Starting Dealing Job (1 Viewer)

[GarryT123]

A local poker club recently picked up, and I asked for a job as a dealer. Talked to the owner, looks like I'll be able to get a job. Gonna be dealing NLHE and PLO mostly. I've been practicing my dealing skills a lot, and have dealt my fair share of home games. Any advice, tips, or tricks y'all got for me?

 

[Anthony Martino]

Congrats man, hope you'll share some fun tales from the felt with us!

Wishing you pleasant players and plentiful tips!

 

[SuckoutKing]

Kill em with Kindness! Good luck to you.

 

[Poker Zombie]

A local poker club recently picked up, and I asked for a job as a dealer. Talked to the owner, looks like I'll be able to get a job. Gonna be dealing NLHE and PLO mostly. I've been practicing my dealing skills a lot, and have dealt my fair share of home games. Any advice, tips, or tricks y'all got for me?

Looking forward to hearing about the journey. @dennis63 posted his career a couple years ago, and it really opened my eyes. While I really enjoy dealing home games, it appears the real world is much less rewarding. I think Dennis called it quits after about a year.

My thoughts about dealing in my retirement years for fun and a little extra income were all but shattered.

 

[dennis63]

My thoughts about dealing in my retirement years for fun and a little extra income were all but shattered.

Keep that dream alive! Sure, dealing at my casino wasn't the dream job I thought it would be, but it may be a perfect fit for you or anyone here.

One big reason I left was that I originally hoped to make $25 an hour working part-time, maybe three or four shifts per week. Where I worked, you pretty much had to work all the time, and they had odd rules as to when you qualified for tips (and when you didn't), and other things that reduced your salary because they weren't very up-front about the whole process.

When I got hired, they immediately put me on the schedule for five days a week, eight hours a day. A few weeks later, it was six days, because we had to "cover' people who quit or called in sick. I went to HR and told them I really only wanted to work part-time. They responded by saying, "Sure, you can be part time -- as soon as we have enough dealers." In the break room every day, you'd hear that this or that dealer quit, and that the dealer classes were not producing new dealers fast enough to replace the people who quit.

And the promise of $25? Never even got close to that. The most I ever made working there was maybe $12 an hour.

The casino ended up charging dealers for lots of stuff they originally said was "free," and, in the end, they actually reduced the hourly wage and claimed we'd make it up in tips. Because they were going below Pennsylvania's minimum wage, we had to sign a form saying we each agreed. It was put in front of you and you pretty much had to sign if you wanted to work there. If you refused, you weren't "fired," but you were effectively quitting, because you didn't agree to the wage. And they "owned" your state gaming license for two years -- a little tradeoff for giving you the classes. So you were pretty much trapped into working for them. As soon as you accept the job, they pretty much own you, because they own the license until you get past the two-year mark. You'll work whenever they say, for whatever they want to pay you, and like it, or get fired and lose the license. I chose to quit.

But that's one casino.

In short, if you have better casinos in your area -- ones that actually treat their employees better and pay what they say -- it might be a fantastic job for you.

And now you know why I never name the casino. They have lawyers who'd sue me for what I've disclosed on PCF.

 

[surfik]

Be cool. Always kind and polite. Never comment on the hand in play. Accept tips with a smile. Learn PLO pot calculation.

 

[Rhodeman77]

A good friend of mine deals at Jack Casino part time, which they classify as 30hr/week or less. The pay is good because he is an efficient dealer, he said last month he averaged $40/hr in tips, not including the $3/hr or so the casino pays as well.

Of course he has issues with management and how some things are done, but at the end of the day it’s hard to find a part time job paying that much, especially in a field he likes to be around.

A few years ago the dealers joined a branch of the Teamsters which seems to have had a positive impact on some of the issues of the casino using heaving handed tactics towards the dealers.

So as @dennis63 said it really depends on the casino you end up working at.

 

[toynoob]

A good friend of mine deals at Jack Casino part time, which they classify as 30hr/week or less. The pay is good because he is an efficient dealer, he said last month he averaged $40/hr in tips, not including the $3/hr or so the casino pays as well.

Of course he has issues with management and how some things are done, but at the end of the day it’s hard to find a part time job paying that much, especially in a field he likes to be around.

