Training your crew to deal? (2 Viewers)

[Nine_high]

Hi,

So my last game, I had a new player who literally did not know how to shuffle cards. Someone had to do it for him each orbit. And at the other table, there was a huge kerfuffle over a bunch of all ins because apparently no one over there knew how to manage side pots. I couldn't even unfuck it because by the time I walked over there were just piles of chips mushed around without any way for me to reconstruct the action. I just paused the clock until they sorted it out, and learned even my designated table captain isn't as up to snuff as I thought.

So clearly I want to keep these people in my game but I can't have this sort of thing going on routinely.

Has anyone offered their crew some kind of dealer training session? If so, how did you approach it and how did it go? Was it well received? Was it effective?

I'm not a pro dealer and never have been, but I have been asked multiple times if I used to be one. I generally know what I'm doing at least well enough to teach people from shuffling to pitching to pot management/splitting and action control etc all of it. I have considered being a permanent dealer but frankly it's tiring to do for 12 hours while playing and hosting and I'd rather spend an extra hour here and there working with newbies to get them at least proficient. Not to mention multiple tables would be pretty challenging.

 

[Bacon Dad]

https://www.youtube.com/@changingvegas3477/videos

Check out the videos on this YouTube channel. These are not the full blown instructional videos from their training series, but they are free and cover quite a bit about how to deal the game, including split pots. Highly recommend.

 

[jpoppaaa]

Set some strict ground rules. I do and people bitch at first, but the game and play deteriorates quickly if you don’t maintain order! I start requiring $1 donations to the general fund for repeated play errors (out of turn action, misdeals, splashing the pot etc).

 

[BigJackJones]

It has been a long time since I hosted multi-table games, so take this for what it's worth.

When I was a host, my priority was hosting. If it worked out that I could sit and play for a while, I would. However, the priority was always making sure the tables were running smoothly. It's a chore to please a room full of players, but when things go sideways, having a reputation for taking care of things will help.

This applies to more than just the day of the game. If you have to dedicate some time on non-game days to work with a few trusted players on their skills needed to deal and run a table, then do it. It will pay off.

Good luck to you

 

[springbox]

Can you pick out a few regulars and have them learn how to deal/manage pots? I do most of the shuffling/dealing at my games, which is manageable because they're short and small, but usually I have a few other players at the table who I trust to do it if I'm away from the table for whatever reason.

As far as the all-ins messing up the pot, I'd stress to everyone playing that their bets need to stay in front of them on each street until the conclusion of the round.

 

[Nine_high]

Can you pick out a few regulars and have them learn how to deal/manage pots? I do most of the shuffling/dealing at my games, which is manageable because they're short and small, but usually I have a few other players at the table who I trust to do it if I'm away from the table for whatever reason.

Yeah this is in line with what I'm thinking. And after reading all the replies I guess I'm not really sure what I'm even asking at this point. For example I don't know how much of it is people don't know how to manage pots vs. people don't even know they are supposed to do it when they are the dealer, since I usually just end up doing it. It's probably both.

I was hoping to make some people other than myself capable of running things in my absence. Maybe I should let them do it more and make them get it right. Maybe I'm just overthinking this whole thing

As far as the all-ins messing up the pot, I'd stress to everyone playing that their bets need to stay in front of them on each street until the conclusion of the round.

Right and I normally do. But I wasn't at that table so I don't know how they found themselves in that mess to begin with. I would have shut it down before it melted if I was there.

Thanks for the replies everyone.