Tipping the Houseman

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yobagua

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got into a discussion with my poker guys about tipping the dealer. These were all high stakes players and I was surprised that a couple of them were real nits. But in general most were generous. I tip no matter what. This comes from working in a lot of joints when I went to school and the most generous guys were the regular guys who went about their way in life enjoying their time on earth. The cheapest were the most miserable jerks no matter how much green they had.
Then that night I was in a room and a couple of guys came in and made a nice score but left without giving the house man a dime! I was like WTF. I know money makes you funny but I was always taught to take care of the Houseman. He is the one watching your back while serving you up your necessary libations and taking care of your baggage while youre engaged in other affairs, as well as keeping his eye on your old lady and making sure everyone knows shes not for grabs.
The houseman is the last one to close up and the first one there. Dont he deserve something?
 
yobagua said:
I got into a discussion with my poker guys about tipping the dealer. These were all high stakes players and I was surprised that a couple of them were real nits. But in general most were generous. I tip no matter what. This comes from working in a lot of joints when I went to school and the most generous guys were the regular guys who went about their way in life enjoying their time on earth. The cheapest were the most miserable jerks no matter how much green they had.
Then that night I was in a room and a couple of guys came in and made a nice score but left without giving the house man a dime! I was like WTF. I know money makes you funny but I was always taught to take care of the Houseman. He is the one watching your back while serving you up your necessary libations and taking care of your baggage while youre engaged in other affairs, as well as keeping his eye on your old lady and making sure everyone knows shes not for grabs.
The houseman is the last one to close up and the first one there. Dont he deserve something?
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Are you talking about the bartender or the owner of the room?

People don't tip these guys for watching our backs because sometimes the bartender or the houseman is not watching our backs. They are in cahoots with the house pros and they will try to get you to play their house pro. When you get beat, they divvy up the winnings.

The houseman is someone you cannot trust. They are usually the one's hustling you to play a guy. The guy doesn't need to open his mouth because this houseman or bartender just lined him up with a game.

I do this with my houseman or bartender and break him off for lining me up with unsuspected players. When they get beat and accuse me of hustling, my houseman is a tournament director and he can lie about my rating to cover my butt.

Don't trust a houseman.
 
Don't these guys get paid an hourly wage. Why am I expected to supplement their income.

With that said, when I have extra cash I usually tip the houseman.

I also have issue with tipping a bartender who is selling me a $4 beer for popping off a cap.
 
Found this on YAHOO NEWS

A Cheat Sheet on Tipping Do's and Don'ts

Take the confusion out of tipping


Tipping can be daunting. While most of us know that it's appropriate to tip our server at a restaurant, it's not always clear whether to tip the hotel concierge, funeral chaplain or dog groomer.

If you leave a tip, how large should it be? Is 20 percent an across-the-board solution? Will your tip leave you looking like Donald Trump or Ebenezer Scrooge? Are there situations where tipping isn't necessary?

This list from Bankrate should help you answer these questions as well as give you specific gratuity guidelines.

Cash for the hotel staff

Thomas Farley, a New York-based manners expert for WhatMannersMost.com, says be prepared for a variety of tips at hotels. If the hotel is a five-star property, the service expectations are greater and the tip should be, too.

Farley's suggestions:

* Hotel porter toting your bags: $2 to $3 per bag. Room service with gratuity included on the bill: $2.

* Room service without gratuity included: 20 percent of the charge.

* Toiletry/towel delivery: $2.

* Doorman if he hails your cab: $2 to $5.

* Concierge after guest's request: $5 to $15, depending on how difficult the task is (like procuring sold-out theater tickets).

* Housekeeping: $2 to $5 per day.


Etiquette coach and trainer Constance Hoffman, of Social and Business Graces Inc. in Los Angeles, says, "Don't leave the maid's tip on the nightstand as that has sexual connotations. Instead, put it on the desk or a counter."

Also, the cleaning person may change daily, so give a tip each day before leaving the hotel so the housekeeper who makes up your room will get the money.


Tipping the wait staff

The size of a restaurant gratuity depends on how well you are served, including whether your order is correct or if your server checks on you after you receive your food, says Hoffman. Don't base your tip on the food's taste; the server has no control over it.

Hoffman's tipping guidelines:

* Restaurant wait staff: 13 percent to 20 percent of the bill.

When your party stays through the time that the restaurant could seat and serve others, tip twice the amount. Hoffman says you should always leave a minimal tip, even with abysmal service. Tips are generally shared by the restaurant's workers.

