenance/low-value players?
The Answer
Happily, if you are a player who tokes (tips) frequently, and
are recognized as a dealer-friendly player; the answer is YES!
Sadly, if you do not toke (tip), and are regarded as a
flea, stroker or a high-maintenance/low-value player by casino
employees; then the answer, unfortunately, is still YES!
Yes, there really are TWO sets of rules that the dealers,
box-men, Floor Supervisors, and even the Pit Bosses apply when it comes to dealing with
players who tip, and those who dont.
The Reason
The casino-guys treat good players with one set of
very flexible and compliant rules, and they treat non-tipping players, with a more
stringent, strictly enforced set of regulations.
Thats the nature of the game, and the nature of
well,
human nature.
It is human nature to treat those whom you consider to be a
friend, a little better than you would treat a stranger.
It is also human nature to treat enemies far worse than you
would your friends. While a non-tipper may
not be a dealers enemy, theyre not likely to be given very much slack
either.
Its Not Personal
Its
Just Business
So it is in the day-to-day casino battles. The more that you can have a dealer, boxman, Floor
Supervisor, or Pit Boss look favorably upon you; the better you will be treated
and
the easier and more flexible the rules will be applied to you.
If you are a flea, a stroker or a
high-maintenance/low-value player, then a more stringent set of rules are enforced against
you. Its as simple as that.
Listen, if you want fairness in judging; then take up
professional figure-skating or wrestling, because you certainly arent going to find
the rules applied equally at the craps table.
Whats In It For Me?
Why should you consider tipping the crew at a dice table?
The latitude that consistent tipping brings is quite extensive. Let me list just a few of the benefits:
v
Theyll give you little or no hassle if you dont
always hit the back wall.
v
If you are a little slow when you set the dice (which you
shouldnt be because of your extensive practicing), theyll be more patient in
waiting for your toss.
v
The stickman will step back or step aside to give you extra
shooting room, and hell be sure to keep his stick and his hands out of your way.
v
Youll also notice that the stickman will be much less
fidgety when you are shooting from the first couple of positions on either
side of him. Hell stop moving, to
lessen the amount of distraction within your shooting eye or line-of-sight.
v
Theyll book late-bets for you, and theyll
retroactively book super-late bets, especially when the dice-outcome goes in your favor.
v
Theyll say, no bet or sorry, I
couldnt book that bet for you on your late bets when the dice-outcome goes
against you. As cover for their actions,
theyll simply say, What was it that you wanted there Mr. X, I didnt
hear you clearly so I couldnt book it.
In their minds, a dollar or more saved on your behalf is a dollar or more that
youll have available to wager on their behalf next time.
v
Theyll resolve payout-disputes in your favor, even when
your mouth wasnt as clear in its instructions, as your brain was in its intentions.
v
Theyll give you reminders about bets that youve
forgotten to make, or Odds that youve forgotten to wager. Theyll jog your memory to remind you about
your normal supplementary Come-Out bets or Point-cycle hedges.
v
Theyll suggest certain trend-type bets when
they identify a trend or streak, even though you may not have noticed it. Theyll say something like, Did you
know youve thrown at least one Hard-6 on every hand that youve tossed
today? or Every time you throw a 4, you come right back with a couple more
outside 4s and 10s.
v
If you start throwing a particular Box-Number that you
arent on, they may say, How many more times are you going to roll the 5
before you give yourself permission to bet on it?
v
Theyll clue-in quicker to your betting methods. Whether it be regressions, progressions, parlays,
or bets-off calls; theyll anticipate your moves and theyll be sure
to ask about a usual bet-change even if you forget to request it. Need
More Reasons?
v
As if the benefits of tipping that Ive just listed
arent enough, heres a couple more:
v
The dealers will service the hell out of a tipper. For example, the incoming stickman on the game
will be reminded by the departing stickman to Take care of my friend here (as he
taps the stick in front of you), he likes to work his Place bets on the Come-Out, and be
sure to remind him to take full Odds, okay.
v
When a dealer says, Take care of my friend,
it really means, This guy tips, so give him your best Premium Customer
Service.
v
Likewise, one dealer will say to the other, in a low
conspiratorial tone, George (dealer jargon for a good tipper) is at
L-4 (the fourth player-spot to the right) and he doesnt want you to
scramble the dice (he wants them delivered the same way as they rolled,
regardless of their outcome).
v
If a player tips well, the dealers, boxmen and Floor Supervisors
feel that its incumbent on themselves to make your gaming experience as comfortable
and hassle-free as possible.
v
A lot of times, when a good player approaches the
table, virtually all of the staff will welcome him by name.
