How do you politely ask one of the players to shut the fuck up when they start talking about action or individual players?
– Say something like "ok, let's move on to the next hand" or "let's move on."
– I mean situations when the dealer deals cards and simultaneously tells the whole table that the player in the three-seat has made eight raises in the last 10 hands, and the eight-seat plays only the nuts and should not be raised.
“Oh, this is all wrong. I never comment on the game of the players, except for myself.
– How many hours a week do you work? How much do you earn per year?
– About 35 hours. I make around $65,000 a year, which is about $1,000-1,400 a week after taxes. There are dealers, most often they are girls and people with “special features” who earn at least twice as much. But everything suits me, I get very good money for the easiest job in my life.
– What are those features?
– Young, sexy girls, elderly dealers, or people of a certain ethnicity. In general, all those who cause players to be attracted, pity, or think "he is one of us."
– That's right, in our casino there is an Asian dealer who looks like 8.5 out of 10. She calls all the players “cute”, “dear”, she constantly flirts and just prints money. Some guys take the $30-40 pot and give her $5.
“Don’t forget that they have to endure various abominations all the time, so I wouldn’t really hate them.
– Have you ever caught cheaters at the table?
– No. The most egregious case occurred when, in front of me, in a low-stakes game, two guys decided to agree to check it down, when the third player was already all-in. I told them it wasn’t right. Players often do this with unspoken agreement from each other, this is quite a common practice, and nothing can be done about it. But as soon as you try to agree out loud, you cross the line. Basically, you're announcing to the whole table, "We're teaming up specifically to cut our risks and try to knock this guy out."
– What is your biggest tip?
– $80 in a regular hand and $200 when the player won the high-hand jackpot. The games against the casino give more, but their tips are divided into shifts, and I avoid these tables at all costs because I love poker.
– The biggest drama at your table?
– Two players were playing PLO for a $30k pot. One showed two pairs to his AAXX. The obviously frustrated opponent sighed, raised the cards to his eyes, shook his head, and said sadly that nothing was close to him. He clearly intended to send the cards to the muck. But the neighbor pulled him up: "You have a straight, dumbass." Chaos ensued. Someone said that the cards had already almost touched the muck, and the neighbor got them out of there. There was nothing close to it, but I had to watch the cameras. We made sure that there was no physical contact between the third player with the cards, andthe neighbor didn’t say much. For this, he was given a warning, and the pot was given to the player with the straight.
– Why do you keep hurting me on the river, you asshole?
“Just think of me as a random number generator.
– Do you know any iron tells?
– If they say “I'll show you”, then usually they have nothing.
– How many cards are in the deck?
– 52.
– In your experience, what distinguishes winning players from losers?
– Professionalism. I don't know if it's innate or developed through experience. At the lower limits, I constantly see even good players who can't control themselves when the hands don't work out. And the best regs at $5/$10 and above don't get emotional at all. Even when they lose the stack embarrassingly, they just say “nice hand”.
I am also amazed by the players who put it on the line for decades but do not want to learn at all. I understand that for many this is just a hobby, but they still devote a lot of time to it and you can try a little.
– What tips do dealers expect?
“To be honest, most of us are incredibly spoiled. I think it's because most dealers don't understand what a grind is, so some incredible tips are expected in every hand. I always hear complaints: "He won the pot for $10k, but he gave me only $2." Personally, I am quite satisfied if a person gives $ 1-2, but does it regularly. It is clear that I myself in big pots always root for amateurs who obviously came to have fun and can leave $25 or even $100. This will make my day. But grinders who consistently leave a dollar do not cause anything but gratitude. Only those players who never tip in principle are annoying.
– What about pots that end on the flop or preflop?
“Naturally, I don’t expect any tips in this case. I myself never give anything in such situations.
– How often do you meet players who do not tip at all?
It's hard to say for sure, but sometimes they do. It is unpleasant when such people come to your table, but nothing can be done about it. I once dealt to a table where, throughout the entire session, not a single player left for a tip at all. That's when I was fairly tilted.
– Can anyone can become a dealer?
Yes, if you put in enough effort. There are a lot of former players who become successful dealers, this gives a certain advantage. But you can not hold cards and learn everything in a couple of months. It comes with practice.
–Has anyone tried to bribe you? Do you know how to distribute cards "to order"?
I can't and never tried. There are situations when players tip before the deal or during the deal with a hint that I should deal in their favor. But they do it in a clearly joking manner, which is obvious to all the players. But even in these situations, I just thank them and remain serious and neutral so that other players do not even have a hint of suspicion.
– How much do you get tips without taking into account the basic salary?
“About $20 for a half-hour shift. But, as I said, everything is individual here. There are dealers who receive less, and some – much more.
– How often do you meet female players? Do men play with them differently?
– Very rare, one for 9-10 tables. In my experience, they try to play more aggressively against women. And if the girl is pretty, then the table generally starts to go crazy. Sometimes there are regular girls, everyone plays against them in a standard way.
– Rate your work on a ten-point scale?
– 8 or 9. I was always afraid of having to work in the office from 9 to 5, I'm glad that I managed to avoid it. Now I have the easiest and highest paying job of my life. Besides, I love poker myself.
Many dealers like to complain about their hard life, but they forget what hard work really is. For many, this has become a routine, but I am completely satisfied with everything. But there are few of them. I think about 5% of dealers really love their job very much, 20% are positive about it, and 20% hate it. The rest are neutral.
– The worst thing you've seen in a poker room?
“One guy spat at an employee, he was taken away by the police. Another kissed the waitress when she had both hands full. I've heard worse stories, but I haven't seen it myself.
– What is your attitude to tipping in tournaments? We are not compensated anything when we make it to the money. Why do we have to pay something on top when we arrive?
– Tipping is just additional income for dealers, I have no other arguments. I am not as familiar with tournaments, so I don’t even know how it is accepted there.
– Would you agree to tips being banned altogether, but dealers getting a pay raise?
– Honestly, no. There are some terrible dealers out there. It is terrible to imagine how they will work if they know that they are guaranteed to receive a good salary.
– Have you encountered aggressive behavior from players?
– One old woman called me a moron. But I have quite thick skin, I do not pay much attention. I'm just passing it on. I've noticed that low-stakes players treat dealers the worst. The worse the player, the more problems he has with education.
– Aren't you afraid that in the future all dealers will be replaced by robots?
– Not really. I don't plan on dealing cards for the rest of my life.
– Have there been heartbreaking bad beats in your career?
– I did not give out any frankly. I remember how the players shoved with kings against a weak ace, I dealt out four of a kind once, and the dude with the ace won. Nothing special.
