Casino Dealers Math Flashcards - Cram.com

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I dedicate this post to my incredibly bad-ass dice teacher from CEG dealer school in Las Vegas, the owner of the school and as a salute to all the other dice dealers out there. I'm proud to be one and hope to grow to become a master over time.
So....... I thought it would be fun and interesting to write about my very first official day being a dice dealer at a break in casino in Las Vegas. I'll also mention that for anyone who is brand new to dice, I will be trying to have a separate Reddit post going over any terminology or things that may not make sense that is used here. Anyway, here are a few reasons why I thought about posting this:
A) To provide others thinking of either becoming a dealer or learning the game to know what they might be in for
B) For other dice dealers to look back after reading this and be reminded of what it was like for them and where they are at now
C) To chronicle this and have something I myself can look back on for a good read and reminder
Little back story:
I'll start off by saying that I had no prior experience dealing and also never really gambled. In the times I have, I never win and like many dealers is one of the reasons why they are on the other side of the table dealing the games. Prior to going to school to become a dealer (went to CEG which is an incredible school btw http://cegdealerschool.com/) I worked all sorts of different types of jobs and was a bit of a jack of all trades. I wasn't sure if any of that prior experience would be able to transfer over and help but the answer is not really, which is actually ok. I'll admit I'm not the fastest learner when it comes to math and calculating so it took me about almost two months to learn dice. And just to clarify, when I say "learn dice", I mean that I can confidently calculate everything on the game, do double presses in single units quickly on the 6 & 8, and ultimately be a confident and reliable dice dealer and more. There are plenty of dealers out there that do things like go hand-to-hand, can't drop cut, have trouble keeping the game moving and many other things. DON'T BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE! If you're going to learn, learn it the right way and take pride as a dice dealer because dice dealers are badasses and separate ourselves from the rest of the dealers out there dealing different games. Being a dice dealer is an art.
Game time:
So I passed my audition, did the paperwork, the whole "celebration" song and dance with all of the other new hires and the day after went in to learn the procedures and get acclimated. For my audition, I only had one player while I was on stick and base so it wasn't that challenging then but I had gone in beforehand a few times to see what kind of action I could expect and made sure I'd be ready for it. Luckily my school also got me really prepared and felt like I could handle pretty much anything right out of the starting gate.
Hitting the stick first:
After about four hours of going over procedures, clocking in and out and so on, I was walking back from break with some other new hires and before I could even go back with everyone else and continue learning the operations and all that, I was pulled and told to go to work and tap in on stick. I'll admit I was a bit shaken right after being told since I didn't know really any of the in's and out's of how they wanted to do certain things at the dice table (ticket vouchers, cutting out cheques, all the limits etc.) but with everything I learned, I figured I'd be ok.
When I tapped out the stickman, I had about six players on each side on a $3.00 game and the point was already marked. Before I could even get the dice moving, I had a bunch of simple prop bets such as hard ways, C/E's, any 7's and three way craps being tossed my way from all directions. While this was going on, the base men either couldn't keep up with repeating the bets or I couldn't really understand them because of broken english but we all managed to make it work and get them booked. I also notices immediately how guests were "stroking" me at stick (and everyone else). For those of you who may not know what this is, it could be some ridiculous bets that are really long to book or aren't very clear. It could also be someone asking for a prop bet, having it booked and then just before the dice are being moved, a guest (or two... or three) will ask for another prop bet or to "press" their hard way bet that they just asked for. This turned out to be a regular thing at this break in house where pretty much all locals and the same players come to play craps. I stumbled quite a bit for the first couple of rotations going through stick but managed and everyone got paid and taken care of. There were plenty of demanding guests also trying to work me down and take advantage of me but I kept my cool. I got every stick call down correctly and was able to navigate the dice through the "prop crop field" and back into the center which felt pretty damn good. Aside from a woman that was nearly wider then she was tall standing right next to my right side in position one and continuously poking her with the base of the stick when bringing the dice in, the whole time I was on stick throughout the day wasn't bad and regardless of all of the prop bets being placed and stroking going on, there were only a handful of winning hard ways, C/E's and three-way craps.
Going on base:
After 20 minutes of being on stick, I was tapped out, announced and used the stick to show who the shooter was and explain any odd prop bets I shifted over to third base and tapped in. In a joint like this, most players are starting with the minimum bests and work their way up a bit. I had people playing both the pass and don'ts and even a few people wanting things like "12 inside working" on a come out roll. There were a bunch of players trying to test me out and see how I would do and at first, it was a bit rough. The hardest part was learning THEIR lingo and the ways they bet. Some guests would say "press" when they have a $3.00 place bet on the 9 and that rolled so even though the proper bets go by 5's, I figured he wanted to make it look like "$6.00" on the 9 because he said "press". As soon as I tried doing that, I got the "... what the hell are you DOing?!" So I said that he said he wanted to press since that's what a press is... doubling the bet. Turns out he wanted to take it to $5.00 on the 9. I quickly caught on and then he and other people started asking for double presses when a 9 rolled with $3.00 on the 5 and 9 and wanting to make them each look like $5.00. Once I started to get the hang of the payouts, the lingo and how they wanted to place their bets, it got easier and the players warmed up to me more. There was only one player the whole time that kept switching sides because I guess he didn't think I was going fast enough or meeting his expectations. Not sure what anyone would expect playing at a break in house but it didn't really phase me. Some of the players there were cool about me being new and were patient with me but I for sure needed to prove myself early on and hold my keep to show I can hang and belong. By the end of the day, I think I had earned the respect from a lot of them and was even given some compliments.
The wrap up:
Overall, the first half-day dealing only craps was a mixed bag and really good experience. There may be other casino's out there that I could work at or audition at and would probably have easier action, less stroking and better tipping but as a right of passage and to be able to grow as a dice dealer, I really think that starting in a real break in house is a good thing. Being able to handle all of the ridiculous prop bets, presses, players and other amusements will make it MUCH easier to deal dice at another nicer property. I'm getting mentally prepared for difficult guests (one of them almost got thrown out today because he thought he was shorted $10.00 on a payment after three rolls had already happened), the cheating attempts players I'm told will constantly be attempting, the lingo and how to handle myself and much more. It's going to be a great journey and am excited to see myself grow.
If you have any questions for me, let me know and submit a reply! I'll be trying to post more dice related things when I can.

So everyone who has taken a statistics class has heard the old "You've flipped a fair coin 4 times, and gotten heads every time. What are the odds that the next flip will also be heads"?" question. And I know that the answer is 50% - because the coin retains no memory of what happened before, so it doesn't matter what the previous 4 flips were. Or previous 1 or 100.
That math makes sense to me. However. There's a nagging underlying unanswered question that one is hunting at, but not answering. The "common sense/gut" experience that makes you not answer that correctly is wrong because somewhere common sense says that the true odds of repeatedly hitting the exact same result over and over when given the same 50% chance with each role. Obviously in reality that has got to happen somewhat less often than 50%. I'm confident enough in this theory that I'd even go ask far as proposing that the chances of longer streaks are even lower than shorter ones. But my logical brain still wants to talk numbers.
I know that mathematically, once randomness is brought in, that things get a bit fuzzy. I know there's no true hard number for calculating pure chance, (or luck, which is effectively what a streak is.). And at the end it doesn't matter because over an infinite number of attempts, the result will ALWAYS come to rest at 50%.
But. What if there isn't an infinite number of attempts? Because that's the world as we experience it.... and there are limitations hard coded for us (i.e. time / a limited feasible life span). With that in mind, I guess I'm asking if there is a way to calculate the odds of hitting a 50% chance 10 times in a row in, say, 500 attempts? My gut tells me the odds are lower than in 1 billion attempts, yet higher than in 20 attempts.
Does the introduction of a hard cap on attempts before stopping chance any of the calculations? And is there any way to estimate the probability with any accuracy at all before a streak starts to begin moving towards the statically inevitable "correct" probability of 50%?
