vpFREE2 Forums

Tipping

#1

After I had the good fortune of hitting a Royal Flush this weekend,
my friend and gambling partner noted that I failed to tip the two
employees who delivered my hand pay, and that I should have. With
apologies to Steve Buscemi's Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, I have to
admit that "I don't tip."

I understand why I should bring a gift for my casino host (to build
good will and hopefully induce more generous comps) and sometimes tip
a blackjack dealer (where doing so may result in better penetration
before shuffling), but is tipping the slot floor workers really
anything more than an act of pure charity?

I figure that if I tipped them both $5, that ten bucks would
represent 1% of my $1000 Royal payout. On most games, the Royal is
worth about 2% of the return. So a policy of tipping $10 on quarter
denomination Royals would reduce the effective EV of most games by
roughly .02% (e.g. from 100.76 for FPDW to 100.74). I am surprised
that many players who would never dream of ignoring complex penalty
card situations that affect the EV to a lesser extent (yet make the
strategy much more complex and substantially slow the play of all but
the best players) nonetheless are willing to throw away this .02% for
nothing.

What am I missing? Are tips so standard for slot personnel that it
is the primary (or at least substantial) source of their income (like
with waiters, who I always tip)? If so, I understand why failing to
tip might reach beyond merely "frugal" and into the realm
of "unreasonable."

Thanks for any advice on this issue.

-JAD

#2

I tipped $10 after winning $300 once. My theory is that if I tip the
slot personnel, they will keep pressure on their managers to keep
higher paying games

I think the slot personel want to see people winning so they can get
tips. I hope that slot personel keep pressure on their managers to
keep high paying games but I don't know if it is true. My thinking
is maybe slot managers might keep the higher paying games so they
don't have to hear the gripes and complaints from customers and slot
personnel.

I don't have any facts to back me up on this.

Conversely if your trying to grind out a living on video poker and
you're not tipping, I think it could have adverse effects. Maybe the
slot personnel don't want higher paying games because it brings out
the professionals who won't tip. Therefore the slot personnel don't
complain when good games are taken away. They'd rather have tourists
come in and win the occassional jack pot and tip.

I know where if you complain loud enough and long enough to the
managers they'll change policy just to shut you up. I hope this
works in the casino world but I don't know.

Maybe all of this is based on casino myth like oxygen being pumped
into the casino or that the highest paying slot machines are on the
outside rows.

If you want to say screw "the house" and not tip, I won't hold it
against you but I'll keep tipping out of humanitarian reasons if
nothing else.

After I had the good fortune of hitting a Royal Flush this weekend,
my friend and gambling partner noted that I failed to tip the two
employees who delivered my hand pay, and that I should have. With
apologies to Steve Buscemi's Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, I have

to

admit that "I don't tip."

I understand why I should bring a gift for my casino host (to build
good will and hopefully induce more generous comps) and sometimes

tip

a blackjack dealer (where doing so may result in better penetration
before shuffling), but is tipping the slot floor workers really
anything more than an act of pure charity?

I figure that if I tipped them both $5, that ten bucks would
represent 1% of my $1000 Royal payout. On most games, the Royal is
worth about 2% of the return. So a policy of tipping $10 on

quarter

denomination Royals would reduce the effective EV of most games by
roughly .02% (e.g. from 100.76 for FPDW to 100.74). I am surprised
that many players who would never dream of ignoring complex penalty
card situations that affect the EV to a lesser extent (yet make the
strategy much more complex and substantially slow the play of all

but

the best players) nonetheless are willing to throw away this .02%

for

nothing.

What am I missing? Are tips so standard for slot personnel that it
is the primary (or at least substantial) source of their income

(like

with waiters, who I always tip)? If so, I understand why failing

to

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "keyen54739" <jallenday@a...> wrote:

tip might reach beyond merely "frugal" and into the realm
of "unreasonable."

Thanks for any advice on this issue.

-JAD

#3

Many, Many posts on this topic seemed to settle on a 1% tip for a
jackpot.
$10 for $300 is like just mailing a check instead of coming to Las
Vegas.

