When playing card games in a live casino there are historical nuances that have been passed down through the years of the proper etiquette between the player and the dealer. The three games where these assumed rules of conduct are in place are Blackjack, Baccarat and Poker. The unwritten rules include tipping, treatment or verbal statements to the dealer and treatment of other players at the game.
Proper conduct includes being civil even under the most trying times, like a bad beat result in a big poker pot or the dealer making a seven card 21 in Blackjack. At times like this many players lose their cool and berate the winning player or the dealer in frustration of being beat.
That is just not cool and shows a lack of manners and an understanding of the ups and downs that are part of any gaming situation. Bad beats are as likely to happen to a player as being lucky in an important hand or pot. The breaks we are told will come out even in the long run, but why do almost all players have a great bad beat story.
The most egregious and even dangerous conduct is throwing the cards at the table after a bad beat so that they can bounce and hit the dealer or another player. This is an uncalled for action in a poker game and someone could be seriously injured if a flying card happens to hit the dealer or player in an eye. I saw this happen one night in a poker game and one of the cards thrown in anger struck the dealer on her cheek just below her eye. I thought the pit boss was going to physically go after the stupid player that had thrown his cards. Most of the players at the table were on the side of the pit boss and appreciated the chewing out the malcontent player received from the truly angered poker room boss.
Tipping is an accepted practice in all forms of gaming. The amount or even if it should be done is up to each player as there is no absolute rule to tip anyone in the casino. Most poker players will give the dealer a tip when they win a pot of some size. Others wait until they are leaving the table. Both ways are accepted as proper, although most dealers want the tip at the end of the pot. Berating another player in any gaming situation is not acceptable at any time, no matter how stupid the berated player played the hand or took the card. In live casinos this is rarely tolerated by the house. Internet games are another matter and are not policed well at most casinos. Be civil to others and most will be civil to you.