I can't seem to find a good answer. But apparently this kinda stuff is what computers are good at. Based on some scripts I've found online, it seems pretty constantly that the odds of hitting heads 15 times in a row seems to be around 1:100 billion. Again. I know that result is just fuzzy data based on chance results of how lucky a computer program is. But. That 1:100 billion sure feels a bit closer to my gut than 1:2.
I first became interested in this paradox after being explained the "Martingale" gambling strategy. In short, this strategy is taking advantage of the common sense belief that streaks just happen less... So. With that theory, if you were to play a game of chance in which the odds of winning or losing are always 50/50, after each loss, you simply double your last bet, and it only takes 1 win to recoup losses, even after a long streak of losses.
In Vegas, a popular game close to 50% is Blackjack. When played "by the book", the odds favor the house by 51% vs the player's 49% odds. So, 1% of all money gambled should be profit. Clearly this over billions of bets means Casinos make a lot off Blackjack over time safely. But overall, it's profitable for the Casino by 1% or the amount bet over time.
However all these debunking "tests" are generally run in definately. So basically they will run however many times they need to to fail, as the only "stop" to the simulation is at the improbable but inevitable streak of losses. But, there's a limit to how many attempts you can try in your lifetime. And these simulations always roll earned profits unto your "available money before you go broke. So any winnings gotten before you hit that rare streak and are broke are forgotten. But what if your profits never got gambled and you always stopped after a set amount of times? I know all the stated reasons this isn't a truly failsafe strategy. And I do know that this strategy obviously will eventually hits a wall... But what are the odds it hits that wall before your winnings are significantly worth it?
So. In normal debunking explanation this plan obviously bumps into the wonderful world of compounding numbers. And yes, most people both underestimate how much money they need to have to cover realistically common streaks of 4-5 losses by doubling down at every loss. I'll never forget when I learned of compounding interest... how that number jumps incredibly at some point. It definately happens rapidly. Also, common sense also seems to forget the fact that in order to keep this going, you don't just need the cash to float your current bet - that until you hit a win, you are out the combined total of all the previous lost 9 bets as well. ($5 + $10 + $20 + $40 + $80....). So. Let's say, with a $5 bet, I believe it takes 9-10 loss streak before you'd be at a $5,160 bet. So you'd need $10,260 available to use. And it gets way worse after that.
So. As anyone who has tried this trick will tell you, it becomes unexpectedly unrealistic and the crash happens unnerving rapidly for most. Also, I imagine that anyone bothering with this is unlikely super rich already.
So, in reality, the casinos are safe. They have a mathematical shield because people rarely would have enough cash to cover the inevitable losing streak that wipes them out before whatever long term mathematical advantage can balance their risk.
But. If the magic of compounding numbers wasn't enough to protect them against this strategy, the casino piles on more little tricks to make this strategy super unrealistic. Such as, they apply a "floor" and "ceiling" on bets by making table minimum bets $5, and applying table max bets at $5,000 or so.
This means that with doubling down on at $5 bets at the least. With that, the more mathematically common (and inevitable) streaks of 5-6 losses require a person to have enough cash on hand that probably aren't into this strategy of grinding out $5 profits like a MMO gold farmer.
But. Just in case, in the rare event if a streak of 9 in a row ever hits and the casino risks a large loss, the table max is in place to effectively allow the casino "banks" it's profits at a particular amount. In short, they place a limit on anyone placing a large enough to keep doing this endlessly. There are also more "human psychology" factors added to the mix... like training dealers to mock someone using such a "flawed strategy" as soon as they notice it... while also giving an endless about of free free vodka to those playing long stretches.)
So, over time, if the math doesn't end it, humanity eventually rears it's head, and maybe a mistake is made due to exhaustion, or you accepted one too many free drinks, or you are shamed away from the table by the dealer... Something is likely to occur before doing much damage.
But in reality, after doing this for a time, you are far more likely to have not hit the killing streak yet, and up until then, you even have some profits. Maybe you hit a winning streak. Regardless, at some point doing this, you will inevitably feel what I can only describe as an OVERWHELMING greedy realization that if you had only bet $10 per hand, you'd have twice as much money. Fighting this temptation to increase your bets after winning is very hard. Just one more thing makes the Martingale strategy a practical failure. But if you account for these things - when is it a mathmatical failure?
So... between hard caps on losses, human nature (which is being encouraged by the casino). Most call the Martingale strategy "debunked". Not just by the 50% math over the long term, but by factors put in place short term. (Minimum/Maximum bet amounts, free alcohol, and even maybe some old fashioned high-school bullying by the dealer if you do to try this. Or greed.
But more real limit is amount of bets you can manage in a set time. A hand of Blackjack at a full table can take 10 minutes. So, in an hour you get 6 hands in. And took 6x your bet in profit. Not bad, but not just a boring way to "gamble", it's hardly enough profit to deal with the hassle of doing it. And the Martingale is left to rot in page 82 of whatever scam Vegas book I read it in.
But, I was reminded of the Martingale on my last trip to Vegas. As I sat waiting for a friend to finish his bungee jump over the strip, I happened to have time to kill at a Blackjack machine that was interesting. Not only did it have a minimum bet limit of $0.25, doing this strategy at a slot machines have perks. Like letting you get in hands more rapidly as you don't have to wait for anyone else at the table. And the massive bonus of no human dealer ready to shame you and your stupid strategy.
On top of these benefits, this machine had another little bonus that made the Martingale strategy sound even better. In this particular machine, after you lost a hand, you are presented with an option to "double down" your bet on the chance of a virtual "coin flip". If you won, you'd recoup the loss and be back to even. If you lost, you just had to double down that bet on the next hand of virtual Blackjack.
Now, in full disclosure, the idea to try this strategy came to me as a vodka induced "epiphany" that always saying yes to a coin flip question would slighly increase my odds from 1% handicap to somewhere closer to the 50% odds of guessing a coin flip. The fact it asked you to double a bet only after losses was another reminder of the Martingale. [NOTE: this obviously carries the assumption that whatever regulatory gaming commissions overseeing the code on machine gaming would likely not allow a gambling machines to present a 50/50 chance of a fair coin, and behind the scenes be at the core programmed as anything different.]
And on top of this, somewhere along the line I had a "brilliant" addition I made while testing the Martingale strategy - fueled by my strong willpower! If I could lean on this incredible gift of willpower by promising myself that after every winning hand, I would simply place my profit into a bucket. And this bucket was never to be gambled.
I noticed immediately the introduction of a coin flip was not just giving me the 1% advantage over another hand of Blackjack, I was seeing far more profits in an hour than I had before. The coin flip was done in a couple seconds, vs. around the 60 seconds a hand of of blackjack could take. This meant I could get in twice as many hands per minute. So a $1 bet had previously capped my profits to $60/hr at 1 minute per hand, 50% or the time a "hand" was down to 5 seconds or so. This meant I could fit in around 100 bets in an hour... (and $100/hr is apparently the amount of profit that is psychologically pleasing enough to overcome any downsides/risks for me.).
In my time at this coin flip machine, I this increase in profits, not knowing the real "odds" behind streaks kept my bets at $1, as I could mathematically cover any losing streaks I had ever personally had. (FYI - In my ~4 hour sessions across my handful of trips to Vegas, I've probably played 5000+ hands of Blackjack. But in a sessions of only around 300 hands, I have never once seen a streak of losses longer than 9. They are usually corrected after 4-5 with an occasional rare 8 in a row that always seems to do the trick).
But if I banked all my profits, I never really risked more than the amount of money I had already come willing to gamble. But even if I lost all of my gambled money, any of the profits I made during the time playing was still there. I had removed from the equation. Can't lose what you never bet. As I applied this plan and the modified Martingale to my new favorite machine, I never lost my money. And I never left without a few hundred in profit. 100% of the time. And all that limited my profits was two simple factors. How.l much each bet was and how many bets you can actually fit into whatever time you have to a play.
