1. Welcome to VegasMessageBoard
    It appears you are visiting our community as a guest.
    In order to view full-size images, participate in discussions, vote in polls, etc, you will need to Log in or Register.

how much roughly do you tip a day ?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by simundo26, Mar 23, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. simundo26

    simundo26 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2013
    Messages:
    296
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    0
    First this isn't a thread about to stir the pot regarding tipping

    As we from the uk (yes we dont have a good reputation) how much do you tip per day would you say, coming for 10 days can get expensive in tipping alone, i i be honest i don't tip everyone.

    people i tip include
    club hosts who can help skip the lines
    bartender/cocktail waitress ( i know the irs assumes they get a tip of everyone so are tax per drink)
    skydiving instructor
    sit down casual dining

    i dont tip cab line attendents, cab drivers or dealers ( i hate that dealers tips are pooled together)

    so how much do you roughly tip per day ?
     
  2. Tubbs

    Tubbs High-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2009
    Messages:
    849
    Location:
    Leicester, UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    15
    Those cab drivers and dealers must really love you!

    Are you just asking how much others tip or are you trying to calculate how much you need to budget for tipping? The amounts people tip will vary hugely depending on what they do all day - table games v machines, buffets v expensive meals, clubs, taxis ... It's probably just a few dollars for some and many hundreds for others.
     
  3. meyers67

    meyers67 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    May 30, 2013
    Messages:
    1,742
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30

    Start tipping cab drivers and dealers. That's ridiculous.
     
  4. simundo26

    simundo26 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2013
    Messages:
    296
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    0
    just a rough estimate not taken into consideration like fine dining
    just wanted to give my mate who coming for the first time a heads up on what to expect
     
  5. simundo26

    simundo26 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2013
    Messages:
    296
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    0
    how it ridiculous next you start telling me to tip the people who work in McDonald. I don't want this thread as a debate on who i should tip thanks
     
  6. NYPoker

    NYPoker Tourist

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2012
    Messages:
    275
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    2
    After all is said and done I estimate that I tip around $40 - $50 a day... but I tip dealers and cab drivers... If I go to a restaurant or something obviously this amount is higher for the day. Why would you tip a bartender and cocktail waitress and not a dealer... they ALL pool tips.
     
  7. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2009
    Messages:
    16,023
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    175
    I tip a buck a drink to CW or bartender.
    Since most of our meals are comped, I tend to be more generous. So 25-30% of the bill. When not comped, then usually 20% unless it was bad service.
    Cabs-10%
    I don't tip cab line attendants, but I do tip dealers. BTW, bartender tips are pooled also, so I don't understand not tipping a dealer?

    On a daily daily basis in tips and this is just a huge GUESS, maybe $75-100. But there are so many variables and everybody is different.

    If I have a hotdog for lunch instead of a casual sit down, that changes the tipping amount drastically. So, I really don't think there is an answer to your question.
     
  8. fenway68

    fenway68 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    May 21, 2006
    Messages:
    2,595
    Location:
    Connecticut by way of Massachusetts
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    26
    I tip cabbies a bit, just rounding off the fare and adding a couple of $1's

    I tip CW's and bartenders at VP bar $1-$5/per usually start high and then $1/per...any special requests (ice on the side, extra olives, complicated cocktail)? extra $1, add a water..extra $1...etc, so have your mate calculate his average daily drinks and multiply...on the high side go $2/drink avg, depending on what you are drinking...

    I do tip dealers, especially at craps, so they watch my bets more carefully..that has paid off more often than not..BJ too and at the poker table...strong believer in Karma

    Meals..sit down, figure your avg daily meal bill for sit down places and top 20%...maybe 25% if you do fine dining...if they add an auto gratuity i don't usually add more, out of principle...


    for buffets...I go $2/per person, minimum, more if the server helps with anything, is attentive with coffee refills, is smiling, chatty etcI like people who are happy and like their jobs..and appreciate customer service ideals.....I rarely make special requests in line, so I do not usually find myself tipping the cooks, but then again I rarely eat at a buffet.

    we also leave a $1-2/day tip for the housekeepers...

    and no, don't tip at McDonalds (why are you in that line anyway!!-wink-wink:rolleyes2:)
     
  9. simundo26

    simundo26 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2013
    Messages:
    296
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    0
    as MacDonald in America taste so much better then home, that's why im there
     
  10. Canuckgem

    Canuckgem Tourist

    Joined:
    May 29, 2011
    Messages:
    95
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    7
    On average I would estimate my daily tipping amount to be about $20-$30 per day, including housekeeping, meals, cabs (if and when I use them) etc.
     
