It's accepted and intuitively obvious that being nice to the dealer is likely to add a bit of longevity or reduce a suspicion, but I recently witnessed an act from a non-AP that I've never seen toward a dealer before, and that I think if he had been an AP would have bought him quite a bit of time without suspicion. After approximately fifteen minutes at the table, he produced a Sherman cigarette from his blazer pocket and asked if the dealer would mind if he smoked. The dealer, a man of maybe thirty-three, responded that smoking was allowed anyway and he didn't need to ask. The player answered that no other players at this particular table were smoking and "You're the one who has to stand in it all day; I don't want to impose that if it's not OK with you." The dealer smiled and responded that he did not mind, so the man lit up and went on throwing $50 a hand on the felt.

Has anyone else seen/done this? Was any effect visible? What effect would one expect?