···

On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 01:20:57 -0000, you wrote:

I tipped $10 after winning $300 once. My theory is that if I tip the
slot personnel, they will keep pressure on their managers to keep
higher paying games

I think the slot personel want to see people winning so they can get
tips. I hope that slot personel keep pressure on their managers to
keep high paying games but I don't know if it is true. My thinking
is maybe slot managers might keep the higher paying games so they
don't have to hear the gripes and complaints from customers and slot
personnel.

I don't have any facts to back me up on this.

Conversely if your trying to grind out a living on video poker and
you're not tipping, I think it could have adverse effects. Maybe the
slot personnel don't want higher paying games because it brings out
the professionals who won't tip. Therefore the slot personnel don't
complain when good games are taken away. They'd rather have tourists
come in and win the occassional jack pot and tip.

I know where if you complain loud enough and long enough to the
managers they'll change policy just to shut you up. I hope this
works in the casino world but I don't know.

Maybe all of this is based on casino myth like oxygen being pumped
into the casino or that the highest paying slot machines are on the
outside rows.

If you want to say screw "the house" and not tip, I won't hold it
against you but I'll keep tipping out of humanitarian reasons if
nothing else.

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "keyen54739" <jallenday@a...> wrote:

After I had the good fortune of hitting a Royal Flush this weekend,
my friend and gambling partner noted that I failed to tip the two
employees who delivered my hand pay, and that I should have. With
apologies to Steve Buscemi's Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, I have

to

admit that "I don't tip."

I understand why I should bring a gift for my casino host (to build
good will and hopefully induce more generous comps) and sometimes

tip

a blackjack dealer (where doing so may result in better penetration
before shuffling), but is tipping the slot floor workers really
anything more than an act of pure charity?

I figure that if I tipped them both $5, that ten bucks would
represent 1% of my $1000 Royal payout. On most games, the Royal is
worth about 2% of the return. So a policy of tipping $10 on

quarter

denomination Royals would reduce the effective EV of most games by
roughly .02% (e.g. from 100.76 for FPDW to 100.74). I am surprised
that many players who would never dream of ignoring complex penalty
card situations that affect the EV to a lesser extent (yet make the
strategy much more complex and substantially slow the play of all

but

the best players) nonetheless are willing to throw away this .02%

for

nothing.

What am I missing? Are tips so standard for slot personnel that it
is the primary (or at least substantial) source of their income

(like

with waiters, who I always tip)? If so, I understand why failing

to

tip might reach beyond merely "frugal" and into the realm
of "unreasonable."

Thanks for any advice on this issue.

-JAD

vpFREE Links: http://tinyurl.com/v9qq

Yahoo! Groups Links

#4

I was at the vegas airport and hit four 4s and four aces in ten hands
on a 9/6 DB game. Suddenly I had 1200 quarters and my flight was
taking off in 20 minutes.

The slot attendant ran around aand got all my quarters for me and
cashed me out in time to make my flight so I tipped her $10.

Maybe that is excessive but I'm just a nice guy.

Many, Many posts on this topic seemed to settle on a 1% tip for a
jackpot.
$10 for $300 is like just mailing a check instead of coming to Las
Vegas.

>I tipped $10 after winning $300 once. My theory is that if I tip

the

>slot personnel, they will keep pressure on their managers to keep
>higher paying games
>
>I think the slot personel want to see people winning so they can

get

>tips. I hope that slot personel keep pressure on their managers

to

>keep high paying games but I don't know if it is true. My

thinking

>is maybe slot managers might keep the higher paying games so they
>don't have to hear the gripes and complaints from customers and

slot

>personnel.
>
>I don't have any facts to back me up on this.
>
>Conversely if your trying to grind out a living on video poker and
>you're not tipping, I think it could have adverse effects. Maybe

the

>slot personnel don't want higher paying games because it brings

out

>the professionals who won't tip. Therefore the slot personnel

don't

>complain when good games are taken away. They'd rather have

tourists

>come in and win the occassional jack pot and tip.
>
>I know where if you complain loud enough and long enough to the
>managers they'll change policy just to shut you up. I hope this
>works in the casino world but I don't know.
>
>Maybe all of this is based on casino myth like oxygen being pumped
>into the casino or that the highest paying slot machines are on

the

>outside rows.
>
>If you want to say screw "the house" and not tip, I won't hold it
>against you but I'll keep tipping out of humanitarian reasons if
>nothing else.
>
>
>> After I had the good fortune of hitting a Royal Flush this

weekend,

>> my friend and gambling partner noted that I failed to tip the

two

>> employees who delivered my hand pay, and that I should have.

