10 Things We Learned From a Vegas Blackjack Dealer On Reddit

Recently one Las Vegas blackjack dealer, named Mssuekim1983, took to the social media site Reddit and asked the online community what they wanted to know about his experiences in the job. The topic was lit. Here are the 10 most eye-opening things we found out.

The Cards Are Not Rigged

OK, this might seem like a blindingly obvious point to those of you that are sensible but it appears that a lot of players out there suffer from this paranoid belief that their cards are fixed.

One poster, 01d, asked why the dealers keep hitting 20 and why the players seem to always hit 22 after a 12 from two cards. The dealer puts this paranoia down to players only remembering the harsh losses and taking the wins for granted.

Players remember that hard third card that pushed them over 21. They don’t remember landing that Ace that sealed blackjack. Casinos use a lot of subtle methods to gain an advantage over their players but rigging the cards is not one.

The Dealers Are on Your Side

It is a common belief that the dealers work for the casino and the casino is out to take your money. So the assumption is that the dealers love every loss you suffer. However, the dealers do not benefit any more from your wins than they would do from your losses.

Mssuekim1983 explains that the dealers actually want players to win and if the players ask for their help then they will offer any advice possible to help the player win.

The dealer referenced one experience where a player won a $40,000 progressive jackpot from a $1 bet as one of their most exciting memories at the tables.

They stop short of cheering you on but, believe it or not, the dealers do enjoy seeing players win big at their tables. Unless they have a heart of stone.

Tipping Dealers Is a Controversial Issue

One poster asked the dealer if they received a tip from the above mentioned $40,000 win. They confirmed they received a $3,000 tip. The responses divided opinion to say the least.

Some people stated that dealers were providing a service so deserved a tip. Plus, there is a certain tipping etiquette to consider. Others claimed that they were not providing a service and were simply doing what was required. Tipping dealers is clearly a matter of opinion that nobody can agree on. It is a debate that rages on across the internet too.

Vegas Casinos Pool Tips

On the topic of tips, Mssuekim1983 confirmed that the vast majority of Las Vegas casinos do pool their tips. So if one dealer receives a tip then it is placed into a pool and the amount is divided between the dealers working on the casino floor.

Mssuekim1983 said they were only aware of one casino that allowed dealers to keep their own tips and that was an unnamed local casino.

Worth remembering next time you visit Vegas and are considering tipping the dealers. They will not receive every dollar of that tip.

Dealers Can Earn Big Money in Tips

A number of posters questioned Mssuekim1983 about how much casino dealers earned through tips on average. The dealer did admit that they can earn between $200 and $250 per day in tips in Vegas.

However, Mssuekim1983 did refer to one occasion when he received a $1,000 tip from a single player on one day.

So the opportunity to earn big money in the form of tips is there. Similar tip rates to that of a strip club worker… and the dealers don’t even have to take their clothes off.

Practice Makes Perfect

Mssuekim1983 was asked how difficult it was to get a job as a dealer at a casino in Vegas. The dealer replied by stating that contrary to popular belief it was not actually very difficult.

The issue for many wannabe dealers is that they expect to walk straight into a casino on The Strip. The Reddit dealer stated that you are patient and are happy to work your way up through the local casinos, you can move up and into the casinos on the Strip within a year, possibly even 6 months of landing your first casino dealer job in Las Vegas.

Mssuekim1983 emphasized that it was vitally important to learn how to deal on more than one game other than blackjack.

Practising dealing is also a must with fluidity and confidence being something that will come over time.

Expect Part-Time Work Before Full-Time Work

One question from MtRainier asked if landing a full-time job as a dealer in Vegas when you’re fresh out of dealer school is a realistic aspiration. Mssuekim1983 replied by saying that the job opportunities for full-time work as a dealer being are rare.

Casinos prefer to take dealers on part-time so they can get an indication of how the dealers work. This is partly due to the risk of dealers cheating and also understanding how well they perform their job. It is technically a probation period.

Cheaters Never Prosper

When asked if he had ever witnessed cheating at the blackjack table, Mssuekim1983 acknowledged that he had experienced it on one occasion.

The dealer admitted the cheater was so naturally effective at cheating that he failed to pick up on it. It was not until the “eye in the sky” spotted it and the man was removed from the table by security, that the cheater was exposed.

Proof that even if the dealer doesn’t spot the cheats, the “eye in the sky” will. If you’ve ever watched the television show Las Vegas then you won’t want to get caught cheating.

Dealers Suffer From Repetitive Stress Injuries

In any job where a certain physical action is repeated, the individual is at severe risk of suffering from a repetitive stress injury (RSI). This is certainly the case for blackjack dealers.

When asked whether he suffered from an RSI, Mssuekim1983 responded by revealing he was currently suffering from such an injury.

Back, shoulder, and wrist injuries were highlighted as particularly common problems. It is assumed these injuries are from dealing at the tables and not playing too much Call of Duty on the Xbox.

Dealers Are Only Human

It might appear that the dealers at the blackjack table are robotic and repetitive but they are still only human. Mssuekim1983 confessed that dealers do make mistakes at the table.

He advised players that if the dealer does not inform the floor and instead attempts to rectify their own mistake, the player should alert the floor themselves.

Mssuekim1983 reminded players that at the end of the day mistakes happen and if the dealer looks to take the appropriate action to amend the error by informing the floor, then patience with the casino dealer should be respected so the game can continue as quickly as possible.

Abusing the dealer for their mistake will only earn you a one way ticket to the exit door.