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Hand Pays, I'm Not Tipping

Discussion in 'Casino Gaming' started by DOUBLE B, Oct 30, 2013.

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  1. DOUBLE B

    DOUBLE B Tourist

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    I play VP exclusively. I am a rec player and not a AP player. So I have good days/sessions and bad ones. Occasionally I hit 4 A's or a RF for a dollar. That's a hand pay. As you know whenever you hit a jackpot there will be 2 or 3 attendants at the machine within a minute. All extremely friendly and buddy-buddy. I always get a check instead of cash on hand pay. Why! The machines will not accept checks and the check goes out the door with me when I finish. What I notice as soon as I say "Check Please" all the friendly/buddy-buddy talk stops. Recently I told the attendant "check please" and she come back with cash. I told her no cash-"check please". She got down right rude saying I did not tell her check! No if, ands, or buts---I had told her check. So she huffs off and come back with check and never says a word-nothing. Just hands me check and leaves. I am not a cheap scape and I tip without a problem when appropriate and without any reservations I tip appropriately.

    My problem is if I put a $1000 in a VP machine and get zip I don't expect anyone to give it back or make it up to me. Why should I give one or more attendants $$$$$ to bring me my money if I have a good hit. How many do I tip? There is always 2 and sometimes 3 attendants show up. I am suppose to tip them all? Tip them for what? What have they done for me? Where were they when I was getting my clock cleaned the last time I played VP.

    Tip them to bring me my money? Hell! I will go get it. Sorry, I just don't get it that "they" are performing a service to bring me my money...it does not take 2 or 3 attendants to "get" my money?

    Now! For your side of the story!
     
  2. C0usineddie

    C0usineddie VIP Whale

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    I will tip them.

    i am not a cheap scape either.
     
  3. sargentodiaz

    sargentodiaz Tourist

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    With the edge on the current machines, it often costs more to hit jackpots than what they pay off. Bu tipping, you are only reducing the amount of win or increasing the loss.

    However, the ones to tip are the cocktail waitresses if they hustle their tails to keep you happy while you're playing.
     
  4. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    My side: I tip them. Usually 1% of the win. I’ve yet to run into a situation where 1% of my payout amounted to over $100. If (when!) I do, I doubt that I’d give more than $100 unless I hit something ridiculously large.

    I don’t buy the “they don’t perform a service” argument. After all, you could give your order directly to the cooks and pick up your food when it's ready, but you still tip the waitress. So why does the waitress deserve a tip? And I could sure as heck make my own drink better than most bartenders who've waited on me. So, perhaps they don't perform a service either.

    But I will give you the fact that it is sometimes odd which services we deem tip-worthy. And I don't have any problem with people who don't tip the hand pay attendants. To each his own.
     
  5. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    Unfair comparison because hand pays are solely a tax issue. If they removed that tax law the hand pays would disappear right away, there is zero consumer demand for that service, unlike there is for waitresses and bartenders. Every gambler would rather just get paid automatically like they do on every other win on every other game instead of having someone coming over to hand them a tax form. Its not a consumer service, its a legislative directive.
     
  6. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Every one of us can come up with a justification/rationalization why we do or do not tip on a hand pay, or in other situations.

    Beyond what works for each of us individually, it's all moot.
     
  7. BeeeJay

    BeeeJay President of The Red Lobster Hostess Satisfaction

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    i've probably spent $25,000 on tips in the past 5 years over 38 trips. That is more than my current bankroll.

    Do I regret it?

    No.

    It is important to me to take care of the tipped employees hustling their asses for near minimum wage. I believe in the U.S. tipping system. The low wages help the employers/owners earn the necessary profits without raising prices.

    The chance for additional income motivates a sufficient number of service employees to give outstanding experiences that I think its worth the annoyance of having to tip.

    I feel I"m spending the same amount I would be with higher prices, higher wages and no tips, only in the current system I get to CHOOSE for the better service personal to get 25% while the dipshit gets 10%. I like that.

    Also it feels good not being a Cheap Scape.

    It's a lot better than not tipping, making someone miss their mortgage payment, and having them make me out to be the Skate Goat. :evillaugh:evillaugh:evillaugh

    (agree the hand pay is THE MOST ANNOYING of the tipping situations because it shouldn't even fucking exist, but its not the casinos fault, maybe they'll get rid of it in the next tax overhaul)
     
  8. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    I don’t care for the W2-G. But I MUCH prefer getting a hand pay to having the credits automatically appear. If I had the option, I’d still take a hand pay even knowing I “had” to tip.

    I’m not saying that changes any argument. But, I just wanted to take exception to your “every gambler” comment.
     
  9. engicedave

    engicedave VIP Whale

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    I tip, here's why.

    1. It's good ju-ju. Just like tipping a CW. Good karma generates good karma. Superstitious? Maybe, but more like "paying it forward" and just "good karma"

    2. By tipping the first handpay, they remember me, and if and when I get the next handpay, they won't drag ass in doing it. Believe me, they could slow the process waaaay doooown if they wanted to and make you wait to the point of frustration. So, why not drop them a 20 now for your $1200+ win, when the reality is, you're likely to lose that same $20 in 5-10 mins playing that same or another machine?
     