With

>> apologies to Steve Buscemi's Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, I

have

>to
>> admit that "I don't tip."
>>
>> I understand why I should bring a gift for my casino host (to

build

>> good will and hopefully induce more generous comps) and

sometimes

>tip
>> a blackjack dealer (where doing so may result in better

penetration

>> before shuffling), but is tipping the slot floor workers really
>> anything more than an act of pure charity?
>>
>> I figure that if I tipped them both $5, that ten bucks would
>> represent 1% of my $1000 Royal payout. On most games, the Royal

is

>> worth about 2% of the return. So a policy of tipping $10 on
>quarter
>> denomination Royals would reduce the effective EV of most games

by

>> roughly .02% (e.g. from 100.76 for FPDW to 100.74). I am

surprised

>> that many players who would never dream of ignoring complex

penalty

>> card situations that affect the EV to a lesser extent (yet make

the

>> strategy much more complex and substantially slow the play of

all

>but
>> the best players) nonetheless are willing to throw away

this .02%

>for
>> nothing.
>>
>> What am I missing? Are tips so standard for slot personnel that

it

>> is the primary (or at least substantial) source of their income
>(like
>> with waiters, who I always tip)? If so, I understand why

failing

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, videopoker@j... wrote:

On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 01:20:57 -0000, you wrote:
>--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "keyen54739" <jallenday@a...> wrote:
>to
>> tip might reach beyond merely "frugal" and into the realm
>> of "unreasonable."
>>
>> Thanks for any advice on this issue.
>>
>> -JAD
>
>
>
>
>
>vpFREE Links: http://tinyurl.com/v9qq
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

#5

I figure that if I tipped them both $5, that ten bucks would represent

1% of my $1000 Royal payout.

I agree. I don't tip waitresses because they have a salary and damn it, it
raises the cost of my food.

The same goes for the maids in hotels. They get paid. Where else could
they earn minimum wage for such an easy job?

And the hell with the bartenders. They should pay us for allowing them to
interact with the cocktail waitresses (who also don't deserve a tip - after
all, they just stand on their feet 8 hours a day dealing with a-holes like me).

I figure if no one tipped, perhaps we'd stop losing jobs to those damn
foreigners.

I tip because it's the nice thing to do. I have no obligation to do
anything for anyone. But if I am that worried about $5, perhaps I
shouldn't be gambling.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#6

You say that tipping 1% will reduce your EV .02%. So let's see. If you had
$1,000,000 (a million bucks) coin-in, it would cost you a total of $200.
These people do not get paid a wage to live on. They rely on tips. In my
opinion, not tipping on a RF goes way beyond frugal. Of course, that is
IMHO.

···

-----Original Message-----
From: keyen54739 [mailto:jallen…@…com]
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 2:25 PM
To: vpFREE@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [vpFREE] Tipping

After I had the good fortune of hitting a Royal Flush this weekend,
my friend and gambling partner noted that I failed to tip the two
employees who delivered my hand pay, and that I should have. With
apologies to Steve Buscemi's Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, I have to
admit that "I don't tip."

I understand why I should bring a gift for my casino host (to build
good will and hopefully induce more generous comps) and sometimes tip
a blackjack dealer (where doing so may result in better penetration
before shuffling), but is tipping the slot floor workers really
anything more than an act of pure charity?

I figure that if I tipped them both $5, that ten bucks would
represent 1% of my $1000 Royal payout. On most games, the Royal is
worth about 2% of the return. So a policy of tipping $10 on quarter
denomination Royals would reduce the effective EV of most games by
roughly .02% (e.g. from 100.76 for FPDW to 100.74). I am surprised
that many players who would never dream of ignoring complex penalty
card situations that affect the EV to a lesser extent (yet make the
strategy much more complex and substantially slow the play of all but
the best players) nonetheless are willing to throw away this .02% for
nothing.

What am I missing? Are tips so standard for slot personnel that it
is the primary (or at least substantial) source of their income (like
with waiters, who I always tip)? If so, I understand why failing to
tip might reach beyond merely "frugal" and into the realm
of "unreasonable."

Thanks for any advice on this issue.

