Detroit Blackjack Team Quiz vs the Monument, Colorado Blackjack Humor Awareness Eval

[KJ]

#1. The advantage play would be both A and B. Ignore the gentleman while the count is neutral or negative, then notify the pit when the count turns positive. My own inclination would be to ignore the gentleman and focus on and mind my own business.

#2. Whether or not the dealer is or isn't well compensated by the casino, is none of my business and has no relevance on my behavior. The casino should be compensating their employee better, but the fact that they shirk that responsibility, does not make it my responsibility to do so. I occasionally visit fast food type establishments, that also choose not to pay their employees adequately. Am I supposed to tip these employees as well? I can not save, nor support the world.

#3. Doesn't apply.

#4. You can't really make that guarantee.

#5. Not enough info provided. Are you jumping in the middle, after wonging the game or just a random jump with no information? My own personal style of play, has me playing off the top more often than not, rather than wonging in, but if I happen to be wonging into a game because it is a favorable situation, I would not refrain from doing so because the player asked. If I was feeling very kind, I might wait a hand, but no more. I would say something to the effect that "I only have a few minutes", which would in fact be supported by my short session style of play. If there is any kind of retort or comeback at all, I would simple reply "You should have requested a private table".

[blueefficacy]

#2. Whether or not the dealer is or isn't well compensated by the casino, is none of my business and has no relevance on my behavior. The casino should be compensating their employee better, but the fact that they shirk that responsibility, does not make it my responsibility to do so. I occasionally visit fast food type establishments, that also choose not to pay their employees adequately. Am I supposed to tip these employees as well? I can not save, nor support the world.

This is a valid position if you're consistent, i.e. you never tip anyone. Do you tip cab drivers, waiters, barbers, etc?

[ThePunisher000]

This is a valid position if you're consistent, i.e. you never tip anyone. Do you tip cab drivers, waiters, barbers, etc?

While I do agree that consistency in viewpoints is crucial, I believe your analogy is flawed. I understand that from the dealer's point of view, they are providing a service, but dealing blackjack cannot be equated with any of the service you mention in your rhetorical question.

I tip cab drivers, because they take me from point A to point B.

I tip waiters because they provide me service (e.g., taking my order, refiling my drinks, asking if there is anything else I would like, etc.)

I tip my barber because I am afraid that if I don't he will mangle my hair. Okay, I am kidding...I tip him for providing a service and often rescheduling other appointments to accommodate me.

When I play blackjack, I am not guaranteed to receive anything in exchange for my money. In the above situations, I am guaranteed a ride, a meal, and a haircut. IF I would only receive any of those services 42% of the time that I paid, I would reconsider tipping. On the flip side, if I were guaranteed to win every time I played blackjack, I would always tip.

[ThePunisher000]

The service dealers provide is dealing to you at blackjack. I am not sure how you don't see that as a service just like the others mentioned. You can argue the cost of tipping etc but to say the dealer doesn't provide a service is ridiculous. If you don't want to tip for that service there are video blackjack games where there is nobody to tip.

I realize that I may have been unclear in my first post. I acknowledge that the dealers are providing a service, but when I mention only receiving "any of those services 42% of the time that I paid," I was referring to the haircut, meal, and cab ride when I said services. (E.g., when I pay for a meal, I receive food. The service that the waiter provides is addition to what I receive for my money. When I pay the menu price, I am paying for the food, NOT the service.)

To be clear, I tip whenever I win, and sometimes when I lose, if the dealer is courteous and helps me out (good pen, keeping others from jumping in the game, etc.). But I do disagree that dealing blackjack can be equated with the other situations mentioned. Yes, whether you win or lose, they provide a service. My point is that blackjack is unique in that may be all you receive for your money, unlike the cab ride or meal. That is why I disagree with BlueEfficacy's statement that if you never tip dealers, you should never tip anyone. I am not against tipping, I am against the analogy.

[KJ]

At what point does an employee of someone else stop doing the job for which they are being paid by someone else to do and start providing a service to you, individually, that they should be tipped for. Yes, waiters, waitresses, room service, fall into that category for me. You may even ask them for something specific to you. To me other services that aren't tailored to you individually is just a case of someone doing the job for which they are being compensated for and I resent that the employer wants to push his responsibility to compensate his employees on me. Especially when the employer is making an adequate profit and can afford to compensate his employees at a reasonable rate. To me the dealer fits into just that category. He/she is not providing an individual service tailored to me. He/she is doing a job. It just so happens it is a job dealing with the public. No different from the cashier at CVS.

Now if you want to get into the concept of tipping people that do a job that is tailored directly to each individual, how about the mailman. He brings your mail directly to you each and every day. Maybe you should tip him every day for the service that he is providing? (once a year doesn't count) What about your doctor? No one provides more of an individually personal service than the doctor. Yet few people tip their doctor after turning their head and coughing. The whole system is just screwy. Blackjack or casino dealers are not providing an individual service tailored to you. They are just doing their job, for which their employer is making a lot of money from, so it is his responsibility to compensate them. And the truth is that most dealers that I encounter are not particularly friendly and some are just down right unfriendly or rude.

[Canceler]

Looks like nearly everyone so far has completely failed the Blackjack Humor Awareness Eval AND turned this into another annoying tipping thread. Way to go, guys!