detroitdad
Royal Flush
I concur
-
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PCF member dennis63 becomes a real casino dealer (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter dennis63
- Start date
I concur
DJ Mack
Flush
I love it too! Keeping in mind that Dennis is doing this as a retirement gig but for some this is a real job. Much of what my father told me when I was 16 looking for my first job seems to apply here:
1. Show up, on time, every day. Specifically, being one minute early means you are late.
2. Respect everybody you encounter but especially those in authority.
3. Learn the job and be competent at it, but don't be afraid to ask good questions. They show you are interested and care.
4. Wear what they tell you to wear, plus one.
5. Don't do anything stupid (e.g. drugs, alcohol, co-workers, cut out early).
6. SMILE and think on your feet. If you're not having fun and rolling with it, your customers aren't either.
That's why they have to start with a huge group just to come away with a few new hires. Sadly it's also why we have an entire generation that seems to be incapable of getting or holding even the most entry level jobs.
1. Show up, on time, every day. Specifically, being one minute early means you are late.
2. Respect everybody you encounter but especially those in authority.
3. Learn the job and be competent at it, but don't be afraid to ask good questions. They show you are interested and care.
4. Wear what they tell you to wear, plus one.
5. Don't do anything stupid (e.g. drugs, alcohol, co-workers, cut out early).
6. SMILE and think on your feet. If you're not having fun and rolling with it, your customers aren't either.
That's why they have to start with a huge group just to come away with a few new hires. Sadly it's also why we have an entire generation that seems to be incapable of getting or holding even the most entry level jobs.
Great thread.. looking forward to more episodes.
I've toyed with the idea of dealing myself, but haven't followed through... maybe you'll talk me into it
I've toyed with the idea of dealing myself, but haven't followed through... maybe you'll talk me into it
very nice read Dennis , hope to hear more tales from the pit
OP
OP
PART 3: My first week as a dealer
Getting ready for Day One:
Our final day of dealer training was actually a party for the new dealers. The casino was fantastic, and set up music and lots of good food. Subs (or “Hoagies,” as they say in the Northeast), a shrimp tray, a half dozen sides and a table filled with deserts. Our Asian contingent brought food from Thai and Chinese restaurants. Sadly, there was no booze. As an employee, you are never allowed to gamble or drink at your casino.
Getting ready for Day One:
New dealers go through three days of “New Employee Orientation.” Here, you get your employee badge, and the all-important security code to get into the back of house. After that, it’s three days designed to get you jazzed up to deal to lots of nice, happy people, watch them win lots of money, and make about $25 per hour while doing it.
My first players
The shift start times were very odd, and I won’t map them out here for security reasons. Lots of people who lose money would be waiting in the parking lot. Suffice it to say that I got up in the wee hours, drove to work in the dark, and began my shift when it was still dark and people were still plenty tipsy from last call.
I started early one Saturday morning. I clocked in and checked in with “The Pencil,” the supervisor who decides where you’ll be that day.
With my shadow watching, I tapped onto my first table first table, where a young couple had been playing. They looked like movie stars dressed for a Hollywood red carpet. He was handsome, she was gorgeous, and looked like a Barbie doll. They were friendly, well-dressed and talkative, and played well.
A half hour later, another coupled tried to sit at the table. The new young woman was also very beautiful, and wore a tight tank top which was, well… full. She looked about 18 years old, and before I could ask for ID, the floor supervisor was in front of her. She claimed to have left the ID in the car – a sure sign she wasn’t 21 -- and the two newcomers walked off.
“How did she even get in here?” asked Barbie.
“Well,” said the floor supervisor. “security might have been a bit distracted by her…”
“Oh, her boobs,” Barbie said. “I can do that too.”
Instantly, she pulled open her shirt. In the blink of an eye, she covered up. Her boyfriend laughed. I learned from another dealer that both had been bragging about her recent augmentation surgery and trying to show off their new investment. From what I could see, her doctor was an artist.
That night, I also dealt to a group of four people who were really enjoying the game. When they won, there were fist bumps and cheers. When they lost, they shrugged and said, “Well, that’s why they call it gambling.” They tipped well and called me by name, and made me part of their fun. It was a good night and morning.
