[AMA] I Am a Table Games Dealer for a Casino - Ask Me Anything

bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 20:45
Last edited 15/11/2020 - 21:08

I am a table games dealer with one of the big casino operators in Australia; not going to mention which and where due to confidentiality reasons but am open to all questions. I have experience with baccarat, blackjack, roulette and most of the minor games.
Thanks,

EDIT: My background is in investment banking/private equities and a short stint at the trading floor before making the switch to the gaming/hospitality industry. Honestly one of the best choices I've made.

Thanks everyone for your insightful questions. It has been a great learning experience for me hearing your perspectives and I hope you have also learnt something.

Introduce Yourself

closed Comments

  • Godric on 14/11/2020 - 20:53
    +7

    What method of cheating has the highest chance of success?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:10
      +7

      grab the chips from the dealers tray and running

  • SF3 on 14/11/2020 - 21:06
    +3

    What is your opinion on a casino’s “benefit” to society?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:12
      +5

      human greed will always exist and the casino is there to just capitalize on it, imo gambling for fun doesn't hurt but at the end of the day people's losses is what pays my wages

      • Scrooge McDuck on 15/11/2020 - 04:09
        +2

        How would you rate the aptitude of your current clientele to accurately price risk compared to those of your former industry?

    • whooah1979 on 14/11/2020 - 21:22
      +1

      Investing in a game of chance business is a reliable source of passive income.

      • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:29
        +1

        yes thats right, thats why i keep gambling stocks in my portfolio

  • trustnoone on 14/11/2020 - 21:12

    I am a table games dealer

    I've noticed a lot of digital tables recently, are casinos moving more to digital based ones? Do you believe there will always be physical tables?

    Whats it like when you have someone that comes in that has no idea on the rules of the game, are you okay to teach a person to play?

    Are you seeing a lot of the table games reduce for more pokies machine, and you feel thats a good or bad thing?

    Whats the weirest thing you've had to deal with as a croupier?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:18
      1. croupiers will always be there to provide a human aspect to the game. some people like the thrill of live games whilst others like the electronic gaming tables
      2. i will always be happy to teach someone the rules of a game especially when they are new, its part of the job
      3. honestly no idea, people have sentimental attachment to the chips so i dont think there will be any reduction any time soon
      4. the asian players are crazy superstitious, some international player wheeled in a massive jade statue for luck once
      • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 22:17

        the asian players are crazy superstitious

        Everyone at the Baccarat table betting banker… hundreds of bets, well into the 10's of thousands of dollars and one white guy comes up and places table minimum bet on Player… Then a 10 min conversation to get the guy to change his bet to Banker… Hella funny :D

        • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 22:21

          one of the most wtf moments ive seen is that one high roller requested the dealer blow on the cards every hand for good luck

        • Scrooge McDuck on 15/11/2020 - 02:28

          Then a 30 min argument over which bet belongs to which player.

  • whooah1979 on 14/11/2020 - 21:14

    Do you ban players that count cards?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:20

      there will always be a loss probability in counting cards, in my experience never seen it

      • whooah1979 on 14/11/2020 - 21:24

        So, no taking them to the backroom for a chat, then?

        • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:30
          +1

          usually there will be a hammer or saw

  • Digitalco on 14/11/2020 - 21:38

    What's the most you've seen someone win?
    Do think casino will have less people coming in due to covid?
    Can you tell if somebody is cheating ? What can you do in these situations?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:44
      1. in terms of percentages, 1 grand to 100 grand, in terms of one single hand, in the 6 figure range
      2. regular patrons activity probably unchanged but the people coming in for a punt or 2 probably yes
      3. usually people will not cheat since surveillance is hella crazy but as a dealer you can spot a cheater a mile away (putting chips on after hand is dealt since you would of scanned the layout already)
  • Muzeeb on 14/11/2020 - 21:39
    +2

    Did you ever work with Pegaxs?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:47

      probably not, very insightful read though, before working as a croupier i was in the investment banking industry, let me tell you though the correlation is very similar between these 2 industries

    • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 22:12

      Nah, I didn't hang around with the Baccarat dealers… too hoighty toighty with their high roller action. I was predominantly poker once I got trained for it as a game. Opposite end of the casino.

      • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 22:19

        unfortunately not much of a poker scene right now. rarely been on that end of the casino since i dont have poker but im sure it lives up to its reputation

        • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 23:00
          +1

          I started down there just before poker became a massive phenomenon and exploded. It was just full of cranky old Italian and Greek guys all playing $2 Manilla. Joe Hachem won the WSOP and within a year, it was all No Limit Hold-em an a much younger generation of players. I really miss the the times when it was the older guys, it just felt like it was full of mafia wise guys.

          What is your preference for games to deal? What do you like most to deal, what do you like least and why? Happy with your game selection or do you wish there was a particular game they would train you in that you have always wanted to learn?

          • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 23:13

            @pegaxs: blackjack is probably the most interesting game as there is much more of a local clientele and i can easily make conversation. however sometimes you can have a dead game for most of the day which is pretty boring. baccarat you get higher bets so thats more interesting but most of the grumpy Asian grannies and grampies don't bother even though i can speak Chinese. if i were to get one more game probably pai gow as i have always found the tiles interesting.

          • Scrooge McDuck on 15/11/2020 - 02:56

            @pegaxs:

            I really miss the the times when it was the older guys, it just felt like it was full of mafia wise guys.

            I could always count on them to get me out of the hole when they sat at 8 am. And they were amicable about it too; the Arab ones not so much, but that only emboldened my conscience.

            I am sincerely concerned for their wellbeing since this significant social community has been shut down for so long.

  • iforgotmysocks on 14/11/2020 - 21:46
    +1

    What's your favourite pizza topping?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:56
      +1

      it must have a minimum of 3 different cheeses and a thin crust

  • John Kimble on 14/11/2020 - 21:48

    If you were given 10 goes at hitting a specific number it roulette, how many times do you think you could get it?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 21:58

      I would choose 0 due to personal preference but it honestly stems down to luck there is no easier way to put that.

      • John Kimble on 14/11/2020 - 22:01

        I meant as a roulette spinner. Can you aim for a number and hit it?

        But I am guessing no based on your answer above.

        I knew someone who worked at a casino and they said they were trained to be able to hit a number if they had to (or at least a quadrant), I always thought he was just talking shit or pulling my leg given how random the whole spinning wheel and ball thing is…plus the casino doesn't need to cheat to win, given "the house always wins".

        • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 22:13
          +1

          personally if a dealer was incredibly skilled and knew how much force to put into the ball you can land on a specific number of interval but notice how most dealers look away from the wheel when they are about to spin it to avoid collusion.
          i dont have too much experience in this as i hardly deal it anymore but there is a great paper published that looks into this issue.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 15/11/2020 - 03:00

          I knew someone who worked at a casino and they said they were trained to be able to hit a number if they had to (or at least a quadrant),

          For which establishments have they ever worked?

  • djones145 on 14/11/2020 - 22:06

    roulette are there any tricks with that for dealers
    I.e. spinning it at a certain locations, spinning the wheel harder or softer or the ball harder or softer

    • John Kimble on 14/11/2020 - 22:06

      That's sort of what I was asking.

  • pegaxs on 14/11/2020 - 22:10

    Is ID's food still rubbish?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 22:16
      +1

      personally i think sometimes the food is pretty good, especially when they have the chocolate mousse with the crunchy topping but sometimes it's disgusting especially when they have the fish with the couscous

  • [Deactivated] on 14/11/2020 - 22:45

    Are the rumours of storerooms of soiled 'lucky' seats true?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 23:24

      yes, i like to go into the room and take a whiff of all the seats

      • Scrooge McDuck on 15/11/2020 - 03:01

        That's the spice melange. It's lucky!!

  • nfr on 14/11/2020 - 22:53

    Do you have any view about casino stocks in general? Have you thought about eventually moving back to IB/PE and specialising in the gaming industry?

    • bigboy69 on 14/11/2020 - 23:23

      great question but i cannot in good conscience give you financial advice due to ethics and what not but in general they are a solid pick but you would need to delve deeper into the financials. what we are seeing in the market recently is definitely based on heuristics so i hope you can see the irony there. it is a great analytical and fast paced profession so maybe 😆

  • akyeeeahdude on 14/11/2020 - 23:27
    +1

    What are you paid and how long have you been in your current position for?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 09:08
      +1

      I get about 30-31ish per hour but time flies when you deal especially when you have interesting and proactive guests. Been in this role about 4 years.

