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Casino Drinks

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by jam13rel, Oct 25, 2013.

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  1. jam13rel

    jam13rel Tourist

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    Hi, im going to Vegas next month staying at The Mirage, i just wanted to find out the protocol in regards to drinks whilst gaming. Am i right in thinking if you order a drink whilst gaming then the drink is free but your expected to tip? My questions are, are there any sort of exclusion drinks? What sort of tip should i be leaving for a beer? or a short (whiskey, vodka ect)?

    Thank you in advance
     
  2. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    Yes, drinks are free while gambling.

    Note that waitresses have their own specific areas they work in. You can't just flag down any waitress you see and ask for a drink. You have to wait until one is coming around taking orders.

    Waitresses will come around and take orders and then go fill those orders and drop them off. Most of the time (but not all the time) they do not take orders while dropping drinks off.

    The waitress will give you your drink, do not take it from her tray.

    The waitress will only bring you one drink at a time. If you've been tipping well and are on a friendly basis with her you might be able to get her to bring you a shot and a beer, but most of the time it'll just be one drink at a time.

    If you are hoping you can skirt the system of only one drink at a time by ordering something that has a lot of shots of alcohol in it... you can probably get something that will have 2 shots of different alcohol in it, but more than that is not very likely.

    If you are going to need change from the waitress let her know when she takes your order, IE: if you want to tip $1 but only have a $20 let her know and she will bring change back.

    If you are going to tip the waitress then do it when she brings you your drink.

    You are not required to tip, but most people do.

    Most people tip 50 cents for coffee, tea or water and $1 for other drinks.

    Some people will tip more on the first drink, IE: $5, and then tip $1 on each subsequent drink. This is to "get noticed" by the waitress in the hopes it will mean more drinks... but actual effect varies.

    If you consistently tip big, IE: $5 per drink, you will usually get better service. If it is really busy, you are moving around a lot or just happen to be in an area where there is no cocktail service then it won't have that much of an effect.

    At some places the waitress will not serve somebody a free drink if they are not playing. IE: if you are standing behind your significant other watching them play and the waitress comes around she will take an order from the one playing, but may not take an order from you standing there.

    Sometimes service is slow, sometimes the waitress doesn't come around very often, sometimes they never come around at all. Whining to casino staff that you never see a waitress or saying something (or making a face) like "finally you are here" isn't going to get better service and will usually have the opposite effect. IE: very easy for her to forget your drink.

    If you are really thirsty and the cocktail service is slow there is always the casino bar where you can buy a beer for $5-7 or you can go to the casino gift shop and buy a big (710ml) can of beer for $3-5. No, buying your drink from the bar or the store is not "free" like they are in the casino floor however you (A) have your drink right away and (B) if you sit there and keep playing something over and over just waiting for a drink then it can end up costing you a lot more than the few bucks it'd cost to buy the drink - this is what people refer to as having a $20 "free drink"

    Note that the waitresses aren't there to get you hammered. If its a slow night you might see the waitress every 10 minutes but its more normal to see her 1-3 times an hour so that you can have some drinks, get a buzz on and keep gambling... it doesn't help the casino any if you are pass out drunk after the first hour. If you want to get totally drunk then go to the bar or buy something from the store and take it up to your room.

    You can order pretty much anything from the waitress but if its something unknown or regional then just tell her what is in it. IE: you might know a drink as "_____ ______" at your local bar but if nobody else outside of your home town has heard that term just say what you want, listing alcohol first.

    If you want a specific brand, IE: Grey Goose Vodka, then you can ask for that... however getting it depends on what you are playing. If you are a penny slot player asking for Grey Goose she'll likely tell you no and if you want a vodka drink it'll be whatever is in the gun.

    You can ask the waitress for a specific brand of beer or ask them what beers they have. But don't be a time waster like asking her "What beers do you have?" when you want a Budweiser - everybody has Budweiser.

    If you don't know what you want you can always ask for suggestions. How receptive the waitress is will depend on how busy it is but usually you can just say something like "I would like something with peach schapps that is kind of fruity flavored, but not orange juice... what can you suggest?" But if its really busy and she has other customers then she can't stand there playing a guessing game of "what do you want?" with you if you aren't certain. If the waitress does bring something different you should tip her extra for this.
     
  3. Ty

    Ty ?

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    Wow, great answer Auggie.

    All I can add is you will likely get free drinks at the bar with decent play on VP.
     
  4. wpete

    wpete High-Roller

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    Damn Auggie, that has to be the best "Tip" response I ever saw anywhere. The only thing I might add and I can't believe that I didn't see in your 12 paragraphs, I figured it had to be somewhere, is that when you mentioned how much to tip, I would add that it's much easier to tip with chips, instead of cash moola.

    Good Job.
     