So. I have to ask... Am a missing something in the math here? Is my consistent luck with this just that? A mathematical fluke? Is there any way besides simulations to know how often you should see a streak occur in a set amount of time? I am very curious to min/max my bet amounts to a acceptable risk level over a realistic playing time, because I know I could comfortably risk larger bets simply due to my experience of the low number of long streaks I've personally seen and my willpower to never tap into the profits I make.

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Date: 2013-01-23
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Questions	Answers
Have you ever caught anyone cheating? Ever see someone cheating and not report it?	I have caught people cheating before yes. The most common are card counters and people stealing chips from other players. I highly recommend to not get completely trashed while gambling especially if you're a male and gambling by yourself as there are certain females who'd be more than happy to steal your chips while you're not paying attention.
	The only time I won't report cheating is when they're tipping. If they're a douchebag or stiff, I'll let my Pit Boss know immediately.
	Here's an interesting article on cheating in Vegas by the way.
How can you call card counting cheating?	Vegas has very liberal rules to their blackjack games compared to other cities that have casinos. Vegas offers double deck, stand on all 17s, moving down shuffle points, etc.
	I don't consider card counting cheating, but the casinos do. They are a private business. They can kick anyone off of the property for any reason unless it's illegal discrimination. The casinos don't want players to have an advantage over them.
	To be honest Vegas casinos don't care about card counting unless you're playing on a double deck. You want to play a six or eight deck shoe? It's all yours. But they want no advantage players on a double deck.
You won't report cheating if you are getting tipped, but you will report it if you don't?	I'm talking about card counting. Most card counters are douchebags because they already think they're smartemore arrogant than everyone else though so it's very rare that I'll keep my mouth shut.
We don't consider card counters cheating. We just refuse service to those who can count.	I think you're mixing up "card counting" with actually counting cards.
Who sets the specific rules of the game for say Blackjack, such as how many decks, what the little pre bet rules are, etc? Is there like a standard across Vegas? When would they ever be using a double deck?	It depends on the casino and what type of clientele they cater to.
	Certain higher end casinos will have better rules for the player while the lower end casinos will have terrible house rules.
I am not a professional card counter just good at math, what are the specific rules that you keep the deck even?	Link to en.wikipedia.org.
	The most basic system is the Hi-Lo card counting system.
	10, J, Q, K, & A = -1.
	2, 3, 4, 5, 6 = +1.
	7, 8, 9 = 0.
	With enough practice, you'll be able to figure out the count in real time.
My casino doesn't consider card counting cheating 1) because it's next to impossible to prove & 2) because with a 6 deck shoe it gives negligible advantage. i'm relatively sure that very few casinos if any consider card counting cheating.	Casinos (should) only care if you're card counting on double deck.
It seems like being able to call the odds is just part of the game and what it means to be skilled at it. I don't see how that can be called cheating.	Card counting is a dying art now anyways. With the technology casinos have their disposal, card counters can't get away with it anymore.
Can a card counter win while playing single deck?	You could, but it would be more luck than skill. Most casinos only allow 6 hands to be dealt on a single deck. Not a lot of hands to make a move imo.
I work in a casino in Melbourne Australia. . 6 deck automatic shuffler where the cards are fed back in whenever there is roughly a deck out. . and people have still tried. . its quite funny.	Seems legit.
	It's such a waste of time to try and count cards. I never gamble, but this is what I do...go with friends, get completely smashed, expect to lose the money, and have a good time.
What was the biggest tip you have ever gotten from someone?	The biggest tip I received was $250,000 from a customer. He won $10 million playing baccarat.
What is the usual tips you get from the players?	The usual tips? Most of the time I've dealt on a $100-$500 blackjack game. I'll usually make a couple hundred from each player give or take. I'll usually make 1-5 units of whatever they're playing with whether it'd be $5 chips, $25 chips, $100 chips or $500.
Do you get to keep all that?	I wish. We pool our tips every 24 hours and everyone gets a share of it. I ended up making $1000 that night. We never make money like that so don't think this is a normal occurrence for us.
	I did meet up with the customer at the strip club when I got off of work. One of the most amazing nights I've ever had.
Should have told him to keep it and tip you later that night at the club. Rookie mistake.	My regular customers do when I go to dinner or go out with them.
Are you allowed to keep all of that tip, or do they take a cut/something else?	We pool all of our tips every 24 hours so I did split it with everyone else.
How was your reaction at the table when recieving a $250,000 tip?	It threw me off. I thought he wanted change at first, but then again it was 10 $25,000 chips.
Let me get the details.	Customer paid for everything. Ended up spending about $50,000 that night mainly on alcohol. Never drank so much champagne in my life.
Could you theoretically tell the big winner to tip you when you're off the clock and keep the $250k for yourself?	I wouldn't because I would lose my job as it would be considered "hard hustling".
You had to share that with over 250 people?	The big casinos on the Strip have a lot of dealers in a 24 hour shift.
	At Cosmo, on the weekdays there are about 150 dealers in a 24 hour shift. On the weekends, it can be close to 250-300 dealers and Cosmo is a small casino compared to the rest.
Does this violate any policy the casino might have about interacting with customers?	Technically no. The only thing the casino reminds you is to not be seen gambling with the customer at other casinos and that you're still responsible for your own actions.
You must have been real popular that night.	Bitches love money especially strippers.
Yeah I notice whenever I tip a dealer he/she puts in a slot, so I was thinking how would they know how much each dealer got,	Regardless, it's still the right thing to do if they're providing you a service. Thanks for tipping :)
I'm curious. Since on a night where you received an exorbitant tip and only made $1,000, what is your average tip out per day/week/weekend? Also, what is the largest amount that you yourself have walked out with in a single night? Are you tipped out daily, or is it added to your paycheck? If it is done by paycheck; largest tip out at the end of a paycheck?	At the big casinos (Wynn/Encore, Cosmopolitan, Aria, Caesars) the dealers usually make $150-$200 a night during the weekdays. On the weekends, they'll make around $200-$300+.
	The medium casinos (Bellagio, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand) will make around $120-$150 during the weekdays, $150-$200 on the weekends.
	I personally can't accept tips while at work. Outside of work, regular customers would throw me some extra cash on the side on top of whatever they gave me at the table while they were playing. The most someone gave me outside of work was $1000. It was a regular customer.
Of all the celebrity players you've dealt to, which one seemed the most genuine and cool person to interact with.	Coolest would easily be Matt Schaub. 99% of athletes are douchebags, but he's super nice and super cool. Awesome tipper too. Down to earth and extremely humble. Runners up goes to Chris Evans. Captain America can't handle his alcohol and is an arrogant prick too. "Do you know who the fuck I am?" was probably his most overheard line while I was dealing to him. 2nd runners up goes to Chef Tim Love. He's a stiff and a cry baby. Constantly boasts about all the $10,000 bottles of wine he drinks.
Who was the worst and why?	Ironically the worst would be Will Farrell. The guy is a huge asshole when he's gambling and the camera's off. Huge prick.
As a huge Redskins fan, I notice DeAngelo Hall has some attitude issues on the field. Was he any nicer when you dealt to him?	Really nice guy. From my experience, he plays by himself and doesn't have a huge entourage like most athletes do. Even when he loses, he doesn't have an attitude problem.
That's pretty disappointing. Will Farrell is one of my favorite actors and I always assumed he'd be a cool, down to earth guy off-camera. Oh well, it's not like I'll ever see him in real life anyway. But if I do, I'll know to punch him in the balls.	You know who is also a cool guy that surprised me? Rush Limbaugh.
	The guy is an awesome tipper and kind of cool to talk to even though he's an extreme right-winger.
If a celebrity ever said "Do you know who the fuck I am?", I would instantly say something along the lines "Why should I give a fuck who you are?"	I pretty much said that to Chris Evans every time he said that.
Maybe in public but go have dinner with his family in Springfield, MO-- Racial slurs everywhere!	Any stories you'd like to tell me?
What was your impression of D Rose?	Derrick Rose is a cool guy. Played a little bit of blackjack and roulette with Durant.