  11. engicedave

    engicedave VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2005
    Messages:
    1,154
    You made that debate when you told us who you do and do not tip and even included your opinion on it.

    You are asking about our customs and their costs, and people are answering your question, which includes who it is proper to tip.

    Cabbies and dealers should be tipped and that is a part of their income. The fact that it's pooled and your dislike for that is irrelevant, because the fact is, not every dealer can work the high limit tables where players tip hundreds to thousands of dollars, which is why tipping is pooled, to be fair to all dealers.

    Cabbies make squat and have to hustle to make a buck, tipping is reasonable.

    BTW, as mentioned, another reason to tip dealers is so they can help you and watch your play. Dealers want players to win, so they tip. If you don't tip, don't be pissed when you forget that line bet, yo bet or suggestion to split. Why help you if your attitude is "screw you?"
     
  12. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2010
    Messages:
    6,477
    Location:
    Chicago South Suburbs
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    25
    The only restaurant situation you don't tip in is fast food: McD's, Chipotle, KFC, etc. Buffets would be more like $2/person, depending on quality of service. For any other sit down restaurant, you tip at minimum 15% although 20% is slowly becoming the norm. Tipping on percentage takes into account the difference in service between Denny's and a place like Guy Savoy. You should tip cabbies: The tip is the only part of the fare they keep 100%. CW's should get a minimum of $1 per drink per round but again that's a minimum. You will see them more often if you tip more. Housekeeping is a minimum $2/day, depending on the job they do and what I may be putting them through.

    My tip list includes:

    Valets
    Bellmen
    CW's
    Restaurants and Buffet service
    Housekeeping

    I think my average would be $40 depending on what type of dining we do in a particular day. I don't even really think about it anymore. I save loose change between trip to cover some of it and loose change during the trip covers the rest.
     
  13. nhcris

    nhcris VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2010
    Messages:
    1,458
    Location:
    NH
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    36
    I use either my credit card or room charge for dining, so tip @ 20+% for sit down meals (10% for buffets).

    I use cash to tip the following:

    Cabbies @ 15% plus or minus based on performance/personality
    Cab line dude - he gets $1 period
    Valets - $2 in/$2 out unless he helps with luggage, then a bit more
    Bellman (rarely used unless I have to check my suitcase & carryon while waiting for room or flight time) usually gets $5
    Housekeeping - $3-5 (plus loose change) per day depending on room
    Cocktail waitress on casino floor- $2-$5 generally ($5 is for first time or special requests) $1 if service is slow.
    Dealer - I rarely do tables, but when I do I follow what my generous friends do


    Before I leave home I get $50 in singles and $100 in fives and $100 in tens. Since I use the envelope system for gambling, I put all that in an envelope for tip money. Each morning I grab my daily gambling money and a chunk of tip money to start the day. At the end of the day, extra ones and fives (that includes any left over from the chunk I started with and any additional I picked up through the day as change or cashing Titos) go back into the tip envelope. Usually I have some left at the end of the trip.
     
  14. merlin

    merlin MIA

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2009
    Messages:
    3,755
    Location:
    mn
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    40
    I tip maybe $30 a day, but I do tip dealers and that's most of it. Tip a buck a drink for comped cocktails and 15 -20% for meals and you'll be fine.

    Bottom line is dont let anyone bully you or guilt you into tipping if you dont want to, if you're losing at the tables they dont expect a tip either.
     
  15. ncfatcat

    ncfatcat Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Messages:
    100
    Location:
    Charlotte NC
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    2
    Another reason to tip dealers - most all the pit guys were dealers once and they notice the good tippers. I'm positive I get way over rated by tipping.
     
