[AlphaSigOU]

Having lived in Las Vegas and having a younger brother who works in the gaming industry (he's been in the grind 13 years, started off as a craps dealer and now is a boxman/floorman at a casino off the Strip) I've been used to making sure to tip generously whenever possible. (Dealers call good tippers 'Georges' in their lingo. A 'Big George' tips the 'boys' very well.)

My general rule is start at 20% and then it drops down based on the service. Most times it pretty much stays at 20%, sometimes for very special service I might tip 25%. It's rare for me to go below 15%, and only once have I walked out of a restaurant and did not tip the waiter/waitress.

I also dislike people who tip cheaply... c'mon, it ain't that hard to calculate a tip in your head... just round up the total bill to the nearest dollar, take 10% of that (move the decimal point), and add half of that 10% figure for a 15% tip or double it for a 20% tip. And if the service is outstanding I'll take the tip total and round up to the nearest dollar or two. Pinching off pocket change and leaving it as a tip ain't a very good way to treat the wait staff.

Some good tipping rules of thumb if you're playing in Vegas (or other casinos):

Craps: Place a bet for the dealers behind or to the side of your pass line bet and be sure to let the stickman know you have a bet for the dealers by saying 'Boys play the pass line' (I know there are many craps dealers that are women, but 'boys' has remained in the casino lingo for ages.) Likewise, you can also bet for them on the field (say: 'Boys play the field') or the prop bets (hardways, C and E (any craps, any 11) -- dont waste your money on 'Any Seven' -- say 'Boys play the hard (4, 6, 8, 10)' or 'Boys play the C and E'). If they win the bet, the stickman will tap his stick nearest your spot on the table to thank you for the bet.

21: Next to or in front of your bet, let the dealer know that the bet is for the dealer.

Slots/video poker: If you're lucky to hit a jackpot that requires the change person to hand-pay you the jackpot, it's traditional that you tip generously; $50 if the jackpot is between $500 and $1000, $100 if it's over $1000. This is more of an unwritten tradition in the locals bars.