By Thomas J. Sheeran
Associated Press
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(AP) — You have a pocket full of money,
you’re feeling lucky and you’re headed to one of Ohio’s new casinos in
Cleveland and Toledo. Now what?
The etiquette on the fast-paced
casino floor may be unfamiliar to the novice gambler who hasn’t been
traveling to glitzy Las Vegas or Atlantic City, or for that matter to
Detroit and Erie, Pa.: how to bet, tip, draw another card and more.
The inaugural casino experience in Ohio had its share of etiquette missteps.
You
can wear just about anything at a casino — within limits. Three weeks
after the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opened in May, it imposed a ban on
saggy pants and shirts printed with offensive images. The “code of
conduct” also bans firearms, loitering and running.
Karen Elliott, 47, of Cleveland, who had
been to a casino before Cleveland’s opened, noticed novices unfamiliar
with rules and manners, such as jostling for open slot machines. “They
don’t know too much what they’re doing,”
Poker player Robert
Smith, 26, of Cleveland, said he hasn’t seen too many glazed-over stares
from rookies but thought that’s because the games he favors draw
experienced gamblers.
“The poker players know what they are
doing,” he said. “It’s really self-explanatory. The rules are on the
table. You can read how to play the game. They shouldn’t sit down to
play if they don’t know how to play.”
For novices, here is some advice from casino experts:
Q. I’m confused about the casino games: what should I do?
A.
The same as looking for something in the hardware store: “Don’t be
bashful. The best thing you can do is ask,” said Brad Hirsch, assistant
general manager of the Horseshoe casino in Cleveland. “It’s funny,
sometimes in the casino, people who are maybe unclear on how to do
something, they revert to not asking and are afraid to ask.”
What’s up with the blackjack players using hand signals?
Blackjack
players must signal by hand if they want another card to make the
decision clear for the overhead surveillance camera. Swiping the palm
toward the player means deal another card and the back-and-forth “safe”
signal means hold.
The dealer is moving fast: is it bad form for a rookie to slow it down?
No,
according to Walter Thomason’s “Blackjack for the Clueless.” “The rapid
pace of play can be especially intimidating to a novice player. If this
occurs, you can reduce the speed of play by taking a bit longer to
signal.”
Should I tip the dealer?
Yes. Jill
Vangen, owner of the Ohio School of Casino Dealers in suburban
Cleveland, said dealers rely on tips for a significant part of their
income. “If you don’t tip, they don’t eat,” she said.
If I play blackjack all night, when and how much to tip?
Mark
Pilarski, a Reno, Nev., casino veteran and now a syndicated columnist,
suggested tipping every dozen hands or so, or at least when leaving the
table. How much? Like a restaurant server, it depends on the quality of
the service, Pilarski said. Vangen thought 10 percent of a $50 blackjack
win was appropriate.
Is it bad manners to give advice to others players at the table?
“Mind
your own business,” Thomason says. Some players insist on telling
others how to play “even when their advice is neither asked for nor
appreciated.”
Can you reserve a slot machine for a friend’s restroom break?
Yes,
writes Darwin Ortiz in “Casino Gambling for the Clueless.” “You should
respect this claim unless you want to risk having some irate woman belt
you with her purse.”
Is it OK to cheer at the craps table?
Sure, according to Vangen. “If you’ve got everyone cheering, that means the table’s hot, so it isn’t bad etiquette,” she said.
Can I take photos to show my friends how a cherished art-deco department store became the Cleveland casino?
Yes, photos are allowed, just not at the tables.
What’s the best advice for casino rookies?
Same
as the veterans, according to Pilarski: know when to quit. “Have fun,
expect to lose and only money you can afford to lose. It is fun if it’s
money you can afford to lose. But if it’s not, it’s no fun at all.”
Labels: casino, cleveland, gambling, gratuities, gratuity, horseshoe, tip, tipping
