As more states legalize gambling, it’s no longer necessary to relocate to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to become a casino dealer. And with the number of casinos increasing and positive job growth in the gaming industry, there are plenty of employment opportunities to take advantage of. But before you apply or go to an interview, you should be familiar with the essential duties and responsibilities of a casino dealer – which is usually more than just turning over cards.
Great Customer Service
As more casinos open, the competition to get players in the door has become more intense. Companies that operate casinos recognize that retaining players requires more than just making plenty of games available. In addition, they must provide great customer service and maintain a fun gaming environment. And since dealers usually have more face time with players than other casino employees, maintaining a positive and friendly attitude at work may be one of the most important duties.
Mastering Casino Games
A wide range of table games are offered in casinos, and employers will usually want you to deal all of them. This means you’ll not only be expected to know the rules for traditional games such as blackjack, craps and roulette, but also for some of the newer or less known games such as pai gow poker, three-card poker and casino war. A solid understanding of each game’s rules is generally required to insure that the action at your tables is seamless, accurate, fast-paced and uninterrupted. Since many casinos will expect to see extensive table game knowledge reflected on your resume, you may find it necessary to enroll in a casino dealing school.
Betting and Payouts
Since casinos would stand to lose a lot of money if dealers allowed players to place the wrong bets, failed to collect losing bets, paid customers on losing hands or paid out more than they were supposed to on winning ones, having a thorough knowledge of the betting and payout structures for every game is a key responsibility of any casino dealer. You’ll need to be proficient in basic math and be able to perform calculations quickly. For example, dealing a blackjack to a player often requires a higher payout of 3-to-2. So if a customer places a $28 bet and is dealt a blackjack, you should be able to calculate a $42 payout quickly.
Dealing Poker
With the recent popularity of poker, especially Texas Hold ’em, the demand for poker dealers has increased. Poker dealers are also expected to provide great customer service and master the rules of the game; however, because the betting structure in poker is fairly intricate and fast-paced, you’ll need to be a great multitasker. Your duties and responsibilities in every hand of poker include making sure the appropriate bet amounts are placed into the pot, ensuring that players act in the right order, keeping track of the chips in the pot, calculating how much rake, or commission, to collect for the casino, dealing several rounds of cards and ultimately being able to identify the winner so you can quickly move on to a new hand.
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Writer Bio
Michael Marz has worked in the financial sector since 2002, specializing in wealth and estate planning. After spending six years working for a large investment bank and an accounting firm, Marz is now self-employed as a consultant, focusing on complex estate and gift tax compliance and planning.