If you play poker for a living or for fun, you know the importance of having a good dealer at your table.

Have you ever had a dealer grab your cards and muck it on accident, or burn and turn too soon, or leave a discarded hand out so your opponent can grab it and turn it over to show a winning hand? All of these things can and have cost almost all of us a pot.

The reason this happens is because most players don’t tip enough to the good dealers and tip too much for the bad dealer. Think about your own tipping style. Chances are you tip a certain amount (whether it’s one chip or two, some folks three depending on the size of the pot) every time you win a hand. When you do this, you reward the bad dealers the same as the good dealers. Is that fair?

Tipping is SUPPOSED to be done if you receive good service. Unfortunately, in the gambling world, most folks only tip a dealer if they win a hand. Therefore the good dealer is not compensated better for doing a good job compared to a bad job. So what happens is.. dealers no longer care about doing a good job since they get paid the same.

The other problem is, most players are cheap tippers. Thus the good dealers quit and go to another casino or another job where the money is better.

I was playing in a $2000 buy-in No Limit game once when a regular player was asked how much money he earns playing poker. His answer was that he earned $280 per hour playing in this particular game. Shortly after that he won a big pot that netted him about $4,000 in winnings. Everyone at the table asked him to give the dealer $10. Instead he threw $2 to the dealer and complained about all the times he loses.

Just a few minutes ago he was bragging that with all his wins and losses he still earned $280 per hour. Tipping the dealer $10 instead of $2 would have brought is hourly earning that hour to $272. I really don’t think it would have changed his lifestyle by tipping the extra $8. However, to that dealer the $10 would have made them very happy and he probably would have worked harder at the table.

So here is what I propose to all poker players so that casinos can attract the brightest, smartest and most attentive dealers. Tip the good dealers more when you win, tip the bad dealers less (if they can’t make money they will quit and thus the bad dealer problem is solved). The amount you tip over a playing session will be the same except the good dealers will get more of it.

Also.. if you feel a certain dealer is a good dealer (they run the game right, are quick, pay attention, keep others from cheating you, and are courteous) why not throw them a chip or two EVEN IF YOU DON’T WIN A HAND WITH THEM! Remember, tipping is for good service, NOT for winning a hand.