The Dealers in Brighton

[easypickings]

A quick observation, I'll take the risk of sounding miserable:

It's accepted that the dealing in this country is not up to the standard of most other countries in Europe. This is actually understanadable after such a quick growth in the game in England, and a disproportionate number of big tournaments being held here compared to other countries. However, this would be easier to accept if the right attitude and desire to improve was there amongst the dealers and tour organisers.

The first two dealers on my table made quite a few misdeals. This is not awful, any dealer makes a mistake once in a while. However, if one of Thomas Kremser's brilliant team of dealers ever makes a misdeal, they look embarassed and apologise. The two dealers on my table seemed to find it funny, joining in the general banter about who would have had which cards, and so forth. The dealers seem to accept it a little TOO much when they make a mistake, or don't have a clue where the button should be.

And banter they did for the rest of the time- joining in with the players, one of them telling his own jokes and stories all the time whilst (mis)dealing.

Is it too Scrooge-like to say that it's not part of a dealer's job to entertain the table? Are we too accpeting that the dealing has never really been too great, and so doesn't need to be in the future?

[celtic]

We have billy at luton. bad jokes, rub downs, mis deals etc. but he deals twice as quick as the others so we get more hands than the other tables. Every dealer mis=deals like we mis-read or do something wrong in our job. Frustrating at times but it happens.

[taximan007]

The casino I play in here, which is owned by an American/Philippine Company and Not PAGCOR (the government run casino company), place great onus on the training of their dealers not only dealing the table but also interacting with the customers and I have to say they do a great job, yes they make mistakes but then they are human.

IMO the dealers in the UK are in a no win situation, if they do a good job, nobody very rarely, if ever publicly applauds them. but if they are bad they are the worst in the world, and I think some of the crap they take from players/customers in the UK, and probably elsewhere is totally uncalled for and bang out of order.

If a player here abuses a dealer for whatever reason (providing the dealer hasn't been abusive to the player), the company supports the dealer 100% and the player is banned for life from the casino. I have only seen it happen once in my 16 months here.

Just my thoughts.

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[relaedgc]

When I was trained by the Grosvenor Casino Training Officer he literally said, "You're there to deal cards. The players are not your friends. They don't give a f*ck what you did at the weekend and they don't want to hear about your life. You're there to deal them cards and run the game."

That's -why- I try to do, with varying levels of success. Remember, we're always going to make mistakes. It's very easy to send a card skidding across the table too fast or forget to move the button.

I don't think it's wrong of a dealer to try and make light of a mistake. Obviously, they should apologise and make a clear effort at getting it right the second time. As Celtic mentioned, some of the dealers at our place take it a little too far, he's a work colleague and also a friend but I wouldn't dream of giving 'rub downs' and he really does take it too far sometime, but there you go.

I suppose it's all about if you want a robotic dealer or an entertainer. We have both, I think and also a medium between the two. We want you to have a good time, because if the table is having a good time then the chances are so are we. There are times that I can sit down and not even say a word and still enjoy it, but sometimes it's appropriate and enjoyable for the table when a dealer ventures opinions and discussions of their own.

So I have found, in my time as a card room dealer. It's far more personal and enjoyable than dealing table games, though the abuse is certainly worse. Double edged sword, I guess.

[b4matt]

A quick observation, I'll take the risk of sounding miserable:

It's accepted that the dealing in this country is not up to the standard of most other countries in Europe. This is actually understanadable after such a quick growth in the game in England, and a disproportionate number of big tournaments being held here compared to other countries. However, this would be easier to accept if the right attitude and desire to improve was there amongst the dealers and tour organisers.

The first two dealers on my table made quite a few misdeals. This is not awful, any dealer makes a mistake once in a while. However, if one of Thomas Kremser's brilliant team of dealers ever makes a misdeal, they look embarassed and apologise. The two dealers on my table seemed to find it funny, joining in the general banter about who would have had which cards, and so forth. The dealers seem to accept it a little TOO much when they make a mistake, or don't have a clue where the button should be.

And banter they did for the rest of the time- joining in with the players, one of them telling his own jokes and stories all the time whilst (mis)dealing.

Is it too Scrooge-like to say that it's not part of a dealer's job to entertain the table? Are we too accpeting that the dealing has never really been too great, and so doesn't need to be in the future?

I disagree with you here Stuart, i think the majority of uk dealers are pretty good. Also to compare to the likes of a EPT or any European major is unfair as these events mainly employ the most experienced dealers drawn FOR THE OCCASION from around Europe.

