That club won't keep their word about hiring poker dealers. I learned the hard way. Make sure you get an understanding in writing. That should decrease your chances of getting shafted, but here I am complaining because there really isn't anything else I can do.

So if you read this again anywhere;

Poker Dealer
PLAYGROUND POKER CLUB - THE RAIL COAL FIRE BISTRO - Chateauguay, QC


We are currently seeking energetic and enthusiastic people of integrity to join our team of poker dealers. We are looking for individuals that have a base of poker experience (knowledge of game: as a player, house game dealer, charity events etc). As an objective, you must have knowledge of the rules of the game, possess the ability to maintain control of the game/enforcing rules and perform accurate/rapid mathematical computation. Candidates who possess an passion/understanding for the game are a good fit for us. You also need to have the ability to manipulate cards and chips at a basic level. We are looking for bilingual individuals (Fr/En), on a permanent (and potentially temporary) positions. If you feel you are the right person for this position, please send your CV. I have interviews scheduled for this position next week so act fast!

Playground Poker Club- For players by players! Pour les joueurs par les joueurs!

Job Type: Full-time

Just know that they don't hire poker dealers, but they are recruiting people to be put through unpaid poker dealing training. I was told I would be hired because I said I would be up to their standards within a month. I have well over 10 years experience. They let a guy deal the final table of the WPT who couldn't deal the last two cards Lily Kiletto played without exposing the both of them. The point being, I traveled a long distance, and I wasn't asked to audition, rather, I was expected to be put through training to be as good as a guy who betrayed a final table player in a huge event.

Sadly, I have heard of similar issues arising from casinos in Connecticut

some casinos dont like to hire experienced dealers from elsewhere as they want them to learn their particular way of dealing. or dont trust them as they figure why arent they currently employed.

I know that's the way the casinos in the St. Louis area do it -- or at least used to.

I feel I should add that the agreement I made was with the human resources person. Then the course began, and the trainer said he could cut anyone, at anytime. So in theory I could be occupied for 45 hours a week, for four weeks, and he could cut me if he didn't like me. Not the agreement I thought I had.

The guy wanted chips cut a certain way, I learned to do it. He couldn't believe I had dealt so many years and never learned to cut chips like a craps dealer (My words, not his.), but I never came across anyone who cared. Has anyone's experience playing poker been diminished because chips were cut with just the index finger instead of the index finger, and pushed into the pinkie, and then spread out the five chips to prove it's a stack of 20 instead of 16, or 24?

So the first day I learned to cut chips. The next day his criticism for pitching cards was that I could stand to grab the card from the stub effectively a millimeter sooner (My words, not his.). In other words, perfect. Mostly he was playing mind games with people. My every exchange with him was him either contradicting me, or extrapolating the most negative conclusions about my answers to his questions for getting to know me.

The others may have known what they were in for there, Connecticut, or St. Louis, but not me.

I am getting the sense that HR people in Canada just consider applicants trash.

sounds like the place wasnt for you. but in many casinos they just let the dealers deal and form their own bad habits. i do wish more would have training and conform to better rules of dealing.
seems like their person maybe didnt work well with people or understand poker.

dealers still should be able to cut chips quickly and in such a way you can see the results for the camera.

I completely agree with the better training. You posted in a thread about dealers walking out of the WSOP, and many people complained about the quality of dealers. I was surprised when I auditioned for the WSOP that they had a guy really pick apart mechanical flaws. Stuff that I stopped doing for years, and get irritated by when I play. Nevertheless, many dealers had many improvements to learn.

The Playground only has poker and they think they are catering to players by running an excellent room, but I brought up the WPT to show that for all their lofty ideals, they haven't created some special class of dealer. I came in to the club before this training class to look at the dealers, and the first one I looked at rolled the deck. I thought to myself, no way do they have anything to teach me. Well, there was the chip thing, so I guess I wasn't totally right. Then again, the same dealer who sent the cards at an angle to Lily Kiletto didn't spread the five chips before putting them back up, and then put his palm over the stack when he slid them closer to the other stack. This is contrary to what the trainer wanted from us. Again, if they want to make, and train better dealers, they might actually want to look at what they already have.

I would concede that he knows what a good dealer is, but just because he is training dealers doesn't mean he is a better dealer than I am. He never took the 5 minutes out of the 18 hours I was there, to find out. I guarantee you he was in the military. That's how he was running it.

So Ray Zee, one of the ridiculous 'standardizations' is how to get the cards from scramble to ready to shuffle. He had his way, and I didn't even bother trying to show mine, the dealer who taught me, is the only other person I've known to do it. Instead of lifting the cards and exposing them to the other side of the table, I put them together and work my thumbs to straighten them out without exposing any. I have never had a race to see which way is faster but the time difference would have to be negligible for either method. Which way is better?

I am trying to show you that I was willing to conform not to their 'standards' which might actually be lower than mine, but I was willing to learn their procedures no matter how vacuous. Which is what I meant when I said I'd be up to their standards. My motives are twofold, to warn dealers to be very careful when looking for a job there, and to tarnish their brand. Of course I know that no one reading this is going to boycott the place, but it makes me feel better.

Also, I think I know enough about BC, and Alberta to believe that no casino in Canada, gives a crap about poker, and that no one but Playground would train proper poker dealers. And how many people who dealt in the US, are going to apply to deal in Canada? Not many. So this protest is even less productive to achieve its main goal. The dealers they hire, are going to be the dealers they make. Still it makes me feel better.

I have wondered if the trainer and H.R. lady have some sort of pay scheme worked out with the club if they churn out a dealer who is good enough to hire. That would explain how I got screwed with.

This is not currently the way things are done in STL. The casino that I work in has, within the last year, hired multiple dealers from out of state. Our main competitor has also recently hired multiple dealers from outside the market.

Hi, I was contacted to go in for an interview. Since this is the only post of its kind I can find, how is the general environment working there? I applied for a dealer position. What can the average take home pay be for 1 week? Do you also get a part of the tips when you first start? Any other employee benefits? You mention that it's cash paid..meaning nothing is declared to the government? Not even the fact im employed? Thanks for your time, just trying to decide if the daily commute all the way there is worth it

In the end, the OP was right about this place! Not worth the headaches! Training is more of a probation period, there is very little training provided. You are expected to know everything in 7-10 days based on 20+ videos they send you to learn from. You have to know all of it for the table test...in other words, you have to have dealing experience prior to applying! Then no guaranteed hours, never know when you work, what your pay will be...nights one week, afternoons another week..what a mess!

its good to find out about the work environment before you even apply.
each person hiring has his own ways of doing things and usually expects exactly that from his people. thats the downside of being an employee.

You should check out the Jack in Cleveland. If you think this is bad, then you need to see dump of a casino. Dealers don’t know crap. They sit there talking to their friends at the table and aren’t following action, meanwhile people are waiting for a flop, etc. if the average hands per hour is 30, it’s probably 17-20 there. And whatever you do, don’t complain to management. You’ll receive a letter in the mail that you’ve been banned. I know several good people this has happened to. They call it “disrespecting the staff.” Even if you complain to the floor away from tables. Good luck in your job search.

The Jack in Cleveland is worse.