You could argue it’s kind of a gamble. You’re just betting on people tipping you and risking being paid below minimum. But in any case, it’s not relevant here as it’s not an issue in Canada, don’t most states require the employer to top up the difference?
If your justification for a behavior is that it’s fine because all the people who don’t behave that way will compensate, your behavior is unjustified.
You could argue it’s kind of a gamble. You’re just betting on people tipping you and risking being paid below minimum. But in any case, it’s not relevant here as it’s not an issue in Canada, don’t most states require the employer to top up the difference?