	Hope is ACL is good to go now :(
Doesn't Tebow know gambling is a sin???	I wasn't going to ask him that especially with the Broncos offensive line surrounding him.
How many times have you heard someone say 'Vegas baby!' or 'you're so money' when Vince Vaughn was at the tables?	Never.
	You know what I hear the most and is like nails on a chalkboard for casino employees?
	"WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!"
I am going to go to every single casino and scream winner winner chicken dinner. When I finally get punched in the face I'll know it's you. Then we can go party with some celebs at the strip club. Deal?	Seems legit.
Do you get the asians who yell monkey who want a 10 in blackjack? It seems like 90% of asians in the casino I frequent do this.	Gamblers scream out monkey regardless of their race. White, black, asian, spanish, etc.
Whats the most money you've seen lost by one person in a day?	Craps - $5 million.
	Blackjack - $5 million.
	Baccarat - $10 million.
	European Roulette - $2 million.
Just out of my own curiousity, was it an asian person that lost $10 million on baccarat?	You are correct. A Chinese businessman to be exact.
Holy shit that's crazy! How often do you see someone lose money in the millions?	I deal to million dollar players quite often. But getting their ass handed to them? Not that often. I want to say like every 3-4 weeks.
	Players win often and players do lose often, but it's rare to see them tap their line.
What's the usual reaction when someone loses money > million?	I've seen customers smash glasses, break things, punch the wall, punch the roulette readerboard, etc. They usually keep their cool most of the time, but once in a while...
	"OMG WTF ARE YOU KIDDING? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING DUDEITSPANDA! THIS IS SOME FUCKING BULLSHIT. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME. YOU ARE THE WORST DEALER EVER. YOU GIVE ME THE WORST FUCKING HANDS ON BLACKJACK. WHY DO I EVEN PLAY THIS STUPID FUCKING GAME!!!"
WHY DO I EVEN PLAY THIS STUPID FUCKING GAME!!!	Most players like to play Captain Obvious or Captain Hindsight.
Maybe the only important thought the person should be considering. Hah.	"DAMN IT I SHOULDN'T HAVE BET THAT MUCH. DAMN IT I SHOULD HAVE BET MORE!"
Heh, I've seen that happen at the $5 tables in Indian casinos in Michigan while waiting for a seat in the poker room.	I usually just giggle whenever a $5-$10 players loses $100-$200 bucks.
	"Is it really the end of the world losing $200?" is typically what I tell them.
How are high-limit dealers paid? Salaried? Benefits? Would you be willing to say how much (ballpark) high-stakes dealers make in a year? what about low-stakes? Are dealers allowed to gamble in the casino they work for? Thanks, this is a sweet AmA.	Dealers are paid the same regardless of what games they play and it's minimum wage. Yes you heard it...casinos only pay us minimum wage. We rely completely on tips.
	Casinos are normally run businesses so full time employees are offered insurance, 401k, vacation time, etc.
	Dealers are NOT allowed to gamble in the casino they work for. It's mainly to prevent collusion. Dealers are allowed to play slots in the casino they work for, but cannot play anything with a progressive jackpot (Megabucks, Wheel of Fortune, etc.). Dealers are allowed to play whatever they want in any other casino.
I think it's pretty awesome that dealers get a 401k and insurance. That plus the decent money you mentioned below make dealing sound like a pretty awesome job.	It isn't that bad of a job, but dealing to douchebags and degenerates wears on you after a while.
What are the best casinos and hotels in Las Vegas? As in the top 5 casino/hotels? What is your favorite and why?	Wynn Las Vegas/Encore
Oh and why are there hundreds of Mexican people handing out those cards for prostitutes on the street and allowed to just litter the whole strip with them?	The loiters have first amendment rights basically. They changed the law this year so now whenever cards they pass out fall to the ground, they're supposed to pick them up. I was never too happy with the escort ads on the Strip. 1. The girls don't actually provide the service most of the time. They're just there to rip off guys. 2. It puts a negative light on the city.
Thanks for the answer. I was in vegas for about 3 days staying at circus circus (don't laugh) and the first night we walked the whole strip (i had no idea it would take that long) and it really annoyed me to see the streets just littered with the prostitute cards.	We Vegas locals don't like it either trust me. We also don't like those stupid street performers that are on the Strip. The only one that's cool in my book is the guy that will let you kick him in the nuts for $20.
How much do you think the avg "street performer" say for example, the dudes wearing Mario and Luigi costumes r the Tranformer guys would make in a night?	No clue. Maybe get one of them to do an AMA?
This might be a longshot, but one time I was there, there was this older black guy in a motorized chair that had this little speakemic/beatbox thing and would freestyle about you and your group (for a tip) and he was phenominal. It was a hightlight of the trip. I've been back a couple of times and always look for him but never find him. Do you know if he's still around/popular?	Nope. Never seen the guy.
What's your flexibility on game pacing, in Blackjack for example?	There is plenty of flexibility on game pace. Casinos instruct dealers to deal at a moderate pace. Not too fast where you seem like a robot and not slow enough where players will fall asleep at the table.
Tl;dr: does the house allow you to deal fewer hands-per-hour in high-limit? If so, why are some dealers doucheclowns about it?	The best scenario for you if you want to play slightly high limit blackjack are blackjack pits that are outside of high limit. It's basically high limit without the title. They're usually $100 6-deck shoe games that stand on all 17s.
Baccarat, on the other hand... shit, I need a book to pass the time. Whoever installs video poker machines into Baccarat tables is going to make a killing.	Dealers are going to be douchebags no matter what. From my personal experience, if I deal fast...I'm trying to get rid of you.
Though my restaurant right now doesn't have it, we do have tip outs to runner ,bussers and bar. Do any casinos impliment this policy? Do you see yourself making a career out of this?	Casinos have tried to implied a tip out policy as a way to subsidize other wages with dealers tips, but it has failed. Wynn Las Vegas/Encore is in court with the dealers right now over it. Wynn won initially, but it got overturned and looks to stay that way. I don't see myself making a career out of it. Casinos are now run by corporations. The way they treat their employees is ridiculous. They show no dedication to us.
In your opinion - what's the best strategy for Craps?	Pass line with full odds. Come bets with full odds as well.
Pass line bets and taking odds on it after the come out? Boxcars, Snake Eyes, Big 6's, Horn High Yo's?	You can place bet, but the edge is still high for the house.
I'm curious too hear what a dealer thinks about this.	Stay away from the prop box at all times. The only time I'll mess around with the prop box is if I throw let's say $1 hardways and ask to parlay at least once if it hits.
Do you know of other dealers who have ever completely lost their cool at a high risk table when either a large amount of money has come into play, or some big time celebrity has come to their table?	Happens all the time. I've seen dealers sweat profusely like they just finished doing cardio on the treadmill, seen dealers completely freeze up or seen dealers crack under the pressure.
	I've seen a couple get in trouble because they tried to take a picture with them after they go on break. That's a huge no-no.
Are the high limit tables the most desirable tables to work? Are dealers sometimes reprimanded by removing them from a high limit table and placing them at a low limit table? (similar to getting a shitty section in a restaurant/bar)	Physically yes. You'll most likely be on a reserved game. The customer doesn't play the majority of the time while you're on shift. So instead of dealing for 8 hours straight, in high limit you might deal one or two hours. The rest of the time you're just hanging out and watching whatever they have on the TV.
Are you a gambler yourself? If so, has working as a dealer improved your game any?	Dealers do get reprimanded and sometimes even get kicked out of high limit for a extended period of time. It has never happened to me, but one day you'll see a dealer dealing to a BIG player. They make a huge mistake and the next day they're on casino war or the Big 6 wheel.
They make a huge mistake.	In the business we call it a jackpot. Jackpot is basically a small mistake that turns into a big mistake.
Like what?	Dealer make mistakes all the time. Wrong payout, messed on the procedure, etc.
What route would you recommend for anyone wanting to get into working as a dealer? Can you give us a brief outline of your rise to the high stakes table?	Go to a dealers school. Learn the basics of dealing, handling chips and game protection. I learned blackjack and craps. It takes about four-eight weeks depending on how fast of a learner you are and how often you show up to school to practice. It took me about five weeks.