* Takeout: Nothing is necessary. But if you receive some service, like a waiter packaging your food, then tip $1 to $2 or up to 10 percent. For sushi, tip 10 percent for its preparation, Hoffman says.

* Tip jars at fast-food counters: Nothing required; it's your call.


Travel tipping

When you're on a trip, how much you tip can be a quandary. Here, Patricia Rossi, a Tampa, Fla.-based business etiquette expert at PatriciaRossi.com, sorts it out.

Rossi's tipping instructions:

* Cruise employees: Tipping policies vary between cruise lines, "but each one tells you when you board what is appropriate," says Rossi.

* Airport curbside check-in: $1 to $2 per bag, more for oversized bags.

* Taxis: 15 percent of the fare.

* Airport shuttle bus drivers: $2 to $3.

* Limousine drivers: 10 percent to 20 percent of the bill.

* Roadside services for a rental car: No tipping required.

Farley adds, "Roadside service is situational, like if someone changes your tire in subzero temps, you should tip them."


Special events

With all that happens at major events like weddings and funerals, giving gratuities might be easily overlooked. Farley, the manners expert, offered these recommendations.

Wedding tips guide:

* Wait staff: 15 percent to 20 percent of the catering bill.

* Bartender: 10 percent of liquor bill.

* Coat room/bathroom attendants: $1 per guest, paid by the host.

* Disc jockey: $50 to $100.

* Presiding official: Not required but not more than $100.

* Altar boys: $10 to $15.

* Wedding planner: $50 to $100. If it's for the planning firm's owner, don't tip.


Funeral tips guideline:

* Presiding official: $50 to $300 if an honorarium is not preset.

"Any tips for funeral home staff are handled by the funeral home," Farley says. "Sometimes those fees are itemized on the bill (as a gratuity), or they can be included in the overall price that the family pays."


Reward salon and spa workers

Many workers in the beauty business get paid a commission only or minimum wage plus a small percentage of the fee. Remember them with these gratuities suggested by etiquette coach Hoffman.

Salon/spa tipping suggestions:

* Massage therapist: 10 percent to 15 percent of the charge.

* Hairstylist: 10 percent to 20 percent.

* Manicure or facial: 15 percent.

* Barber: $2 to $3.


Don't forget your four-legged friends:

* Pet groomer: 15 percent to 20 percent.


Your best gauge is to consider the service you're getting and to give what's appropriate, says Hoffman. "Any tip given with a genuine smile and a 'thank you' is better than nothing at all," she says.
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0/15/30%

Having worked for pure tips' for 14 yrs, here's my take (1st must get the best shifts:).
Most situations in life should Never have a tip jar sittin' there in the first place. These objects pop up in many wrong places and because of that, people get confused then get angry because of lack of knowledge, or they hate beggars.
Tipping enviornments, usually have servers/bartenders/waiters that work for minimum wage. These wages actually work for the better, because they force the server to ''give good service'', or find another job.
Also, they allow the owner to over staff JIC they get slammed, and weed out the slackers. When one spends their hard earned money out and about, this aspect of the evening is soooooo important.
Other forms of tipping are basically ''BEGGING" as far as I'm concerned.
When I walk in the door 15% is the norm, if I can't afford to tip, I don't go IN, in the first place.
Tip graph, based on Real Service, can swing for 0% tip, to +30%, depends on your attitude (Server) and sincerity of your attitude. Nowadays, that service is more ''tongue and cheek'' and feels slighted when they work poorly and get 10%.
Get a life............your a slacker......
A great server is a like a great dentist, or car mechanic, its someone you can trust and feel good about while your, ''in the moment''.
I was taught yrs ago, by a successful business owner this'', think of each customer as someone who's saved up for a month or two and then had to ''choose'' well before they went out, where they wanted to go. These are your repeat customers, your best customers, and they pay the bills.
 
Island Drive said:
Having worked for pure tips' for 14 yrs, here's my take (1st must get the best shifts:).
Most situations in life should Never have a tip jar sittin' there in the first place. These objects pop up in many wrong places and because of that, people get confused then get angry because of lack of knowledge, or they hate beggars.
Tipping enviornments, usually have servers/bartenders/waiters that work for minimum wage. These wages actually work for the better, because they force the server to ''give good service'', or find another job.
Also, they allow the owner to over staff JIC they get slammed, and weed out the slackers. When one spends their hard earned money out and about, this aspect of the evening is soooooo important.
Other forms of tipping are basically ''BEGGING" as far as I'm concerned.
When I walk in the door 15% is the norm, if I can't afford to tip, I don't go IN, in the first place.
Tip graph, based on Real Service, can swing for 0% tip, to +30%, depends on your attitude (Server) and sincerity of your attitude. Nowadays, that service is more ''tongue and cheek'' and feels slighted when they work poorly and get 10%.
Get a life............your a slacker......
A great server is a like a great dentist, or car mechanic, its someone you can trust and feel good about while your, ''in the moment''.
I was taught yrs ago, by a successful business owner this'', think of each customer as someone who's saved up for a month or two and then had to ''choose'' well before they went out, where they wanted to go. These are your repeat customers, your best customers, and they pay the bills.
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I agree completely, I worked as a dealer in a casino keeping my own tips for years. Those that are lazy or rude didn't make money. Making money form the people they thought where stiffs was the best part of the day. Being polite goes a long way. It really not hard to figure out.
 
dom_poppa said:
I do this with my houseman or bartender and break him off for lining me up with unsuspected players. When they get beat and accuse me of hustling, my houseman is a tournament director and he can lie about my rating to cover my butt.
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That's pretty f'ing crooked... Hope nobody decided to break a house cue with your head over that.

...and back to the topic. Of course you tip the houseman.
 
Tip well.

I always tip well. The returns are well
worth it. If you have never done it, then
you don't know.

As far as being scammed, it's my fault.

If I make a bad game, it's my fault.

If you get one over on me, it's my fault.

Stop whining and take responsibility for yourself.
 
I didnt mean to ask for a tipping guide there is enough of that on the world wide web. We're talking about a couple of non regulars who come in play heads up with the top players and make a nice score. No problems, no hassle, everything is on the up. Youre good, Im good, lets bet.
Best man wins.
The rail is happy they got to sweat some great games.
The bettors are happy they got bang for their bucks.
In this case the Houseman is a top professional as well. Making sure everyone is happy. Serves you food, drinks, listens to your whines and poor jokes and puts a lot of $ in the jukebox with pool playing tunes. Makes sure you get out safe.
In this case even the guy who lost slipped the House something.

I was just disappointed that a real top player, in fact a pro, could be so stupid.

Eh like I said the cheapest are usually the most miserable jerks anyway.
 
yobagua said:
I didnt mean to ask for a tipping guide there is enough of that on the world wide web. We're talking about a couple of non regulars who come in play heads up with the top players and make a nice score. No problems, no hassle, everything is on the up. Youre good, Im good, lets bet.
Best man wins.
The rail is happy they got to sweat some great games.
The bettors are happy they got bang for their bucks.
In this case the Houseman is a top professional as well. Making sure everyone is happy. Serves you food, drinks, listens to your whines and poor jokes and puts a lot of $ in the jukebox with pool playing tunes. Makes sure you get out safe.
In this case even the guy who lost slipped the House something.

I was just disappointed that a real top player, in fact a pro, could be so stupid.

Eh like I said the cheapest are usually the most miserable jerks anyway.
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Again, these houseman are on the side of the house pro.

I am by no means a house pro but my houseman is on my side. He is watching for everyone's back because he doesn't want trouble in his room.

Only time I tip, is if I am buying something or he really lined me up with a sucker that he wanted to play but can't because he's working. So I will take the guy's money and we divvy up the winnings.
 
I disagree with the notion that you should tip a houseman just because you booked a winner in his room. If he keeps the room open past normal hours because you are in a long session, steers you into a game, or does something beyond just being there, then I think a tip is appropriate/mandatory. But for two out of towners to come in and tip, when usually the house tries to work together with local guys to get their money in good against them does not make a lot of sense to me, and really doesn't compare well with an impartial dealer. Just my 2¢
 
I was a houseman for a couple years.

My regulars always tipped, and tipped well. Why? Because I didn't just "pop the cap off a beer", but because I made sure their orders were ready when I saw them walking up to the door, I made sure they got the table they preferred, the rack and cue ball (red/blue dot/circle, etc) they preferred, and the table was freshly cleaned and brushed and playing well, and the balls fresh waxed. Most of my regulars were gamblers and they took their games seriously, and tipped well if I had things spic-n-span for them and ready to go before they even walked in the door. This also meant that the best table in the house, the money table, was always on reserve during the days for our gamblers and regulars. No unknown strangers unless they are playing someone we know, nobody making a mess on the table, and no amateurs f*cking around on it being harsh on the equipment.