-JAD

vpFREE Links: http://tinyurl.com/v9qq

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#7

damn it, it raises the cost of my food. The same goes for the
maids .... bartenders....cocktail waitresses....>>>

OK, I probably deserve your sarcasm. However, I tip all those
people you mention too, but as a novice casino patron I just wasn't
sure whether the casino floor personnel fall into that same
category, and if so, why. I want to be in line with the norms of
casino etiquette, not outside of them. But the rules for which
service people get tips and which ones don't seem pretty arbitrary.
For example, do you tip the people who work the cash cage,
constantly on their feet, poorly paid, dumping tubs of coins all
day? I'd bet that most folks tip only those types of service people
for whom tipping is the established norm, rather than basing the
tipping decision solely on the themes of your message--good will and
humanitarian instinct. If substantial reliance on tip income is the
norm for the casino floor staff, then I agree that tipping them is
the right thing to do.

Assuming this is the case, and I know I will forfeit 1% of every
handpay, I should take that into account when calculating the long-
term net gain or loss I can expect from a particular game. At the
level of precision typically considered important to expert
advantage players, this is no small consideration (in Loose Deuces,
the 1% tip practice for hand pays costs about .125%).

-JAD

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, Rick Bronstein <rick@g...> wrote:

I agree. I don't tip waitresses because they have a salary and

#8

hansjurgent wrote:

I tipped $10 after winning $300 once. My theory is that if I tip the
slot personnel, they will keep pressure on their managers to keep
higher paying games

I think the slot personel want to see people winning so they can get
tips. I hope that slot personel keep pressure on their managers to
keep high paying games but I don't know if it is true.

snip

Lower-paying games normally pay jackpots more frequently, relatively speaking, which means that slot personnel will have a higher percentage of opportunities to be tipped if managers install lower paying games. Why? Because lower paying games are generally determined by intermediate and lower hands, such as values for full-houses and flushes, or payment of only one betting unit for 2-pair, etc., so mathematically there are more occasions when it is appropriate to shoot for the jackpot on borderline hands. Take Jacks or Better as an example: for 9/6, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is 40,390.55, and for 8/5, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is 40,169.75. Not a big difference, but nevertheless the difference favors low-pay machines for more chances to earn a tip.

This post does NOT mean that I do not tip or fully support tipping; it just means that I looked at the math behind your theory. :wink: On top of that, I don't think that slot-attendants would have a bit of influence that would ever work it's way up the chain of command, so to speak. But maybe I'm wrong about all of this.

Bill Velek

#9

you have to tip hand pays for the same reason that you have to tip at
restaurants, it's a bribe, in the case of hand pays, the attendant
can make life miserable for you should they desire, especially on
taxables where they have your ssn, in the case of a restaurant you
have to tip if you ever expect to go back and not get "special sauce"
added to your meal

#10

This is a perennial subject that rears its head on every gambling
board in which I've participated.

To the extent that the threads present typical guidelines for various
scenarios, when people choose to tip, they're constructive. But on
the continual debate of, "Why tip?" - I wish there were a central
database of all internet discussion to date. There's nothing more to
be said and I suspect no one is swayed into appreciably changing their
behavior.

Perhaps chiefvrwc provided the essentials of every thread a year ago
(modestly tongue in cheek, but not much) -- a post TeddChee
recommended be kept in hand for future reference:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vpFREE/message/12616

- Harry

#11

Bill Velek wrote:

Take Jacks or Better as an
example: for 9/6, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is 40,390.55, and
for 8/5, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is 40,169.75. Not a big
difference, but nevertheless the difference favors low-pay machines for
more chances to earn a tip.

You appear to be using an 800 coin royal payoff for the 8/5 JoB game.
Even in Wendover, where VP sucks, it isn't hard to find 8/5 machines
with a 1000 coin royal payoff, which reduces the royal cycle to
36,443.50. About a 10% difference.

#12

I ALWAYS tip the hand pay floor personnel, the maid, the waitress, the bellman, etc. I budget tips into my vacation money. The reason I tip is because I like to - it makes me happy to make others happy - and because I would feel like a big jerk if I didn't....LOL

They way I look at it is it's all part of the "Vegas Vacation". Toke the people you should...and hope for good karma from the VP gods : )

Chrissy

#13

Steve Jacobs wrote:

Bill Velek wrote:
> Take Jacks or Better as an
> example: for 9/6, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is 40,390.55, and
> for 8/5, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is 40,169.75. Not a big
> difference, but nevertheless the difference favors low-pay machines for
> more chances to earn a tip.

