A Guide to the Who, When and How Much to Tip in Las Vegas

If you want good gambling karma when you go to Vegas, you need to learn to be a great tipper. Some people don't tip because they're not sure when it's appropriate. Others avoid tipping simply because they're cheap (bad tourist!). Here are some basic guidelines for those of you in the first camp. In the event that you're a cheapskate reading this, dust off your wallet and get ready to learn how to tip like a pro!

Knowing who to tip, when to tip, and how much to tip is all irrelevant if you're not carrying any cash, so make a point of saving up some dollar bills before your trip, or taking dollar bills you receive as change and keeping them in a separate pocket.

Setting up your "tip pocket" will ensure that you're not fumbling for folded dollar bills that resemble origami. Tipping is good, looking good when tipping is even better!

So you've got your cash situation under control, so know you just need to know the who, when, and how much part.

The first person you'll likely meet at the hotel is at the Bell Desk. These nice guys and girls take your bags from your taxi and up to your room. A good tip here is around $2 per bag, unless you have something over-sized like golf clubs in which case you may want to give a little more. Don't forget, you're going to see these guys as you exit and enter the hotel for your entire trip, so avoid the walk of shame, and tip these folks well upon arrival.

Every Las Vegas hotel has a taxi stand where someone will hail a taxi for you and open the door. Here a dollar will usually suffice although if a taxi stand attendant recommends a restaurant or attraction, you may want to tip an extra dollar or two.

The Concierge at your hotel serves a number of functions including making dinner and event reservations, arranging tee times, and providing tips on city hot spots. If you do utilize the Concierge's services, the tip should be commensurate with the service provided. Use your judgment, but $5 should be the bare minimum and for reservations to exclusive restaurants where the Concierge is using his/her pull to get you in, your tip should definitely be in the double digits.

When it comes to drinking at the hotel, your drinks will be free as long as you are gambling, so this is a good opportunity to display your newfound tipping acumen. You should tip at least $1 per drink and if you want to see those drinks sooner rather than later, consider tipping $5 for your first drink if you plan on playing a while. Remember, bartenders and waitresses work on tips, and they'll be more inclined to bring drinks quickly to those that tip consistently.

One of the easiest people to forget to tip is the dealer. It's understood that you wouldn't want to tip after losing ten hands of Blackjack in a row, but if the tables have been good to you, it's common courtesy to tip dealers for your good fortune. You can push a chip forward for a dealer which they will then tap on the table to signify to cameras that the chip is a gratuity and not a bet. In Blackjack, it is also common to place an additional bet for the dealer to "encourage" a winning hand so that the dealer's tip would in essence double. Either way, if you've been winning for a while, show the dealer some love!As your Las Vegas vacation winds down, don't forget to take care of your Housekeeper. These folks have been making your bed and cleaning up your mess for days. The bare minimum here is $1/per person, per day. You should consider more if you've been a real slob.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it's enough to get you started. Good tipping creates good vibes, so get your singles folded up in your pocket and start handing them out!