VIP Salon Etiquette: 9 Rules Every New Player Should Know
A senior croupier's unwritten code — chips, tipping, table talk and the one thing that marks you as a first-timer instantly.
I've dealt for nineteen years and taught the academy for six. The players who look comfortable at a salon table aren't the ones with the biggest buy-ins — they're the ones who know the code. None of it is written down, most of it is easy, and all of it is learnable in ten minutes.
Here are the nine rules I'd give any friend taking their first salon seat.
Rules 1–5
- 1. Wait for the shoe. Never join a baccarat shoe mid-run — wait for the dealer's nod or the new shoe. It signals respect for the table's rhythm.
- 2. Cash on the table, never in hand. Buy-ins go on the felt, not hand-to-hand — dealers can't accept from your fingers.
- 3. Signals before words. Learn the hand signals (tap for hit, wave for stand in blackjack). Cameras rule disputes, and cameras read hands, not voices.
- 4. Cards stay on the felt. Never lift cards off the table or bend them. In baccarat, the dealer handles everything — your job is the bet.
- 5. Phones away. On the main floor they're tolerated; in salons they're pocketed. Photography is prohibited entirely.
A table runs on tempo. Learn the tempo and every dealer in the building will look after you.Marcus Li, Head Croupier Instructor
Tipping & chips — rules 6–7
6. Tip in chips, on the felt. Place a small chip beside your bet as a dealer wager — it rides with yours and lands warmer than cash ever does. There's no obligation, but one dealer bet per shoe is the custom in salons.
7. Colour up before you leave. Ask the dealer to consolidate your small chips into large ones before standing — it keeps the table tidy and your pocket lighter. At salon level the host handles cashouts quietly at the cage.
Table talk — rule 8
8. Comment on cards, not on players. Groaning at another player's hit is the fastest way to chill a table. Celebrate your own wins modestly, absorb losses in silence, and never coach someone else's hand unless they ask. The dealer is your ally — the other players are just fellow travellers.
The one giveaway — rule 9
9. Never reach into the betting circle. Once chips are down and hands are dealt, that circle belongs to the dealer. First-timers reach to adjust bets mid-hand — it's the single gesture that marks you instantly. If you need a change, say it; the dealer will freeze the action and fix it.
Want to practise all nine on a private table? The masterclass academy was built for exactly this — two hours, zero stakes, all the code.
And the unofficial tenth rule: enjoy it. The salons exist because the game is supposed to be a pleasure — when it stops being one, stand up, cash out and take the river air on the terrace. The table will be there tomorrow. See the salon page for access details.
Quick Answers
The questions this piece raises most often.
Not expected the way it is in the US — but a small dealer bet beside yours once per shoe is the salon custom and always warmly received. It's about goodwill, not obligation.
Nothing dramatic — dealers correct gently and privately. The rules exist to protect the game's tempo and fairness, not to embarrass anyone. Ask before acting and you'll never go wrong.
That's exactly what the masterclass covers — two hours on a private training table with real chips and a senior croupier walking you through every rule on this list.
Learn the Code First
Two hours at the academy and your first salon seat will feel like your fiftieth — book a session.