Table Etiquette

[rjackieb]

I debated where to post this, decided to put it here in Cruise Casinos and I'll let the hosts move it if I was mistaken.

 

I love playing at the tables in casinos, including on cruises. I play slots once in a while, but I like the interaction of table games. While a fun table vibe is a good thing, I still like the bit of formality to it.

This past weekend, hubby and I were in Las Vegas for a sporting event and during a little free time we played in a few casinos. Yesterday afternoon, before we had to be at the airport, we stopped to play a bit of 3-card poker at a very well-known casino.

We were having a good time with the other players and dealers, until we got one new dealer. She started out a little brash and foul-mouthed, and with a few uncomfortable chuckles, most of the table ignored it. Then she pushed the line a little further by looking at each player's hand before setting it down, telling each of us whether we would play the hand or not.

No one said anything about it (that was probably the first mistake), but after a couple of hands she started getting upset because players, including me, didn't take her word for it and still looked at the cards before deciding to play or not. The next hand she again looked at everyone's cards, and when she set my hand down, she told me, "you're going to play it," and took a chip from my stack and put it with the cards on the play spot. Then she said, "once the chip is on play it can't be removed." I didn't say a word (second mistake), and the whole table went instantly tense. It did turn out that I would have played the hand, which was why I didn't immediately say something, but it's stuck with me that it really seemed out of line for a dealer.

Any opinions or how would others have reacted?

[vwrestler171]

I definitely would've said something. I've only had 2-3 dealers that I've had issues with and both times I've said something to the pit boss. Once they took a chip from my stack and then tried to tell me I couldn't take it back. When they kept telling me that i couldn't I got the pit boss involved and told him to look at the cameras and see that the dealer added the chip not me. Never seen the dealer again out there, but I know that it is a big no no.

[OldSeaDog1969]

I debated where to post this, decided to put it here in Cruise Casinos and I'll let the hosts move it if I was mistaken.

 

I love playing at the tables in casinos, including on cruises. I play slots once in a while, but I like the interaction of table games. While a fun table vibe is a good thing, I still like the bit of formality to it.

This past weekend, hubby and I were in Las Vegas for a sporting event and during a little free time we played in a few casinos. Yesterday afternoon, before we had to be at the airport, we stopped to play a bit of 3-card poker at a very well-known casino.

We were having a good time with the other players and dealers, until we got one new dealer. She started out a little brash and foul-mouthed, and with a few uncomfortable chuckles, most of the table ignored it. Then she pushed the line a little further by looking at each player's hand before setting it down, telling each of us whether we would play the hand or not.

No one said anything about it (that was probably the first mistake), but after a couple of hands she started getting upset because players, including me, didn't take her word for it and still looked at the cards before deciding to play or not. The next hand she again looked at everyone's cards, and when she set my hand down, she told me, "you're going to play it," and took a chip from my stack and put it with the cards on the play spot. Then she said, "once the chip is on play it can't be removed." I didn't say a word (second mistake), and the whole table went instantly tense. It did turn out that I would have played the hand, which was why I didn't immediately say something, but it's stuck with me that it really seemed out of line for a dealer.

Any opinions or how would others have reacted?

 

Generally speaking Dealers can advise players on decisions on all games. Dealers will very often assist players on Blackjack with "this is what the books says". They can also remind Players to bet maximum odds on Craps. The advice however is that, advice & the player must make his own decision.

 

However touching players chips & betting for the player is not acceptable in any Casino that I have worked or played. The player would have every right to dispute the hand if it lost. As for the comment that once the chip was in play it cannot be removed. The Dealer is correct but only if it was done by the Player.

[Tkriger]

I've never run into this with a surly dealer like above. However, there is a great dealer at the local casino I go to, he is a riot. He jokes with the players, helps people out, etc. The first time I played at his table, he points over my shoulder and goes "hey whats that over there?!", of course I look, he grabs half my stack (about $600 in $25 chips) and puts it in the betting circle. Of course he was doing it jokingly, and I pulled it back.

 

Almost wish I hadn't, I got dealt a blackjack next hand. Morale of the story is if its done in jest like that, fine with me, but I would never let a dealer force me to bet if I did not want to.

[sailor_jimc]

The dealer was probably trying to make the game fun (like when a BJ dealer puts a double down card face down until they have to settle the bet to make it more suspenseful). I wouldn't have had an issue with them looking at my hand and making the would/wouldn't play the hand comment but I would have gotten upset when they got mad if I checked for myself.

 

But seadog is correct... I've never seen or been in a casino that would have let a dealer take a chip from your stack and bet it for you. The reason- casino get jumpy if the dealer is putting their hands out over your chips because they could be palming chips to you from the tray. Had you mentioned it to the pit boss that dealer would have been gone in an instant.

 

Bottom line- no you didn't over react

[rjackieb]

Thanks for the responses. Especially that they were all adding to the discussion, and not an attack on me for being sensitive; it's a nice change from some sections of this forum.

 

I've never said anything to a pit boss about another employee that was negative. I have often stopped before leaving to let a manager know how much I enjoyed playing at a dealer's table though.

We play at a casino near here quite often, and we have a few favorite dealers that know us too. Like Tkriger's example, there are some there that I'd never question doing the same thing, because I know them and that it was being done in jest. Maybe, just maybe, if this woman hadn't already put me on edge with her profanity, it might not have bothered me so much.

I've also had dealers in many casinos give advice like that, and I've even asked them things like "are you going to qualify?" knowing that the answer is not a God-given promise of a win.

I've never had a problem with the rule of a chip cannot be removed once I have bet it; important part is that I had bet it. Actually, after we got another dealer, I decided to go with the other players on one hand and we all went blind. When the cards were dealt and not placed under the chips, I looked at my hand without thinking. I was going to fold when I realized I'd bet blind, so I just set my cards down to play, knowing I would probably lose.

[sailor_jimc]

meh... 3 card poker is a funny game. You can play by the "book" and only bet the play when you have the high card advantage hand or you can go with your gut. Too many times I have folded without a high card only to have the dealer not qualify OR played having ace/face and have the dealer beat me with a pair... So going blind is not a terrible play, especially if the whole table does it as it makes it fun to have every one win when the dealer does not qualify (kind of like having a black jack dealer bust a hand.

 

There are so many different procedures that differ from casino to casino that I like trying to figure out why certain procedures were put into place. Some make absolutely no sense to me, but not having a dealer touch your chips or even put their hands over the top of your stack makes perfect sense. Too easy for a crooked dealer to be passing chips to a player.

 

Can anyone else come up with a procedure and a reason for it ?