The days flew by. I began to notice a pattern. Often, full tables of angry, tipsy players were there when I arrived for work. They would bust out, cursing the dealer the entire time. Two people threatened to be waiting in the parking lot for me. Security was good, so I wasn’t worried. The crowd thinned out after the Sun came up, and we’d change the decks and do other housekeeping chores. There was usually a session of standing at a dead table, watching a big screen TV. It would pick up again near the end of my day, and the last session was busy, usually with a full table of six players.
In my first weeks, there were nice people, miserable people, people who tried to cheat, people who play for fun, and people who bet the rent. People often recognized that I was new, and many were encouraging, helpful and honest, quietly pointing out if I paid a wrong amount. Others were not nice. People played poorly and lost. People played basic strategy, and still lost.
The downside, and my new nickname
Over the days which followed, I got called "Motherf$&*#r so many times, I started answering to it. Other dealers joked during the break that it was my new nickname. They'd hold a door for me and say, "Come on, Motherf$&*#r." We'd all laugh.
I also dealt for two weeks straight and realized that so far, just about every person at my table lost all of their money. (There was once a discussion here on PCF where it was said that the casino expected to take about 5 percent of all bets at a blackjack table. The real number is one hundred percent.) I somehow drew 21 from the shoe every time someone had a 20, as if the shuffling machine knew the order of the deck. (It doesn’t.) One dealer from my class told me he drew 21 seventeen times in a row the night before, and nearly causing a riot in the crowded casino.
People made terrible decisions, sometimes demanding hits when it was ridiculous to do so. It was as if, in anger, they were trying to lose, and they did. One guy, down to his last $5, drew and 18 and insisted I hit his hand. "Give me the 10," he said. He got it.
Some found ways to curse you even when they won, varying their bets to lose when they had a big stack in the circle, and get a blackjack when they were betting the $5 minimum. They hated the dealer even more then. One day, two real jerks sat at my table for eight hours, calling me "Motherf$&*#r" almost every time they received a card. This was largely ignored by casino officials, and I recalled one of the instructors saying that this casino allowed behavior that would not be tolerated at any other casino where he'd worked.
That said, the floor supervisors, pit bosses and shift supervisors are uniformly the nicest people you could ever meet. They're calm, pleasant and encouraging. If you make an error dealing, they view it as part of the normal course of things, and fix it with no sign of being annoyed. "There's nothing you can do that we can't fix," they said. Every day, I make it a point to thank them before I clock out.
The biggest hand
My biggest hand was a kid in his mid-20s. He put five $100 bills on the table and asked for green chips. He placed all 20 in the betting circle – the table limit -- and I dealt his cards: two 2s. He reached into his pocket, pulled out another five $100s, got 20 more green chips, and split the 2s. The next card out was another 2. Exasperated, he split again – the casino limit on splitting. He now had three hands and $1,500 on the table, and people started watching. He hit those cards up to a 16 and two 17s. I was showing a 9. Secretly, I prayed that this time, I would break.
I turned over a Jack.
In about a minute, my player lost $1,500. When I looked up from my hand, he was already gone, and I heard my nickname being shouted down the aisle. Even the supervisor looked a bit shocked.
Later that same day, two college kids came in and put $30 each on the table. I gave them each six $5 chips. They played for fun. They high-fived each other when they won. When they got blackjack, they high-fived people walking by. Somehow, they kept playing for 40 minutes. “We’re still here!” they’d say. They had more fun for $30 than the player who brings $500 to the table.
In the end, dealing is a job. There are moments you love it, and moments you hate it.
In the next post…
The most interesting and unexpected things you learn as a new casino dealer. Part 4 is in Post # 74.
Getting ready for Day One:
Our final day of dealer training was actually a party for the new dealers. The casino was fantastic, and set up music and lots of good food. Subs (or “Hoagies,” as they say in the Northeast), a shrimp tray, a half dozen sides and a table filled with deserts. Our Asian contingent brought food from Thai and Chinese restaurants. Sadly, there was no booze. As an employee, you are never allowed to gamble or drink at your casino.