You appear to be using an 800 coin royal payoff for the 8/5 JoB game.
Even in Wendover, where VP sucks, it isn't hard to find 8/5 machines
with a 1000 coin royal payoff, which reduces the royal cycle to
36,443.50. About a 10% difference.

Except for progressives, I've never seen an 8/5 that pays 5000 on five coins, but I don't doubt that they exist. I'm just surprised that you seem to be suggesting that they are somewhat common, given that I can't even recall them ever being discussed here. That's just an aside that I find interesting.

Nevertheless, the 10% difference you site is all the more basis for slot-attendants to recommend it to managers because the frequency of tip opportunities is _even_greater_ than what I had posted, PLUS with an even larger jackpot than usual, the amount of the average tip might well be slightly greater, to boot. So it seems to me that this is even more of an incentive for any slot-attendants who are hungry for tips, to recommend to managers that JoB-9/6 be replaced with JoB-8/5 w/ a 5,000 Royal, rather than to recommend keeping good paying vp as the original poster had suggested.

Bill Velek

#14

For people in my area (Ohio) 9/6 JOB is a good game, heck even 8/5
JOB is a good game.

With my theory, I was also referring to high paying slots as well,
but even so isn't the Fiesta the "Royal Flush Capital" of the
world? Don't they have many high paying non 9/6 JOB games?

I would think on volume alone,(more players), the slot personnel
would want to keep the high paying video poker. Wouldn't the slot
personnel want the casino 80% full of patrons playing full pay video
poker rather than 40% capacity of patrons playing short pay video
poker? Thus getting more tips on volume alone.

Maybe we should poll some Orleans and Gold Coast slot personnel and
see if they got more tips before or after the management destroyed
their full pay inventory.

We could publish a study that shows that full pay video poker is not
only good for the casino but for the slot personnel (tips) as well.
It creates happy customers and happy employees.

Steve Jacobs wrote:

> Bill Velek wrote:
> > Take Jacks or Better as an
> > example: for 9/6, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is

40,390.55, and

> > for 8/5, the Royal cycle for full-coin play is 40,169.75. Not

a big

> > difference, but nevertheless the difference favors low-pay

machines for

> > more chances to earn a tip.
>
> You appear to be using an 800 coin royal payoff for the 8/5 JoB

game.

> Even in Wendover, where VP sucks, it isn't hard to find 8/5

machines

> with a 1000 coin royal payoff, which reduces the royal cycle to
> 36,443.50. About a 10% difference.

Except for progressives, I've never seen an 8/5 that pays 5000 on

five

coins, but I don't doubt that they exist. I'm just surprised that

you

seem to be suggesting that they are somewhat common, given that I

can't

even recall them ever being discussed here. That's just an aside

that I

find interesting.

Nevertheless, the 10% difference you site is all the more basis

for

slot-attendants to recommend it to managers because the frequency

of tip

opportunities is _even_greater_ than what I had posted, PLUS with

an

even larger jackpot than usual, the amount of the average tip

might well

be slightly greater, to boot. So it seems to me that this is even

more

of an incentive for any slot-attendants who are hungry for tips,

to

recommend to managers that JoB-9/6 be replaced with JoB-8/5 w/ a

5,000

Royal, rather than to recommend keeping good paying vp as the

original

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, Bill Velek <billvelek@a...> wrote:

poster had suggested.

Bill Velek

#15

hansjurgent wrote:

I would think on volume alone,(more players), the slot personnel
would want to keep the high paying video poker. Wouldn't the slot
personnel want the casino 80% full of patrons playing full pay video
poker rather than 40% capacity of patrons playing short pay video
poker? Thus getting more tips on volume alone.

snip

You might be correct if it actually works that way. I don't play in Vegas but rather in Tunica, and I haven't noticed that it makes a whole lot of difference, which I assume is because the _vast_ majority of VP players don't really seem to have a clue. Why else would I see so many people playing at a bank of inferior JoB, when there are empty seats at a bank just a few steps away offering the _same_ denomination and the _same_ game (JoB), but just a _better_ paytable? And why do I see so many folks playing vp in one casino, when the same game/denomiation is available in another nearby casino which has just as good cashback and comps? Of course, it might be a different story in Vegas, and if what you suggest is actually the case, then I can see your point. It would obviously be better having crowd playing rather than just a few.

