Poker Dealer Feedback: What's it like being a dealer?

[Trail_Boss_Mitch]

I'm interested in becoming a poker dealer part-time...to help feed by bankroll. Any suggestions? What's the best way to get on at a local casino? How do you find local private games who need a dealer?

[dudemanjack]

I deal poker in Atlantic City and I like it. I played poker a lot before becoming a dealer so there wasn't really much for me to learn to get started - pretty much shuffling and pitching techniques.

The first thing you should do is apply for your casino license. It took me about 6-8 weeks to get mine. I think it was $350 or somewhere around there. Remember, this is New Jersey and can vary from state to state.

As far as getting a job...ask around. Check websites and talk to people while you are playing. Ask the floor supervisors - especially any of the ones who recognize you when you come in. When I got my job I was pretty lucky...I had just got my license and noticed a casino was hiring. Like four days later I auditioned and got a job.

[TheJunkyardGod]

How did you apply? I've been filling out online applications with no luck. Is it better to go down there in person?

[Brokeski]

im not sure if this was mentioned yet but im pretty sure, at least in california, its best to go to dealer school first, its like 2 weeks long and im about to consider doing it.

[mothmandan]

If you have a gaming license, have taken a training course and are flexible in what games and when you can deal it will make it easier to get on. IMO if you are a rookie who only wants to deal poker on friday and saturday nights it will be tough to get on.

From my personal experience most dealers had to deal main pit games for a probationary period before they would be considered as potential poker dealers (it took me 3 months of blackjack, baccarat and Carribean stud, then 3 weeks to take the poker training course afterwards). This would depend on the size of the poker room as some poker rooms may hire dealers independently from the main pit (most of the casinos where I am are 8 tables or less and are run as a part of the main casino). I have seen many good poker dealers quit because they wouldn't help pit managers by dealing main pit games in emergencies. At the same time I have seen rookie poker dealers go from a short stint in the main pit to pretty much full time poker dealing after proving themselves and then once getting to the poker room they became favorite dealers for both the players and are reliable so the floor staff tries to keep them.

If you want to find private games talk to players that you play with. Try and get invited to games and instead of playing ask to deal for a while and see what you think.

Your main question was - What is it like?
In a worse case senario you are dealing 3/6 limit to 10 seniors who can't see their cards in front of their faces. You have to keep them moving - tell each player how much to bet/call and pretty much read out the board because they can't see the cards. It is slow, sometimes less than 20 hands/hour but really low key and easy work.
Dealing higher stakes games and late night games can be more enjoyable but you can get so busy with dealing that it does become work and eventually you don't want to be in a casino all the time if you play and deal.

IMO it won't help your game that much sitting in the box so if your objective is more than minimum wage + tips then you can probably find a better way to pad your bankroll elsewhere.

Dan's 2 cents

[Gonso]

Get your gaming license in hand, get yourself poker + blackjack, and prepare hard for an audition. Don't just half-ass it, either, you'll appreciate your hard work when you have to audition on a live game. It's not pretty to drown on one - I can tell you what it's like to fail a craps audition with live players, it's not pretty.

Keep applying, it's normal to have to wait a while, especially in seasonal resort areas like AC. I had several games and still waited a while -months- to get any calls.

You'll have to start out PT, and be prepared to have to be available all 7 days a week for 3-4 days per week. Your chances of getting work are much easier if you don't have any schedule limitations.

What's it like - with poker, you have to concentrate and stay alert. You want to be wired tight, because players are pretty unforgiving. A lot the time it will have nothing to do with you, some players are just miserable, but you don't want to give them a legit reason to give you a hard time because they will.

I also don't think it will make you a much better player, although it will make you a little more alert to what's going on at the table. If it's a weekend job, as in my case, it can be good extra $ for poker money or home improvement of whatever.

If it turns out poker doesn't work for you, you could make some decent income dealing table games. They're a little less exiting, but they're easier, other than craps.

[dudemanjack]

[ QUOTE ]
How did you apply? I've been filling out online applications with no luck. Is it better to go down there in person?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I got pretty lucky. I applied only to a Harrah's owned casino (would rather not say which one) and got a call right away from human resources..got a quick interview than an audition for the following Monday. There were only like 10 of us. The audition was a cinch - at least half of the people there were just TERRIBLE so I was pretty confident I would get the job.

It may help to go in and talk to a pit manager about whether they are hiring. If nothing else, they will at least know you a little and hopefully made a good impression.

[Gonso]

My first dealer job was in a Harrah's property. I remember that like half of the applicants in the room were Chinese and couldn't speak a word of English (apparently they have dealer schools in NY where they could learn games w/o learning English). They couldn't even answer the HR lady when asked what games they had - they were politely excused.

They collected 20 applicants and scheduled us throughout the day on Wednesday. We got our temp employee sticker, went to the pit, and they just had us tap out a dealer on game. The girl behind me was nervous or something because she was dropping cheques all over the place, and one of the other tables was blowing up on another applicant. I had a couple tables of people who were anywhere from friendly to miserable, just have a thick skin.

[Python49]

yeah but how much did you start off making and can reasonably expect weekly

[mothmandan]

Minimum wage (maybe a bit more) + tips. Tips vary (by the casino and by the day) and casino policy decides whether they are pooled and then divided by the number of hours worked or kept by the individual.

Dan's 2 cents