	Once you're sufficient enough, you can apply to audition at a low end casino also known as a "break in house." Historically, casinos Downtown such as the El Cortez are well known break in houses for new dealers. Shitty local casinos are also considered break in houses as well. You don't make any money, but it doesn't matter. The whole point is to get experience dealing on a real live game.
	While you're dealing at the break in house, you can learn how to deal all the other games. That's how I learned baccarat and roulette. Once you get enough experience, you start trying to move to better casinos until eventually you get a good, full time job on the Strip.
How long did it take you to move up from a "break in house" to the limelight on the Strip? What's the average?	For most dealers it takes forever. They don't have the skill set or have the connections...aka "juice" as we call it in the business.
	It only took me about two-three years, but for most it can take from five-ten years.
I love playing blackjack at the El Cortez! $5, single deck, 3:2 games.	El Cortez is fun. I love hanging out at the bars next to it.
"You don't make any money"... can you give us a ballpark on what you made at the break-in and how much you make now, including tips?	Break-in dealers barely make $30,000 a year.
Wow, that's a long time to work your way up to a (relatively) low paying job. You said in an earlier reply that high end dealers only make $200-$300 on a weekend night, right? I made close to that in my first bartending gig when I was still in college.	You're probably right. But like I told you, the best dealer jobs pay around $85k a year. It's about $325 a day give or take.
What would you say set you apart from the other dealers? Are you more talented (by which I mean you're just naturally smartebetter) or is it a difference in work ethic or what? If it's a work ethic thing, do you think that had you applied yourself to something else with the same level of dedication you could have succeeded, or have you just been in the right place at the right time consistently?	Glad that you enjoyed the AMA.
Also, as someone who generally does not like AMAs in the last ~2 years, yours has been both informative and interesting. Cheers.	What sets me apart from most dealers is that I have the skill to deal the games properly while being quick on my feet with calculations and knowing what the players feelings are like at the time. Sometimes dealers can talk to the players while sometimes players just want you to shut up and deal. Just got to know when the situation is right for certain things.
Ever seen a grown man cry?	Yes. It's pathetic that a guy can guy from gambling, but yes I have.
Ever hear about someone killing themselves after walking away from your table?	Yes. I tell them they're full of shit which they are 99.9% of the time. They're desperate for attention after they lose.
How funny was Will Ferrel?	Not funny. I was expecting Elf or Stepbrothers, but got Casa de Mi Padre.
Could you tell us how the upper management of the casino works? I guess start with the dealers. I know you guys have pit bosses, but then who is above them? Who reports to who? Who is in contact with the surveillance room? I don't care about the hotel management.	Dealers report to Floor Supervisors. Floor supervisors report to Pit Boss. Pit Boss reports to Shift Manager. Shift Manager reports to Table Games Director.
Did you ever get beat up by joey porter at applebees?	For those that don't know, here's my interaction with Joey Porter.
	I haven't got jumped by Joey Porter...yet. He liked me and other dealers on his game that night. I think he still wants to beat the shit out of my shift boss and pit boss. My shift boss still hasn't eaten at a Applebee's or even a Chili's yet since then.
Yo, man. I been looking for you!	DO YOU EVEN LIFT BRO?
How was Joe Flacco?	He was cool. Not a big player. Kept asking me where he can find a $15 blackjack game haha.
NBA fan here. Did you have any memorable interactions with either James, Wade, or Durant? How was Derrick Rose?	No real memorable interactions. I just loved busting LeBron's balls before he got his first ring.
	I remember before Derrick Rose got serious media attention, I remember telling him two years ago "I like how you're an amazing basketball player, but no one recognizes you right now". Not the case now.
	Kevin Durant is a nice guy.
Have you seen or heard of any casinos that actually rig games?	Nope. Even though most casino managers are idiots in my opinion, they wouldn't be stupid enough to rig a game. Not only would they would lose their gaming license, the casino would get a huge fine and could possibly lose their license as well.
	One thing I tell players if they're gambling...gamble only if there's a gaming commission. You don't even know how many times I've heard stories of players getting screwed over by Indian casinos or cruise ships because there are no gaming commissions overseeing them.
UK here - what's the deal with Indian casinos? clearly they're less regulated - are native Americans known for running 'shady' joints?	I'm not saying that Indian casinos are completely shady...they just do shady things once in a while when the players aren't noticing it.
I always wondered how casino workers were able to handle working in a smoking environment all day. Is there a high rate of respiratory problems with casino workers? Tips for dealing with the smoke?	I don't smoke personally. It's brutal. I try to do more cardio than weightlifting to make up for it.
	My allergies have gotten worse since I started dealing. Whenever I'm on a game, I just try to move the ashtrays in a certain position so I don't get hit with all the smoke.
Obvious question--what kind of experience do casinos require before you're given the keys to a high stakes table?	It's mainly just being able to handle the high action. Dealers tend to freeze up a lot when they see big numbers in front of them. It's also being able to control your game regardless of who is playing on it and regardless of how much they're betting.
Do they make you do a whole back ground check and a lie detector test like they show in movies? i know.. stupid question. just curious.	We get background checked when we apply for our gaming card and when we apply for a new job. We also get hair drug tested and have a credit check done as well.
	Casinos only hire employees with good credit. It shows that the employees are responsible with their money and less susceptible to collusion.
I have a strong interest in playing and dealing cards. Have since I was a kid. How much does dealing become a grind as opposed to something you don't mind doing? I haven't hit that point yet dealing in home games.	It honestly becomes a grind the second you start working. It's exciting the first couple of years because you're seeing new bets or action you haven't dealt with yet on the game, but after a while it becomes the same.
Which of the soccer players that you dealt with won the most?	Probably Rooney. I think he won like $300k. Soccer players aren't big gamblers generally. They just like to hang out at the pool, go clubbing once in a while and do a little bit of gambling.
What was Wayne Rooney like in person? He always seems like a dick to me. Also, how much do you earn?	He's a nice guy. Takes pictures with fans and socializes with everyone.
	Dealers at the most popular casinos (Aria, Wynn/Encore, Cosmopolitan, Caesars) can make $80,000+ a year.
	Dealers that work at the medium properties (MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, Paris, Planet Hollywood) make around $60,000-$80,000 a year.
What is the most you have seen a person win?	$10 million on baccarat. The customer was playing $175,000 a hand on baccarat.
Baccarat didn't seem to big when I was in Vegas a few years ago, has it picked up?	Baccarat has picked up a lot in Vegas. All the big casinos have baccarat now.
I was a dealer in Australia, high stakes as well and the average for some customers was $2000+. Not bragging or anything, just wondering if Vegas is working on getting the Asian baccarat junkets a bit harder these says.	The problem with baccarat junkets is that the players just rotate between casino to casino. They take advantage of baccarat tournaments and whatever promos they have. The junkets technically don't bring in any new business and they get paid a huge chunk of whatever the player's theoretical is.

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Date: 2014-03-29
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Questions	Answers
If you were going to rob a bank and could only arm yourself with standard items found at the grocery store, which items would you choose and how would you use them?	Awesome question!
	First, something I could stuff under my clothes - papertowels, toilet paper... anything to make me appear bigger than I am (so on camera, they see a HUGE person trying to rob the bank). Second, hairspray with maybe a blue color? As soon as I was done, wash that crap out (disguise my natural hair color). Scissors - cut my hair after I'm done too. Lots of makeup that can be washed off.
	Gloves for fingerprints, glasses (even if things look like a fish bowl, you can accidentally drop them so they are looking for someone with that kind of prescription)... Anything to throw them off.
	Maybe a knife for a weapon.
	And peaches (again, I'm allergic, they wouldn't look for me if they were left behind).
	Incidentally, I have worked for a real bank before :D.