Bill Velek

#16

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "hansjurgent" <hansjurgent16@h...>
wrote:

I tipped $10 after winning $300 once. My theory is that if I tip

the

slot personnel, they will keep pressure on their managers to keep
higher paying games

I think the slot personel want to see people winning so they can

get

tips. I hope that slot personel keep pressure on their managers to
keep high paying games but I don't know if it is true. My thinking
is maybe slot managers might keep the higher paying games so they
don't have to hear the gripes and complaints from customers and

slot

personnel.

I don't have any facts to back me up on this.

Conversely if your trying to grind out a living on video poker and
you're not tipping, I think it could have adverse effects. Maybe

the

slot personnel don't want higher paying games because it brings out
the professionals who won't tip. Therefore the slot personnel

don't

complain when good games are taken away. They'd rather have

tourists

come in and win the occassional jack pot and tip.

I'm glad to see the tipping discussion revived since I'm only a
recent regular reader of this newsgroup. I've often wondered what is
an appropriate tip.

hansjurgent's comments reminded me a recent experience in Reno, when
I was lucky enough to stumble on $1 FPDW at the Silver Legacy.
Sometime around New Year, the Silver Legacy replaced the old .25
progressives with fancy new TITO machines, and LO, there was .25/.50/
$1 FPDW. (IIRC, only the .25 denomination had a progressive, but
WOOHOO anyway!)

The secret wasn't generally out yet, but there were a handful of
people (some who looked professional) playing these machines at 800
hands per hour at the dollar level. Getting four deuces at the $1
level triggered a handpay, and there were so many handpays going on
that a slot attendant appeared to be assigned to these machines
fulltime. She was loving it, as the handpays were coming fast and
furious and she was getting tipped accordingly. My observations were
that she was getting $5-$10 for quad deuces and $20 for a royal. Her
remark to me: "Wow, everyone has been really lucky on these
machines!" Another slot attendant remarked at how dead the casino
had been in the weeks before (blamed it on Indian casinos in
California), so it was great to see this much action.

Although the slot personnel rejoiced in the good fortune of their
customers, the Silver Legacy tightened up and removed FPDW at the .50
and $1 level shortly afterward. Did the slot personnel get a say in
this? I doubt it.

Maybe the tipping attracted the attention of the slot manager sooner
than if we had been a bunch of tightwads. ("Where are all the slot
attendants?" "Oh, they're hanging out by that Deuces bank.") Or
maybe the tipping prolonged the $1 FPDW bonanza, because the slot
manager wanted to give his employees a post-Christmas bonus. I
wonder.

If I were a slot attendant, I'd hitch my caboose to the knowledgable
players, who play fast, play correctly, get regular handpays, and are
thus probably good for regular tips. Why hang out by the old lady
playing Megabucks on the 1 in a zillion chance that she is going to
hit a jackpot AND remember to tip you? No way. I'd seek out the
Lone Locust and make sure he was a happy camper. I KNOW he's a
winner, and winners tip.

My experience is that it's best to tip and get the attendants on my
side. Whenever there's some dispute ("Hey, this machine shorted me!"
or "Uh, the buttons didn't stick."), I've found that having an
employee in my corner can make all the difference. Also, when I find
an EV+ opportunity, I want to get in as many hands as possible per
hour, so I don't want to be waiting for a slot attendant. A few
dollars here and there can do wonders, and the extra hands per hour
can make up for the loss. (At the Palms, a cocktail waitress
volunteered to flag down a slot attendant for me, probably because I
had been tipping a $1 per drink and was nice. You think she'd do
that for a stiffing bastard? I think not.) And of course there's
the added benefit of playing surrounded by people who are happy to
see you! I'm on vacation when I'm playing video poker, and I want to
have a pleasant experience.

I do wish casinos would pay their employees a decent living wage so
they wouldn't have to rely on tips, but if that's the system, I'm
going to tip the scales to my advantage.