A few years ago the dealers joined a branch of the Teamsters which seems to have had a positive impact on some of the issues of the casino using heaving handed tactics towards the dealers.

So as @dennis63 said it really depends on the casino you end up working at.

what did the training cost, and how long did the classes take?

 

[Rhodeman77]

what did the training cost, and how long did the classes take?

It was free training through the casino I believe. I’ll confirm that though and how long the training was. Which I think was about 2 months.

 

[WedgeRock]

A local poker club recently picked up, and I asked for a job as a dealer. Talked to the owner, looks like I'll be able to get a job. Gonna be dealing NLHE and PLO mostly.

I sense another AMA thread! Good luck!

The casino ended up charging dealers for lots of stuff they originally said was "free,"

Like what?

(I understand if you can't/won't answer...)

 

[dennis63]

I sense another AMA thread! Good luck!

Like what?

(I understand if you can't/won't answer...)

The casino said the dealer academy classes would be free if you passed and got hired. If you failed, dropped out or did not accept a job offer, they would charge you $1,000 for the classes. (You were not paid to take the classes.)

After I passed the class and accepted the job, they deducted an amount from my paycheck to pay the dealer training academy "tuition."

They said uniforms were free. I got uniforms, and they deducted a small amount from each paycheck for uniforms.

They owned my gaming license, which new dealers agree to in order to get the "free" classes. The state charged a fee of around $200 or $250, for the license, which the casino did, in fact, pay for me. They then deducted an amount from my paycheck for this.

My first net pay for a 40-hour week was something like $11.60 total. That's not $11.60 per hour. That's $11.60 for 40 hours of work, after taxes and deductions. Less than 30 cents per hour that week.

If you complained, they'd offer to let you work more hours. There was no "overtime."

They promised medical benefits if you worked 40 hours per week. I did, so I asked about benefits. My supervisor said you had to work 40 per week for some time before benefits kicked in. I asked, "When do they start the medical benefits?

"When the state tells them they have to,' he said. No one was sure how long that would take.

 

[Anthony Martino]

That's some indentured servitude bullshit right there

 

[dennis63]

That's some indentured servitude bullshit right there

That's what I thought. So the casino was using a state "exception" to the minimum wage law. It's something that's common to waiters and waitresses. If you get tips, they don't have to pay the state's minimum wage. I think they paid $7 per hour, plus tips, and made us sign a form saying we were okay with $6 an hour, plus tips.

After that, it was just the casino's policy to say when a new dealer did or did not get a share of the tips, and what they took from your check for classes, uniforms, meals, etc.

Since they were taking almost my whole paycheck, reducing the hourly wage to $6 meant I might have to pay them to work there.

Over time, this would change as my license, uniforms and classes would be paid off, and the hourly wages would go up.

For me, a retired cop receiving a pension, it was not worth going in six days a week for almost no pay.

The day I left, I offered to pay off my gaming license so I could keep it. The casino's HR guy said "no," and I had to turn it in. (He was really nice about it.) They said if I left with it, I'd be "stealing" the casino's property and would be charged with theft. So they got the license.

They never charged me for the balance of the tuition.

The way I see it, I was taught to deal blackjack by professional dealers and was allowed to deal professionally on a large casino floor for a few months.

It was actually worth doing. I'll never wonder what it would be like to do this for a living.

 

[WedgeRock]

I don't want to muckup the OP, but @dennis63, that just sucks.Sounds like there was grounds for an employment dispute/lawsuit. Here, I believe dealers are in a union, so your experiences probably aren't happening.

 

[Frogzilla]

I’m not a lawyer, but this seems like you have a legitimate employment wage case, and the casino is large enough that a lawyer would take it on.

 

[Alex Lundstrum]

When I got hired, they immediately put me on the schedule for five days a week, eight hours a day. A few weeks later, it was six days, because we had to "cover' people who quit or called in sick. I went to HR and told them I really only wanted to work part-time. They responded by saying, "Sure, you can be part time -- as soon as we have enough dealers." In the break room every day, you'd hear that this or that dealer quit, and that the dealer classes were not producing new dealers fast enough to replace the people who quit.

