Lee's comment under another topic about the tips at a 25 cent blackjack table reminded me of something I always meant to ask.

What's your pattern or policy about tipping at any tablegames?

Do you tip when you arrive, when you've won a nice hand, or when you're leaving?

And - this may be a silly question, please forgive me - why do you tip? In a restaurant it is expected, if I didn't tip I'd be afraid to go near the place again.

Even with machine play tipping can be confusing. I'm pretty sure I did a tipping no-no when on the slots. I had a handpay on a pretty modest jackpot ($86 on a nickel machine) The staff person paying me disappeared so fast I had no idea that a tip was even a possibility.

Educate me! Help me become a beloved and valuable customer!

Kes

Kestral,
Tipping is an extremly personal matter. By no means does anyone have the right to tell someone else how to tip or when or where.
With that being said......
I'll share what I do, but is by no means a rule.
On BJ, if I'm winning, the dealer is being nice, or I've just plain had too much to drink....I tip, by making a bet for the dealer. If it turns out to be a double down or a split hand I include the dealer by doubling his/her bet too. I mean I feel it's only fare! I also tip way too much, but, I can walk by some pits and all the dealers say hello and call me by name. LOL
Then there are my favorite dealers, cocktail waitresses, slot personal, bartenders, and of course they get more!
I have found that while a tip doesn't help you win any more or less, it does add to the feeling of good will, and it's about having a good time. So if I tip too heavy, I always feel it comes back to me in some form. Being nice, never hurts you. I work for a living in peoples homes, I know from personal experiances, that people that are nice to me, I go out of my way to be nice to them!
Tip what ever your comfortable with. I tip differntly depending on where I'm at. Like at MSS, my home base, I always tip heavy. A red chip for cocktail service, and a red chip bet for the dealer. Other places a buck will do nicely, after all, they aren't going to remember me! LOL