How To Deal Cards Like A Casino Dealer
The $14 per hour I earned between my base rate and tips in 1993 is the equivalent of $23 per hour today, according to the BLS inflation calculator The responsibilities of a casino dealer vary by workplace but typically how to be a casino dealer involve dealing cards for games such as poker or blackjack, operating the roulette wheel or assisting patrons on the slot. Person who deals cards in a casinoLoader: A person who deals cards in a casino dealer who is careless and shows the hole card while dealing. Skip to the content. We Offer 0% Interest-Free Financing. Meet Your Private Jeweler (Virtual Consultations) Schedule a Visit; 214-466-1776. Learn how to deal pai gow poker with this in-depth analysis. The seventh page is an Introduction to dealing and it covers what the dealer should do if they don't have a shuffle machine or a randome numer generator available to them. This page also details what casino procedures the dealer should follow. Find out all you need to know about what it's like to be a professional poker dealer. Skills, income, prospects and FAQs - read our top guide here.
How to Deal without a Shuffle Machine or Random Number Generator
This is good for dealers because there will be times when the shuffle machine or the random number generator is broken and you’ll have to deal the game manually.
Since you have no shuffle machine, shuffle the cards by hand before offering the deck for a cut, just as you would if you were dealing blackjack. If the player is banking then they have the first option to cut the deck.
Take the deck and deal out 7 hands of 7 cards each starting from the dealer’s left hand side and going right. The dealer should keep the deck as low to the table as possible when dealing out the cards. In order for the cameras to verify that all 53 cards have been used, the dealer will spread out the last remaining 4 cards, face down, before being placed in the discard rack. The dealer will then straighten up the stacks, tilting the first hand on the left sideways a bit and the last hand on the right sideways a bit more. This is supposed to represent a dragon, with the lucky head on the left and the unlucky tail on the right.
Normally, this is the time the Random Number Generator would tell us where to deal the first set of cards, but since we don’t have a Random Number Generator, we’re going to have to rely on dice instead. Casinos usually don’t allow the players to shake the dice, but there is one exception to this rule and it’s when the Player is banking. The dealer will shake a dice cup, with 3 dice in it, a few times using only one hand. Every casino is different, some will want you to shake the dice exactly 4 times while others will say between 3 to 5 times, so make sure you know your house rules. The dealer will always be the one to uncover the dice cup; players are not allowed to touch the dice or the dice cup and if the dice bounce out of the cup or is touched by a player, then call over the floorman immediately and inform him of the situation. The floor will inspect the dice before putting it back into action. All bets must be in their betting circle before the dice are uncovered because once the numbers have been exposed no one can alter their bets.
If one of the die lies on top of another die, or is cocked sideways, then call out “No Dice” before shaking the cup again. The 3 dice will be totaled and the number shown will determine where the dragon’s head, or the first set of cards, goes. The dealer will announce the total of the dice before delivering the cards.
The number on the dice corresponds with the placement of the hands. The banker or the dealer will always be position number 1. Then starting from the right hand side going left the dealer will count the spots up to the dice total, giving each position a specific number. The banker-dealer position will always be numbers 1, 8 or 15. Remember, the dealer doesn’t need to count every spot starting from number 1. This would take too much time. Instead, the dealer will use the fact that the banker position is always 1, 8, or 15 and count forward or backwards depending on what number is shown on the dice.
After the dealer has delivered the first set of cards to the spot indicated on the dice, they will continue to distribute the hands, moving in a counter clock-wise rotation. All betting positions will receive a set of cards regardless of whether there is a player sitting there or not. After all of the hands are distributed and the last 4 cards proven to the cameras, the dealer will pick up all of the hands that are in unoccupied spots and place them in the discard rack.
The dice will remain uncovered and unmoved until all of the hands are dealt with, then the dealer will cover the dice, shake the cup and place it to the right of the layout. After that, everyone will continue the game as normal.
Working as a casino dealer may look like fun but it’s hard work. It may seem like a great way to enjoy your day at work….throwing a ball into a roulette wheel, dealing cards, chatting with the customers and calling out wins.
There’s a lot of work and effort involved in being a good casino dealer, either at a land-based casino or an online casino live dealer, it can be a good career move. New casino jobs open as new casinos are built and more and more online casinos offer live dealer games – like Intertops Casino, Jackpot Capital and more of our casinos here. And since more and more places around the world are opening casinos, if you’re good, you have a job skill that can allow you to travel.
Becoming a casino dealer involves more than knowing how to call numbers and deal cards. You have to be a people-person who can multi-task as you chat with the customers while you do your work. You have to be savvy about spotting card-counters and other types of cheaters in order to protect your employers. Most of all you must be willing to put in long hours to learn and practice the skills needed to be a successful casino dealer.
