There is also now demand for croupiers to present casino games on webcam for online play – this is a growing sector of the online gaming market called live casino, and is providing more opportunities than ever before to become a professional casino dealer. Feb 27, 2015 Here's my opinion of what it was like being a casino dealer in Las Vegas. RELATED LINKS: For a word-for-word break down of this video and the rest of the videos in this course, click the.
What if I told you a lucrative career in the casino gambling industry can be secured for less than $1,000 and only a month’s worth of study and training? No, I’m not talking about some fraudulent craps system promising to teach you the secrets of dice control to become a millionaire overnight.
Instead, I’m referring to the thriving casino dealer industry, which continues to offer a growing slate of steady jobs for anybody willing to learn the ropes. Casino dealers are the backbone of the gambling industry.
Tourists who convene in Las Vegas every year wouldn’t be able to enjoy their favorite table games without an army of highly-trained dealers to supervise the proceedings.
If you’ve ever played table games or poker in the Sin City casino setting, you know just how valuable dealers are to the entire proceedings. They gently guide inexperienced gamblers and make it all seem so effortless and easy.
You likely have plenty of experience dealing with casino dealers from the player’s perspective, but have you ever thought about flipping that script and working from behind the table? If so, this page was written with you in mind.
Below, you’ll learn everything an aspiring casino dealer needs to know about attending training courses in the gambling mecca of Las Vegas. I’ll cover the best schools, pricing plans, and curriculums for your casino dealer education.
Becoming a Casino Dealer Is a Great Idea in Any Economy
Dealers are the lifeblood of the casino industry, which in turn serves as the lifeblood of Las Vegas’ economy through thick and thin.re
According to the popular job search website Recruiter.com, demand for professional casino dealers has remained on a positive upswing for 15 consecutive years. Vacancies within the profession have increased by 3.48% since 2004, averaging 0.58% annual growth to create nearly 23,000 new openings last year alone.
Those statistics have a nationwide scope, mind you, but seeing as how Sin City is the undisputed capital of America’s gambling industry, you can imagine how many jobs await here.
Because every casino requires dozens, or even hundreds, of dealers on the staff to keep the gambling floor humming, it doesn’t take long to find a multitude of open positions.
And those open positions, even at the entry-level tier, aren’t anything to sneeze at either. Based on data from salary aggregator Indeed.com, the average casino dealer in Las Vegas earns nearly $38,000 in annual base salary.
But when you factor in the $138 in average daily tips dealers haul in, their compensation climbs to more than $72,000 ($138 x 261 working days yearly = $34,191).
Casino Dealer Training Courses Can Be Completed in Just a Few Weeks
To become qualified for an audition at your favorite casino, the best way to begin is by attending dealer school.
Fortunately, Las Vegas is home to no shortage of reputable and accredited casino dealer schools, including the city’s top three contenders—Casino Education Group (CEG), Personalized Casino Instruction (PCI), and Crescent School of Gaming and Bartending.
To get an idea of how thorough and in-depth these casino courses really are, take a look below to see what the blackjack class at CEG Dealer School entails.
Casino Education Group (CEG) Dealer School’s Blackjack Curriculum
- 2 Decks of Cards
- Course Manual
- Blackjack Class Orientation
- Game Mechanics
- Cheque Cutting & Sizing
- Bank Management
- Game Protection
- Shuffles
- Pitching
- The Shoe
- Making Change & Color
- The Hole Card / Insurance
- Fills, Markers & Credits
- Payoffs & Color
- Side Bets
- Practice, Rinse and Repeat
- Peer Review x 3
- In-House Blackjack Audition
And that’s just one game. You’ll also need to learn the other staple games like baccarat, craps, and casino roulette games, along with a few of the specialty games that have become so popular in recent years.
That list might appear to lead to a full semester of study, practice, and testing, but you’d be surprised at how soon casino dealers can graduate. The schools listed earlier tend to pass students in one month or less, even while attending part-time and working a day job.
You Don’t Need to Take on Loan Debt to Attend a Top-Tier Dealer School
Don’t worry though, because casino dealer schools in Las Vegas make sure to offer “bundled” pricing plans that cover all of the bases at an affordable cost.
As you can see in the tables below, the PCI Dealer School specializes in linking two or three games together in a coursework bundle, along with single-game courses for folks who need to round out their education.
Personalized Casino Instruction (PCI) Dealer School Course Pricing
Multiple Game Bundle Courses
Blackjack + Roulette = $399.00
Blackjack + Baccarat = $399.00
Blackjack + Pai Gow Poker = $399.00
Blackjack + Dice (Craps) + $449.00
Poker (excluded from 3-game special) = $599.00
Dice (Craps) + Roulette = $699.00
Blackjack + Dice (Craps) + Pai Gow Poker = $699.00
Blackjack + Dice (Craps) + Roulette = $799.00
Single Game Courses
Carnival Games = $149.00
Online Casino Dealer School
Blackjack = $299.00
Baccarat = $299.00
Pai Gow Poker = $299.00
Dice (Craps) = $399.00
Roulette = $399.00
In most cases, total newcomers to the casino world can enroll in a comprehensive course that touches on all of the necessary table games for under $1,000. That might seem like a steep price to pay, but remember, you’ll earn that tuition expense back (and then some) with only a week’s worth of tips during your first days on the job.