Do you wear gloves when you handle all of my money? Not for fingerprints, but for cleanliness.	Nope. Gloves make you lose traction when handling cash. Think of trying to shuffle through several sheets of notebook or computer paper with gloves on. You need the tactile feel to know you have only one bill. A lot of us use [Link to www.leeproducts.com](sortkwik) to help when counting money (so we don't look like old people licking our fingers).
	We do heavily stock up on hand sanitizer in the department. Trust me, you are correct about filthy money. And, (maybe) surprisingly, coin is worse. *apparently, formatting doesn't like me today...
Do you practice money-laundry or some other form of cleaning?	I hate laundry. I avoid it when possible. :)
	Answered this when half asleep. As far as cleaning, not the cash or coin. But if blood or body fluid ends up on cash or coin, we seal it in a bag and send it with the night deposit to the outside bank.
	If blood or body fluid gets on a chip, an EMT takes gloves, takes all the chips that might be contaminated, and cleans them for us. I'm not sure why an EMT other than they are licensed to handle body fluids, but that is what happens to them.
Do you ever get the urge to grab a stack of money and walk out the door? Obviously you'll get fired/go to prison, but does the thought cross your mind a lot?	We joke about it, but no. We prepare a deposit on grave shift that goes to the external bank (think Bank of America or Commerce or whatever). You can fit between 15 and 17 bundles in a clear deposit bag (depending on brand of deposit bag). We often joke about which grave banker gets the bag with the most money, and which one gets the smaller bag.
	But no, I don't need to spend time in jail, and honestly, unless it is enough to get me to a small island with non extradition laws, it isn't worth it.
I've seen casinos that literally have places where you can mortgage your house so I would imagine you have seen some infinitely depressing scenes during your days as a cashier. What was the saddest thing you saw?	Well, you can't do that at my casino. The state I am in literally is the most regulated for casinos. We often say it is backwards in how they do things.
	The saddest? Probably hearing guests say they can't pay rent or they 'need to win their money back'. We have programs where they can opt out (be banned), and we are supposed to pass on names if we think someone may need help (we can't say they do, we are not trained to make that call). I passed on the information once to a supervisor. It was obvious he didn't care, and I am 99% sure he never passed the information on.
	That and seeing guests trying to use their federal or state benefit cards to get money. We have to turn them away, and then they get mad at us. Um... if you want to try to use your unemployment to gamble, you have a problem.
Charmander, Bulbasaur or Squirtle?	Oh... wow... I love them all. I mostly disliked Pikachu. Between those three... this, I guess.
	But, to tell you a secret, these two are my favorites!
Can you work while on the influence alcohol? (Ran out of questions) Also, did you have any employees who tried stealing chips/bills?	Myself, I cannot work under the influence. We are not supposed to have any alcohol within 12 hours before our shift starts. Now, I've had a wine cooler three or four hours before, but its a wine cooler, not Jack Daniels. I had a co-worker who was alcoholic and showed up hung over everyday, but as an alcoholic he could function that way. We also had one cashier that we knew she had to be on something, but after the initial drug test upon hiring, she never had another (they claim to do random tests, or if you have an accident/work injury, which I did back in January - they drug tested me then). She quit eventually. Another male, you could smell it on him. He was quickly transferred to the hotel, where he was subsequently fired.
I saw that comment right after posting this, real sorry. Anyways it seems you have a great job and a great sense of humor, Its nice to see some few people who put great content or replies to people :)	Thanks! Kinda been doubting AMA as it hasn't been a huge hit (and wouldn't expect it to top the vaccine or war vet one), but I still am having fun with it :)
Have you ever used bake goods as part of a plan to take-over a money-making operation or nation-state?	No. However, on my last day, if my current manager is still there as manager, I plan to make her ex-lax brownies.
Pro-tip: visine in her coffee will work faster than the ex-lax. Use the ex-lax brownies as the gift that keeps on giving. While we're on the subject and this is an AM(a)A, Could you tell us about this supervisor and any stories which may entertain a crowd?	Just a quick overview I suppose... she came from a different department and knows virtually nothing about ours. I personally have chewed her out three times - once when I was a supervisor and she was in a different department, and twice since she became my 'superior'.
	Entertaining: She is a blond, both in hair color and implied attitude/knowledge/everything. She is famous for standing around, twirling her hair, and saying "I don't know."
	Why we hate her (2 quick points) - She knows nothing about our department. Swing shift (I am grave) bank was 'missing' over a million dollars (paperwork issue, money wasn't actually gone). Instead of helping, she was overheard saying, "Well, I have to go to my husband's softball game," and she just left. Your department looks like it is missing over a million dollars, they can't find it, and you are just going to leave. Great management. - She asks for our input and ignores it. She is a 'yes' woman. There are many, MANY stories, but those are just two quick reasons...
It sounds like she sucked a lot of dick to get where she is.	You are not the only one to think this. :D.
With a manager THAT BAD, is it safe to say that the "Pow-Wow" safe must be a myth? "Sorry. Hey, I was just hired and trained to count money. I didn't know it was loaded..."	As far as I know, myth. Lol.
Wow. Thievery is such a murderous business. Couldn't I just show you my big gun and insist you gimme what I want?	Ha - that works better at a cashier window ;)
Mos interesting coin or currency pull? I suppose you got the person trying to spend the $1000 note he got from his grandpa's collection...	Hmm... in the bank, I catch a lot of counterfeit that the cashiers' miss. I have a legit bill I got that is smaller than normal size. Researched and found there was some chemical you could soak bills in and it shrinks everything. I had to verify it was real before I could buy it from the bank.
	I had a businessman (a regular guest) who runs a nail salon give me a huge stack of twenties once - one was counterfeit. Had to call a gaming officer (actual highway patrolman) to question him. He says (I believe him) he got it at work and didn't realize it was fake. It was an 'okay' fake (easy for me to spot since I'm used to it). We've also had someone try to make fake tickets for the slot machines. No fake coins that I am aware of - though guests will bring huge bags of coin for us to convert to paper money, and we run it in a machine. Sometimes we find those flat spacers (for bolts and nuts) in there. So we lose maybe a whole dollar a month to that.
	Otherwise, most interesting would actually be IDs. Its fun to catch the fake IDs. :D.
those flat spacers.	Thank you. Had a moment and couldn't think of the word! I work overnights... apparently I go dumb when it's daylight out. Maybe I'm allergic to the sun. (Thanks again!)
Washers.	Sorry, missed the second part there. We don't use tokens (casino coins) anymore. We have gotten blank 'slugs' in our jetsorts (think coinstar - machine that separates and counts coins). Not too often.
I'm curious though, I saw a documentary who essentially made coin blanks of the same general composition as some casino coins, ever get any of those?	Most often, we get bus tokens, Chuck E Cheese tokens, Angel coins, stuff like that. And if you ever bring a lot of coin to be converted to bills, please remove paper clips, safety pins, nuts, buttons, etc. They jam our machines sometimes. If the machine jams, I can guarentee we won't get an accurate number, and you will be shorted. Period.
So, we love the service we get at Casinos -- even at the Cal Neva in Reno we got top notch service -- do Casinos tend to pay better than the same job elsewhere? Or, do the tips add up?	Casino pay depends on job. Slots in my casino makes just a little over minimum wage, but they make a nice profit in tips. Dealers make less, but they kill in tips. As for cashiers - I once worked two jobs, one at my casino and one at a bank part time. A starting cashier makes more in their base salary than a bank teller, as well as a higher base pay than dealers or slots. But as far as employees who actively deal with guests on the gaming floor, we make the least. No one tips (hardly) the cashier, because usually they are coming up when they are losing and need to withdraw more money. So we don't get to see the happy guests too often.
Also -- what's the rule about tipping with chips/slot tickets? We gave our waitress a slip worth 5 or 7 dollars once, but now I feel bad, like maybe we DIDN'T give her a tip.	Tipping with chips or tickets is 100% acceptable. At our casino, the waitress (or whatever employee) brings those to a special hidden window that is only for casino employees. At that window, we make change for bartenders, give slots their money so they can pay jackpots, and we will cash the ticket or chips for whoever received them. So yes, she did get/should have gotten the tip!
