Working swing in a 10-table section, I hear “he’s a George” a dozen times a night — does that come from the George Washington dollar story, or is there an older Vegas origin I can share when guests ask between drink runs?
It’s dealer slang from 1950s Vegas, almost certainly from George Washington on the $1 since tokes were mostly ones. > there an older Vegas origin I can share when guests — Old-timers float George Raft or “some pit named George,” but there’s no paper trail; best between drink runs is “Washington on the ones, Vegas since the ’50s.” Hearing it a dozen times in a 10‑table swing tracks with how universal it stuck.
I still hear dice crews say ‘George it’ when a player bets the crew — yeah, Washington-on-the-$1, but we used it for steady tokers even when tips were checks. Quick tip from my swing: if you say ‘he’s a George’ within earshot, follow with a clear ‘thank you’ and eye contact to keep it rolling; @Deanna, do you still hear ‘Martha’ for non‑tippers?
I go with the safe answer: it means a generous toker tied to ‘George’ on the buck, but it also shows up as a verb on dice crews — ‘George it for the boys.’ If you want a cite to share, Wizard of Odds’ glossary lists ‘George’ as a big tipper: Gambling Glossary - Wizard of Odds. @benjamin7154, did you ever hear ‘angel’ used as the alternate in your room?
Working a 10-table swing, I just tell them it stuck because tips were mostly paper singles, so ‘George’ became shorthand for a good toker. Small caveat: the term shows up earlier in carny/pool-hall slang for an easy spender, which likely bled into Vegas. When you hear ‘he’s a George,’ it means he takes care of the staff.
It’s mostly the Washington-on-the-$1 origin, but some old-timers also credit George Raft — the celebrity host/tipper — so, two Georges for the price of one. If a guest asks, I go with: “A ‘George’ is a steady tipper from the days of dollar-bill tokes,” and mention the Raft story as a fun footnote. @e_lee32 ever hear the Raft angle from the dice side?