Lucky Dog Poker by Russ Scott

An Illinois reader wants to know how much to tip poker dealers, and a player in Alabama asks what's the rule when you drop a hole card on the floor. Here's the scoop.

Q: Russ, I've "Googled" this question but find the answers too general. I'm a low-limit player and would like to know how much to tip dealers in a card room. Your thoughts? — Doug B. in Springfield, Ill.

A: Great question, Doug.

Although poker dealers rely on tips for most of their income, tipping shouldn't be automatic. Nor should tipping be strictly dependent on whether you are winning or losing because dealers can't control the cards or the outcome of hands — barring a rare dealer error that could cost you a pot.

Tipping rewards the quality of a dealer's work. Was she efficient? Did she keep the game moving? Was she pleasant? Did she make errors?

A dealer who makes the game enjoyable, efficient and mistake-free — regardless of how the cards fall — deserves to be tipped.

You asked about these specific scenarios in a $3-$6 limit hold 'em game:

1) I play for two hours and win $300. What should I tip when I'm done?

In most card rooms, dealers don't split tips with other dealers. They keep what they earn. So, you should tip as the game progresses rather than waiting until the end of your session. That way you can reward the better dealers accordingly.

If you prefer to wait until you finish playing to leave a tip, then 5 percent of your winnings is about right. If you lose for the session, then your current practice of giving a $10 gratuity is fine. Remember, though, it may not go to the staffers who deserve it most.

2) I win a hold 'em hand but only collect the blind money. Tip?

No. If there's no flop, you need not tip.

3) I win a $180 hand. How much should I tip?

That's a really nice pot in a $3-$6 game.

I think you should tip from $1 to $5, depending on how well the dealer was performing. The $1-$5 tip range should apply on any pot of $150 or more.

4) I win a $90 hand. What's the correct tip?

A $1 or $2 tip would be appropriate for a $90 pot. I also would tip at least $1 for any pot of $50 to $90. Some casinos use quarters or 50-cent chips, which are handy for tips on pots under $50.

By the way, Doug, tournaments are a little different. This is one occasion when tipping happens at the end.

Many tournaments now take 3 percent gratuity for staff out of the prize pool. In those events, I might not give a tip on a modest cash-winning finish. For a substantial win, however, I usually tip 3 percent to 5 percent of my profit after subtracting the buy-in, entry fees and tax implications.

Q: While playing in a hold 'em home game recently, an irregularity came up. After the river card was dealt, I made a bet but then dropped one of my hole cards on the floor while waiting for the other player to act. Was my hand still live? — George H. in Huntsville, Ala.

A: It depends, George.

In this case, as your follow-up e-mail explained, the person in charge of the game ruled the card was still in play because it had not touched another card and was not thrown into the muck.

I agree with that decision. It was fair, plus it followed the commonly accepted Robert's Rules of Poker, which many home games use to keep things orderly.

However, public card rooms make their own rules. In many of them, the floor supervisor would have declared your hand dead and awarded the pot to your opponent. They install this rule to avoid collusion or cheating.

You wrote, "I did not know what was going to happen to my hand but was glad the ruling was in my favor." Happily for you, your trip kings were declared the winner over your opponent's two pair.

E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com or www.luckydogpoker.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 RUSS SCOTT

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