  • godofpizza on 14/11/2020 - 23:30

    would you recommend gambling to family members? have you ever come across someone you knew or relative at a table your serving?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 09:14
      +1

      gambling is sort of a taboo topic but with asian cultures it is sort of seen as luck or fate and commonly accepted. i dont support or condone gambling, im sure people are responsible enough to accept a loss or be happy with their wins. dealing to family members is banned and it is not worth losing your job and integrity however with friends, it depends on how you define what a friend is. is it someone you usually hang out with or someone you are just acquainted with. honestly still vague to me but i have never come into that situation where someone i usually hung out with came to my table.

      • godofpizza on 15/11/2020 - 11:04

        thanks, so if a family member did approach your table. Would you have to walk away or do you just tell them your can't serve them?

        • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 19:23
          +1

          i would refuse them, dont want the pit boss telling me to bend over

  • mynamejeff on 15/11/2020 - 00:07

    hi may I ask why you've switched from IB/PE to dealing as a career? just curious since a lot of people around me seem to glorify IB and dream of making it into IB.

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 09:18
      +1

      yes that is true, certainly in my environment at university everyone glorified top corporate roles in investment banking and finance but it all depends on what you like. for me i think it is the perfect combination of analytical problem solving and financial application and i enjoyed the role but for someone doing it just for the clout then they will not make it far. with dealing there is no stress you can just rock up to work and when you finish your shift you leave all your worries behind where as in a corporate job where you have alot more responsibility there will be stuff you have to do outside of work, but i guess this job is commonly perceived as being on the lower end of the spectrum.

  • bloom on 15/11/2020 - 08:55
    +2

    I only ever carry cash in suitcases, would this be a problem at your fine establishment?

  • Lovemydeals on 15/11/2020 - 10:44

    Thank you for doing the AMA.

    Some questions:
    - Have you ever received a big tip similar to the one from the James Bond movie (Casino Royale)?
    - Relevant to the above - have you been the dealer for "whale" tables before?
    - All jobs and rolls have bad days when people unfortunately make mistakes/screw-up. Have you witnessed any major screw-ups that cost the casino a lot of money? Or was the basis for an argument that required security to escort the player out of the building?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 16:16

      I wish i was thrown a 500k plaque like in the movie but taking tips is generally not allowed depending on which state you are in. The casino may also have a house rule that dealers cannot accept gratuity.
      Unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to deal to whales like in the private salons but I have heard its an enormous amount of money involved. Saying this, a large chunk of casino revenue comes from these whales.
      Of course everyone has bad days and I have had days where you overpay someone and days where you under pay someone but as long as you tell the boss man immediately, usually you get grilled but that's about it - so far in my experience.

  • OzHunterNSW on 15/11/2020 - 11:00

    Crown was exposed in "tampering"…. my very first time I played roulette, I placed a $5 chip on 28…. bingo… I won, took the money and walked away.
    Would this be luck, or would it be like electronic pokies where they "trickle" wins to you whilst over-all you spend and lose more?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 16:20

      i highly doubt the roullete table can trickle you, the precision needed would need to be crazy. you probably just got lucky thats all. as far electronic pokies, i know a guy who was a gaming mathematician/engineer for aristocrat and the trickle myth is nothing but a fabrication - or maybe he was pulling my tail.

  • pjetson on 15/11/2020 - 11:12

    I've never been to a Casino, so this is undoubtedly an "I'm clueless" question, but what do you do if someone you know comes to play at your table? Do you have to change croupiers?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 16:22

      usually you would tell the boss or direct them to another table but personally, if someone i knew but never talked too came to my table i wouldnt bother

  • anthony t on 15/11/2020 - 13:16

    If I have a few hours to spare, I play blackjack, 99% 'by the book' - that is, following the basic rules regarding what I'm dealt, what the dealer has and a slight 'sense' of the percentage of cards that have been dealt since the last shuffle (eg whether I feel that say 70% of the cards dealt were 10's or above). It does mean concentrating a bit more. I recommend everyone plays with a good blackjack app without betting for about 20 hours or more if they are new to it, to learn the basics really well.
    I like roulette as a way of playing every spin on its own merits - so relaxing, and good for say 30 or 60 minutes. I hope that people who choose their numbers based on the previous list of numbers that came up are doing it for superstitious reasons, not mathematical! Also, I never play on a wheel with a double zero. Do you think these are becoming more common in Australia?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 16:26

      for roullete every spin is an independent event and people who look at the previous numbers are probably doing it for superstitious reasons. however for baccarat, especially the asian clientele, they will look at the previous results and make an "informed" decision which honestly makes sense because as cards are depleted, you would have some sort of idea of whats next. i believe that the double zero wheel has influence from vegas and is offered to add more choices for the guest.

