Advice wanted in finding a dealer job in Las Vegas

wakanohana · #1 08-30-2007, 11:53 PM

Hello all,
I've lurked for awhile and recently have been a little more active with my posts. I've played poker for the last fifteen years and tried making a go of professional poker player the last three years. Too many leaks and a total disregard for money ended that profession early this year.

Long story short, I am here in Las Vegas and have recently finished dealer school. I have had auditions at Stratosphere, Caesars and Flamingo (for O'Sheas) - all have said that they we're surprised that I was a 'break in' but they just did not have any positions available.

I have been to others as well and many times were referred to HR to fill out an application. Next week I am going to make my rounds again, with the intention of dressing in my black and whites and introducing myself to the poker room manager / decision maker and seeing if they would audition me.

My question for this forum is what advice you guys can give me to help me in my quest to become a Las Vegas poker dealer?

Thank you much.

Photoc · #2 08-31-2007, 12:13 AM

There haven't been jobs in this town in a long time for poker. This is the slow time of the year and about 300 dealers looking for work just from the WSOP alone. Our place had 1 spot open a month or so ago and no kidding, over 200 applicants for it.

Any advice? Don't bother seriously or be prepared to wait several months for anything to open and if there is anything, its going to be " on call" and most likely graveyard or the worst possible hours available like 3am-11am and such.

wakanohana · #3 08-31-2007, 04:03 AM

Word yo, that seems to be the reality of it. I am not ready to pack it in just yet, I don't really have anything better to do and I used to be in sales a long life ago. Thanks for the response.

wakanohana · #4 08-31-2007, 11:40 AM

Last shameless bump. Additional info requested, otherwise RIP post.

raisebot · #5 08-31-2007, 10:56 PM

Try downtown, or some break in joint like the Poker Palace or the Speedway Casino in North Las Vegas.

BBMW · #6 09-01-2007, 02:22 AM

Waka,

I'm not a dealer, but I didn't have a question. Do you deal anything besides poker? If not why?

Poker is only one game of many, and, at least from what I hear, it's not even the most lucrative. If I were you, I'd make a concerted effort to pick up Craps and Blackjack well enough to ace and audition.

RR · #7 09-01-2007, 10:30 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Waka,

I'm not a dealer, but I didn't have a question. Do you deal anything besides poker? If not why?

Poker is only one game of many, and, at least from what I hear, it's not even the most lucrative. If I were you, I'd make a concerted effort to pick up Craps and Blackjack well enough to ace and audition.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are no break in dealers that can just switch from poker to the pit. I have known maybe 10 people in the last 10 years that can deal poker and a pit game proficiently enough to get a job on a good place. That doesn't mean there aren't dealer's that deal both, I have had many working dealers form the east audition for me that I had to refer to a dealer's school because they weren't ready for the west.

psandman · #8 09-01-2007, 10:42 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Poker is only one game of many, and, at least from what I hear, it's not even the most lucrative.

[/ QUOTE ]

Poker is the most lucrative break in dealing job in town. That is to say a new dealer in poker (if they can find a job) will make more than a new pit dealer. However in the long run the pit dealers who work there way up to the better houses can make more.

wakanohana · #9 09-01-2007, 07:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]

There are no break in dealers that can just switch from poker to the pit. I have known maybe 10 people in the last 10 years that can deal poker and a pit game proficiently enough to get a job on a good place. That doesn't mean there aren't dealer's that deal both, I have had many working dealers form the east audition for me that I had to refer to a dealer's school because they weren't ready for the west.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the responses all and RR, this is what I was looking for. I am very confident in my dealing abilities, and I can say that I was easily #1 of the forty or so that would come through the school. I've benefited from being very coordinated and a degenerate all-around gambler for many years. I had to take a part time job while looking for dealing work, but I'm going to go back to school and take advantage of their "buy one game get three free" and get certified in craps and blackjack too.