This small acknowledgement is beneficial to both the dealers and the player.
v
The dealers want him to feel welcome, and greeting him by name
is their way of providing recognition for his past tipping efforts, and hopeful
anticipation of additional future bets. It
is also their unstated signal to the player that a more flexible set of rules is in place
for him once again.
v
The player accepts the warm-welcome as recognition for his past
tipping efforts, and the expectation that the more flexible set of rules is once again in
place. Its a one hand washing the
other symbiotic relationship that continues to perpetuate the two sets of
rules state of affairs. Its just
human nature that this if you help me, Ill help you attitude
works so well in a casino-environment.
v
For a dice-setting tipper, the stickman will often pre-arrange
the dice before stick-handling them out to you. For
a 3-V set, theyll have the 3s on top. For
an X-6 shooter, theyll send you the 6s on top, etc.
v
Theyll retroactively book your Prop bets, even if you
forgot to call it out. Many savvy boxmen will
direct a dealer to make the payout to you by telling him to set it up and then
pay it, even when you completely forgot to even think about making it.
v
What usually happens is that the stickman will groan (as soon as
you do) about the Horn bet that you forgot to make. As
cover, the base-dealer (the dealer across from you) may say, Oh, I booked that
for you. You may not remember making it, but
I remember booking it. Youll have to
throw in x-dollars so that we can set it up and pay it to you. The boxman will nod and say, Yeah,
thats his normal bet, try to book that a little earlier next time, Mr. X.
v
A good player will immediately drop part of his winning payoff
directly into the Toke-box instead of just placing another low-chance bet for the dealers. That is how a decent player shows their
appreciation, and keeps the good times (favorable rules) rolling. You certainly never want to stiff them (not toke
them) when they have gone out of their way to put money directly into your pocket. v Theyll make room for you even at a jam-packed table. If there are no legal betting positions available, theyll sometimes team you up with another known player who will let you piggy-back your bets on top of his.
They arent going to team you up
with some idiot. They will be sure its
someone that they themselves would trust. Youll
not only see this happen in the high-dollar casinos at the high-limit tables, but also at
some of the friendlier neighborhood places. Its
all part of how they will try to accommodate you for taking such good care of them.
v
If you forget to hand in your Players Card at the beginning of a
session, theyll back-date (time-wise) the Rating Card to give you more accumulated
playing time. This results in higher comp
ratings.
v
The best Floor Supervisors (also know as TGS-Table Game
Supervisors) will keep a small address-type of book with frequent players Players Card
numbers in it. That way, they can start your
Rating Card immediately, and they can waive off your Players Card on a busy table by
saying, Dont worry Mr. X, Ive already got you started here.
v
Likewise, theyll be sure that your Rating Card
follows you when you change tables. Most
people dont take the time to let the TGS know that they are moving to another table,
so the Floor Supervisor innocently closes out your Rating Card (stops the
clock on your rating, and gives it to the Pit Clerk to enter into the computer). That means that if the card doesnt follow
you from table to table, ALL of the time you spend playing after you leave the first table
goes uncredited.
v
For a good tipper, a smart floor-man will look around to see if
you are still playing, then hell bring the Rating Card to your current table to
ensure that the comps continue to accumulate on your account.
v
Most floor-supervisors (especially current dual-rate
dealer/supervisors) will keep your Rating Card open (still accumulating time)
even after you leave the table. Im not
talking about a washroom-break sort of departure, Im talking about when you leave
the building entirely.
v
If you want to read more about ensuring that you are getting
properly rated, you should check out my
You've
Got (More) Mail! article.