  • MontyMacaw on 15/11/2020 - 13:25

    Roulette is my game. I can spend hours playing it. Nobody expects to actually win but that doesn’t make it a bad thing. You can’t win drinking alcohol either, which I don’t. I also am very polite to croupiers and enjoy their banter. The thing I have noticed is that the more people bet the more likely they will become angry when they lose. This can be very off putting. Do you have a panic button for times like this so that security can deal with it? You should!

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 16:29
      +1

      yes obviously we are all humans and we want to win, it depends on what your betting style is; do you like to chase your loses and chip up every time you lose or bet an equal amount every time regardless of result. for me when guests get angry i can deal with it as i am used to it but it is when the guest starts making physical threats towards the croupier or other guests is when i need to press the panic button (located on the touch terminal on every table).

      • MontyMacaw on 15/11/2020 - 16:42

        I have a different strategy for every hour of every day. When I bet “drunk” (meaning with reckless abandon) it never ends well. Every win you recover you think you can do it over and over again so that always ends badly. I like the strategy style with limits both up and down. That way I get to play longer and more often. It’s like golf to me, that one good day you have keeps you coming back again and again because you know you did everything just right and can do it again if you stick to your rules. BUT even Tiger Woods can’t win all the time.

        • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 19:14
          +1

          100% agree

  • LFO on 15/11/2020 - 14:23

    making the switch to the gaming industry. Honestly one of the best choices ive made.

    How does an interested candidate become a croupier ?

    Courses?
    In-house (casino) training? How?
    How to get started?

    I recall friendly and relaxed "teaching classes" for players at the old Jupiters Casino (now Star). But not for croupiers.
    What is the path to become a croupier?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 16:32

      its not as hard as you think, casinos usually have in house training schools to train up croupiers, regardless of any previous experience you would need to go through some sort of training. to apply just head over to the respective organisations recruiting website if they have job offers however times like these i highly doubt there would be any. when you actually get into training, most of it is repetitive to really ingrain into your mind the procedures and rules.

  • ozbjunkie on 15/11/2020 - 19:44

    Is there any training or employee policy where you are to turn away gamblers who have lost too much? Appear to be getting frustrated, sad, angry, or scared over the money lost? If they appear intoxicated?

    My friend working a pokie room once said the saddest thing he'd seen was a guy putting his last of many $50s into the machine, slapping it all away. Hunching down into his shoulders and crying. Is this a semiregular sight?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 21:07

      yes of course, croupiers have to provide a duty of care to their guests and enforce responsible service of alchohol as well as responsible service of gaming. if we think someone is in too much or clearly intoxicated, then we usually refuse service or advise them to take a break.

      i have never seen anyone cry but plenty are annoyed. as much as i want people to win, there is so much i can do as the cards have already been shuffled and await their fate.

  • Mrbfoodstuffs on 15/11/2020 - 21:45

    How much do you need to be betting to be classified as a high roller. What sort of comps are offered to high rollers

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 22:29

      cant give a definite answer but somewhere near the high 6 figures or in the millions, domestic players usually will need to work their way up in the respective casinos tier system or flash enough cash and international players usually scouted by junkets and have a line of credit. from what i have heard, take it with a grain of salt, you get free food n stuff, hotel stays in the higher end suites, concierge, chaffeur and probably some sort of gifts. honestly you put more in than what you get of it.

  • yellowfever on 15/11/2020 - 22:22

    Can you request the dealer to start spinning the ball from a set number every time?

    • bigboy69 on 15/11/2020 - 22:30

      highly doubt it, i have had requests and have always reluctantly declined, its quite hard since you spin the wheel one way and launch the ball in the other way

      • yellowfever on 15/11/2020 - 23:17

        I asked because if a dealer could manipulate the result by targeting set numbers, the player could avoid this manipulation by making the dealer start at a set number everytime, basically resetting each start.

        • LFO on 16/11/2020 - 23:31

          Hasn't that been proven as impossible?

          Otherwise a very experienced dealer will be able to "get" numbers just by previous experience.

          I think it has been proven as a fantasy.
          Random success, yes.
          Consistent success, NO

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