What's the biggest amount of money you have seen at once?	Hmm... back when I first became a banker... over six million? I worked in the bank last on Thursday night. We had (does the math) almost 2.5 million when I walked in and counted.
Physically? or just numbers on a sheet?	Physically. On our spreadsheets? We are usually accountable for between 12 and 15 million - but the money is in ticket machines, cashier drawers (tills), slot wallets (what slots use to pay jackpots), all outlets in the casino and hotel, and all chips (even though they are not cash, they have cash value).
Ever tried rolling in it? XD, jk, thx for answering.	OMG! It is so filthy. After working just an hour, I have to wash my hands before using the restroom. And after of course, cause not washing after is just disgusting! Lol.
Do you have facial recognition on the doors?	Some casinos might have facial recognition, but that is the first I have heard it.
Would i be correct to assume that money stored is to go to the bank? I assume large winning amounts would be paid via cheque?	Yes, money is stored in the main bank and then eventually sent on to an outside bank as a deposit. However we do pay large jackpot out in cash if that is what the guest wishes. The largest jackpot I've ever seen from a slot machine was over $200,000. That guest did take a check for most of it. The largest I've seen that was I myself paid out as all cash was around $170,000ish. So really its whatever the guest prefers. If I guest honestly wanted $500,000 in cash we would pay them five hundred thousand cash, although honestly, that's really stupid. A check can always be cancelled before is paid out and rewritten if it is lost or stolen; if the cash is gone (lost or stolen) and no one catches the perpetrator the cash is gone.
Whats the craziest, wierdest and scariest things you have seen while on/off the job at a casino?	Craziest - when one woman poured hot coffee on another woman because they were fighting over a slot machine.
	Weirdest - The cross-dressing hookers, by far. They don't even try to look like beautiful women.
	Scariest - There was a fight between two guests in the poker room (not the scary part). I was the poker cashier. One was a large fellow and one a scrawny fellow. The large one took a swing at the small one, hit a different guest... they ran around the table, and the small one ripped a hand sanitizer contraption off the wall and threw it at the larger guest.
	The scary part? The first security officer to report to the fight was, and I love her, an older frail woman officer (she really should only be doing ID checks, never fights). She actually put her hand on the bigger guys arm to try to stop him. He shrugged her off and made her stumble. I was honestly scared for her life. A few seconds later three other officers and the security supervisor came literally running through the casino and into the poker room.
	She was alright, but I feared for her life!
	That, or when I caught a woman through the cashier window because she appeared to pass out. I think she had a seizure. I had to catch her hands to keep her from hitting her head on the counter. I had to call for a supervisor to call for an EMT and please get a chair because I was literally holding her up.
Holy crap! Sounds like an interesting buisness to be in. I am underaged, but when I turn over the limit I will be on the lookout for these kinds of instances at casinos.	No worries. Don't take more than you can lose, leave credit cards and checkbooks at home, bring your ID, and have fun! :)
Have you ever had a colleague try to "sneak a couple" away?	We have had theft before. Before my time, one banker stole a 'strap' of hundreds. A strap is 100 bills, so that is $10,000. They eventually figured it out, fired her, and several supervisors because of it (even though they had nothing to do with it).
	We had a supervisor who if at the end of the day you were 'over' (meaning you had more money than you should have), would tell you to go home while she looked through your paperwork. The next day, you would hear that she found it and you were fine. She actually took however much you were over, called a friend, and gave it to a friend who didn't work for us. She got fired.
	We had a cashier who, a guest's check was declined, but they had signed it (not filled it out because at the time, the system we used would print it for you), so he took it home and wrote it to himself for $500. The guest called a week later asking if we had an employee named (insert name here). He was arrested at work shortly thereafter.
Are people really that stupid where you live? If so, do you have more stoopid people stories?	My favorite one: This happened when I was a supervisor, and involves one of our high playing guests (top tier).
	We have two cages at my casino. One (main cage) is open all the time. The other closes at a certain time (as business slows) and reopens in the morning. At this time, the satellite cage closed at midnight.
	Its about 11:58pm, so I walk out to close off the stanchions that make the lines/ques for the guests. My lone cashier is waiting on a guest and has one more in line. At 12:01 I start closing the area while he helps the last guest.
	At 12:03 (because he was still helping the guest) the high end guest tries to hurry up and get in line. I explain that the cage is closed. I could smell the alcohol on this guys breath. He throws a fit about the guest who is being helped. I explain they were in line before midnight, but we are closed.
	As I am arguing, my cashier finishes up, closes their window and begins to remove their money to the back count out area. The guest continues to be mad, and eventually threatens to write a letter about me (and a slot supervisor who stopped to help) to our general manager, who he knew by name (he really did, he said their name... big deal).
	A week later, I am helping out in the other cage. A cashier calls for an override (we waive credit card fees for high end players, but a supervisor has to type in a password). I go up front, and lo and behold, it is the guest from last week.
	After I waive his fee, he says he wants to talk to me about an issue from the week before.
	He then tells me about this bitch who wouldn't let him in line at the other cage a week earlier even though it was 11:50pm when he came up, and how he didn't know how that bitch had a job.
What do you like the most about your job?	My co-workers. The job gets monotonous, honestly, and I dislike upper management. If it wasn't for my bills and my co-workers, I would have quit eons ago. As it is, I'm in and out of school as I can afford it. I'm a non-smoker, and I'd like to eventually be at a job where I am not on overnights.
What is the best way to count large quantities of bills without the use of a counting machine?	Well, we 'strap' the money when you have 100 bills. This has a good picture of straps (attempted to format, if it fails, sorry!) So that makes it easy. The picture is color coded correctly too - blue for $1's, red for $5's, etc. Bothers me when movies have the colors off.
	Then, 10 straps makes a 'bundle', which we rubber band together and wrap in clear plastic that seals. Here is a bundle not wrapped in plastic - after a fashion, you just memorize how much is in a strap or bundle and can count by the color of the strap alone.
	As far as hand counting, everyone has a different method. Some count the bills placing them down on the counter in front of them one at a time (where the guest can't see/reach), some fold the money in half and count the corners, and some just count from one hand to the other (which I do, and I am the fastest on my shift to pay out, according to slots).
How long would a hypothermic drill completely go through the steel of the vault? How much muscle would I have to gain to be able to punch a hole in the vault?	Not talking about my place ;)
	An instructional video
	Not all casinos have what you would call a vault in the sense you are thinking. So make sure the one you rob does before you go through the trouble of bringing the equipment.
Have you ever seen counter fit chips?	Counterfeit chips... closest we got was someone took a $1 chip (white colored) and attempted to sharpie marker color it black ($100 chip). Pretty easy to spot. Plus, if you hold $100, $500, $1000, $5000, or $1000 chips under a blacklight, they have a hidden image. And, if you take any chip, hold it so the side is angled on paper, you can color like a crayon if it is a legit chip (we draw pictures with chips when we are bored :D )
Have you seen that history channel special. It's about these guys who made their own chips and made a load of cash. They had the blacklight tag and everything.	I've seen a short clip that either is what you are talking about, or close. Some casinos have, some don't (according to a supervisor of mine who was just laid off, who worked in a different state so I cannot verify, obviously my casino doesn't have), a scale on their counters (built in) that weighs the chips as you break them down, or even if you just spill them on the counter. It gives a total by weight. Each denomination weighs slightly different. And the higher denominations are a larger size chip too.
Have you ever been robbed?	No, thankfully. We do have panic buttons at every window and the main bank. They've been accidentally hit before. Surveillance must check the cage/bank where it was hit and see nothing wrong because we always immediately get a call from them. Gaming officers (highway patrolmen who are always on property) also show up just to check.
Profit wise, is it good to get into the casino business? Do you know what the profit percent margin is?	I would imagine a good average would be 12-13% for profit margin, though it varies widely based on market (location). All I know is each cage proudly displays a sign that says the previous month's aggregate payout... usually around 90%.
