Bar Etiquette Advice from 1990

Rockland, N.Y. won a baseball pool at the local pub. When he went to pick up his winnings, the bar owner asked if he was going to buy a round for the bar. He replied, “Why should I?” I don't know these people. The owner suddenly had an attitude problem and said, “That's not proper bar etiquette.” The question: “Was the bar owner right?”

Person, Place and Win Total Determine Bar Etiquette

Dear Readers: A while back I confessed that I didnt know much about bar etiquette and asked for some guidance from my savvy faithfuls. The heft of the mail convinced me that I had led a very sheltered life. 

Rockland, N.Y. won a baseball pool at the local pub. When he went to pick up his winnings, the bar owner asked if he was going to buy a round for the bar. He replied, “Why should I?” I don't know these people. The owner suddenly had an attitude problem and said, “That's not proper bar etiquette.” The question: “Was the bar owner right?” 

Here’s what the readers say: 

From Boston: “That bar owner was looking to beef up the day’s take. The standard practice is to buy drinks for the other members of the pool, not for every person in the place.” 

Hampton Roads, Va.: “I blew a lot of money in bars before I sobered up six years ago. Theres no such thing as bar etiquette. People do what they want to do. If a guy wins the pool and feels like buying drinks for the house, OK. If not, thats OK, too.”

 

Pittsburgh: “I owned a tavern and have run hundreds of pools. (In some states pools are illegal so both buyers and sellers have to be careful.) Normally, the bartender gets 5 percent of the winnings. The winner can buy drinks for the house if he wants to. Its not expected. The drinks could easily cost more than the winnings, and he might wind up in the hole if he's not careful.” 

Brooklyn: “Unfortunately, I happen to know a lot about bar etiquette.My advice to Rock (the guy who wanted to keep all the winnings) is to watch the game at home and go to the bar to collect at 10:30 the next morning.” 

Cincinnati: “Only a fool would offer to buy drinks for the house. I’ve seen this done and do you know what happens? The beer drinkers switch to Scotch and the winos suddenly develop a taste for double strawberry daiquiris.”

Burlington, Vt.: “I resent the bar owner trying to make the winner of the pool feel guilty. The winner is under no obligation to buy anybody anything. I’ve made that scene plenty and I wouldn't spend $50 on drinks for strangers unless I had won a pool at least three times that amount. A fool I am not.” 

Sacramento: “If a bartender handles the pool, he is entitled to a 10 percent tip. I’m in a few pools around town and one of them keeps 20 percent out for the United Way. Please don't use my name if you print my letter. My husband doesn't know I do this. He would be mad as hell.”

San Diego: “That cheap bum in New York burned me up. I’ll bet he wont be invited to be a part of any more pools. Word travels fast in the tavern circuit and guys who cheap out get passed over.” 

Orlando: “A few years ago in Las Vegas, after I lost my limit of $200, 1 stopped in a bar to drown my sorrow. I spotted a slot machine and bought a half dozen $ 10 rolls of quarters. Of course I lost it all. Like the drunk who goes from scotch to wine, I bought six $10 rolls of nickels. After getting down to my last roll, bells rang and neon lights flashed all over the place. I had hit the jackpot $450! When I handed the bartender $10, the guy next to me said, You must be from out of town. It’s customary to give the bartender 20 percent. I picked up the $10 bill, put down a $20 and walked out. Did I feel guilty? Nah!”

 From Ann Landers, syndicated advice columnist, 1990

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia