Best dealing school in Las Vegas?

Big Business · #1 05-22-2006, 01:32 PM

First, some little background on myself before we get into the reasoning:

I am 26 years old and will be moving to Las Vegas in August/September. Now, I already stated that as I am asking for advice on the listed topic..not on whether I should move or not. My background is in customer service/training with an emphasis on leadership. Poker dealing is always something I have wanted to do and I am the type of person who sets out to accomplish those things.

I am going to get full salary from my previous job for about 2 1/2 months while I am living out there so that give me plenty of time to find and job and supplement my income playing poker.

I was wondering what would be the place to go to learn because I would think that most places want you to have some background, but since I have not dealt before I need all of the tools to be successful. Now, most of my work would be on the shuffling and dealing in, as I think my focus on customer service and managing the game would be great.

What expierance do any of you have with dealing schools? Cost? How long? etc. Any advice or discussion would be awesome, or feel free to pm me.

Spook · #2 05-22-2006, 01:56 PM

Moving to Vegas sounds fine. But a goal of being a poker dealer... ugh. Not a very great accomplishment.

Photoc · #3 05-22-2006, 02:49 PM

You'd be lucky to find a dealing job giving you more than 1 or 2 days a week. There are litterally hundreds of dealers still looking for jobs out here, with experience, and all they are going to get is the WSOP, then be stuck looking again. Some places are scaling back their part time (extra boards) or eliminating them completely now.

Not a great time to be looking for a job dealing.

Big Business · #4 05-22-2006, 04:02 PM

Well, I can do other things until that opportunity becomes available, just figured going to school wouldn't hurt things. One or two days a week even wouldn't be that bad for now.

tom10167 · #5 05-22-2006, 04:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You'd be lucky to find a dealing job giving you more than 1 or 2 days a week. There are litterally hundreds of dealers still looking for jobs out here, with experience, and all they are going to get is the WSOP, then be stuck looking again. Some places are scaling back their part time (extra boards) or eliminating them completely now.

Not a great time to be looking for a job dealing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Experienced dealers out of work? Gross. Does having 2 years experience etc. help any?

psandman · #6 05-22-2006, 04:31 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You'd be lucky to find a dealing job giving you more than 1 or 2 days a week. There are litterally hundreds of dealers still looking for jobs out here, with experience, and all they are going to get is the WSOP, then be stuck looking again. Some places are scaling back their part time (extra boards) or eliminating them completely now.

Not a great time to be looking for a job dealing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Experienced dealers out of work? Gross. Does having 2 years experience etc. help any?

[/ QUOTE ]

When an opening comes available it certainly helps, of course it helps more to know someone, but the problem is that unless you are talking about a new room opening, the openings that come available are extra board positions. When a Full Time Shift comes up it gets filled from the extra board (often based solely on seniority).

Peter · #7 05-22-2006, 04:45 PM

I learnt dealing blackjack at Learn 2 Deal . I didn't get a job in Vegas, since I don't live in the states, but at the time I heard from other people that got jobs that most people who came from other schools where not as good.
Also, the guy who teaches poker there is the guy who co-wrote The Professional Poker Dealers Handbook.

Peter

RR · #8 05-22-2006, 04:54 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I learnt dealing blackjack at Learn 2 Deal . I didn't get a job in Vegas, since I don't live in the states, but at the time I heard from other people that got jobs that most people who came from other schools where not as good.
Also, the guy who teaches poker there is the guy who co-wrote The Professional Poker Dealers Handbook.

Peter

[/ QUOTE ]

That link is to the best dealing school in Vegas (at least for poker), but I don't know if Dan is still there. Dan is one fo two people I know that do an adaquate job teaching dealing (the other is Stan Baker who is out of the teaching business).

youtalkfunny · #9 05-22-2006, 06:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What expierance do any of you have with dealing schools? Cost? How long? etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since no one has addressed these questions yet:

I went to a dealers school in Las Vegas to learn poker in 2000. It cost about $250-400, I can't remember exactly. They told when I signed up that there is no time table to graduate. You come in whenever you want to practice, and they'll let you know when you're ready to go audition. For most students, it takes 4-8 weeks to get to that point, with almost everybody needing the full 8 weeks, and very rarely is somebody ready after 4 weeks.

On Day One, they sit you at an empty table, and show you how to pitch the cards, and how to cut the chips. This takes a lot of practice, especially the pitching. They also give you a booklet to study, outlining rules and procedures. A big chunk of the book is elementary stuff like ranking of hands, but knowing everything in this book inside and out is still very important.

Once you can pitch and read the hands, you're ready to practice dealing. There's a constant poker game going at the school. It's made up the students, who take turns dealing to each other. There's no money at stake, they're just playing for fun, and to give the student in the box a game to deal. YOU'LL GRADUATE A LOT FASTER, IF YOU SPEND MORE TIME DEALING THIS GAME THAN PLAYING IN IT. A lot of people find it fun and relaxing to just "hang around" the school, playing hold'em and shooting the breeze. Somebody will deal this game for 10-15 minutes, and the instructor will say, "OK, that's enough, let's give someone else a turn. Who wants to be next?" No one volunteers, they all look at each other. Either they're shy, or they lack the confidence in their ability to run the game in front of others, or they're just lazy like I said. Be the one who always says, "I'll go next," and you'll get through the school much more quickly.

The poker instructor at the school I attended was also a poker dealer at a casino that frequently hired "break-ins". He could see I was smarter than the average bear (I was the first person ever to come in under his "4-8 week" estimate), and recommended me to his poker manager. I auditioned there, and got the job.

Hope this post helps.

Oh yeah, one more very important thing: I learned more about the job from 2+2's "Poker Dealer's Handbook" for $20 than I did from that school for $100's. I still recommend going to school--the practice you get will give you the confidence you need at the audition--but the 2+2 book is also a must-have, if you take any pride in your work at all.

BBMW · #10 05-22-2006, 11:46 PM

If you're going to deal, learn to deal everything. If you want to play poker, play poker. But if you want to make money dealing, don't paint yourself into a poker corner. Learn to deal BJ and (especially) craps. Treat dealing as a job, and do what you have to do to get in and make money.