23 Jul 2024 studying Poker is becoming more and more popular every day, so dealer vacancies are not unusual. Many people are attracted to this speciality, but how do you master this skill? Is it necessary to learn it and visit poker dealer school nowadays? Let’s find out! Who is dealer and what are his / her responsibilities A poker dealer is a casino employee who is responsible for dealing community and pocket cards in a single hand. It is also the dealer's responsibility to manage the bets and bankroll accumulated during the betting process. The main task of the dealer is to ensure a smooth gaming process and control its progress. Let's continue with the fact that a dealer is a profession. Naturally, a poker club will not hire a person with doubtful level of skills. Therefore, those who are newcomers and decided to test themselves in the poker field, they should learn all the knowledge that an experienced specialist should have. Of course, with the internet a lot of self-taught players appeared, but this path is much longer and more difficult. It's way easier to take a training course under the supervision of teachers and trainers — fortunately, today there are many options. As a dealer a person need to learn how to perform the following actions: Card Shuffling. Dealers must shuffle the cards before each new hand — the more chaotic their order, the less likely in poker to cheat fraud. In professional casinos, a new pack of cards is allocated for each deal. At the same time, while the drawing is going on, the new deck is already shuffled with the help of a special device. The main rule is not to allow the lower card to be shown to the players. Possessing such information, professionals can calculate certain arrangements. According to casino regulations, four shuffles and deck shifts must be performed before each hand. Dealing. In Texas Hold’em croupier deals two cards to all players, starting with the poker player to his left. Each dealer chooses his own way of distributing cards, if there are no instructions from above. Managing the pot. The dealer is obliged to control the order of trading and monitor the size of bets. On pre-flop, the poker player to the left of the big blind starts the betting. Postflop — the first remaining player to the left of the dealer. Cut and Turn. After each betting round, the dealer must cut the top card and place it in the discard deck. Only after that he can start dealing. This prevents the cards from being identified by factory defects. Announce the winner. The dealer in poker is required to determine the winner if the deal has gone to a showdown. Once the winner is determined, the dealer shifts the winning pot to him. In case of a draw the pot is divided equally or according to the poker rules. The position of dealer in poker is considered a very responsible one. Such a person should follow several rules for handling chips. If a poker player makes a bet and does not say the size of the amount out loud, and one of the opponents is interested in its size, the dealer must count the number of chips and announce the result to everyone. Also after each betting round the dealer must collect all bets. In the case of a side pot, he must distribute the chips correctly. Online poker with a croupier is somewhat different — at virtual tables everything is done by a computer program and RNG system (random number generator). How to become a dealer? The easiest way to become a croupier at home tournaments is not to undergo extensive training and obtain a special certificate. Although if you plan to become a professional poker dealer, there are a few important things to keep in mind: Dealers are the face of the company, so they must have good communication skills and manners. Also, such a person must be stress-resistant — players will often blame him or her for failures. He must have diplomatic techniques to resolve conflicts. He should adjust to the mood of the table — be cheerful, sociable and serious, remaining silent. He must be well-oriented in mathematics, because on his shoulders the responsibility for the correct counting of chips. The ability to quickly shuffle cards is not mandatory. This croupier can learn it during the working process. Dealers are strictly forbidden to participate in the game. While we’re talking about observing — yes, but sit at the table — no way. The work of a casino croupier carries a lot of interesting things, but at the same time, it's very hard work. If you’re ready, then go for it. But for this you will need to seek professional help — it’s poker dealing school. Why is poker dealer school necessary in 2024? There are specialized schools all over the world where future dealers learn the knowledge they will need when working in a casino. Once you learn how to deal, for example poker or blackjack, you’ll be able to organize home games. The special poker dealer schools programme, training time and requirements for applicants differ in each case. For example, there are institutions where students are provided with housing, meals, and even a future job. But sometimes their terms may have pitfalls. For example, they can accept only young people under 30 years old. What’s the duration of such training? Usually we’re talking about short-term courses — 10-15 days. Of course, the accelerated version does not leave time for a long study of a particular issue, but even such training is better than nothing. Then you can improve in practice at the real casino or live poker room. In general, the training programme will help you to understand the regulatory documents, the game procedure, the rules of poker clubs, forms of cash transactions accounting, bank transactions issues, and the rules of communication with chips and cards. Here the students also learn the techniques of various types of poker. It can be Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud Poker, etc. The programme may include such topics as the principles of organizing and nuances of tournaments, methods of resolving non-standard situations, accounting operations. Each topic is followed by practical classes, and then you will have to pass mandatory tests and poker exams. It goes without saying that it’s better to choose a school that has passed the appropriate certification procedure, with a good reputation, which can demonstrate its achievements and boast at least several graduates. In this case, after graduation, you can safely start working in a poker club. Dealers are trained in all types of poker disciplines, and there are about 30 of them: from Texas Hold'em and Omaha Poker to Chinese Pineapple. They learn the rules and specifics of each game, and learn how to shuffle cards correctly. The knowledge gained is reinforced by many hours of practice. They have to practice not only shuffling and distributing cards, but also counting chips. Also the dealer must be able to quickly count the pot and give the right amount of chips to the winner. An important part of the croupier's work is communication with players. He must always remain polite and be able to resolve conflicts at the table. And although not obligatory, but desirable, is the ability to beautifully and originally hand out. This entertains the players and also attracts the attention of the recreational players. Poker dealer school near me — possible requirements for candidates Dealer is not a profession that can be learnt at home on your own. There are two options: Study at a casino and then get a job there; Study at a poker dealer school. In