Getting ready for Day One:
New dealers go through three days of “New Employee Orientation.” Here, you get your employee badge, and the all-important security code to get into the back of house. After that, it’s three days designed to get you jazzed up to deal to lots of nice, happy people, watch them win lots of money, and make about $25 per hour while doing it.
My first players
The shift start times were very odd, and I won’t map them out here for security reasons. Lots of people who lose money would be waiting in the parking lot. Suffice it to say that I got up in the wee hours, drove to work in the dark, and began my shift when it was still dark and people were still plenty tipsy from last call.
I started early one Saturday morning. I clocked in and checked in with “The Pencil,” the supervisor who decides where you’ll be that day.
With my shadow watching, I tapped onto my first table first table, where a young couple had been playing. They looked like movie stars dressed for a Hollywood red carpet. He was handsome, she was gorgeous, and looked like a Barbie doll. They were friendly, well-dressed and talkative, and played well.
A half hour later, another coupled tried to sit at the table. The new young woman was also very beautiful, and wore a tight tank top which was, well… full. She looked about 18 years old, and before I could ask for ID, the floor supervisor was in front of her. She claimed to have left the ID in the car – a sure sign she wasn’t 21 -- and the two newcomers walked off.
“How did she even get in here?” asked Barbie.
“Well,” said the floor supervisor. “security might have been a bit distracted by her…”
“Oh, her boobs,” Barbie said. “I can do that too.”
Instantly, she pulled open her shirt. In the blink of an eye, she covered up. Her boyfriend laughed. I learned from another dealer that both had been bragging about her recent augmentation surgery and trying to show off their new investment. From what I could see, her doctor was an artist.
That night, I also dealt to a group of four people who were really enjoying the game. When they won, there were fist bumps and cheers. When they lost, they shrugged and said, “Well, that’s why they call it gambling.” They tipped well and called me by name, and made me part of their fun. It was a good night and morning.
The days flew by. I began to notice a pattern. Often, full tables of angry, tipsy players were there when I arrived for work. They would bust out, cursing the dealer the entire time. Two people threatened to be waiting in the parking lot for me. Security was good, so I wasn’t worried. The crowd thinned out after the Sun came up, and we’d change the decks and do other housekeeping chores. There was usually a session of standing at a dead table, watching a big screen TV. It would pick up again near the end of my day, and the last session was busy, usually with a full table of six players.
In my first weeks, there were nice people, miserable people, people who tried to cheat, people who play for fun, and people who bet the rent. People often recognized that I was new, and many were encouraging, helpful and honest, quietly pointing out if I paid a wrong amount. Others were not nice. People played poorly and lost. People played basic strategy, and still lost.
The downside, and my new nickname
Over the days which followed, I got called "Motherf$&*#r so many times, I started answering to it. Other dealers joked during the break that it was my new nickname. They'd hold a door for me and say, "Come on, Motherf$&*#r." We'd all laugh.
I also dealt for two weeks straight and realized that so far, just about every person at my table lost all of their money. (There was once a discussion here on PCF where it was said that the casino expected to take about 5 percent of all bets at a blackjack table. The real number is one hundred percent.) I somehow drew 21 from the shoe every time someone had a 20, as if the shuffling machine knew the order of the deck. (It doesn’t.) One dealer from my class told me he drew 21 seventeen times in a row the night before, and nearly causing a riot in the crowded casino.
People made terrible decisions, sometimes demanding hits when it was ridiculous to do so. It was as if, in anger, they were trying to lose, and they did. One guy, down to his last $5, drew and 18 and insisted I hit his hand. "Give me the 10," he said. He got it.
Some found ways to curse you even when they won, varying their bets to lose when they had a big stack in the circle, and get a blackjack when they were betting the $5 minimum. They hated the dealer even more then. One day, two real jerks sat at my table for eight hours, calling me "Motherf$&*#r" almost every time they received a card. This was largely ignored by casino officials, and I recalled one of the instructors saying that this casino allowed behavior that would not be tolerated at any other casino where he'd worked.
