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What I learned as a Blackjack Dealer
When I signed up to be a Blackjack dealer, I had no clue what was in store. Aside from Blackjack, I had no idea what other games were available for playing. I’d never heard of Caribbean Stud Poker, Mini-Baccarat, or Red Dog, and I had no clue what Sic Bo was. What I did know was that I had to step-up my math skills if I wanted to make it in the industry. I also knew that if I was going to learn anything at all, it was going to be from the players. And I was right about that. After my first week at work, I knew the rules of Blackjack like the back of my hand. When to hit; when not to hit; the best time to double down; how to split, and that “surrender” and “insurance” were sucker bets. The players at the casino were regulars who were in there just about every day, and they more or less taught me the ropes. This proved to be beneficial when I’d get a rookie player who had no idea how to play. I was able to suggest what he should do. It wasn’t like Vegas, where dealers could out right tell their players what move to make. We weren’t allowed, but we could suggest; strongly. My next hurdle was to learn Let It Ride. I had no idea how to play Poker, and I didn’t know the ranking of the hands. This only made things harder. Luckily, the table itself had a payout table on every player spot so I could look at that. It didn’t take me long to catch on, and from there I learned Caribbean Stud. Both fun games and I highly recommend them. As for Sic Bo, well, let’s just say that it became my arch nemesis. It’s a glorified carnival game where the player takes three balls and rolls them down a track into a spinning wheel. The three balls add up to a total and the winning number it called out. The payouts on that game were a little bit similar to Roulette with odds like 19 to 1 and 35 to 1 etc. Again, I really had to step up my math skills, and I did, but I never really got into the game. In fact, I dreaded coming to work sometimes because I knew I’d be dealing it. They eventually got rid of the game because players figured out a way to roll the balls in such a way that would bring them the best results and the casino lost A LOT of money. When I showed up to work the next morning, and saw that the game was gone, I almost dropped to my knees and thanked God. And I’m not even religious! Mini-Baccarat, to me, seemed like the most ridiculous game in the house. It was very popular with the Asian players and there would often be a waiting list because all three tables were full. It was like a 50/50 chance of hitting Player or Banker, and the players would track each hand by marking down on paper who would win. It’s basically like playing black or red on Roulette, but the players bet according to some sort of pattern. I didn’t mind dealing that game because there was a lot of excitement and the players had a good time. All in all, I did enjoy being a dealer. I was considered quite lucky and players often called me “The Terminator” or “Hurricane Loretta.” Sometimes I’d come to a full table, deal for all of fifteen minutes and “kill” it. But after a few years I began to get bored. I needed a challenge, but I didn’t want to leave the industry because I liked the players (well, most of them) and my co-workers a lot. The next rung on the corporate ladder was Dealer Supervisor (Pit Boss) and I was looking forward to the day I’d one day become one.
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