Poker Dealer

What is a Poker Dealer?

Duties

A Poker Dealer must have the following duties:

• Provide outstanding and prompt service to all guests, keeping to a high standard of technical skills in dealing but also following the established rules and procedures at the casino.
• Continue to update your knowledge of industry practices in casino gaming, and report to management any that may apply to your company.
• Keep track of all upcoming and previous company events and promotions, to be able to respond to customer queries.
• Communicate frequently with immediate supervisors and gain the required approvals for some actions, as per established casino policy.
• Support the protection of casino assets and the enforcement of security measures, for both patrons and employees.

Day In The Life

The goal of a poker dealer is to conduct poker games smoothly and take charge regarding the accuracy of the pot and the collection of house revenue, in line with the Internal Control System (ICS) and Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS). The dealing speed is sometimes specified so you must ensure that you deal at least the minimum, e.g. 16 hands per every thirty minutes. While keeping the atmosphere energetic and exciting, it is up to you to ensure that patrons are following casino rules and procedures without attempting to cheat with fake tokens or expired credit cards.

Conversing and socializing with patrons and working alongside other dealers brings a different kind of comradery together. The proper pace of the game must be uninterrupted, even as you signal a floor-person on irregularities during game play. You will get the chance to interact with all kinds of people at this role, from drunk guests to poker amateurs.

Work Schedule

A poker dealer has to work on shifts at any hour of the day, which includes holidays, weekends and late nights/evenings. Full and part-time positions are available with casinos. Most casinos today stay open all year round and they expect the same level of commitment from their employees. While the environment is considered glamorous, employees must be comfortable working in a moderately noisy and smoky environment while standing and dealing hands to players for long periods. In addition, there will be several instances of travel for more experienced dealers.

Growth Of The Job

Before you decide to go down this career path, it is wise to look into the kind of employment prospects that await. The good news is that a well-versed poker dealer will always find promising job opportunities at a wide range of casinos, as either a tournament or cash game dealer. As per the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the jobs market is expected to grow by 0.4% till 2024, with up to 19,000 new openings requiring casino dealers. There is also a high rate of turnover employees in this industry, leading to plenty of jobs emerging for prospective candidates.

Typical Employers

A well-qualified poker dealer usually works for a land-based casino, hotel, sports events with gambling like horse racing. Some work as a cash game dealer while others as a tournament dealer – the tournament circuit being more lucrative and harder to break into. Some potential employers of poker dealers in the current market include Parx Casino, Tropicana Entertainment Inc., Grand Victoria Casino Elgin, Wildhorse Resort and Casino and Jacobs Entertainment, Inc.