  5. USCHawks

    USCHawks High-Roller

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    Yes, the drinks are free if you're gambling but you should tip when you receive the drink. Minimum $1, but you're more than welcome to tip more if you feel like it. As far as what you can drink, it's dependent on the casino. You may get a better variety of drinks at a place like Cosmo or Wynn opposed to a small casino off the strip. If you're going for a particular drink, go ahead and ask if it's available. The worst that can happen is that they say no.

    Being nice to the cocktail waitress, saying please and thank you, and having your tip ready when she comes back around never hurts either.

    Edit - When I opened this thread there no responses, I guess I was too slow because Auggie covered it perfectly.
     
  6. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    Hard to find fault in Auggie's great response! :thumbsup:

    I will add that a bottle of water takes up just as much real estate on the CW's tray as an expensive Scotch. So make sure to tip for waters and sodas too. Also, while Auggie is correct that they usually won't bring you two (alcoholic) drinks, they will bring you a drink and a water - just make sure to tip for each of them.
     
  7. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    I have had CW's bring me a drink and while playing my machine (my drink is still half full), the waitress would come back and ask me if i wanted the last drink on her tray (it's sometimes rude when some people order a drink and then just leave abruptly from the area before she comes back). The CW doesn't look for a tip (i already tipped when i go my drink), if i accept the drink as is. I will, however reward her when she comes back......doesn't matter if she's a Margaritaville college freshman or an 80 year old CP veteran drink specialist, i tip them well every time and i tell them i appreciate them being friendly in a sometimes unfriendly job. I probably tip above the average, i play slots, and when i'm about to leave, (after i ordered), i have the courtesy to wait at the machine (even though i'm done playing), to wait for her and tip like i normally do.
    One of my pet peeves is siting next to an ungrateful player who just sits there while playing the machine, doesn't even look up when she brings you the drink. These woman work hard for the money (a little Donna Summer there), and i gladly relieve my bankroll for a job well done.
     
  8. jam13rel

    jam13rel Tourist

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    Thanks everyone some great replies. Auggie thank you for your in depth response very useful.
     
  9. dalej42

    dalej42 Low-Roller

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    For discounted drinks at casino bars, check in the coupon book you're likely to be given upon check in. Sometimes there's a coupon for a free drink or two, there's also often discount deals. You can also use social media, such as foursquare, to find deals, typically buy one, get one free.
     
  10. wishman35

    wishman35 VIP Whale

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    Off topic but bleh - unless I am doing some bar top video blackjack or video poker at Cosmo where you get a solid quality drink, I stick to beer at other hotels for the free drink. Those cocktails from the gun are just bleh. Nothing like a fresh vodka flavored vodka cocktail :vomit:
     
  11. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    A very compressive answer Auggie:thumbsup:
     
  12. h_upmann

    h_upmann Low-Roller

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    Really? Is this 1980?
    I would suggest the absolute minimum is $1 and applies to coffee, water, soft drinks as well as real drinks.
     
  13. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    LOL.........In 1980 i was tipping $2-$5 per drink. In fact, i have then and will continue to tip well, especially for coffee and tea and hot chocolate, which is a little more involved because i like those "drinks" with some milk/cream, sugar, and marshmallows.
     
  14. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    I agree 100%.
     
  15. Gdicke13

    Gdicke13 Low-Roller

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    Auggie couldn't be more right on...I always give a $5 chip for the 1st drink to get our waitress to come back soon and often... Then it's $2 from then on. I always seem to have great service w that. It's amazing to me how many people rarely tip or don't at all! If you're good to them they will be good to you. Most drinks are in play, ie good vodka or a good beer...just ask...have fun
     
  16. 75VWnut

    75VWnut Low-Roller

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  17. ChickenBone Jones

    ChickenBone Jones Low-Roller

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    I tipped $2 per drink last week and had really good service everywhere I went. In fact at the mgm I was getting replacements without even ordering.
    I also had something happen I've never experienced before. I was at a BJ table play $50 per hand and I had an empty in front of me. The pit asked me if I wanted another and picked up the phone. Not 60 seconds after the call the CW came over with a replacement. I guess it pays to be nice.
     
  18. Bo333

    Bo333 VIP Whale

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    I'll second that treating them as human, as in always saying 'thank you' and 'please' go a long way. (In addition to the tip of course.)
     
  19. RedRiverRose

    RedRiverRose VIP Whale

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    Very informative response. You covered it, nothing to add.
     
  20. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    If they have fully rolled it out correctly. We tried this in May maybe? We waited about 30 minutes for nothing.

    Generally I like this system, works pretty good for CET properties in Tunica.

    "Quick" drink service is still at the bar playing vp or blackjack though (except Wynn of course).

    I also agree about the $1 for even non alcoholic drinks. It takes the waitress the same amount of effort. If service is particularly good, $2 is definitely more appropriate. The dollar isn't what it used to be. :(
     
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