That said, the floor supervisors, pit bosses and shift supervisors are uniformly the nicest people you could ever meet. They're calm, pleasant and encouraging. If you make an error dealing, they view it as part of the normal course of things, and fix it with no sign of being annoyed. "There's nothing you can do that we can't fix," they said. Every day, I make it a point to thank them before I clock out.
The biggest hand
My biggest hand was a kid in his mid-20s. He put five $100 bills on the table and asked for green chips. He placed all 20 in the betting circle – the table limit -- and I dealt his cards: two 2s. He reached into his pocket, pulled out another five $100s, got 20 more green chips, and split the 2s. The next card out was another 2. Exasperated, he split again – the casino limit on splitting. He now had three hands and $1,500 on the table, and people started watching. He hit those cards up to a 16 and two 17s. I was showing a 9. Secretly, I prayed that this time, I would break.
I turned over a Jack.
In about a minute, my player lost $1,500. When I looked up from my hand, he was already gone, and I heard my nickname being shouted down the aisle. Even the supervisor looked a bit shocked.
Later that same day, two college kids came in and put $30 each on the table. I gave them each six $5 chips. They played for fun. They high-fived each other when they won. When they got blackjack, they high-fived people walking by. Somehow, they kept playing for 40 minutes. “We’re still here!” they’d say. They had more fun for $30 than the player who brings $500 to the table.
In the end, dealing is a job. There are moments you love it, and moments you hate it.
In the next post…
The most interesting and unexpected things you learn as a new casino dealer. Part 4 is in Post # 74.
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FDLmold
Royal Flush
Good post, motherfu!$er!
Waarwaar
Sitting Out
Awesome thread Dennis, fun to read!
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
This has been a great thread. Informative and comedic - just what I need daily. Really, It's what we all need daily. Looking forward to as many additional instalments as you can stretch this into.
I'm envisioning the "Key West Dealers Instructional Book" in the Key West store soon...
I'm envisioning the "Key West Dealers Instructional Book" in the Key West store soon...
atomiktoaster
Full House
Great posts! Count me down for a newsletter subscription.
Psypher1000
Straight Flush
OP
OP
Here is a good one from our friend Heather at Vegas Aces:
Here's another good one from PCI Dealer School: It complies with what we were taught in the casino dealer's class. There was one small difference: This dealer said "don't hit' the stacks. Our instructors said, "Don't be afraid to hit the cheques, because it will make it easier to cut them."
I think it's funny how they show the cheques "full screen," so they're 20 times larger than in real life. If they were only that easy to see individually on the table!
And they say being quiet is the sign of a good dealer. That may be true, but the casino floor is so loud, no one will notice anyway. It's different in the high-limit room.
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gopherblue
Straight Flush
I'm no egbert, but splitting 2s (twice!) when the dealer shows a 9? Did that guy hate money or something?
Amazing storytelling Dennis! You could probably write a book!
Also, has no one else noticed that Tommy should probably change the website to www.pokerchequesforum.com........!!!??
Also, has no one else noticed that Tommy should probably change the website to www.pokerchequesforum.com........!!!??
OP
OP
Amazing storytelling Dennis! You could probably write a book!
Also, has no one else noticed that Tommy should probably change the website to www.pokerchequesforum.com........!!!??
I was thinking about that whole "cheque" thing, too. And the presumptuous British spelling.
But poker is a world unto itself, even at the casino. It's a completely different department. Poker dealers are separate, and get paid separately. They keep their own tips, and don't share in the pooled tips from the rest of the casino. Because they are often seated, they can even cut chips differently. The instructors called it "thumb-busting," where they use their thumbs to cut the cheques.
Maybe they call them "chips" in the poker room, since they don't have a cash value. If you work there, you're not allowed to go into the poker room.
FYI, our casino's Poker Room is nice.
@Tommy's basement is nicer.
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Psypher1000
Straight Flush
Thanks for that. I'd seen the PCI video before but I wasn't sure how "right" it was. Hadn't seen the one from Heather. I'll check it out tonight.
Ellasdaddy
Flush
Loving this thread. I've always been fascinated by dealer training. I always have nice chats with my BJ and roulette dealers while playing.