v
If you are highly regarded as a frequent-tipper, and you have a
favorite shooting-spot at the tables, they will sometimes have another player
move so that you can comfortably settle in to your normal spot.
v
If they need to cover (justify) this move,
theyll simply say to the player who is in your spot, Youll have to
move over sir, Mr. X needs his spot back. This
isnt so much about stroking your ego; its more about making you feel
comfortable and welcome. By accommodating you
at their table, they are showing their appreciation for past tips, and making it more
likely that you will tip in the future.
v
In the same vein, when they are preparing to open a new table
(usually at a shift-change), theyll reserve your spot at the soon-to-open table with
a lammer (one of those plastic off, on, buy or
lay buttons) to save your place, as they count down the check-bank, unwrap new
dice, and do the necessary paperwork that has to happen before they can start the game.
v
That way, you can keep playing at your current table until the
new game is ready. Of course, you will
probably be given the dice first since you (their lammer on your spot) were there before
all of the other eager players arrived at the table.
Little courtesies like letting you shoot the dice first, make the game all
that much more enjoyable, especially for a Precision-Shooter who is looking to maximize
his number of dice-throwing opportunities.
v
Theyll often reach across and extend your Place-bet or
Come-bet winnings much closer to you on the table layout, especially when you are the
shooter. This ensures that you not only
dont have to reach to pick up your winnings, it also means that you dont even
have to shift your body out of any pre-set position that you like to be in when you are
shooting.
v
Again, this is a courtesy that they extend so that your rhythm
is not disturbed or interrupted in any way. Since
all, or most of your dealer-bets will be in action when you are the shooter, they know the
benefits of keeping you in the game, and not imparting any undue distractions.
v
These small benefits may not seem like much, but cumulatively,
they add up to substantial remuneration for your low-cost tipping investment.
v
When you first walk up to the table, theyll often take
your call bets before they even see your money, even though this
move is strictly against the rules in EVERY gaming jurisdiction in North America. Again, if they know you from past sessions and
they are aware of your normal buy-in; then theyll push the boundaries of their
operating procedures.
Still
Need More Justification? As you can see, there are many,
many benefits to getting on the good side of the table-crew. Here are a few more:
v
Theyll control the game-speed to YOUR liking whether or
not you are the shooter. If you are the
impatient type, theyll try to keep the action flowing. If you are a slow bettor, theyll try to
reduce the pace to ensure that all of your bets (and your dealer toke-bets) are booked.
v
If you are a non-smoker, theyll often ask if anyone else
at your end of the table is a smoker. If
there arent any smokers, they will politely put up the No Smoking
placard at your end of the table.
v
Moves like this doesnt cost them one red cent, nor one
ounce of energy; but it virtually guarantees a higher-level of appreciation from the
player, and it provides recognition that he is a valued customer.
v
If you are a well-known player of substance, and you ask for a
Casino Marker (credit), the Pit Boss or TGS will give the nod (approval) to
the boxman to dole out chips before he even consults the computer credit file. He does this based on his current knowledge of
your credit availability or the amount of front money that he knows that you
have in your account.
v
Theyll be extra generous with your Player Rating, which
leads to bigger and better comps. This alone
is worth anywhere from a 10% to 75% increase over your actual ratings.
v
If you normally spread $25 to $50 on the layout, they will often
bump you up to the $50 to $75 range. For a steady tipper who normally spreads $40 to $80
in action, your kind efforts are frequently rewarded by having the ratings bumped into the
much-vaunted black-chip $100 category.
v
Even if you are a lower-roller, your $10 to $20 spread-action
will magically transform into a $25 rating. Once you get past the green-chip $25+
threshold, it equates to much better food comps, many more free room and suite offers,
airfare reimbursement, additional invitations to casino parties, concerts, shows and
sporting-events.
v
It is important to remember that the lower-rung Strip casinos
(Sahara, Tropicana, Stratosphere, Barbary Coast, Frontier, Circus Circus, Stardust, etc.)
have a much smaller comp-threshold than the higher-rung resorts (Bellagio, Venetian,
Mirage, MGM Grand, Paris, Mandalay Bay, etc.).
