Believe it or not, being a professional card dealer is quite challenging. There are numerous skills involved and they must have strong hand-eye coordination. It’s not an unheard of job, but it’s not really a common occupation either such as law and medicine. However, tournaments and casino’s all over the world employ the professional card dealer to distribute cards to participants. They also monitor players and control all processes at the table. They have to be experts in the game they are dealing cards for and must be attentive to the actions of the players. Casino’s and tournaments are typically high-paced environments.
A professional card dealer generally earns minimum wage from their employer and makes most of their income from tips. They generally get good tips when they are quick and efficient at distributing hands. The more talented card dealer is positioned in high-stakes games where more money is exchanged and their tip pool tends to be higher than the lower-stakes games.
There are card dealing schools that offer training programs for you to become a card dealer. A lot of casino’s offer training programs. These programs generally take four to six weeks to complete and are paid for by the trainee. Casinos are usually busier during late hours and holidays, so the card dealer is expected to work off shift hours. There is a lot of standing involved in dealing cards as the card dealer doesn’t sit through the game. As with any other sport, the card dealer does have the risk of being verbally abused by game participants.
There two methods of card dealing. The American method pitches cards to participants by pinching the right-front corner of the card with the thumb and index finger and pitching it. The European method is where a card dealer only touches the top of the card and pushes it toward game participants. The method used is determined by the host of the game, the casino or tournament. A card dealer should be proficient with both methods.
Being a card dealer is a trust based position, therefore applicants need to have a clean criminal background in order to be hired by a casino. They need to maintain a high level of professionalism and a strong knowledge base. The ability to read body language and understand players is a must have as well. They should know when to be funny and when to be distant. A highly skilled card dealer can easily make a six figure income if he plays his cards right. There are many classes and training programs available and one should participate in real-time game play in order to get the best practice.
Some famous poker players got their start from being a card dealer. For example, WSOP player Scott Fishman was a card dealer and continues to deal sometimes now just to improve his poker game. While being a card dealer may seem like an unimportant job, it can be a very rewarding career and can lead to expert poker skills. Practicing accuracy, style and skill can take a card dealer pretty far in the poker world.