Regional cardrooms have there own rules and i agree have some training issues but generally the standard is certainly higher now than 2 or 3 years ago.

A bigger issue along the same lines that gripes me more, is consistency of rules and implementing them, this really is something that needs fixing.

[snoopy1239]

We have billy at luton. bad jokes, rub downs, mis deals etc. but he deals twice as quick as the others so we get more hands than the other tables. Every dealer mis=deals like we mis-read or do something wrong in our job. Frustrating at times but it happens.

Is Billy the guy with spikey hair?

[AndrewT]

We have billy at luton. bad jokes, rub downs, mis deals etc. but he deals twice as quick as the others so we get more hands than the other tables. Every dealer mis=deals like we mis-read or do something wrong in our job. Frustrating at times but it happens.

Is Billy the guy with spikey hair?

Yeah - part-time magician as well (hence him being good with cards).

[dealerFROMhell]

I never used to mind having a chat with someone I knew at the table whilst shuffling or something. It didn't slow me down one bit. In fact, I used to take cricket odds off Dave Winston at The Vics afternoon Hold'em game!

I'm in agreement though. If you're dealing a game of poker, conversation is not an option in my book.

[Card_Shark]

You get good and bad dealers at every venue that i have played at, by far the best that i have personally come across are the one's at the Broadway casino in Birmingham. I haven't played there for about 18 months though. Every time i do play there i have noticed a higher standard than is generally the norm in this country, maybe it has a lot to do with the quality of training that is provided for them.

[dealerFROMhell]

To be fair, the majority of provincial card rooms only supply dealers for the final table. God knows how someone is supposed to get up to scratch by doing a few hours a week like that.

[taximan007]

Maybe all poker players should be made to be dealers for 6 months before being allowed to enter a tournament.

[Longy]

Maybe all poker players should be made to be dealers for 6 months before being allowed to enter a tournament.

Please let this never happen, i am the worlds worst dealer.

I think being poker dealer is thankless task given some of the characters we have in our game, who seem to think the dealer should be to blame for their dillusional view of varience in poker.

[TheChipPrince]

Its a bit like being a football referee, do a good job, nobody notices... Cock it up and they pounce on you...

[celtic]

When I was trained by the Grosvenor Casino Training Officer he literally said, "You're there to deal cards. The players are not your friends. They don't give a f*ck what you did at the weekend and they don't want to hear about your life. You're there to deal them cards and run the game."

That's -why- I try to do, with varying levels of success. Remember, we're always going to make mistakes. It's very easy to send a card skidding across the table too fast or forget to move the button.

I don't think it's wrong of a dealer to try and make light of a mistake. Obviously, they should apologise and make a clear effort at getting it right the second time. As Celtic mentioned, some of the dealers at our place take it a little too far, he's a work colleague and also a friend but I wouldn't dream of giving 'rub downs' and he really does take it too far sometime, but there you go.

I suppose it's all about if you want a robotic dealer or an entertainer. We have both, I think and also a medium between the two. We want you to have a good time, because if the table is having a good time then the chances are so are we. There are times that I can sit down and not even say a word and still enjoy it, but sometimes it's appropriate and enjoyable for the table when a dealer ventures opinions and discussions of their own.

So I have found, in my time as a card room dealer. It's far more personal and enjoyable than dealing table games, though the abuse is certainly worse. Double edged sword, I guess.

wrong attitude from the trainer IMO, the dealer should ( most at luton do) be involved in the table banter, when i said Billy gives rub downs, he give them to me, haven't noticed him give them to anyone else but i give them back, and that makes it more enjoyable for me and the rest of the table. I've had some miserable nights sitting there with a quiet dealer and quiet players, it doesnt make for good poker. Give me Phil Cooklin, Tikay & Billy on the table everynight and i'd be a happy man.

[K9sixtwo]

Hmmm...
Mrs K9 and myself attended a game last week and Mrs K9 was playing on one table, when she witnessed a clearly new dealer being subjected to the most outrageous abuse by one of the other players who was drunk.. so much so he was playing wildly and hitting bad hands .. When the player missed the comments were disgraceful.. i.e thinly veiled threats.. Mrs K9 busted out and went and spoke to the card room manager about this individual also the venue manager came over and listened in.. The card room manager then went and watched said player and also spoke to him after the game finished..
To try and pressurise the dealer by such comments is decidedly wrong, and bravo to the location for pointing as such out to the player.
Its all well and good to complain about the dealers but we have a responsibility as well to be polite..