And don’t worry about pounding the pavement and filling out job applications either. Las Vegas casinos work closely with the city’s top dealer schools, scouting talent directly and taking advantage of job placement programs to fill open positions on the fly.
Students Attain Successful Careers After Graduating From Casino Dealer School
I’ve never worked as a casino dealer myself, so don’t take my word for it when it comes to the satisfaction dealer school students feel upon graduation.
Instead, hear from graduates who successfully completed the courses.
Personalized Casino Instruction (PCI) Dealer School
“This is the place where everything started in Vegas for me. Five years ago, I was new in town and knew nobody. Luckily, I found PCI Dealer School and spent two weeks here – and got a job soon after. I have been in the gaming industry ever since then, from dealer to floor supervisor, and Operations Manager.”
-Angel S. from California
Casino Education Group (CEG) Dealer School
“Going to CEG is the best money I ever spent. If you are looking for an affordable, flexible, realistic way to get training for a job that you can get, I highly recommend CEG Dealer School. I just got my first paycheck from my first casino dealing job and it covered my cost. I got more out of CEG than I ever expected and will forever be grateful.”
-Joseph B. from Texas
Crescent School of Gaming and Bartending
“With no prior poker experience and with the help of my instructor Tony, I am on my way to the WSOP audition. The mornings and evening classes allow for great flexibility. The team of instructors are very patient and friendly. The atmosphere is not intimidating at all for a newbie like myself. I highly recommended this school over the others as it is the only accredited gaming and bartending school in Vegas.”
-Rissa S. from Nevada
As you can see, these students realized their dreams and ambitions immediately after attaining their certification from a top Las Vegas dealer school. Today, they’re working steady, well-paying jobs in the industry they love, and in many cases, climbing their casino’s corporate ladder to pursue management positions.
Online Casino Dealer Training
Conclusion
Becoming a casino dealer might seem like a lark at first, a fleeting dream to occupy yourself with while grinding out another day at a job you hate. But upon closer inspection, enrolling in a casino dealing school and completing your table game education is an investment in your future. More money, job security, opportunity for advancement, and a fun-filled workplace environment make dealing at a Las Vegas casino a dream career.
You like to play Blackjack and wonder what it feels like to be on the other side of the table? Well, the good news is that anyone can become a Blackjack dealer with enough practice. Ok, maybe not anyone, but the truth is that many people around the world today work as dealers or croupiers at land-based casinos or studios and you can be one of them too. In this article, we will discuss what it takes to be a Blackjack dealer and if that should be your next gig.
Blackjack Dealer Personal Traits
Let’s start with the basics. If you want to become a Blackjack dealer, you have to know to count up to 21, right? Yet, some personal traits will help you be a great dealer. First of all, you have to have a pleasant personality. No one wants an unfriendly person who acts like a robot. To be successful as a dealer, you should smile even if unpleasant persons sit at your table. That’s right, you have to learn to deal with all kinds of players. That means that you also have to cope with those who are rude and learn to stay calm and polite. It is all about psychology, so you have to master these skills.
Being a dealer also requires a great physical condition. We don’t talk about strength to move heavy stuff, but you need to be in condition to spend eight hours or even more standing and dealing cards. Besides, smoking is allowed in most casinos and you may spend your working hours in a room full of cigarette smoke. Another ability you need is manual dexterity to shuffle and deal cards. It is a matter of practice, but some people are just not that good at doing things with their hands.
One of the casinos offering dealer training describes an ideal candidate as an energetic individual that is also personable, professional and possesses an outgoing personality. In addition, they must have effective communication skills, must be able to obtain and maintain a license and to pass a hair sample drug test and background check.
Blackjack Dealer Education
One can attend Blackjack dealer training online or at land-based casinos. To learn about opportunities, visit dedicated websites that post open job positions. You can find multiple opportunities to get trained for free at a casino that wants to hire a Blackjack dealer. Another option is to pay training and look for open positions yourself. Blackjack dealer training can take from 4 to 14 weeks, depending on the programme it is based on. The price of training varies depending on the programme and the best option for you is to find a casino that provides candidates with a free course. In case you don’t have an opportunity to join such a course in your neighbourhood, try to find an online course you can complete remotely.
Why Become a Blackjack Dealer?
One of the main reasons why one should become a Blackjack dealer is that this profession provides you with multiple opportunities to land a job and you can get trained to do it relatively quickly. You don’t have to attend schools that take years until you get a degree. Training is fast-paced and completed within up to three months. Once you have completed the needed training, you can work as a Blackjack dealer full-time or it can be your side gig.
If you like Blackjack, this may be your dream job. Not only that you will work in a fun environment, but at the same time you can earn a nice salary. Depending on the part of the world you live in, you can earn between $8 and $20 per hour. What makes this position even more attractive is an opportunity to earn by getting tips. That’s why it is of the utmost importance to be a pleasant person whom players will like.