Casino etiquette, without the myths.
Half the rules people quote about casinos aren't real. A floor supervisor separates what actually matters from what the movies invented.
By R. Vella, floor supervisor
The rules that are real
Don't touch your bet once the hand starts. Don't hand cash directly to the dealer — lay it on the felt. Use the hand signals. Those three cover 90% of table manners; the rest is common decency in a crowded room.
Phones are fine — in your hand, not on the table, and not mid-hand. Photos of the floor need the pit boss's OK; photos of your own stack are your business.
The myth I correct most: that dealers root against you. We're paid by the hour. The only person at the table who wants you to win is usually the dealer — winners tip.
Tipping is welcome and never required. A chip on your bet line wins for the dealer; a chip handed over after a good run is just kindness.
The myths, retired
You will not be thrown out for winning. Card counting isn't illegal — it just gets you a polite conversation and a fresh shoe. Nobody watches you through the ceiling in real time; the cameras are for the tapes.
Free drinks are real but modest — coffee, soft drinks and water at the machines; the good stuff is priced like the good stuff. And no, you can't bring your own chips home as souvenirs — they're accounted for like cash.
Dress code is smart casual after 18:00. Nobody checks your shoes at the door, but swimwear and work boots won't make it past the host.
Before you sit
Cash on the felt
Dealers can't take money from your hand — table rule, not rudeness.
One seat, one player
Partners watch from behind; they don't play your hand.
Ask the dealer
Questions are free and every dealer was new once.
When you're unsure
Watch a table for five minutes before sitting — the rhythm teaches more than any guide. The pit boss walking the floor answers questions too; it's literally their job.
And the one rule that never changes: decide your number before you arrive, and the night stays fun regardless of the cards.
Good to know
R. Vella, floor supervisor
R. Vella supervises the main floor and handles the questions nobody else wants to answer.
Meet the whole teamMore from the journal
See it in person
Rooms, restaurants, the rooftop and the floor — all on Casino Drive, all walkable from the sand.