Many players like to Place a Hardway
bet for the dealers. If this Hardway hits, the dealers will take the
win plus the tip and throw it to the box person who will deposit the
chips into the dealer’s toke box. This is not a good bet for you and
it is not a good bet for the dealers either, although some dealers
like the idea that they can get 9-to-1 or 7-to-1 payoffs.
You can also put a tip for the dealers on top of your Place bet.
This is an excellent way to tip. Again, just put the money down in the
Come area and say, “put this $6 on top of my 6 or 8 for the dealers.”
You can also say that you are in control of that bet. Being in control
of the bet means that if the bet wins, the dealers will only take the
winning bet, not the original bet like they would do otherwise. By
tipping this way, the dealers can make money during a good roll while
you are really only risking that one bet. It’s good for you and good
for them.
Some casinos will pay off $4 for a $3 Place bet for the dealers on
the 6 and 8. If so, it is preferable that you make your bet in this
denomination as it will give the dealers an actual edge at the game.
You should probably Place twice as many bets this way as you would if
you were betting the 6 or 8 for $6.
Also there are now casinos that will allow you to tip one dollar
as a Place bet for the dealers and pay those dealers 2-to-1 if the bet
wins. What a huge edge these players give those dealers in such a game
on the numbers 5, 6, 8 and 9. Again, when making these bets always
say, “I control the bet.”
Tipping for random rollers obviously has no effect on the outcome
of the game. Random is random. A novice player should not go tip
crazy. Tip only intermittently, probably every time you shoot if you
are at a crowded table, or every 15 minutes or half hour.
For a controlled shooter, one who will be taking care with his
stance, set, and throw, getting the dealers on your side from the
beginning is a smart move. You want the dealers to desire a long roll
from you because they are in the action when you shoot. Smart dealers
will make sure that the other players, the ones who haven’t learned
how to actually comport themselves at the table, don’t interfere with
your throw.
Tipping is a definite yes when it comes to being a successful
controlled shooter. Keep in mind, your skill level must be good enough
to overcome the fact that you are making these tips. That is something
you must factor in when computing your overall win rate.
Those of you who have worked in the service industries that rely
on tips know how hard it is to make a decent living. Good craps
players, known as “Georges” if they tip, are the life blood of
dealers. I am a tipper because as a young man I worked as a waiter and
it was rough when you worked your butt off and got almost nothing in
return.
I only have one caveat about tipping dealers and it is this:
dealers are supposed to be professionals and they had better be. They
should be pleasant to everyone at the table. Whether a player is a
likeable individual or a ploppy makes no difference. Like an actor
playing a role on the stage, the inner state of the dealer is
irrelevant to his performance. Dealers should never be sarcastic; they
should never look bored (even if they are bored); they should never
crosstalk to the other dealers, thereby ignoring the game and the
players.
In short, the craps table is the dealers’ stage and he better
perform his role professionally. His award will be a tip, which is the
craps equivalent of the Academy Award for good service.
— Frank Scoblete is the #1 best-selling gaming author in America. His
websites are www.goldentouchcraps.com,
www.goldentouchblackjack.com,
www.goldentouchpoker.com and
www.scoblete.com and
www.gscobe.blogspot.com. For more information call (800) 944-0406 or
write: Frank Scoblete Enterprises, P.O. Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565.
