Dealers wages are going to be min. wage + tips. Each dealer will make a different amount depending on how many hours they work and how much the players like them. Most places you'll be scheduled a regular shift 5 days, 8 hrs. If I worked all those hours, i'd make about $250/day or about $5000/month. Very few will work all those hours for any length of time. It's a burn-out job if you go at it too hard. As I posted earlier, most dealers fancy themselves as players and a FEW actually are. I work with one dealer right now that will ware his WSP braclet to work on occasion. He won the Limit event a few years back and picked off over 250K ...smart guy, bought a house with it and continued working.
One thing .. if you can't manage your money, you'll be eaten up in this business. You can go into work flat broke and on any given day walk out with at least a coupla hundred cash, OR you can take $500 of your own money into work, get out of the lineup and play .. and go home broke.
It's like that. You have to build money management skills if you're going to be a player.
Overall i'd say that the average dealer here in Calif. should take home at least 50-70K a year. How much depends on the person and how much he/she is willing to work.
It's equal oppertunity, women will do as well as men and in many cases, better.
Originally posted by knightwestMost people I talk to in the business have had a simular experence to me when it comes to working for the Indians.
And could you elaborate on why not to work at Indian casinos? It's something you mentioned several times, and I am curious.
Lots of new Indian Casinos have opened over the last 10-20 yrs and most of 'em make a fortune for one reason only ... slot machines. Here in CA only the Indians can have slots not the independent card rooms.
That is there only advantage .. a monopoly in the State when it comes to slots.
Here in the pattern i've seen over and over with Indian Casinos.
When they first open they know nothing about the business at all. They don't have the money to build a Casino much less know how to manage one. So they hire experts (like me) to set it up and run it for them. They just sit back and count their money.
This is what i've never seen fail.
After about 2 years the Tribal Council will figure they don't need the whitedevil to manage their business anymore and will clean house and put tribal members in as department heads.
That's when everything turns to crap. That's when they'll begin to pool tips for dealers and the good ones will quit. Now you've got crap dealers pooling tips and they all get an attitude. Customer service goes in the dumper and "new" management won't know what to do about it. In other words Indians don't know how to run a business IMO.
I lasted 2 years in my stint with 'em. The 1st year and a half were good .. very good. The last 6 months pure hell.
You know all those days when you just don't feel like going into work? Well, as a dealer many days you won't have to work unless you want to.
When you go into work there'll be a list to sign up for an "early out", you don't feel like workin'? .. sign up. Maybe you'll get out right away, maybe they'll need you for a couple of hours, but you'll get out early.
Then you can go home .. or play. Most Casinos love to hire dealers that play. The customers like to play with the dealers and it's a good way to get to know them as equals. Maybe you can finally check-raise that SOB that always stiffs you .. stuff like that.
The last few years I dealt, I worked (dealt) about 10-15 hrs/week. When you're runnin' good, you play. If you go bust .. it's back to work. This is the trap and this is why you MUST HAVE money management skills. If you think there's any chance at all that you might be a compulsive gambler, don't get involved in this business, As a matter of fact, don't go near ANY Casino.
Originally posted by jammerReally interesting posts Jammer - thanks
It's State law here.
Same with resturants and bars.
Back in the day I remember a certain player who every time he lost a big hand would light up the foulest smelling cigars and blow the smoke in my face. No more. No smoking in Casinos in CA.
btw dealers in Australia are banned from playing at all times (while they work for the Casino)
Cheers