IAmA Casino Dealer.

How often are you screaming in your head, “just walk away from the table!!!”

And what was the worst loss you’ve ever seen someone take?

VERY often. not too many players bet high stakes at my place cause the limits are on the lower side, but a couple of weeks ago had a guy on blackjack who was up 500$. he said ‘one more hand’ — bet two hundred bucks each on two hands. hand one has a split and both were doubles. hand two is also double, so he now has a total of 1000$ on the table. i pulled a 21 off a 6 upcard and he lost all of it.

I was in casino surveillance. We are looking for your mistakes as well as making sure you are honest. How conscious are you that every move you make is being recorded and sometimes watched live?

tbh— sometimes i forget that. i’ll catch myself accidentally putting my hands under the table for a second to adjust my belt or something and then think “oh shit, i hope i dont give out a massive hand this next deal or else surveillance is gonna see that” but of course i always remain honest when i make mistakes

I’ve always thought poker was the best game for numerous reasons, one being that we are competing against each other rather than the house. Does that hold true to you?

i’d say so, yes. because in poker there’s no fixed advantage. every other game the house always has the edge.

Well you're playing against the rake, so any advatnage you feel you might have against other players needs to be weighed against that tax. Like if I think on average I can make 10% on my investment at a table of normal players, but the rake is 10%, I'm not making anything.

at my casino the rake maxes out at 5$. so even if a pot is worth 500+, we still only take 5 dollars from it lol

Do you ever secretly root for the player? Secretly hope they lose?

Do you gamble your self (assuming at a different location)? What's your favorite game if so?

What else, beside showing your hands are empty, does clapping them do when they exchange dealers?

How the hell do you do the math so quick on some odd bet wins, with bonus bets involved as well?

i ALWAYS want the players to win, not just because players are more likely to tip if they win, but because it’s never fun to see people loose money (expect if they’re a complete asshole). when people win it boosts morale and makes the dealing experience much better because someone you feel like you’re playing with them if that makes sense.

i’m not a huge gambler because i just don’t see the long term value it in, i’d rather invest in other forms of entertainment.

and the whole clapping thing is kinda just an outro i think, like a “go get em!” hype thing.

and when it comes to math quickly, it’s because we do it all day everyday. but don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of times i take a couple of seconds to double check my math on strange bets lol.

I hit my birthday twice in three spins on roulette a couple of weeks back and won like $600-700. A couple of friends also won. I noticed the dealer looked like she was enjoying herself too. I gave her a fat tip with each win, but I think her excitement was for us. Obviously winning is great, but it was a nice feeling all around.

exactly! tips are great, don't get me wrong, but its also awesome to be on a hype table and celebrate with people when they win.

Sorry for all my questions but this is a great IAmA so thank you for doing it! Why is textbook blackjack strategy acceptable (eg splitting 88, doubling down on 10 or 11) however when it comes to counting cards it can get you kicked out? Is it simply that the player has found a way to get the odds in their favor? And afaik it isn’t illegal but more frowned up as casinos with lose money. Have you ever seen or heard of someone getting kneecapped for this like in the movies?

this is because even playing 100% perfect basic strategy, the house still has a small edge. but counting cards AND playing perfect strategy gives the player a small edge. and no haha, nobody has ever gotten kneecapped

how obnoxious am I when I'm friendly talking everybody at the table at 2am, including the dealer? Would dealers rather me just stfu?

as long as you’re being nice, i love it! boosts morale and makes time go by faster

How often do blackjack players do the wrong thing and do certain people get more upset about it than others?

very often, mostly younger people. i’d say about 80% of the people get pissed of at it, some more than others. some just deal with it and some straight up leave the table

Follow up, how often do dealers get pissed off at it?

the dealers don’t get too pissed, cause it’s not their money, ya know. i think dealers only get pissed when people complain about loosing every hand yet they aren’t playing good strategy. cause it’s like, don’t complain about loosing if you’re playing like that lol

Do people ask you to plan some type of scam with them?

never happened before. i think most people realize how regulated casinos are and how big of trouble both parties can get in if there is any theft.

I watched some YouTube videos about card counting, because it seems like an interesting thing to just understand.

I was surprised to learn it really isn’t anything other than paying attention to the cards dealt, and betting big at certain times. The idea of it always seemed way more elaborate.

Has the age of social media/information increased the amount of advantage players you run into?

i don’t run into too many advantage players. our casino is pretty small and tight knit, most of our blackjack players are just old dudes looking drink beer and hang out lol

What’s the biggest meltdown you have seen? Either from a player losing or intoxicated people in the casino.

had a guy split his 8’s four times against my 6. he lost all of it and literally stood up on his chair and started yelling 😭 also had a guy once throw his chips at my supervisors face… police were called

Do you guys talk shit about regulars?