  16. scottydoog

    scottydoog Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2009
    Messages:
    367
    Location:
    Birmingham, England. But born and raised in Bonny
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    31
    CW and bartenders get $1-5, depending on where I am and what I order, if I hit a decent score (2000-4000 coins) while playing VP, they get $20 minimum.
    Sit down meals 15% min, then round up.
    Cab drivers get from 0 ( if they are trying to rip me off) to 10-15% plus round up if they are talkative,funny etc.etc.
    Cab stand guy $1
    Maids get $2 day minimum, more if they leave extra towels, toiletries etc.
    Bellman get $2-5
    Valet gets $2 in/out
    If I play table games and get a winner $1-5, depending on how much the win is, on a decent score I may lob a green chip his/her way

    So, on an average day, at an average hotel in Vegas it probably runs to around $40-60, but is totally dependent on what you are doing, and for me, it depends how I am doing gambling wise.
     
  17. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2009
    Messages:
    5,820
    Location:
    Burnaby, BC
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    17
    Yeah I never tip that line attendant guy: even though he tells the cabbie where I am going the cab driver always still asks me where I am going.

    As for the dealers issue: if given a choice the dealers would insist on their tips being pooled.

    The problem there is that you are looking at it from the "you" angle, like: if the dealer did a good job and put on a good game then you want to give them something extra...

    The reality is: your "bonus" would probably be $5-10 more, maybe $25 if you had a good run? But if dealers didn't pool their tips then none of them would want to work the cheap tables or the crappy shifts, they'd all want Friday and Saturday nights in the high limit tables or high limit room... where while your bonus tip is very generous to you its mostly just chump change to the tips they can earn on a single hand at the high limit tables.
     
  18. Kobra2848

    Kobra2848 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2011
    Messages:
    2,418
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    38
    Just returned from six days and I tipped on average about 60 bucks a day. We stayed at both PHO and MGM so took three cab rides and had wonderful drivers on each trip. We did no fine dining this trip unless you want to count brunch at the Wicked Spoon and the nice stroll to Ellis Island for BBQ. I tip CW's, Bell, Cab, Housekeeping, buffet and the people that come around and wipe down the slot machines. I was surprised how many people don't tip at the buffets. The last morning at the MGM buffet there was three tables around us that didn't tip which was surprising since our waitress was wonderful and provided her section great service.
    Mark
     
  19. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2012
    Messages:
    3,414
    The problem with this reasoning is its solely rests on a nirvana fallacy. If you don't want to tip them because you don't feel they warrant it that's fine, but its irrational not to do it just because the way its done is not a perfect system (in your eyes). Your dealer still benefits from the pool.

    Dealer tips are by far the biggest portion of my total tips. I don't even like working out what goes to them. But I'd say not including dealers its probably around $150 per day for two of us. That's estimating about $300-$400 per day on meals so ~$80 in tips plus $5 a drink to the CW when I'm at the tables and $2-$3 at machines. Plus averaging out the misc tips for things like limo and bellhop on first and last days. We like to walk so rarely take cabs. I think those numbers are pretty accurate because I see all the restaurant tips on the folio at checkout and I thinks its usually close to $400 for a typical 4-5 day stay.
     
  20. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2007
    Messages:
    8,401
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    18
    In vegas, I'd probably tip in an average day:

    $5-10 to cocktail waitresses
    $10 to restaurant wait staff (this one varies wildly based on the price level of restaurant and buffet versus not)
    $20 to dealers
    $5 other sources.


    There are already many threads detailing "standards" and reasons for tipping, so I don't want to rehash it all.

    But, cab drivers: They get a tip if they were polite, friendly, and I'm confident they took the appropriate route.

    Dealers: For table games, its really about having a fun time and a good dealer is a HUGE part of that. If a dealer at least keeps the game friendly and fun I'll be tipping. If they enhance the fun I'll tip more. If they are a downer or begging for tips, they are likely to get stiffed. I don't worry about the tip pooling. Its not ideal, but peer pressure handles underperformers.

    Others: I'll tip bell desk personnel if I use them, but I seldom do (unless im having my bags watched after checkout). I don't try tipping for better seats or better rooms ... it would be fun, but I care less about the upgrade so its just not worth bothering.
     
Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.