Why Be A Casino Dealer?
- Salary – a skilled, practiced and well-liked casino dealer can make as much as $100,000 per year. That’s at the big Vegas casinos but even at small casinos, dealers generally make at least $25/hour. For someone starting out, that’s not bad.
- Working Conditions – working conditions at most casinos are good. The atmosphere is pleasant and casinos tend to take care of their employees because they value workers who have experience and know-how. The casinos don’t want to be constantly retraining staff so they try to take care of the staff that they have.
- Tips – players tend to tip, especially after a win. Dealers who have a good relationship with “their” players can generally look forward to collecting generous tips.
- Education – Dealer schools can turn out new dealers after as little as 2 weeks of training. In-house training is offered by some casinos to existing employees who want to move upward into a dealer position. You don’t need a high school diploma or other certificate to go to a dealer school and after the course, jobs are available, depending on the area of the country in which you live. The dealer school typically costs $500 for each game learned.
- Shifts – many casinos are open 24/7 so dealers can choose their shift, switch their shift and otherwise manage their time. Breaks are reasonable – half hour break after an hour and a half work is customary – and there’s usually flexible personal time off, which the dealer earns.
- Benefits – since many casinos are part of large corporations, they offer good benefits including bonuses, 401K match programs, tuition reimbursement for job-related college classes, etc.
- Pleasant work environment – there’s generally an atmosphere of comradery among casino employees that often translates to off-hours socialization.
- Mobility – if you work for a casino corporation that has properties in multiple locales you can transfer if need be. There’s often different types of jobs so you don’t get stuck in one spot for a long period of time.
Dealer Responsibilities
There are many different types of dealer jobs. Some are combined into one job and others are specific to a specific dealer position.
Some of the dealer jobs include:
- Conduct gambling games such as blackjack, poker, dice, roulette, cards, or keno.
- Exchange money for chips to be used in games.
- Check players’ bets.
- Receive cash wagers.
- Compare players’ hands with the house and determine winner.
- Compute players’ winnings and losses.
- Announce winner and begin new game.
- Inspect gaming equipment
- Inspect cards to ensure compliance with gaming standards.
- Answer questions about game rules and variations.
- Resolve disputes or arguments by conferring with Pit Supervisor.
- Notify Pit Supervisor of any irregularities.
- Watch for cheaters/scammers and have them removed from table if need be.
- Assist in training new dealers.
- Entice players to play at the table.
- Prepare collection reports for submission to supervisors.
Requirements & Qualifications
Requirements and qualifications for licensing as a casino dealer vary by state but in general, to be licensed as a casino dealer, you must:
- be at least 21 years old (18 depending on state).
- have a high school diploma or GED.
- may not have a criminal record.
- pass a pre-employment drug test (and, at some casinos, periodic drug tests).
- obtain a Gaming License (background and fingerprinting checks are required).
- must be willing to be flexible with working hours (including weekends, nights and holidays).
How to Learn to Become a Casino Dealer
Working as a casino dealer might be the right job for you, if you:
- have good interpersonal and communication skills.
- have good customer service skills.
- can concentrate for long periods of time.
- work well in a team environment.
- are polite, tactful and friendly.
- think quickly and make fast mental arithmetic calculations.
- can handle complaints and difficult situations in a professional manner.
- are manually dexterous.
- can stand on your feet for long periods of times.
- are trustworthy.
- can manage money well.
It takes between eight to twelve weeks to finish a dealer course at a dealer school. Once you’ve completed the course you can take the exam to receive your license and apply to a casino to be hired.
Some casinos offer mini-courses that allow you to be trained as a dealer for a specific game but if you do a comprehensive dealer course you’ll be more marketable since you’ll be able to work at a number of gaming tables.
Before you choose the school for your course, visit a few and talk to some of the other students. Find out the teachers’ qualifications — the teachers should be full-time dealers or have extensive experience working the games.
Make sure that different teachers teach about the different games – the same teacher shouldn’t be doing all of the teaching. The school should also provide lots of hands-on interactive training and help you land a job when you finish the course.
How To Deal Cards Like A Casino Dealer Locator
Find out if the school will help you set up interviews after you finish the course and if casino managers visit the school during the course to meet the students and identify potential employees.
How To Deal Cards Like A Casino Dealers
In some circumstances, on-the-job-training is available. This happens most commonly when a casino is new or is about to open. You may find a gaming company that offers on-the-job training with placement services post-course.
How To Deal Cards Like A Casino Dealer Near Me
Regardless of whether you’re looking for a long-term or a short-term career, casino dealing might be a good option.