PIT BOSS
What are the duties of a Pit Boss?
2. Avoid work
3. Supervise
GAME PROTECTION!
Properly rate players.
GAME PROTECTION.
Rotate dealers as they come on/off breaks.
GAME PROTECTION
Deal with any issues at the tables like player complaints or misdeals, etc.
Did I mention GAME PROTECTION?
Quote: AZDuffmanTo be the face of management in the pit.
GAME PROTECTION!
Properly rate players.
GAME PROTECTION.
Rotate dealers as they come on/off breaks.
GAME PROTECTION
Deal with any issues at the tables like player complaints or misdeals, etc.
Did I mention GAME PROTECTION?
Isn’t there 2 levels of management on the floor?
Table Games Supervisors. The ones who take your card and handle the tasks you mentioned.
And Pit Boss. The ones who oversee the entire section of tables
Quote: Nenuco33i dealer was "giving" Money away in a roullete and after 15 minutes the pit boss took him out, is that possible?
Roullette Dealers I’m friendly with at a certain casino have told me they’ve actually been reprimanded for the outcome of their spins not being “random enough”.
Consider a retiring stickman at craps: he should show the box that he has clean hands. Even if the box is turned away and the Floor is busy, the Pit Boss will be checking to see that is taking place. Additional camera angles needed? PitBoss makes the call.
They are a combination host, supervisor, babysitter, psychiatrist.
They rate the players, issue comps, watch the dealers, watch the players, approve payouts, and basically they are the owner of their little corner of the property.
Very good ones are worth their weight in gold. There are not a lot of very good ones around.
Quote: michael99000Isn’t there 2 levels of management on the floor?
Table Games Supervisors. The ones who take your card and handle the tasks you mentioned.
And Pit Boss. The ones who oversee the entire section of tables
It probably differs house to house. And shift to shift for that matter. In the end it is about everyone watching everyone else.
Since the players are trying to beat the house, the dealers are watching the players
The Boxmen are watching the dealers
The Pit Bosses are watching the Boxmen
The Shift Bosses are watching the Pit Bosses
The Casino Manager is watching the Shift Bosses
I'm watching the Casino Manager
and the Eye in the Sky is watching us all
FWIW "Pit Boss" is getting to be an old term and may be called "Table Supervisor" now. Some people cannot handle "Boss" in the job title. Personally, I prefer it. In my industry we have a "Crew Chief" which I also like, as it confers authority and responsibility. I am divided on which is a cooler job title, though I want neither one for myself.
Quote: AZDuffman
Since the players are trying to beat the house, the dealers are watching the players
The Boxmen are watching the dealers
The Pit Bosses are watching the Boxmen
The Shift Bosses are watching the Pit Bosses
The Casino Manager is watching the Shift Bosses
I'm watching the Casino Manager
and the Eye in the Sky is watching us all
Sounds similar to a description of a group of pack animals on a hunting trip.😂😂
Quote: MaxPenSounds similar to a description of a group of pack animals on a hunting trip.😂😂
Except the pack of animals is out to find the weakest prey and tear them apart............
Uh, yeah, exactly like a pack of animals.
Quote: Nenuco33Hello,
What are the duties of a Pit Boss?
Where I work there are :
Dealers - Deal the games and know very little about anything else.
Floor Supervisor - Assist the dealers and players. Track players action. Handle comps. Watch the games to make sure they are being dealt correctly and played fairly. Have no authority to discipline or counsel dealers. Most know very little about gaming other than they dealt and know game rules. Are assigned to 3-5 games.
Pit Supervisor - Supervises all dealers and floors. Handles disputes, jackpots, broken shufflers, contacts surveillance for reviews, contacts security for customer behavior issues, contacts the beverage manager for intoxication issues and handles most any other issue that comes up during a shift. Handles all Title 31 issues such as MTL's, CTR,', suspicious activity, ID problems. Some have good knowledge of gaming, odds, game protection, advantage play. Most don't. Pit Supervisors assigned to 2-3 pits.
Shift Manager - Responsible for everything on the shift. Most rarely come out on the floor. Some enjoy interacting with staff and players, some avoid it. Have to do end of shift reports on drop, win/loss, bigh dollar play, issues on the shift. Some have knowledge of game protection, odds, advantage play, some don't.
ZCore13
Quote: AZDuffmanIt probably differs house to house. And shift to shift for that matter. In the end it is about everyone watching everyone else.
Since the players are trying to beat the house, the dealers are watching the players
The Boxmen are watching the dealers
The Pit Bosses are watching the Boxmen
The Shift Bosses are watching the Pit Bosses
The Casino Manager is watching the Shift Bosses
I'm watching the Casino Manager
and the Eye in the Sky is watching us all
FWIW "Pit Boss" is getting to be an old term and may be called "Table Supervisor" now. Some people cannot handle "Boss" in the job title. Personally, I prefer it. In my industry we have a "Crew Chief" which I also like, as it confers authority and responsibility. I am divided on which is a cooler job title, though I want neither one for myself.