	As far as business, it has dropped quite a bit in the 8+ years I've been there. It used to be super super busy on weekends, and still okay busy during the week. About five years ago business started to drop bad. It hasn't really recovered, not where I am. I think the current economy and its sluggish recovery (... no comment) haven't helped... we seem to be at our new level of business I would guess. Split that with competition from other casinos...
	If you find a great locale, you could probably do quite well. Just... not where we are... too much competition for too small a market.
Great ama btw. Greetings from Mexico where casinos are weird man.	Casinos are weird everywhere, bro. They attract all the odd, different people. Especially guests late at night ;)
Are there any security features built into the chips? Maybe some sort of magnetic code or something? How often are the designs changed? Every time I have cashed in, I noticed they don't really inspect the chips for authenticity. Seems like that would be a major point of weakness.	The higher denomination chips have an image or word that is in the center of the chip that only shows up under black light. Also, not sure if it is a security feature or not, but if you hold the chip at the edge and drag it on paper, it colors like a crayon. We have made some elaborate crayon/chip drawings at work that way. :D.
What does your average day in your job look like?	It really depends where I am scheduled. ~ Main Bank: Count in (verify all the assets we are accountable for are there). Prepare sheets in excel that track the flow of paperwork and money. Do cashier transfers (cashiers send back all the paperwork showing why they paid out X amount of money - checks, credit card slips, chips, coupons, etc), which means verify/auditing their paperwork, taking in loose cash not in a paper strap, loose coin, etc, and sending fresh money back out to replenish what was used.
	~Ticket machines - Count into the bank. Go out on the floor and put fresh money in the machines (where you put your ticket in to get cash out). Print reports so we can make sure the machine didn't over or underpay guests. Do simple maintenance as needed.
	~ Cashier (hardly happens) - Count into a cart, then wait on guests, cash checks, do credit card advances, give cash back for chips, tickets, coupons, etc.
	~JPH Cashier - Count into a 'special' cart and the 'chip bank' (where all chips are stored). Basically a cashier but only for employees - make change for bartenders, the restaurants, give money to slots to pay out jackpots, fill 'chip fills' for tables (when they need more chips). Generally staffed with a banker.
	~Poker Cashier - Only chips and cash in the poker room. Transactions need to be quick so they can get back into the game. They prefer cashiers who are fast with chips. Generally staffed with a banker.
Which game pays out the most often?	Honestly, Texas Hold 'em. It requires skill, and we have some very good players who make a killing.
	As far as slots go, it is honestly random. We cannot fix the machines to win or lose more. Sure, they can be rigged, but we do not have that power or authority on property. In fact, whenever a tech has to check the main computer component for any machine, the gaming officer (highwaypatrol man) has to okay the procedure and usually stands by and watches.
	Now, do not quote me, but one of my friends in slots said he has noticed, the best way to win (not huge, but win), is to play penny machines and always bet 'max bet' (which realistically can turn a penny machine with a minimum of $0.09/bet to closer to $5/bet). Not sure if he did enough observations to make that, or if he just thinks that... but that is what he told me... so, I guess, good luck! :D.
That makes sense. I didn't realize that casinos had poker. The dealer plays poker all night or just deals cards.	The dealer just deals. The way poker room makes money is the take a rake, which is a small cut of the pot. It isn't like black jack where you are playing against the house. In the poker room, it is strictly guest against guest for the best hand or best bluff. :)
of all, your job seems really cool, and second what kind of requirements or training must you go through to perform your job?	On the job training. You have to know how to use the equipment (cash and coin counters, ticket machines), how to count chips (they train you) and do simple math in your head.
	They are supposed to teach us how to spot fake ID, but they don't (they just give us a book with a picture of all states). They are also supposed to teach us how to catch counterfeit bills, but they don't do that either.
	You also learn how to use the computer programs they use for cashing checks and doing credit card advances. We are taught about certain laws that affect things like identity theft and such.
	But it is all on the job training.
Working for a Credit Union, we have a marker that when used upon a Legit bill leaves a gold colored streak, but upon a fake, or any other form of paper, it is black. Do you guys have anything like this?	We do. We have a ton of them floating around the cages. 2 tips: as the pen/marker get older, it will cease to work correctly, and on bills that are from the 1950s or earlier they generally do not work at all. I mean, they will mark the bill, but it will mark as a counterfeit even when it is real. It has something to do with the type of paper used for todays currency verses the older currency.
Oceans 11 and all the others like it: is it possible?	Would you hate me if I told you I never have seen the movie? I know, I know, sacrilege. I don't have NetFlix (yet - waiting to dump my cable contract in May).
	I've been told Oceans 13 is more likely, but again, no idea what I'm talking about here.
Watch them now. but after I'm done thinking of questions.	You'll have to let me know when you are done then. ;)
Paper or Plastic?	Titanium.
We ran out of titanium bags however you could have tungsten or zirconium bags.	What about Gallium? I hear its pretty when it melts. :D.
In this heat it will probably melt before you make it to your car, you sure about you still want it?	Well, you are the BagBoi, any suggestions to a mere banker like me?
How do you eat Reece's Peanut Butter Cups?	With pleasure.
I just put your food in the bag man I'm no bag expert.	How about putting it in this bag.
Do you know who the Pelayo's brothers were?	No... please tell or link? (I'm on mobile atm).
Whats the "list"?	Context? I have no idea what you are asking.
It's a nice film based in a real story: www.cfi-icf.ca/index.php?option=com_cfi&task=showscreening&id=660. Vimeo.com/12114490.	Sweet, thanks. Since I am not doing much this eve, I am definitely going to look that up!
A casinos Blacklist what do you do to get on it?	Gotcha. We have banned people for fighting, ruining property, starting fights with security, theft (if they refuse to make retribution - in the case of say stealing a ticket from another guest). It depends on the situation. Some people who fight are just asked to leave. Some are banned. It all comes down to how you act to our security and the gaming officer, really.
How would I rob a casino exactly like yours, but which (obviously) is not yours. Extra points for guard rotation and vault pass codes. Triple points for being able to leave the annoying and greedy associates at home.	First check if the casino has codes or hand scanners for restricted access. If hand scanners, you would need to cut power. This would work only temporarily, so time it right.
	Next, know where the cameras are and the blind spots (they exist).
	Third, not only know the times the officers switch, but know which officer is assigned where at what time. Some officers run slower than others.
	Not a bad idea to disguise yourself either. Have a way to getaway (next to a river? Have a speed boat waiting).
	Know where the bank is. Is it on an external wall? Dynamite the bitch.
	Doing it yourself? I don't know. The head of security on my shift has several plans to rob the place. They all involve using other officers. They all also involve killing off the other officers in some way shape or form so he is the only survivor. :D.
No question, just wanted to say that I love the attitude you have with your job. As somebody who doesn't particularly like most of his coworkers, you seem like somebody who'd be good to work with.	Thank you - this made me smile!
in the interest of full disclosure, ex-lax can cause dehydration which could lead to death. Any advice given on poisoning someone should be refused by your conscience. If not, you need serious help, friend.	Chill out everyone. After talking with a friend, they suggested simple weed in the brownies, then drop a hint that she needs to be drug tested.
	Not a lot... hardly noticeable if at all. But enough to be picked up on a test. Anyone know how much that is? ;)
Um... You might think that sounds cute. But you're still asking for help drugging a woman without her consent. It wouldn't be a good case for you if something did happen to the woman and they suspect you because you've already clearly shown motive.	Yes, it is just venting. If I really wanted her in trouble, well she has been known to hit the bars often... I would just stalk, wait until she left, and call the cops. She would have to explain why she was driving after drinking.
	I understand you are just being flat logical. But it still came across in a... douche-ish manner? Without knowing me, you couldn't know that I would never hurt a fly. I will give you that. But to receive better reception, sounding a little less demeaning would go far.
	Apologies if it wasn't meant as such, but that is how it came across to me.

Last updated: 2014-04-03 13:02 UTC
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