Becoming a dealer in Vegas

[Spook]

I have been out here for about 4 months without a job. Not much luck and I am going to need to buy a new car to stay past the spring. So I am thinking about turning to dealing.

I like to think that I know then the average dealer regarding rules / procedure from playing and reading this forum. But I don't know where to go. I know that dealer schools are frowned upon in here, and that I should go to a break in house and try to audition. But where that is, I do not know.
Thanks for any advise.

[pipster]

Why would you think that Dealer Schools are frowned upon? Some uppity people may think that if you have to go school then you shouldn't be a dealer. And I agree that 90% of people who come out of the schools are complete schmucks.

However, if you are good at dealing but self-taught. The school will fill in the few gaps you have, you will fly thru the self-paced schools. And most of the schools have contacts with all the major casinos and if you are good, they will tell them and you will be hired before you even finish.

I spoke to several dealers in Vegas who went to schools there. They said they were not there more than a week before they had a job offer. Good dealers are rare, the majority are barely adequate. If you like doing it, do it well, and have a good command of the game, language, and policies. You will get snapped up in 5 mins flat once they see you are competent.

Can you walk into a break-in casino like something downtown or off-strip and audition? Sure... But considering the difference in earning potential between an MGM or Mirage and an off-strip... spend the 1-2 weeks and the couple hundred bucks, and get in the door at a top notch place.

[Photoc]

Right now, poker jobs are near impossible to come by. NO ONE is taking break ins. Not even Harrahs joints. They are requiring 1 year casino or prior WSOP/WPT experience just to get in the door.

The market is flooded with dealers. It has been this way since the 2005 WSOP wrapped up. Some are still looking for work.

Now, casino dealing jobs can be found, but the norm is you must start at the bottom end and work your way up.

[highlife]

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Can you walk into a break-in casino like something downtown or off-strip and audition? Sure... But considering the difference in earning potential between an MGM or Mirage and an off-strip... spend the 1-2 weeks and the couple hundred bucks, and get in the door at a top notch place.

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you have no chance at the MGM or Mirage without experience, they don't really care that much if you went to school or not.

[Bulbarainey]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been out here for about 4 months without a job. Not much luck and I am going to need to buy a new car to stay past the spring. So I am thinking about turning to dealing.

[/ QUOTE ]

don't get caught!

[ireraiseu]

Absolutely go to dealers school. There are a couple of things you need to learn, mainly how to shuffle and how to pitch a card properly. These are just a couple of very important things we look at when auditioning new dealers.

I am completely biased about this school, I went here, a lot of people I have worked with went here. Go see Nick Kallos at Casino Gaming School, its cheaper than a lot of other schools and he has good contacts.

Also keep in mind, in the customer service driven market of today, personality and appearance are very important.

The next big room to open is going to be the Venetian. There are also rumors about new york new york adding a room and hooters, too, has advertised that they are going to add a low limit room.

As far as finding a job is concerned, it isnt as easy as it was one or two years ago but new rooms have to take break ins. They may advertise that they want xxx years of experience but they aren't going to get many of those people. There are a lot of tourney dealers looking for perm jobs and they arent having much luck. They may be great at what they do, they may be great dealers, but if they don't have a great smile or personality, if they can't pass a background check, or if they can't pass a drug test, they aren't going to be working here.

Another way to go about finding a job is to talk to the staff of the rooms you frequent. Not every job available makes it to an online posting or in a newspaper ad.

Good luck!

[surfinillini]

uhhhh, there are tons more jobs in vegas than poker dealer.

why limit yourself, seems stupid.

[Spook]

Wow, eight hundred dollars is supposed to be cheap? You are a current dealer then?

I am looking for more than just a dealing job. I really am looking for something in food and beverage admin. But the one job I really wanted got filled while I was visiting home for Thanksgiving. And then the lead I got from that job lead to more Management tests to take - but the job they posted never existed. So now I am kind of grasping at straws and filling out applications.

[RR]

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Wow, eight hundred dollars is supposed to be cheap? You are a current dealer then?

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$800 is cheap if they doo a good job teaching, but over priced if you don't learn much. I have thought about getting into the teaching business.

[Spook]

Randy, how about I give you 800 and you give me a job?