Can You Re-Run Your QoD about How Dealers Chase Away Stiffs?

Many many moons ago, there was a Question of the Day about how dealers run off stiffs from their tables. I was reminded of it last weekend at my local casino when a big winner walked away without tipping and the dealer muttered, just loud enough for the rest of us to hear, "Thanks for nothing, champ." I went looking for the old QoD, but couldn't find it. Can you rerun it, please? And thank you.

More than happy to. This is one of our favorites -- from way back in 2008.

A dealer might do any of the following to make a non-tipping blackjack player too uncomfortable to stay put.

** Make disparaging comments about how the stiff played his hand to embarrass him.

** Tell the other players that had the stiff played his hand correctly, the dealer would have busted and everyone would have won.

** Pitch a stiff's card off the table, so he had to get up and retrieve the card(s) from the floor, or actually hit the stiff with the cards, or skip over the him by "forgetting" to deal to him.

** Knock over a stiff's drink, so it spills onto his lap. This is an advanced move; it takes a lot of finesse to make it look like an accident. (At craps, whack a stiff with the stick -- again, by "accident.")

** Create a misdeal if the stiff gets a good hand. (This is done by purposely dealing the house too many cards, dropping the deck, knocking the shoe off the table, etc. Such actions render all hands and wagers dead.)

** Discreetly alert the cocktail waitress that a player doesn't tip, so she avoids him or "forgets" his drink if he orders one.

** Run over the stiff by pressuring him to hurry up and make a decision as to hit, double, or stand. (This is highly unnerving and makes a player feel like there's a spotlight on him.)

** Place the table's one ashtray in front of the stiff so that he's inundated with smoke.

** Tell the stiff how to play each and every hand (incorrectly, of course).

** Take one of the checks from the stiff's winning payoff and asking, "One for the boys, sir?"

You might've noticed that these ways and means are ordered from least to most aggressive. Certainly, dealers are trained to handle tipping etiquette gracefully and to avoid comments that could be seen as judgmental, confrontational, or intrusive. Though moves like these could cost them their jobs, sometimes, they just can't help themselves.

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Comments

Tim Soldan Apr-23-2026

Video Poker and Blackjack

Dealers like that encourage players to migrate to machines.

Randall Ward Apr-23-2026

dealers

since there are so many unpleasant BJ players I don't like this idea of adding a pissy dealer to the mix.  Also these all slow down the game so I think I'd outlast the dealer

Allen Measley Apr-23-2026

THE STIFFS GUILTY CONCIOUS

I WOULD JUST KILL EM WITH KINDNESS BY CONTINUALLY
THANKING THEM OVER & OVER UNTIL THEIR GUILT TOOK
OVER AND THEY FINALLY THREW A TOKE MY WAY..
ALL I EVER SAID WAS THANK YOU & A DEALER CAN NEVER
GET IN TROUBLE FOR SAYING THAT....

Douglas Yellin Apr-23-2026

If you’re a bad/non tipper you’re probably experienced this firsthand

I would never do this myself, however…
Dealing at a speed that the player is uncomfortable with; either extremely fast or extremely slow.
Giving backhanded comments out like “oh, sorry, you lose again! “
Either being very chatty or very silent; the room and do opposite.
When other players tip look directly in the eye of the non-tipper as you’re smacking the chip on your tray. Went tapping off the game for Brache pointing and thinking to all the players who tipped to embarrass the ones who have not.
If she was going well, whoops, something happened. That’s causing me to have to reshuffle.
Cutting the deck extra thick.
When a non-tipper cuts the shoe every time the table loses you say, “who cut this lousy shoe “or “whoever cut this shoe doesn’t get to cut anymore “
And I saved the best for last…
The worst thing you can do to a gambler is deny them the ability to gamble. Totally stopping the game, calling the supervisor over for minor issues that you possibly create yourself. 😈⁉️😇

Hoppy Apr-23-2026

Too Much

It is not just the Stiffs. Dealers have had to put up with so much, in the past. Players have improved.

Carolina Mike Apr-23-2026

Fired

I believe that 'toke hustlers' employing these tactics would be fired quickly.

David Miller Apr-23-2026

Tipping Dealers

  I only tip if I win. I will nwver understand giving a dealer my money after a losing session. Don't give me the crap about their low wages - they knew the amount of pay that they agreed to when they took the job. I am not their employer.

O2bnVegas Apr-23-2026

One for David

Sometimes I tip the dealer right off when I sit down, before the first hand is dealt.  I say  something like "Here's to a good round for you and me both."  Not always, but if it's a dealer I remember from previous visits, maybe acts like he remembers me, or is just plain friendly right off, etc.  It sure gets a surprised and pleased reaction.  I don't care what happens next, I just like to do it.

Candy

VP Fan Apr-23-2026

Tipping

Dealers like that are a main reason table games are disappearing. Maybe the dealer didn't deserve a tip.  Many don't.  And maybe the player is now even or still stuck.  Robots will taking those jobs over and that dealer can dig ditches.

Question of the Day - 23 April 2026

Comments