Employment

JOB OPTIONS

There are many different environments that offer employement for poker dealers. The days of only finding a good paying table at a casino are long gone. Actually, the private sector is proving to be extremely lucrative for todays dealers.

No matter where you decide to deal, make sure you know all the particulars such as your hourly rate, if you will be sharing tokes with other dealers, if there are specific rules you need to follow while dealing, etc.

Here are some of the more prominant options for a dealer:


  Poker Leagues, Charity Events and Private Games

If you're like many other Dealer Training clients you see opportunity in the lucrative private sector. We'll show you extensive resources and contacts to pinpoint your first table to deal in your area. You'll be exceptionally well prepared to earn a seat dealing at the most lucrative tables available.

Compensation depends on the type of table and/or game you choose to deal. Some will be strictly on a tip basis (very lucrative), others you'll receive an hourly rate and there are also games you will receive both tips and an hourly rate. Think of the income potential.

Dealer Training dedicates one full chapter to employment and with the resources page you can tap into your local poker market and find the tables available in your area.


  Casinos

Dealer Training is designed to help you ace a table audition at any casino you choose. If you put in the study and practice and table time you will be completely prepared to ace the table audition.

With the Dealer Training course you will be aptly prepared to deal at any poker table and after you gain enough table time experience you'll able to impress card room managers with your level of dealing skill.

The resources section has a detailed list of links to casino employers, card rooms and other potential dealing locations. We provide you with the tools and resources necessary to earn your first job dealing poker, wherever that may be.


  Employment with the Atlanta Poker Club

If you live in the Atlanta area, we are looking for well trained dealers. If you've completed this course then please contact one of our tournament directors through our home page.


  Other Employment

The tables are out there and we'll show you how to locate them and get your first job. Companies and leagues are forming everyday and are growing into nearly every city and town in the country. Using quality dealers is the key to any poker games' continued success.



CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Because of the increased popularity of poker and the importance of quality dealers, most casinos and poker leagues now have as a requirement that you provide a Certificate of Completion or Diploma from a Dealer school or training course to qualify for a table audition.

That is why, when you complete the Dealer Training course (including the professional advice in the practice sessions), you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

If you have put in the time and think you are ready for a table audition, please let us know by emailing us: certificate@dealer-training.com

We'll let you know the steps you need to complete to receive your certificate... and don't worry - there are no additional fees and you will receive it for FREE as part of the Dealer Training course.


Note: We strongly caution anyone who plans on purchasing the course - just to receive a certificate without putting in the study and practice time - please don't! When you request your certificate we will use our unique evaluation process to determine if you have put in the study and practice time just as a land based course would do.

Plus, your actual skill level will be easily apparent within the first few minutes of the table audition. The quickest way to lose a chance for employment is by claiming to be more skilled than you actually are.



ACE YOUR TABLE AUDITION

What is a table audition?
The table audition is the primary test session used by card room managers and employers across the country. Quite simply, the table audition will test your skills in the art of dealing poker. Every table audition you go to will be different in its own way, but most of them will all be similar, testing the same types of things.

Phase one will be a basic interview like you would have going for any other job and then for phase two you'll head to the tables to test your poker dealing skills.

Most people will be nervous and a bit stressed before their audition, but don't worry - if you have learned and practiced the techniques, standards and mechanics taught in Dealer Training, if you've put in the practice and table time and you review these guidelines below - you will have no problem acing your table audition.


To ace your table audition follow these simple guidelines:

First - look and act professional at all times - you never know who you may be talking to.

Phase 1 - The Interview

1. Plan Ahead

Know...

when you need to be there (don't be late - we suggest arriving 20 to 30 minutes early),

what you need to bring (probably just yourself and your certificate but ask just to be sure),

what you should wear (black pants and a white button down shirt if not specified),

and be sure to ask any other specific questions you may have ahead of time.

Visit the casino or game you will be auditioning at and play at the poker tables. Study the dealers and see if they do anything noticeably different than you in your routine, look for unique procedures and compare everything against what you have practiced. If you see anything that looks different be sure you try and see the same technique used by other dealers (you don’t want to copy poor techniques from slack dealers).