ALL the time. we all have a facebook group chat and we constantly do it. once my floor asked me “if you had to use one of the poker regulars (some of them are AWFUL people) as a human shield, who would it be?” all the dealers agreed on the same dude haha. but we also talk a lot of good stuff about good regulars like hoping for them to come in, hoping to give them good hands, etc

What makes him so shit?

he only plays poker and he CONSTANTLY “accidentally” breaks the rules. ex: exposing his hand when there’s still action, trying to pull bets back after someone reraises him, being a bit weird to the female dealers, and he’s overall just an annoying human being. all the other poker players have beef with him and he’s likely going to get banned within the next couple of months if he keeps it up

Former dealer here. How often do you clear your hands on your off days while using your hands for stuff? I feel like I used to do it a lot lol.

surprisingly, not many times. i thought i would do it a lot more. or maybe i do and just don’t notice lol

Ever caught someone or been dealing at a table where someone was cheating? Most interested in NL Hold Em stories if you got one as that’s where I invest most of my time.

yes! once on roulette. guy tried to say he had a chip in a winning spot but he didn’t. thankfully the pit boss was right next to me and agreed he was trying to cheat, so it was all taken care of

How much money, including and excluding tip, do you make on a regular month?

my base paycheck is about 120$ a week, so 480$ a month not including tips. i’d say i make around 1000-1200 a week in tips, so about 5000-5200 a month i’d say. (not including taxes tho) but it can vary a lot

Wow! I had no idea tips could be that much.

it's hard because some weeks can be 600$ in tips than other weeks 2000$, so you just really never know, but thats the best average i could come up with. my casino is also small and low stakes, so i'd assume the tips are even better at bigger casinos/high stakes ones

How did you get your gig? And what kind of experience is usually required?

one of my friends from high school recommended the job to me, he’s also a dealer. i came in with 0 experience and was trained in house. got pretty lucky with the process

And now it’s your full time career? Or is it more like a second job gig?

full time!

What is the etiquette for tipping when it comes to blackjack?

Thanks!

i think 5-10% every so often if you’re up. so for example, if someone is up and doubles down on a 50$ bet and ends up winning 100$, i think a nickel is appropriate.

Wait, 5-10% per win? Arent they fairly likely to just lose all that money within the next few mins? If anything, shouldn't it be 5-10% of the total won during the session?

definitely not per win, but every so often. maybe once or twice per shoe or perhaps on a good split or double

Wait does a nickel mean $5 in this context?

yes, 5$

Hello, how is cheating possible on games not card based?

Also do you get angry or annoued at people that don't tip?

cheating would be possible if you tried to sneak a bet onto a place you didn’t have it before the dealer began. & i only ever get annoyed if i give someone a lot of really good hands and they don’t tip. i understand someone not tipping when they’re down, but if they’re up a lot and getting really lucky it’s kinda annoying

I tip, but I hate it. The casinos make so much fucking money and my odds of winning are so small with good play that tips can take my whole winning margin on average.

I still tip because I know the greedy casinos don't pay a living wage and dealers need it but I think that's one of the casinos biggest advantages, that I'm paying their labor with my winnings.

i totally get it, it sucks for both parties to be honest. fuck the money hungry casinos

How many people have decided playing another hand is more important than a bathroom break and just crapped/pissed at your table... and how did you handle the situation?

this has never happened thankfully. but there have been MANY cases of people shitting all over the bathroom in every spot but the toilet

Back in the day my friends and I would play cards. We would rotate through a bunch of different poker variations. Then we started making up our own games. Our finale would be a combination of peek-a-boo, chase the ace, follow the queen, and a few other things, played with the entire deck.

One weekend the three of us we were down in Atlantic City at the poker table talking about all our different variations. One buddy asked the dealer if he could deal games like that. The dealer replied, "If you let us take the rake, I'll deal anything you want." (We ended up not going through with it.)

Ever had anyone ask you that? A bunch of friends at one poker table asking you to deal games of their choice?

once! but the group included a few dealers (we used to be allowed to play poker at our own casino)

How do you deal to a player farther away without the card flipping over?

I'm using the flick to rotate/spin the card. My friends push the card against the felt and it flips over sometimes. Any suggestions?

practice & angling your hand down so the card doesn't get any time in the air.

