Just worked as a poker dealer (trip report)

Peter · #1 04-26-2007, 08:37 AM

I am not a poker dealer by profession, but I have always thought it would be interesting to do, as would any other dealing job.
Today I was hired to deal poker at a high school party, while explaining the rules if needed. Interestingly, even the 12 year olds didn't need any explanation. They would checkraise their grandmother if they needed to. Of course, playing with play chips made it a little easier.

There was one thing I noticed in dealing that I found interesting. At times I would be so busy controlling the action that I had no clue what the board cards were and I really had to take some time at showdown to figure out what the winning hand was. I can only imagine how much harder it is if you have to deal omaha. I guess knowing the board and thus knowing possible winning hands while controlling the action will come naturally over time, but I can very well understand now why dealers sometimes need a little more time at showdown.

Since it was all play money I also had plenty of practice with side pots, which was very interesting to do. I think I made them all correctly, even used the chips as pointers idea I read in Al Capone's post recently, but I'm not sure if I used the correct method. Sometimes I calculated what should be added to the main pot, sometimes I calculated what should be in the side pot, whichever was easier to do. I think the former is the correct way to handle it?

Just wanted to say that being a dealer opened up a new perspective and I will probably appreciate it even more when I see a dealer who can handle things smoothly. And also understand why sometimes it doesn't go as smooth.

Peter

Gonso · #2 04-26-2007, 08:58 AM

Sometimes I have no idea what the flop is at all. I just burn and turn, tidy it up, get the action on, grab the rake, call the game as needed, count down the stub, etc. Right then the flop might as well be UNO cards.

For the side pots I use the pointers too, BTW. I always figure right the main pot, and then move the remainder with the other all-in player to the side pot. If there are more side pots I keep doing the same, and keep using the pointers. I rarely see more than 2 side pots at a time though, and even that is uncommon.

But yeah, running a fast and efficient game is tough enough when you're completely focused on it, even more so when you're trying to do hand analysis. Better to save it for your off time.

mothmandan · #3 04-26-2007, 01:04 PM

Dealing those loose, free money games is the easiest way to learn to deal tournaments. You usually have lots of action, lots of side pots and when it is free you have players who will turn over their hole cards and say "I have this. Is this a ?? hand?" so you can work on hand recognition. I agree that sometimes you don't have much time to look at the board cards and this is why some dealers get to a showdown and seem to have no idea where the pot is going (which is why I appreciate when players tell me what they think they have, it saves me time if I have not watched the cards). Rake, Hi/lo splits, pot limit games, etc all can make the job harder than it looks from the other side of the table.

As for your side pots, there is no wrong way to do it if the division is done correctly. Building the side pot or adding to the main pot depends on which part is smaller when you have 1 side pot. When you have multiple side pots (I have had as many as 5) the only option is to start with the smallest all-in and pull those to the main, go to the next smallest and build that side pot followed by each after that. I am not sure what you mean by making pointers, but to make sure the side pots go to the right players just place the side pot in front of the player that made the all-in. This way you know which all-in can win that side pot. The only thing you need to remember is the order in which the all-ins occur, which can be tough if you get 3 all-in on the flop, and one on the turn and then players betting out on the river.

It is true that things are not as simple as they appear as a player. I remember a real FUBAR on my first down. I had been called to deal a few emergency downs after dealing baccarat all day. My first hand I didn't know what the board was and I almost passed a pot to a two-pair hand when a guy said "hold-on there, why doesn't my flush count?". I had to stop and read all the hands again and the players all said the flush won, but it took a minute because for some reason the hand just didn't register. I heard some choice words, but when I stood up during change-over and said it was my first ever down they cut me some slack.

Dan's 2 cents

youtalkfunny · #4 04-26-2007, 01:06 PM

Why are grown-ups organizing poker games for 12-year-olds?

cardcounter0 · #5 04-26-2007, 01:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why are grown-ups organizing poker games for 12-year-olds?

[/ QUOTE ]
Because the kids today are not as smart as we were at that age when we just organized them ourselves.

Fishwhenican · #6 04-26-2007, 01:19 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why are grown-ups organizing poker games for 12-year-olds?

[/ QUOTE ]

For fun!

My kids love playing poker with me and their mom. We have little home tournaments and all of that. It is a bit of a pain when the 11 YO get grumpy when we have friends over for a home game and he wants to play as well. I fronted him a buy-in a couple of times when we were short people and he did OK with the exception of relentlessly bluffing off all his money. Now I tell him if he wants to keep bluffing $$'s away he can do it with his allowance money. That slows him down a bit!

Peter · #7 04-26-2007, 02:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why are grown-ups organizing poker games for 12-year-olds?

[/ QUOTE ]

The whole thing was organized by a bunch of 17 year olds actually. Over here in the Netherlands we have something that is called Final Day of School, which was today for most children in the last year. Now they have about a month off of school to study for their final exam. Tradition has it that these children organise a complete day to celebrate their last day.

TonyLA · #8 04-26-2007, 02:31 PM

Interesting stuff... heck I'm just impressed by dealers that can manage to deal a flop out in one smooth motion without the cards getting stuck or bring turned every odd direction. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Mason Hellmuth · #9 04-26-2007, 04:21 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I fronted him a buy-in a couple of times when we were short people and he did OK with the exception of relentlessly bluffing off all his money. Now I tell him if he wants to keep bluffing $$'s away he can do it with his allowance money. That slows him down a bit!

[/ QUOTE ]
Montana rules.

Fishwhenican · #10 04-26-2007, 05:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I fronted him a buy-in a couple of times when we were short people and he did OK with the exception of relentlessly bluffing off all his money. Now I tell him if he wants to keep bluffing $$'s away he can do it with his allowance money. That slows him down a bit!

[/ QUOTE ]
Montana rules.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hell YA! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]