Ask the dealers questions too... in developing this course we played at many tables and asked many dealers, many questions and most dealers were happy to talk to us as long as they weren't in the middle of a hand.


2. Know Your Poker (Chapter 1)

Set yourself apart from the other candidates by knowing poker. Not only the basic rules on how to play, but also the history of poker, the different tournaments, the different structures, etc.

Also, do some research on the employer.

If you know poker and know the employer you've greatly increased your chances of being hired.

see: Texas Hold 'Em 101


3. Questions

Answer questions: Prepare for this audition like you would for any other. Employers will be asking you questions ranging from "Where did you grow up?" to "What is your dealing experience?" Be prepared to answer anything.

Ask questions: At the end of the interview the employer will usually ask if you have any questions. It is very important to ask them a couple questions, such as "What do you like about working here?" or "What don't you like about working here?" or "If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?"

It's just as important to ask good questions as it is to answer them. You'll gain valuable information about the employer and it will help you weigh your available choices against one another. Be creative and remember you are interviewing them as well.


Phase 2 - The Table Audition

4. Relax

Assume standard body position (Chapter 2, Lesson 8) and concentrate on maintining throughout your audition. You’ve put in the hours and you’ve studied the course, so be confident … because you are about to impress. Envision yourself executing the audition flawlessly and you may just be surprised at your results.

Keep a good attitude throughout and smile until your cheeks hurt!


5. Know The Basics

Standards (Chapter 2, Lessons 1-11) and Mechanics (Chapter 3, Lessons 1-14) Casinos like things done following certain standard procedures,and they like these procedures repeated over and over again. Be sure you are consistent in your actions and that you are repetitive in your correctly performed mechanics. Some common mistakes include rolling the deck, incorrectly cutting chips and incorrect pitch finger position.

Manage The Table (Chapter 5, Lessons 1-17) As a Dealer you have a lot of responsibilities at the table. You must be able to manage the players, the game, the emotion, etc. Your professionalism, confidence and accuracy will state your presence at the table and gain respect from the players. You must also know what to do when errors occur.

Consistency (Chapter 6 - 42 Step Dealing Process) This starts with learning the entire Dealing Process. You must be consistent in your routine. Casinos like procedures to be followed to the very end and they will look for consistency in your table routine. Re-read the course material two weeks before your audition and give yourself an honest review. See if you find areas where you cut corners or if you had forgotten about a smaller detail. Spend the next two weeks working on honing your skill to a sharp edge so when you go to audition you impress.

Accuracy and Efficiency (Chapter 7, Lessons 1-10) You must practice, practice, practice to become ultra efficient. Casinos care primarily about making money and the more hands you can deal per hour the more money the casino makes and the better tokes you make. You must focus countless hours on your accuracy... this is key! You will naturally increase the speed at which you complete the routine tasks of a professional dealer like shuffling, pitching, cutting, etc while maintaining a high rate of accuracy. Casinos love this.

Track The Pot (Chapter 4, Lesson 3) You must be able to accurately track the pot. You can be sure during the audition in the middle of a hand you will be asked how many bets are in the pot. This is learned through experience and time at the table. Tracking the pot goes hand in hand with collecting the rake.

Calculate and Create Side Pots (Chapter 4, Lesson 4) You must be able to efficiently create side pots. Side pots are inevitable, you must know exactly how to create these accurately and quickly. Again the casino doesn’t want to waste time with you not being sure which player is eligible for which pot, and how much should be in each pot and how to accurately rake from side pots. You can be sure that your table audition will include a hand that has multiple side pots.

Collect The Rake (Chapter 4, Lesson 5) You must be able to accurately take and calculate a rake. Casinos care primarily about making money, and the rake is how they earn money. You must have extensive practice working at a game that takes a rake. You must know how to accurately calculate the rake, never too little or too much. If the rake is 5% you need to know exactly when to pull out that next chip and how much should be taken at every point in the hand.