My regulars appreciated all that, and were always verbally thankful about it. I had no complaints about any of them and tipping, all of them were, to a man, good guys. They were also universally a pretty skilled group and I took pride in having the main table and equipment up to snuff for them when they were gambling. And selfishly, I learned a heck of a lot just watching them, learned a lot about matching up, handicapping, etc. And the railbird action was often more lucrative than anything in my tip jar. :D


People who came in and showed disrespect to the top tables or equipment, or showed through their repeated disregard of tips that my services meant nothing....they ended up back in the far corner on the beat up tables with the wonky banana housecues.


System seemed to work pretty good.
 
Spider1 said:
I was a houseman for a couple years.

My regulars always tipped, and tipped well. Why? Because I didn't just "pop the cap off a beer", but because I made sure their orders were ready when I saw them walking up to the door, I made sure they got the table they preferred, the rack and cue ball (red/blue dot/circle, etc) they preferred, and the table was freshly cleaned and brushed and playing well, and the balls fresh waxed. Most of my regulars were gamblers and they took their games seriously, and tipped well if I had things spic-n-span for them and ready to go before they even walked in the door. This also meant that the best table in the house, the money table, was always on reserve during the days for our gamblers and regulars. No unknown strangers unless they are playing someone we know, nobody making a mess on the table, and no amateurs f*cking around on it being harsh on the equipment.

My regulars appreciated all that, and were always verbally thankful about it. I had no complaints about any of them and tipping, all of them were, to a man, good guys. They were also universally a pretty skilled group and I took pride in having the main table and equipment up to snuff for them when they were gambling. And selfishly, I learned a heck of a lot just watching them, learned a lot about matching up, handicapping, etc. And the railbird action was often more lucrative than anything in my tip jar. :D


People who came in and showed disrespect to the top tables or equipment, or showed through their repeated disregard of tips that my services meant nothing....they ended up back in the far corner on the beat up tables with the wonky banana housecues.


System seemed to work pretty good.
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You're not going to get a tip from me if you put me in the back of the bus. When I was in Vegas, I went to a pool hall because I couldn't stand staying in my hotel and I needed my pool fix.

I had the cabbie take me to a pool room and there was plenty of action in the front tables. 3 or 4 tables lined up in the front with people playing. The dumb bartender sends me all the way in the back. I told her I like to play in the front and she said it was reserved for gambling.

I told her I won't get in the way and I will let them shoot first or get out of the way if the other guy and I would cross paths.

She put me up front. So she got a tip. She probably thought I was a banger until she saw that I attracted an audience and it was all good. They asked if I wanted to gamble, but I didn't have my cue. It came as no surprise that I spotted 2 Southwest cues there...lol
 
a few bucks, a few polite words

I tend to tip whenever there is any question of tipping and usually include a few polite words. Remember that TIPS are "To Insure Prompt Service" or put another way, goodwill. The person getting the tip is happy, the people noticing me tip will probably note I'm a good guy, and I suspect the person getting the tip mentions it to his co-workers, I'm generally well taken care of where I take care of the people there. Maybe the odds are I won't benefit from any one particular tip but I think the pattern of tipping is beneficial.

I'm not bashful about using the stick either. When someone that is used to me tipping jerks me around a bit the tip isn't forthcoming. It's a two way street buddy! I don't sweat any particular scale. I may eat a seven or eight dollar lunch and tip five dollars for excellent service, I might eat a forty dollar meal and tip two or three bucks for inferior service. If the service was plain crappy I tip a quarter just so they know I didn't forget! The same general principles carry over in a pool hall. Good guys get good tips, unknown usually get good tips, take me over the hurdles one way or another and I'll not only not tip you this time, I won't tip you until I figure I am well ahead. I'm not the kind of guy to settle for getting even when I can get a little lagniappe!

Hu
 
dom_poppa said:
You're not going to get a tip from me if you put me in the back of the bus.
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Notice I said "showed through their repeated disregard of tips that my services meant nothing....they ended up back in the far corner"


Part of dealing with the public is giving everyone a fair chance.
 
Island Drive said:
I was taught yrs ago, by a successful business owner this'', think of each customer as someone who's saved up for a month or two and then had to ''choose'' well before they went out, where they wanted to go. These are your repeat customers, your best customers, and they pay the bills.
Click to expand...

Too bad most in the work place today do not share that attitude. GREAT POST!
 
MRP2k12 said:
I'll tip a couple of bucks even if i didint get any drinks or food.

Im the brokest dude around so if i can tip a couple bucks nobody else has an excuse.
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I like it....but don't give the true slackers any assistance, they are in the wrong line of work and they need to move on sooner than later.
 
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