Table manners for the curious: a calm introduction to the casino floor

You need not be a regular to take a seat at a private gaming table. You do need five modest points about how the room operates.

Wait until the dealer waves you in

A dealer midway through a shoe will not pause to seat someone new. Stand roughly a metre back, meet their eye, and wait for the nod. It arrives.

Buy chips with cash on the table, never handed

Lay the notes on the felt; the dealer counts them in view of the camera and pushes chips across. Cash is never exchanged hand to hand. That is procedure, not coolness.

Touch your cards only with one hand

At baccarat and blackjack, when cards arrive face down, lift them with a single hand and keep them over the felt. It is the room's oldest habit and the one people forget first.

Tip when you win, never when you lose

Sliding a small chip to the dealer after a winning hand is customary; tipping after a loss looks theatrical. Unsure? Watch the table for a few minutes — the regulars reveal everything.

Leave when you are ready, not when you are losing

Knowing when to stop matters more than any system. Guests have doubled a bankroll on a Tuesday and then spent three months of careful play trying to repeat it on a Friday. Choose a number, and honour it.

Prepared by the editorial desk at Silverspringskeys. Last updated 2026-07-20.