  10. Grid

    Grid Well-Known Member

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    2 stories.

    Playing the Lions share at MGM I finally cashed out right around a hundo. This is after I kept feeding it money to continue to play. I was probably down like 2 bills when i threw in the towel to move on. Even if you cash out a buck at this machine they have to hand pay you. I wait, and wait, and finally they show up with their cute little fanny pack of cash. She said congrats and peels off 4 $20's bills and 2 tens (maybe 2 fives and a 10 I dont remember exactly). I took it all and put it in my pocket knowing all too well she wanted a tip. She stood there for a few seconds and finally said good luck Sir and walked away.

    I felt like a dick and a cheapskate even though I knew I would be a fool to tip on a loss! She did provide a service, but so does the guy that empties my ashtray when I play.

    Story 2, last year at the Monte Carlo I hit for $10,365.00. 2 people come out right away with high 5's all around. I half expected a giant check and a photo op since I know NY NY has pictures of people up in their joint with smaller wins. But nope, not for Grid. I ask for $365 in cash and a check for the 10K. I reached in my pocket to see what I had on me when he ran off to get the money, and it was like $60 or so dollars. So I had that wadded up and just gave it to him after he paid me. For 10 minutes of work I thought that was fair. No way I was going to give over a hundo (1%) especially since I was down considerably at that point. I handed my wife $200.00 though from the cash and we played on. I'd rather her share in my wins than a stranger.
     
  11. JosieCat

    JosieCat VIP Whale

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    I tip. But for me the amount I tip is dependent on how far down I am. Believe me, I've had hand-pays that don't even bring me back to even in a session (can you say degenerate gambler :) ) - but I always tip something. My standard is usually $20-$40. I am not of the opinion that this needs to be based on a percentage though. Whether I hit $2,000 or $5,000 - the work involved on their part is no different - so why should I tip differently. If I ever someday hit a big one - I'm sure that would be different - but what are the chances of that happening.
     
  12. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    They're not giving you the cash because they want to give the cash. They're giving you a cash because they need to accompany it with the W2-G. You can't have one without the other. Tell me what gambler in their right mind would want a W2-G? Its either neutral or negative from a tax perspective, never positive. Its not a consumer service at all.
     
  13. chitownjohn

    chitownjohn High-Roller

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    +1 - that's exactly the way I feel about it, it's all about the karma baby. :thumbsup:
     
  14. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    I always tip the handpay people and the bartender also, if I'm playing at the bar. Which for me is 99% of the time.

    But, my level of tipping varies by which casino I won. If it is at MSS or Cal where a lot of employees know me, then I tip generously.

    If it is somewhere where nobody knows me, then probably $10 each for handpay people and the bartender.
     
  15. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    Hand pay does not necessarily mean a W2-G. Hand pays can be (and are) given for amounts less than $1200.

    Yes, I realize that with the majority of hand pays will come a W2-G. No, I don’t want a W2-G.

    Yes, I realize that most casinos would do away with hand pays altogether if not for the tax laws.

    I am saying that I like getting the cash instead of the credits. In a world where I was given the option of having the credits automatically appear on the machine or having someone bring me the cash (with the same tax implications) for large wins, I would chose the latter – even if it meant I had to tip the person bringing me the cash.
     
  16. NickyDim

    NickyDim Hockey is life

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    I don't disagree with your logic here of how much work is involved in the two different scenarios, however, if a waiter brought you 2 plates and a drink for your dinner and your bill is $20 you'd tip the same if those 2 plates and a drink was for $75 at a more expensive restaurant?


    And in my opinion, and just my opinion, the OP does sound like a cheapskate on what he wrote. He may not be, I don't know him, but the post makes it sound like it.

    I tip on hand pays. Maybe I get caught up in the win and want to share that feeling, maybe I don't want to screw with karma and tempt fate, or maybe I just drink too much and become too generous, but I'm there to have a grand ole time and if I'm getting a hand pay, everyone around will have a good time too.
     
  17. bjpcyclone

    bjpcyclone High-Roller

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    As a low roller, I don't have a bunch of experience with hand pays but I do thinking tipping is a nice gesture but no one should feel obligated to tip them.

    Do you tip the slot attendant that is replacing the paper or fixing your machine? They are providing a similar service but I'd guess 99.9% of people don't tip them.
     
  18. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    Sure if I could have the cashiers come to me at the table and cash out my chips instead of having to go to the window I might love that and tip them for it because that would be a convenient service I choose to get. You're talking about a utopian scenario where you can choose to have exactly what you want and none of what you don't. But in the real world a hand pay isn't a choice and it isn't about the cash, its about the tax form.
     
  19. ACMike

    ACMike High-Roller

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    I tip on handpays, but only because it's expected and I don't want to feel cheap :cool:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 30, 2013
  20. scottydoog

    scottydoog Low-Roller

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    I was at the Orleans in June, about to go off to bed around 2 AM-ish??, stopped off at the cabaret bar for a last drink, hit a royal in hearts on quarters for the progressive of $1043.something. Got hand pay for that??, gave the runner $20 and the barman the $23, never had drink service so quick as when he seen I hit the royal!!
    I have hit 3 previous royals @ Orleans (in quarters), but never had a hand pay for less that $1200 before.
     
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