v
Likewise, Downtown casinos (Fremont, Four Queens, Golden Nugget,
Plaza, California, etc.) have even lower bet-requirements than the bottom-rung Strip
resorts. Better still, some of the
neighborhood locals casinos have even lower action requirements than the
Downtown houses.
v
A good rule of thumb to remember, is that the lower the table
bet-minimum, the better the dealers will treat a good tipper.
v
Another tangible benefit of enhanced ratings based on tipping,
is the amount and frequency of
cash-voucher mailings. Instead of receiving
$10 or $25 vouchers once a month; it translates into
multiple $50 vouchers that arrive in your mailbox twice or even four times each month from
casinos
that
use these items to reward valued customers.
v
I look at these vouchers as a well-paying dividend on my tip
investments that Ive made during the
past month or so. If you have multiple casinos doing the same thing,
then this benefit alone is a very
compelling reason
to tip the crew.
v
Theyll sometimes allow you to use a
Blackjack-only match-play coupon at a craps table. To read all about this very narrow, but highly
lucrative subject, I would invite you to read my
Match-Play Coupon
Circuit series of articles.
v
They will be a LOT more lenient on
their discretionary stick-calls. This
especially includes leaners (where the call could go either way, but
theyll make the dice-call in your favor instead of announcing the other less
desirable 7-Out).
v
Likewise, theyll call a no
roll when the dice could legally be called, but really shouldnt
be. You can translate that phrase into meaning that they will avoid calling a 7-Out
if they possibly can, especially if you currently have dealer-bets in action for them when
you are the shooter. The definition of what constitutes a legal roll varies from casino to
casino, and even shift to shift; so the boxman and even the dealers have a lot of
discretion in that area.
v
A lot of times, theyll
conveniently forget to take down your piggy-backed Hardway bet, even though the easy
way just rolled. If the bet is
piggy-backed (their bet is placed on top of your Hardway bet instead of placed separately
on the normal dealer-spot) they are more likely to forget to take it down.
v
Sometimes during a hot-roll,
theyll also forget to take down your Come bets after a Come-Out winner-7. These things don't happen at every table, but they
happen often enough to more than cover the cost of your dealer-bets, and that action
alone, more than justifies your investment.
v
Likewise, for DP and DC players,
dealers will often forget to pick up a losing bet. While
DP-players arent normally known for their consistent tipping, those that do tip are
often rewarded for their gracious efforts.
v
When you are looking around for a cocktail waitress, they will
often summon one from another area, or the Pit Boss will even call for one on the phone.
v
When there is a cocktail waitress in the area, theyll let
you know, so that she doesnt miss your order, or in the alternative if you are
shooting, so that her arrival doesnt throw you off of your rhythm.
v
It is important to remember that alcohol makes it easier for the
casino to separate a man from his money. You
might want to save your serious drinking for a post-session celebration, and
substitute water or juice while you are actually playing.
v
Before you depart the table, theyll often ask if there is
anything thing that you need, comp-wise, such as lunch, dinner or perhaps a show.
v
They may also ask if you are planning to come back after lunch
or dinner. That way, a savvy boxman or TGS
can keep your card open (and keep your play-time and comp-time racking up),
even when you are away from the table.
This list
covers the more overt help that the dice-crew can give a consistent toker. There are many, many more benefits that are far
too numerous to list here.
Summary
So to
answer the Are there two sets of rules for craps players? question, the
answer should be patently clear. Yes, there is definitely one set of
rules for players who tip frequently, and a completely different set for players who
dont tip. Whether you tip or not
determines which set of rules will be applied to YOU.
Tipping DOES NOT give you a free
license to mistreat or berate the crew. Behave
yourself, and dont act like an Im entitled to special treatment
idiot, and youll soon see the dividends start to tumble in. In the event that you havent
figured it out by now, the return-on-investment that you get from tipping, far exceeds the
cost of the actual tokes, especially for a Precision-Shooter.
Good
Luck & Good Skill at the tables
and in Life.
Sincerely,
The Mad Professor
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