It's you and the dealer

12 September 2015

By John Marchel

When it comes to table games it’s between you and the dealer. He or she controls the cards, sets the pace and can make the visit one of enjoyment or one of pure misery. So, what kinds of dealers are there?

There are four types of dealers. Male, female, young and old, that’s it. Yes, there are combinations: young male, old male, young female and old female. When I say young, I’m really talking about experience: a dealer who is new or one who lacks a lot of experience dealing in a casino. On the other side is old: one who has been dealing for many years and has “seen it all”.

Regardless of what we read in today’s newspapers or see on TV, where some try to sell the notion that males and females are identical except for the ability to bear children. There is a big difference between males and females.

Studies have shown that there is a great distinction between the two when it comes to emotion. Males like excitement, change, challenge, uncertainty, and the potential for huge returns on a risky investment. Females on the other hand like predictability, continuity, safety, roots, relationships, and a smaller return on a more secure investment.

All those emotions are carried into the gaming world and can be applied when it comes to playing at the table.

What can you do about it? You can add it to your check list when choosing what table to sit at. For example, when selecting a blackjack table in a large casino, with many tables available, you would want to choose a young female dealer as opposed to an old male dealer.

Be self-serving. Which one is likely to make a mistake while dealing? Which one would recognize a card counter quicker? Which one would react to friendly conversations and which one would disregard the small talk? Choosing what dealer you want to play against might not change the end result, but could make small differences while playing. And small differences can add up.


BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW

• A group of baccarat dealers from the Las Vegas Hilton got together and each put up $10 into a pool totaling $80. Their object was to pick a winner each week during the NFL football games in the 1991 season. They were able to reach week 11, with a winning pool of $103,000, but lost it all in week 12.

• The Sliver Slipper Casino on the Las Vegas strip was the first to hire female 21 dealers. The Union Plaza was the first downtown.

• Several years ago at The Mirage, in Las Vegas, a high roller placed a side bet of $100,000 for the dealers. He won and the dealers split $200,000.

• In the early 1940s casino dealers were paid $8 a shift and were strictly forbidden from talking with or being friendly or having any such interaction with customers.

• In the spring of 2011 dealers at SkyCity casino in New Zealand resorted to wearing flea collars around their ankles to ward off fleas. Management said that the floors were cleaned every day but it doesn’t seem to be working according to the dealers.

• Female dealers were popular in the 1940s and today, but in the 1950s high-stakes players complained they brought bad luck to the tables. For many years, women were not hired by casinos in Las Vegas.