In honor of this great playground we were given recently, I will open myself up to questions that anybody asks me.. about whatever.. but mostly about my dealing job.

Quick bio:

Born n raised in Vegas. Parents were from Cuba. Pops started dealing Roulette in Cuba when he turned 16. My parents came to Vegas in the 60's. My father continued to deal until he retired in 2005. He was a casino dealer for 50 years.

I had a few jobs between the ages of 15 (throwing newspapers) until I turned 22, when I quit my job at an auto body shop to go to dealing school. On Valentines Day of 1994, I started pitching cards at a $1 blackjack table at Binion's Horseshoe downtown.

The last day I ever dealt was on 4/20/2007. 5 days after my gf of EXACTLY 5 years left me. The day she left me was our 5 year anniversary. I met her on my blackjack table, right there at the Paris. My last dealing job.

I was a dealer for 12 years. My father for 50. He's told me some pretty crazy stories and I've seen some pretty crazy **** myself.

I've seen a female dealer get urinated on.

I've witnessed a man pissing in a slot machine hopper.

I've watched as security tackled a guy while he was taking a dump on the casino floor.

I've even seen a cocktail waitress come to work so loaded that she forgot to put on the lower half of her uniform!

That's just some mildly crazy ****. So.. whether you're nice to me or not, I just ask that you ask good questions and try not to make them so much about me. This is my chance to tell some good stories. I hope you get some enjoyment itt.

Thanks.

s2+s2

I'll be back after I sleep..

+1

Can you share any good tricks about keeping track of pot size? For some reason as a player I never keep track of the pot and then it takes me a while to figure my bet sizing.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Tell me a story about a drunk customer hitting on a waitress. ONLY IF IT IS FUNNY! Otherwise, tell me about the most surprising big bettor. You know, the guy/gal that sits at the table and you expect them to pull out two twenties, but they pull out 10 5k chips instead!

Would you consider yourself more of a technical dealer or a friendly dealer?

Meaning, are you just primarily focused with keeping the game going as quickly as possible to get more hands/hr which translates to more tips/hr (assuming you keep your own), or do you primarily focus on entertaining the players verbally without completely 100% focusing on the game?

Merits of each? Views on each?

Personally I prefer the quiet dealers that deal more hands/hr but that's just me and I am obviously aware that fish need to be entertained.

Very few dealers I have encountered can do both simultaneously.

What is your attitude to hygiene?

Do you worry about hygiene dealing cards?

If you were managing a cardroom and the law changed re:health hygiene in cardrooms - what changes would you make to make it better for dealers and players?

Round that **** up and imagine you're keeping tabs on an iou.

But I was a casino dealer, not a poker dealer. Though it was kinda fun dealing Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker, the casino game (with terrible odds). You beat the whole table AK high lol. The bonus was a robbery.

Had a guy one time, this quiet Mexican dude in his late 30's (flannel shirt, khaki pants), come up to my $5 table at the Horseshoe.
He changes up $40 and bets a few $5 hands. He loses like 3 or 4 in a row and then looks up and me and asks, "is $5 all I can bet?" I said "no, that's just the minimum. You can bet from $5 to $25,000.00."

I see the guy go under the table and he has this big manila folder. He reaches into the folder and pulls out a wad (no band) of about $10k. Next bet, $2k. Loses. Next bet, $3k. Loses. $5k.. splits aces (gets out $5k). 19 and 18. I pull like a 4 card 20. He's reaching again.

Floorman comes over (I've been yelling "money plays $__k" ). I hold up the game while they exchange information.

He asks the floor how much he can bet. He gives the typical BHS speech:

"You can bet whatever you'd like up to $25k. If you want to establish a higher limit, you need to bet that on your next hand.. and then that will become your new limit."

"No problem."

Next bet, $5k each on 2 hands. I break the deck. That's when you're about to deal, usually the 2nd or 3rd hand in a single deck, and then suddenly someone adds another hand. You break the deck and shuffle for a new deal. This prevents a card counter from penetrating the deck (getting a more accurate count).

I deal, he makes a 20 the long way and has 18 on the other hand. I make 19. Push. He takes back his money, reaches once again, and makes it $10k each. I get blackjack. Dude reaches.

"$5k, money plays." One hand only. You can only guess.. he loses again. Busted his hand, took his empty manila folder, threw me $10 and left my table stuck $50k in the hole (in under 30 minutes).

I remember thinking, what if I had just ****ed around and said, jokingly, "yeah, $5 is all you can bet. " :-/ ?

I was by the book at the Horseshoe and then loosened up a lot after that. I always tried to have a good time. But when I had serious players, I wouldn't **** around. I dealt quicker (and it's easier that way). I won't put me making money in front of you making money while I'm dealing.

Oth, when I had really fun tables, cards would fly and my pitch was borderline dangerous lol. I would exaggerate everything.


** When I play, I prefer dealers that don't even say hi. Borderline mean is what I shoot for.

I always washed my hands on every break. Pretty much twice every round if I had a snack or something.

We had 2 virus outbreaks at the Paris. They just put out those disinfectant dispensers and told the employees to use them. Washing your hands with soap is better imo.

As far as implementing changes to improve conditions for dealers, I'm not sure I could offer any great solutions. I would tell dealers to wash their hands frequently and not touch their faces while they're on their games.

I would probably look into different materials for the chip racks and chips and see if anything could be done to sterilize them more often.

Other than that, ban smoking at at least half the tables and offer those to the dealers that don't smoke. I'd try to separate the smokers from the non-smokers.

I have to remember to tell the story about the guy playing $10k on 2 hands.. on a full $1 table.

That's one I just remembered.

Quick one about this semi high roller that had been hitting on this dealer all day. She finally agrees to go have a drink with this guy after her shift.

The next day I asked her how it went. She said they got drunk and ended up in his room at Caesars (I'm thinking, lucky prick).

She then proceeds to ruin my fantasy world view of her with the following words:

"I almost bled to death on his bed. I thought my insides were coming out! He got freaked out and I left."

[Me, ****ing around] "****, poor guy."

Her: "I gave him a blowjob in the parking lot of Ellis Island."

:-o

MY 1ST BIG "MONEY PLAYS" HAND (less than a month of dealing)

So this guy decides to step to my $1 table with his 10 grand in cash. Two open seats and he grabs the middle spot instead of 3rd base (the equivalent of being on the button - you act last).

I deal out a bunch of garbage and turn up a 6. Stand, stand, big cash guy gets a double down (stop game, collect some info, make change), dude catches a 5 oslt.

The old lady that is next to act has 12 and decides to hit. The guy gives her this mean ass look as she catches a 10 and busts. I draw a few cards and make my hand.. everyone loses because the old lady played bad and took my bust card.

(the guy leaves pissed and down $20k in one hand)

I ask the old lady, "Why did you hit? You always play by the book."

She looks at me with this evil grin on her face and replies "That's what he gets for betting that kind of money on a $1 table."

That **** was ICE COLD.

Any good stories of a coworker/casino customer hitting on you?

Why did you stop dealing?

Which casino game attracts the most degenrate gamblers and why?

Most interesting story you wintnessed involving card counters at the BJ table

Did customers ever try to hit on you for info on hookers & blow?