What the most you’ve ever seen someone win or lose? And in Mississippi Stud what’s the highest hand you’ve seen?

saw someone loose 2000$ in one blackjack hand. highest was 5000$ on mississippi stud, straight flush

They make you deal table games and poker?! Do you work in a card room?

yep! i deal everything. granted, it is a pretty small casino. and no, we have plently of slots

Would you rather I tip you or play a chip for you?

honestly, i like when you play one for me! makes it a little more exciting and has more potential. but there are days where maybe im not getting much and would prefer just the simple tip

How long have you been dealing? Been in the casino industry 10 years myself. Went from dealer, to dual rate, to full floor. Currently trying to get out of the industry tbh.

about 2 years. some days i love it, some days i hate it

What’s the funniest thing you’ve experienced from a player?? I worked at a casino for a bit and had an old Asian lady grab her beer bottle, poured a splash under the table and said “thats for mama!” I almost died laughing like damn she just straight up poured some beer out for her homies 🤣was very unexpected.

have a regular to who gives every single dealer a nickname and only calls them that. some are funnier than others. he nicknamed me sassy. so one night as he was betting more and more and got flush/straight draws, he would start chanting “SASSY! SASSY! SASSY!” or “COME ON SASS LETS GO!” and it was so funnyyy.

Two separate dealers have “adviced me” to choose “x” number on the roulette on the next throw. I did it, and both time they hit. Can you confirm if you have any type of control when dealing with roulette?

i don’t have any control when spinning, but i wouldn’t say it’s completely impossible for a dealer to get to that point. i assume dealers who deal it all the time gain the sort of muscle memory to spin a consistent speed, so with timing it right they could probably accurately predict a quadrant of numbers. i am absolutely not at that level though haha.

What’s it like working as a dealer at a casino? Do you like people in general? Do you occasionally find that some people have a style of playing cards that is really unique and carefree? Do you get tired of the sourpuss textbook gamblers? Tell us about someone who won or lost big on your table…tell us about sharing the glory and Sharing the defeat.

it’s honestly a lot of fun (way better when you deal to cool tables. it sucks dealing to completely silent customers, massive complainers, and smelly people haha) and sometimes people are overly carefree. once i had a guy go completely blind in a game and risk 100$ for literally no reason.

have you ever run into a blackjack player counting cards well? did anything happen?

we have a guy who likes to say he can count, but he’s terrible at it. other than that, no

Why do some places seem to allow blatant racism to the Asian dealers? I've heard a man be called "Charlie" when his name badge clearly had a name starting with "L" and Vietnam underneath. I've heard people mumble and also blatantly comment about poor English or wanting a dealer they can understand. I know players get frustrated when the dealers get on a hot streak but I've never heard racism casually thrown out at other dealers who weren't asian. I'm talking about 3 separate casinos in Lake Tahoe, if anyone thinks that might relevant.

damn, that’s horrible! we don’t have any asian dealers at my place though.

When you’re sitting at the table and nobody is playing are you super bored, or do you like the “off time”? I was in a casino recently and a bunch of tables were empty and I didn’t know if the dealer liked the lull or was bored off their ass just staring in to space.

SO FUCKING BORED. i wouldn’t mind the off time if i could at least sit down, but standing at an empty table hurts my back and bores me to death.

Best roulette strategy?

no strategy, unfortunately, just luck. there’s definitely smarter bets spreads than others though. i am gonna put it out there tho— pushes at my place last 30 minutes. i’ve never spun on roulette and not hit a 17 in those 30 minutes lmao

How the hell does one win at Roulette?!

luck, luck, and luck. and knowing when to walk away. had a guy up 1200$ at Roulette a week ago and he left with only 200$.

I work in the online gambling world in Europe where we have pretty strict safer gambling regulations.

What sort of safer gambling regulations do you have in the US? Heard some horror stories over there where its considered to not even be a concern

had to go through a 1.5 hour presentation about problem gambling and the signs. if we hear a person say they want to make actual income off gambling and use it as a way to pay their bills, we aren’t suppose to allow that

Have you watched any card counting YT videos? Ever have someone backed off for being too skillfull?

i have!! i love the ginger guy (i can’t remember his name i think his name is steven?) his videos are awesome. and no, i’ve never seen anyone backed off at one of my tables for being too skillful.

Biggest tip you’ve received? How much do you make on average a shift in tips?

300$. granted, i work in a small casino and the bet limits are pretty low. & i would say i average about 200$ a shift, but it varies A LOT. for example, last week i made 400+ on two of my shifts. but tonight i only made 170, so you just never really know what kind of week its gonna be.

What do you average in tips?

it’s super hard to get an average so i’ll put it this way— a bad shift is 100$. a good shift is 250$. an amazing shift is 400+

Do high-stakes dealers still make minimum wage? And do the tips make up for that?

i’m not a high stakes dealer so not sure, but i do make minimum wage which is 7.25. i rely all on tips to pay my bills

Can you tell when you're on a hot streak and warn the players?

i don’t really do this because i don’t believe a “hot streak” really exists. someone’s luck can turn around at any point, ya know?