any case, before getting a job, the dealer must obtain a license. It is pretty inexpensive — in Las Vegas it can be purchased for $75, and it is valid for five years. The cost of training at a dealer school starts at $500. Training lasts about 100 hours — this includes 20 hours of lectures and 80 hours of practice. A special training program is often offered to young men and women directly by employers, guaranteeing further employment. This is not a usual poker school, and the training will take much less time. However, there is a possibility that you will have to pass a preliminary selection. The following factors may be taken into account: Experience in the casino (it is great if it is a year or more); Age; Appearance (something like face control, the dealer should look good); Sociability, ability to communicate with customers; Visual memory (you may be offered to pass some tests: memorize objects, repeat the sequence, etc;) Mathematical data (not surprisingly, a dealer should be able to count correctly and quickly). The course may last about a month, and the accelerated course is even less, 2-3 weeks with a 5-day schedule of 5 or 6-hour lessons. It will definitely be much faster than a full-fledged school. Skeptics doubt whether it is possible to really teach all the intricacies of the game process during this time. Professionals claim that it is possible. The main thing is the desire, and if you already have experience of such work, the srudying process will be much easier. It is no secret that even in the same club, dealers sometimes receive different salaries (depending on their experience and skill), so it makes sense to show your best. Requirements in each institution are also different. The program includes the most important issues, for example: Rules and procedures of the game; Rules of tournaments; Methods of controlling the game process; Methods of ensuring security; Game table, equipment, inventory (cards, button, chips, etc.); Types of club poker; Income (types of commission, rules of its withdrawal); Job responsibilities; Terminology; Poker etiquette; Announcement of actions by the dealer and participants of the game; Working with chips; The nuances of shuffle procedures and card distributing; Bets, game structure; Non-standard situations. This is a generalized list, because a good dealer is not only perfectly competent in all the nuances. They will not get confused in a conflict situation, will be able to find a common language with visitors, and will not overlook anything. In short, there is a lot to learn. Famous poker pros who worked as a dealers By distributing cards, you can be involved in the process and enjoy the atmosphere of the game without risk. In addition, this profession has a very flexible schedule. You can do your main job and work part-time at poker tables. Dealers have the prospect of growth. The best of them are invited to work at prestigious tournament series. There and earnings are higher, and more generous tips. Over time, you can grow up to become a tournament director or poker room manager. Or become a poker pro, like many star players who started out as a croupier before becoming a professional. These include: Mike Matusow, who has four WSOP bracelets and $10.3 million in prize money. Scotty Nguyen, a member of the Poker Hall of Fame with five WSOP bracelets and a WPT title. He has earned $12.7 million; Layne Flack. The winner of six WSOP bracelets and a WPT title. Even the legendary Johnny Chan, who won the World Series of Poker Main Event twice in a row, started his poker career by dealing cards. Tips as the main income In casinos, dealers are usually paid only the minimum wage. Much more they can earn from tips from players. Often they thank them in this way for lucky combinations or strong pocket cards. Especially if it brought big winnings. Of course, the opposite thing also happens. For example, when a player constantly comes up with bad cards, and he blames the dealer. And according to the rules of the casino to respond to obscene language or any other comments, the croupier has no right. That is why professionals with a lot of experience are usually invited to large tournaments or cash games with a huge bankroll. After completing the training and obtaining a license, the next stage is to apply for a position in a casino. When applying for a job, the dealer will have a mandatory interview, which includes 15-20 minutes of poker hands under the supervision of a manager. Poker dealers fall into two main categories: cash and tournaments. Those who specialize in cash have a more stable job, as cash games take place in the casino all the time. Tournament dealers have the opportunity to travel the world and work at the biggest poker series. Pretty girls are tipped more often, so they tend to earn more than men. The profession is not considered high-paying. Distributing cards you can get from $5 to $30 per hour, depending on experience and place of work. And in underground establishments earnings can be much higher than in respectable casinos. But the salary is only part of the loot — as we mentioned, the main income dealers receive from tips. Tipping the croupier in cash games has become common, but the decision is up to the player. Most often the dealer is tipped with small value chips, from $1 to $10. In tournament poker everything is different. There, as a rule, tips for the staff are formed from the prize pool. The amount depends on the buy-in of the tournament and the number of participants and on average is 3%. This money is divided between dealers and other employees. In addition, the lucky croupier of the final table can receive a tip from the winner. In 2014, for example, England's Victoria Coren won the EPT Main Event for the second time and left the staff a €50,000 tip. Leaving a tip from the big tourneys has become a tradition. Those players who don't honour it are condemned in the poker community. Every dealer's dream is to make it to the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. But that right goes to the best. ESPN producers select the right candidates by evaluating their performance throughout the summer. WSOP ME winners tend to be generous in rewarding people who turn in their lucky cards. For example, Chris Moneymaker tipped over $30,000 after his 2003 win. That's a lot! Final thoughts on poker dealing school Everyone who plays live poker has to come into contact with poker dealers. No poker tournament or cash game can pass without their assistance. And at the same time, such people are constantly in the shades. For many players, dealers are nothing more than live shuffle machines, and most are only vaguely aware of what their responsibilities are and how they are trained. Despite the fact that poker is going through hard times, clubs are still announcing the recruitment of dealer staff. Such vacancies are not at all uncommon, however, no serious establishment will hire a beginner. The profession is specific, and you simply cannot do without appropriate training. But there is always a solution — to take training courses for croupiers in a school or poker club. Those wishing to become a dealer are advised to pay attention to relevant announcements in print media and on the Internet. Or even call poker clubs on their own, asking about the possibility to work there. But before you should pass professional courses on how to deal poker. Who knows — perhaps this decision will be a perfect start of a new career in a prestigious gambling facility.
