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AZ, whereabouts are you in PA?

Quote: cclub79

AZ, whereabouts are you in PA?

Pittsburgh.

Gotcha...I'm more in Central PA at present, and I have also seen the ads for the Community Colleges that will be offering classes. In fact, at the radio station where I work, Hollywood Casino has been advertising for a while and has now started recruitment commercials.

Quote: cclub79

Gotcha...I'm more in Central PA at present, and I have also seen the ads for the Community Colleges that will be offering classes. In fact, at the radio station where I work, Hollywood Casino has been advertising for a while and has now started recruitment commercials.

I don't know how training will work. In WV they use the community colleges. For a starter class the casino may run it.

And anyone else reading here advice still appriciated, original question a few posts up.

Quote: AZDuffman

Question are first, what else should I be doing/know to "get it right?" What is the right method to shuffle? How many riffs, etc. What do they look for in an audition? For Croupier and any other dealers out there, any favorite funny warm-up lines you use to players walking up?

And also, how do you handle the standing all day? (I might have asked that one before.)

The Company you end up working for will have their own shuffle, and there is not a set way of that I know of. For poker, we use chemmy, riffle x2, poker strip, riffle x2, cut. For blakjack we habe CSM's but the preload shuffle inlcludes chemmying for 5 mins, splitting the deks into 2 stacks, taking roughly half a deck from each stack, and riffling with half a deck from the opposing stack again into 2 fresh stacks. poker stripping the stacks alternately into 2 fresh stacks, then riffling together. having to write it down makes it seem more complicated than doing it.

As for "auditions" I dont know how hey work it. you should be prepared for some basic maths questions, but I think your personality is more important, and how you come across, as your experience will count for itself.

I personally dont have any particular warm up lines. I try and strike up a conversation with general courtesies, but some people are not in the mood to talk, so I try and establish that early. I do however have a couple of lines I like to use. when someone busts, or misses a number on roulette and curses at me or no one in particular, eg "F*** Off" I tend to reply with, "I wish I could but my shift isnt over until [insert time here]" or when someone is getting annoyed at me reaching constant totals of 20/21 and asks "Do you ever bust?" I normally reply "only when the pit boss isnt looking" or if asked "do you ever get anything except 21?" I deadpan "Yeah, sometimes I get Blackjack". Another favourite of mine is when I hit a total or BJ that wipes people out and get "Aw, are you joking" I have "No, because my jokes are funny" if people laugh you can carry on a tell a joke for effect, or launch straight into "No, but why did the chicken cross the road" or another joke.

My best advice would be to tailor your banter to the situation. Sometimes its best to keep your mouth shut. I tend to get away with a lot because I'm 6 foot tall, fat, and have a big grin on my face when I'm trying to be funny. I als otend to have a good feel for people and know who might take offence at my humour. Sometimes it backfires, and you need a thick skin for the job. I know i'm in a line of work where the all the bosses want is to take peoples money, i think, If you can take the players money, and leave them laughing and feeling they I had a good time, Ive done my job right by everyone.

As for the standing, you get used to it. There's no real help I can give with that. But be warned - It is worse on Blackjack than roulette. On BJ you are generally stood in the same position for your stint on the table. (where I work you can do anything from 1hr, 1 1/2 is the norm up to 3 hours (longest I've done) at least with roulette you can move around some.

Good luck with the interview. Hope it goes well.

Quote: Croupier

I'm in a line of work where the all the bosses want is to take peoples money.

Does that apply to the pit bosses as well? Or just upper management / bean counters?

The reason I ask is, since AZ has experience, I was going to suggest applying for a position of pit boss or something like that.

Quote: Croupier

If you can take the players money, and leave them laughing and feeling they I had a good time, Ive done my job right by everyone.

Sure, nobody is shocked when they walk away a looser, but give them a good time, and you've done your job. On a side note, go into any casino comedy show and there's bound to be a comment aimed at the front row that they must be the biggest losers to have scored front row seats. I.E. Leave them laughing.


AZ -

Standing? Go to a shoestore, a real shoestore, not the shoe rack at K-Mart, and get good, expensive shoes.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

The reason I ask is, since AZ has experience, I was going to suggest applying for a position of pit boss or something like that.

I would do that but they say right out they want one year working in a licensed place for that. My 100 or so hours will not cut that. (On the bright side, I just picked up two March gigs this morning. Not a bad way to earn enough for a few dinners.) My hopw would be they would see my management experience and I'd be able to move up based on a combination of that and performance. The mortgage industry doesn't seem to be getting better thus why I am looking.

Quote:

AZ -

Standing? Go to a shoestore, a real shoestore, not the shoe rack at K-Mart, and get good, expensive shoes.

That isn't bad advice. Any idea what those "custom" made shoes go for? Like where you put your foot in a mold and they make the shoe around it similar to a crown after a root canal?

Quote: AZDuffman

Any idea what those "custom" made shoes go for? Like where you put your foot in a mold and they make the shoe around it similar to a crown after a root canal?

Wow. That brings back memories.

I was about 8 when I went with my father one time to have his foot mold made.

My parents called them "Space shoes". I don't know if that was the style, company name, brand name, or what. They could have also been playing off the Space Race, since it was the 60's.

I have no idea if they were comfortable enough for standing long periods. My father didn't have a job that needed standing for long periods. He merely had f-ed up toes that went in different directions.

Quote: Croupier

I personally dont have any particular warm up lines. I try and strike up a conversation with general courtesies, but some people are not in the mood to talk, so I try and establish that early. I do however have a couple of lines I like to use. when someone busts, or misses a number on roulette and curses at me or no one in particular, eg "F*** Off" I tend to reply with, "I wish I could but my shift isnt over until [insert time here]" or when someone is getting annoyed at me reaching constant totals of 20/21 and asks "Do you ever bust?" I normally reply "only when the pit boss isnt looking" or if asked "do you ever get anything except 21?" I deadpan "Yeah, sometimes I get Blackjack". Another favourite of mine is when I hit a total or BJ that wipes people out and get "Aw, are you joking" I have "No, because my jokes are funny" if people laugh you can carry on a tell a joke for effect, or launch straight into "No, but why did the chicken cross the road" or another joke.

Hey Croupier--thanks for the ideas. I used some of the stuyff you siggested here yesterday and that along with my own answers has gotten me acceped into dealing school. (Game TBD)

I'll be blogging about "so you want to become a dealer" later, but if anyone is interested in the selection process please reply here and I'll be happy to share how it went, what they looked for, and the stupidest question that was asked.

Congratulations! glad everything went ok. I would be interested in finding out the way things work there.