Here is one easy way to get a fatter hat. I'm just a beginner, but I can say with certainty that this works.

Learn names of people in the audience.

I had learned the concept from Kozmo and Doc Eason, but it was Bobby Maverick who told me directly to start doing this. He told me to start learning 4 names of people in my crowd. And it made a difference in my crowd control and hats, it is perhaps the easiest way to have a better show.

Whatever you do, please don't refer to the people in your crowd as pal, buddy, chief, guy, kid, fella, or any variation or synonym of these. Because when you do, you come off as disrespectful. I would go so far to say it makes you come off as sleazy. And it causes the people in your crowd to dislike you.

I can tell you that if you are doing this you are losing tips. Heck, I know this and I'm only a beginner.

Look, don't take my word for it, here's a clip of a comedian explaining far better than I can: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkBiQOYgNVk
He doesn't get to the pal, buddy, chief part until towards the end, but he definitely gets the point across...

Yep that's a good one.
(You're giving all of the secrets away huh Tim?)
Go a little further and learn their profession as well, get Gazzo's book "read between the lines" and you'll have several "lightbulb" jokes to use whenever the opportunity presents itself. That'll make you even more.

Oh and btw, I use "buddy" all the time in my show and it doesn't create the atmosphere you contend at all. It fits me and my show. Evidence that it's not a good idea to make blanket statements like you have here and elsewhere. At least until you know for sure what you're talking about.

Remember that every rule can be broken if you know why that rule is what it is a.d why you can circumvent it.

Good point.
Sometimes when this type of language is used, I feel like the person saying it is talking down to me. Especially if used in written form like on this forum. If I feel someone is speaking this way to me on here, in the future I will express my concerns to them in a PM in a mature and respectful manner, rather than a passive aggressive attack as I did in this original post...

I can see how using "buddy" would be fine, it's all about tone and delivery.

Eric, good point about knowing the rules before you break them. Thanks chief.