OP
OP
I thought the same thing when he split the first 2s. At best, he should have just taken a hit to see where it went. Surrender was offered, too. That would have saved him $1,250.00.
When he split the 2s again, I thought, "He must have been counting from a distance before he bought in," and I assumed I had something like a 5 hole card.
When he lost $1,500 in one hand, I figured he wasn't counting.
It actually seems to happen quite often that a player will get a matched pair, split them, and the next card out is a card of the same rank, allowing for two splits and three hands. The cards seem to come out that way more often than not.
A house rule is that you can only split aces once, for two hands, and get only one card on each. Other cards can be split twice, for three hands, and you take hits. Tens and face cards are all considered to be the same rank -- 10 -- so you can split a 10 and a Jack, or a King and a Queen.
You'd be a fool to do this, but you can.
A few weeks ago, I heard from another dealer that a player in the high limit room split 10s and got the card the player to his left needed to make 21. Player 2 stood up and hit Player 1 with a chair. A casino chair. (Not light.)
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FDLmold
Royal Flush
Splitting tens gets the attention of floor personnel, or at least it used to. Card counters are about the only people who would do that.
DJ Mack
Flush
Percentage wise how many people would you say are having fun and talk versus staring blankly into space doing nothing but the required hand signals as if they were pushing the buttons on a slot machine?
I'm guessing it varies by time of day too - the after work crowd is probably quite different than the still legally drunk 4 AM crowd.
I ask because during my relatively few casino visits the BJ tables seem to be the least happening place to be aside from the slot aisles.
I'm guessing it varies by time of day too - the after work crowd is probably quite different than the still legally drunk 4 AM crowd.
I ask because during my relatively few casino visits the BJ tables seem to be the least happening place to be aside from the slot aisles.
Mental Nomad
Full House
Yep.
I paid for weeks of dealer classes to get NJ-certified for poker and blackjack. At that time in NJ, you needed a license with two game certifications to get hired. After I passed an audition and started working, they trained me on some additional games as they needed (let it ride, Caribbean stud poker, sic no, big six...)
But the training sounds pretty much like what you went through... And the hard part was cutting checks, cutting checks, cutting checks.
Good times.
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Ideal ending to this "Casino Dealer" series:
"And that is how I was able to take the casino for almost 15 million dollars"
[pic of Dennis on the beach in a non-extradition country]
"And that is how I was able to take the casino for almost 15 million dollars"
[pic of Dennis on the beach in a non-extradition country]
WedgeRock
Royal Flush
But they are pooled among all poker dealers, correct? I've always seen them drop a toke into a common box and change out the box every so often. No way to split that toke box among all the dealers that have sat at that table.
IIRC, 20 is a 70% winner (and a significant amount of the other 30% results in a push).
Such a fun read, thank you!
DJ Mack
Flush
During your first career how many people did you arrest that really didn't need to be until they decided they did? People are amazing.
OP
OP
I do love Costa Rica.
There's a casino in the lobby of the Gran Hotel in San Jose, too.
Perfect weather, and great scuba diving there, too. (I got certified to dive from an instructor who looked like a young Maria Carey in a little yellow bikini.)
And no, that's not a snorkel.
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OP
OP
Very few are playing for fun. You get one or two people a day who are there to have a good time. The rest are there every day, trying to grind out $100 or make up for yesterday's losses, and failing miserably. They're only happy when they're $500 ahead, and they're never $500 ahead.
All of them. Life is about choices. They made the wrong ones, or were having their worst day ever. I'm sure you could probably say the same about your arrests.
It's muscle memory, just keep doing it.
I watched the videos and they made my head hurt... don't try to copy them just play around until you find something that works for you.
Great stuff, Dennis - have thoroughly enjoyed reading and look forward to future installments.
And I'd say you have not one, but two alternate forms of post-retirement income -- casino dealing, and very clearly, creative writing. Great job.
And I'd say you have not one, but two alternate forms of post-retirement income -- casino dealing, and very clearly, creative writing. Great job.
moose
4 of a Kind
Depends on the casino but in most casinos where dealers keep their tips, each dealer carries their own toke box from table to table.
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