/deniro voice
Quote: michael99000Roullette Dealers I’m friendly with at a certain casino have told me they’ve actually been reprimanded for the outcome of their spins not being “random enough”.
I wish these dealers were quick thinking enough to insist the boss put these problems in an email. That would be awesome
Quote: AZDuffmanIt probably differs house to house. And shift to shift for that matter. In the end it is about everyone watching everyone else.
Since the players are trying to beat the house, the dealers are watching the players
The Boxmen are watching the dealers
The Pit Bosses are watching the Boxmen
The Shift Bosses are watching the Pit Bosses
The Casino Manager is watching the Shift Bosses
I'm watching the Casino Manager
and the Eye in the Sky is watching us all
FWIW "Pit Boss" is getting to be an old term and may be called "Table Supervisor" now. Some people cannot handle "Boss" in the job title. Personally, I prefer it. In my industry we have a "Crew Chief" which I also like, as it confers authority and responsibility. I am divided on which is a cooler job title, though I want neither one for myself.
Quote: FCBLComishThe terms Floor Supervisor, Pit Boss, and Pit Manager have become fluid. They answer to the Shift Manager. They are responsible for Game Protection and Guest Service.
They are a combination host, supervisor, babysitter, psychiatrist.
They rate the players, issue comps, watch the dealers, watch the players, approve payouts, and basically they are the owner of their little corner of the property.
Very good ones are worth their weight in gold. There are not a lot of very good ones around.
A good dealer makes more than a pit boss. In my industry, bartenders rarely become management because it pays less. Same in casinos.
They eliminate more than half the candidates, and wonder why people who weren't top notch at their old job suck more at their new job.
Do casinos ever hire pitiless's that weren't dealers?
Quote: billryanA good dealer makes more than a pit boss. In my industry, bartenders rarely become management because it pays less. Same in casinos.
They eliminate more than half the candidates, and wonder why people who weren't top notch at their old job suck more at their new job.
Do casinos ever hire pitiless's that weren't dealers?
What incentive does a casino provide for a dealer to accept a promotion to table supervisor? I see it happen often.
Quote: michael99000What incentive does a casino provide for a dealer to accept a promotion to table supervisor? I see it happen often.
Paid time off. Increase from part time to full time with benefits. Less chance of making mistakes/getting in trouble. Better shift or days off. Better or more steady pay. Lots of reasons. Money isn't everything in life for everyone.
ZCore13
Quote: michael99000What incentive does a casino provide for a dealer to accept a promotion to table supervisor? I see it happen often.
sometimes they are forced to take supervisor shifts if they want to keep those lucrative dealer shifts
Quote: mcallister3200A few casinos where dealers keep their own tokes and do fairly well virtually all dealers are dual rates. Del Sol in Tucson and some Blackhawk casinos are like that.
At Del Sol they keep half and pool half. The Director was recently fired for stealing from the pooled half for many years.
ZCore13
Quote: Zcore13At Del Sol they keep half and pool half. The Director was recently fired for stealing from the pooled half for many years.
ZCore13
Interesting. I haven’t been there for half a decade, I do recall pretty much everyone being a dual rate from the
2-3 days I played there at that time. Probably first I’ve heard of a casino doing half and half like that for tokes. Was under the impression that vast majority of Arizona casinos dealers go for their own, leads to having some absolutely terrific dealers and some gross hustlers.
Quote: mcallister3200Interesting. I haven’t been there for half a decade, I do recall pretty much everyone being a dual rate from the
2-3 days I played there at that time. Probably first I’ve heard of a casino doing half and half like that for tokes. Was under the impression that vast majority of Arizona casinos dealers go for their own, leads to having some absolutely terrific dealers and some gross hustlers.
I would say more than 50% pool. Desert Diamond Casinos, Gila River Casinos, Twin Arrows in Flagstaff and Casino Arizona Casinos keep their own. Most others pool. Not sure about Harrah's Ak Chin. I think they pool.
ZCore13
Quote: billryanA good dealer makes more than a pit boss. In my industry, bartenders rarely become management because it pays less. Same in casinos.
They eliminate more than half the candidates, and wonder why people who weren't top notch at their old job suck more at their new job.
Do casinos ever hire pitiless's that weren't dealers?
A big issue is licensing. When I tried craps school they told us the Boxman had to have a year under their belt to get licensed. This will limit "off the street" hires. The other problem is there is no substitute for time. From working the parties I probably have 200-300 hours of craps "experience." I know the game better than probably 90% of dealers on their first days on the job, But that does not mean I can sit box, because weird stuff comes up.
Not craps but poker I was once in a game where the dealer called the floor. Floor ruled without incident. But it was a weird issue that none of us at the table had seen. I mentioned to people in the conversation, "and that is why you need at least a year dealing to be a floorman." Just no substitute for seeing things. It is true in my job where I point out things to new people, it is true on the casino floor. An MBA will not last a shift bossing a pit without experience.
