croupier

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A croupier deals cards for a game of Texas hold 'em.

A croupier or dealer is a casino employee who takes and pays out bets or otherwise assists at a gambling table. In American usage, dealer may imply a card game, but this is not always the case. For example it is common to refer to a craps dealer.^[1]

Work

Tipping

In general, croupiers work only for their salary and do not have a personal interest in the outcome of the game. However, particularly in American casinos, a successful player customarily shares the wealth by providing the croupier with a tip. The croupier traditionally recognizes a generous tip by saying 'merci pour les employés' or 'Thanks on behalf of the employees', as most tips are paid into a general fund, pooled, and divided amongst all the staff. In any casino, croupiers are required to remain professional at all times. Fraternising with customers is frowned upon, and most casinos prevent their gambling staff from being seen smoking or even being seen with their uniforms on outside the casino.In the United Kingdom it is illegal to fraternise with customers.

Training

Training methods to become a casino croupier are different from country to country. In North America, blackjack is almost always the game that dealers learn first, as it is simple and popular, and when the dealer makes errors, they tend not to cost the casino much money. In Europe, croupiers tend to learn roulette first. Complex, busy games such as craps, with complicated payout systems, etc., are usually reserved for the most competent dealers.^[2]

Choice in dealing

In most casinos, most dealers do not have a choice in which games they will deal - the casinos will issue them their games based on demand. Staff turnover rates are high in the casino industry, so within 12 months dealers will find themselves learning a second, sometimes a third game.

Secondhand smoke exposure

Because casinos tend to allow smoking on the gambling floor, croupiers are exposed to secondhand smoke. A health hazard evaluation of several Las Vegas casinos showed that nonsmoker croupiers suffered from more respiratory ailments than their administrative counterparts at the casinos and had cotinine and NNAL (both components of secondhand smoke) in their urine samples.^[3] But After the Smoking BAN Across Britain this is no longer a problem for Croupiers in Britain.

Legal

Licensing

During the initial training processes, croupiers are also required to apply for a gambling license. This license includes police background checks and credit rating checks, to ensure that they are reliable enough to commence employment.

Once the license has been issued, croupiers are then able to take to the gambling floor, provided they have passed their table test in the game that they are learning. The art form of dealing any casino game is "technique first, speed later". Beginner dealers, or "lumpies" as they are known (because their shuffling and chip manipulation is staggered and 'lumpy' compared to experienced dealers), are likely to go slow and focus on getting everything right. The speed will evolve naturally, and after about three months in the same game, their speed is up to casino standards, they will deal on a lot more tables.

External links

• Card Player magazine Day in the life story

References