^This same thing happened to me. I auditioned between my junior and senior year of college. At the audition, I told them I'd need to drop to 1-2 days/wk once classes picked up again, but over the summer I was happy to work every hour they'd throw my way. They said that was fine. End of August, I went into the office and told the boss that the next schedule would have to be max 16 hours. He got real smug and told me I'd work full time or not at all. I handed him my badge and said, "guess it's not at all then" lol, had the last two weeks of summer off

I've dealt at 3 casinos and the feeling is always the same, it was a great job for 3-4 months, then the honeymoon period would end and it would become torture. Hope OP's experience is different. Best of luck

 

[Mongoose]

The casino said the dealer academy classes would be free if you passed and got hired. If you failed, dropped out or did not accept a job offer, they would charge you $1,000 for the classes. (You were not paid to take the classes.)

After I passed the class and accepted the job, they deducted an amount from my paycheck to pay the dealer training academy "tuition."

They said uniforms were free. I got uniforms, and they deducted a small amount from each paycheck for uniforms.

They owned my gaming license, which new dealers agree to in order to get the "free" classes. The state charged a fee of around $200 or $250, for the license, which the casino did, in fact, pay for me. They then deducted an amount from my paycheck for this.

My first net pay for a 40-hour week was something like $11.60 total. That's not $11.60 per hour. That's $11.60 for 40 hours of work, after taxes and deductions. Less than 30 cents per hour that week.

If you complained, they'd offer to let you work more hours. There was no "overtime."

They promised medical benefits if you worked 40 hours per week. I did, so I asked about benefits. My supervisor said you had to work 40 per week for some time before benefits kicked in. I asked, "When do they start the medical benefits?

"When the state tells them they have to,' he said. No one was sure how long that would take.

Wow. This is outrageous! Hard to believe that these type of business practices would be allowable by any type of governing gaming commission. I would have quit too!!!

 

[dennis63]

Here's hoping @GarryT123's experience is different, and that his casino does not do these things. It would be worth asking up front about all these things, since the practices are common in lower-wage service jobs. (Charging for training, no tips during a defined early period, and holding licenses for a defined time if the employer pays for training. I've seen all these things in different jobs over the years.)

I laughed out loud at @Frogzilla's suggestion to sue the casino. Given the revenue they pay to the state, you might have better luck suing God.

 

[Rhodeman77]

what did the training cost, and how long did the classes take?

I confirmed with my friend that the training was free and run by the casino, and they didn’t get paid to train.

Classes lasted 8 weeks at about 12 hours per week.

 

[APatHand]

I will be following this thread and am interested in @GarryT123 experience.

I've played in a lot of Texas (private social club) card rooms; seen them open and seen them close.
Of note, for the non-Texas masses out there, is that they are only poker; no other games.
Based on the busiest of the ones I have been in, it is at least 90% no-limit holdem with PLO and maybe, just maybe a weekly mixed game and limit O/8. To say it is 98% NLHE statewide is probably not far off the mark.

Uniforms after consist of a polo-style shirt maybe with a vest and name tag; sometimes the uniform is come-as-you-are. There is no licensing by the state.

 

[Lemonzest]

I sense another AMA thread!

Oh for sure. A thread telling stories of overheard conversations or stories from the table would be pretty cool. I would tune in for sure.

There was an old 2+2 thread from a security guard at one of the Las Vegas properties. He would tell stories of stuff he saw/did while on the job - it was amazing.

 

[Beakertwang]

There was an old 2+2 thread from a security guard at one of the Las Vegas properties. He would tell stories of stuff he saw/did while on the job - it was amazing.

Any chance it can still be found? We need a link!

 

[Lemonzest]

Any chance it can still be found? We need a link!

I had to do some digging but I found it. Just skim to read the updates from the OP "Katana". Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and enjoy!

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/...es-night-shift-1378620/?highlight=night+tales

 

[Poker Zombie]

I had to do some digging but I found it. Just skim to read the updates from the OP "Katana". Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and enjoy!

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/...es-night-shift-1378620/?highlight=night+tales

Had to change my "Like" to a "Love". That 2+2 thread is easily the best thing I have read this decade.

 

[Jordan Downs]

That's my plan when I retire. Move to Vegas and deal part time. Hopefully it's a fun thing. I'd be working strictly for a hobby and to be around the game of poker.