Quote: billryanI just think it's a silly system that basically rewards mediocrity. I've met many superior dealers in my time, and only one of them became a boss. Funny thing was the first time I met him, he said he was going to school. When I asked him what he was studying, he replied he was studying because he wants his name on a casino. He was a few years out of High school but I wouldn't bet against him. He disappeared about two years ago, so I lost track of him.
Life rewards mediocrity. Thing is when you move into management you really see the dark side. You must sell your soul to move up in almost any organization. You must be willing to charge the hill and lose half your regiment without questioning things. In a casino the trip from dealer to first-line supervisor is not all that tough. As we have seen on these boards, occasionally you are told "up or out." But then it gets tricky.
Four Boxmen vie to be one Pit Boss. Four Pit Bosses vie to be one Shift Boss. And so on. In these lower steps conformity is what gets you ahead. If one has been in management they know the feeling of someone above telling them to do something that has failed a number of times before. I remember the line where I worked was, "well, it is different now because I'M HERE NOW!" As if that changes how the market works.
If you want to be promoted, you shut up and do. What they tell you to do may cost you your job and career, not doing it will cost them for sure. If you are lucky you hang in the trenches and succeed just enough to not get clipped and collect your check every week. Maybe you get promoted next, then you get to be told bigger orders that you must follow.
Only way out is to work for yourself. There are smaller casinos for sale for a few million. Find a way to raise the money then go on your own. Long shot, but so is getting to be casino manager.
Quote: michael99000What incentive does a casino provide for a dealer to accept a promotion to table supervisor? I see it happen often.
Well in my case, I did not want to be a dealer for 30+ years.
Dealing is fun if you don't have to do it for a living.
Silverton
Ellis Island
Hooters
Only 1 of these is considered a good job.
😄😄😄Quote: AZDuffmanLife rewards mediocrity. Thing is when you move into management you really see the dark side. You must sell your soul to move up in almost any organization. You must be willing to charge the hill and lose half your regiment without questioning things.
I love your metaphor. Can I re-use it or do you have a copyright ?😉
I once was promoted to manager. Dark side really. I quit soon after, I was too disgusted at the despise of workers. And of women.
Quote: kubikulann😄😄😄
I love your metaphor. Can I re-use it or do you have a copyright ?😉
I once was promoted to manager. Dark side really. I quit soon after, I was too disgusted at the despise of workers. And of women.
Use it if you like, though when people think you are cynical to the point of being dead inside don't say I didn't warn ya! lol
It does take a gradual hardening of the soul. You try to be nice, but you cannot be nice. I remember we bought a company and part of the deal was we kept all the employees. My boss and his staff were talking about who they would clip as our HR guy was onboarding people the very first morning. Eventually they had us doing some half-crooked accounting and I didn't do it. Just said I didn't do it. Got fired about six weeks later. At least I died on my feet instead of living on my knees.
Quote: AZDuffmanUse it if you like, though when people think you are cynical to the point of being dead inside don't say I didn't warn ya! lol
It does take a gradual hardening of the soul. You try to be nice, but you cannot be nice. I remember we bought a company and part of the deal was we kept all the employees. My boss and his staff were talking about who they would clip as our HR guy was onboarding people the very first morning. Eventually they had us doing some half-crooked accounting and I didn't do it. Just said I didn't do it. Got fired about six weeks later. At least I died on my feet instead of living on my knees.
I agree. My integrity is never for sale.
Quote: FCBLComishI agree. My integrity is never for sale.
Did you quit working for the casino?
Quote: MaxPenDid you quit working for the casino?
Nope. If I were working somewhere where my integrity and the core values of the organization were not aligned, I would leave. As a matter of fact, I have done.
I don't envy them one bit.
Quote: MintyI've met some really kind, genuine and intelligent pit bosses. Many do want the best for their players but like many people in middle management, they have a lot of people to please or at least keep satisfied and as anyone who has supervised or managed before can attest to, it is a great way to burnout and become apathetic. They have players to entertain and confront, dealers to protect and monitor, and the shift managers or even casino manager to appease.
I don't envy them one bit.
It's sadly probably one of those jobs that makes you a serf to the casinos for life. Other than general supervision of people, little of it will transfer outside the gaming world. More upward mobility is really hard as you have a crew of pit bosses vying for just a few shift manager positions. But you have move up just enough to get out of the assembly line grind of dealing. You "get" to wear a suit to work every day.
One day your nephew thinks it looks great and asks, "how do you get to do this?" Like many jobs that look cooler to kids than they really are, you think about how you end up there, not "get" to be there.
If you are lucky, you like your house and it likes you. So you retire on that job at that place. Chances are you do not both like each other, business ebbs and flows, and you either leave or are laid off. But in a big casino world you can move about as long as you can get and keep a license. So you are bound to the casinos the way a serf was bound to the land. Neither slave nor free.
