Its a bit different here because its tourist based. But when I see the regulars here I definately question what has lead them to this point (obviously some of them like me simply don't care about the holiday but certainly many of them simply have no one else)

Christmas Day was very busy. Christmas Eve was less busy but still somewhat busy. The ethnic mix is very different then the usual though.

Last night was the first time I have signed the EO list very early in many monthes. For a while I was convinced I would end up doing OT. I did get out 1 hour early though.

I have a set of stock phrases that don't really mean anything to me but I use them because they seem to get a good response. Good luck, take care, I'm sorry for your loss, bless you (for a sneeze), congratulations (when it's probably not deserved), etc. It's just an abbreviated form of small talk. When someone throws one at me that seems judgmental or odd I don't take it personally. I figure it's just a common saying in their family or social group.

I don't spend Christmas with family anymore because it became too stressful. Instead of 3 expensive and annoying days of travel, bad weather, and bickering inlaws I spend a week+ with them in spring and fall. No baggage and good weather so we can do stuff or I can help around the house.

Christmas was a good day at work for me, mostly because one 2-5 player was running hot and in the spirit, tipping red and green chips.

Does anyone have a good word to shout out when trying to stop out of turn action? I have been saying "TIME! Action is over here." but I'm currently working in a loud room where people are not following the game and it seems to be confusing people. They either don't know what I mean or they think I'm saying ten. Maybe "stop" ?

I find putting my hand up helps. Of course it doesn't stop the people who don't think it matters if they fold out ov fur .

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I go with, "Time, hold it, stop!", increasing the volume with each word. I hate it, but I haven't found anything else that works.

***

Seat 10 limps in. I swing my head around to follow the action to Seat 1. When I do, I see that all five players at this end of the table, seats 1-5, are looking at their phones and tablets.

God help us all.

Apparently I use "Time. Action's here." enough to where there's a player that now says it for me when I'm in the box.

I grunched/skimmed through most of the Christmas talk, but I'll just throw out that from my experience, Christmas morning is the worst time to deal a jackpot due to the clientele present. I've seen that happen to my co-workers on a couple of occasions.

My absolute favorite though are the "people" who ask on Christmas Eve, "why is it so slow tonight?" The idea that people want to spend special time with their loved ones and not in a poker room with degens cannot be fathomed.

On Christmas I answered the phone only to hear "Are you guys open today?". I foolishly said "Yes, we never close." instead of "LOL nope. *click*".

I like how you put "people" in quotes there. I recently watched "As Good As It Gets", and Kinnear calling Nicholson "you absolute horror of a human being" came to mind a lot on Christmas day.

"Hold up there, the action's over here."

I stole the line from this thread, but when dealing with out of turn action, I will often say "we go clockwise in this casino."

Do any of your rooms have any kind of rules about dealers not being able to deal to spouses or direct family members? Thoughts on this?

I've never encountered that in my travels. The only time I witnessed a problem with that was one guy who used his fiance to go south. She came to the table after he went on a run and he tipped her about $200 on her down.

I believe my room prohibits dealing to family members .... I can't find it in the rule book but I am fairly certain i read it somewhere.

If it can be avoided it should .... it may create an appearance of impropriety. If it can;t be avoided it may be best if it goes unmentioned.

In a small room I used to work at I saw a regular player chewing out one of our female dealers for something that happened at the table ..... later that evening I discovered he was her husband. (they were a very odd couple they seemed to have nothing in common and you would never guess they were a couple)

I have seen this places where the pit runs the poker room. It is cumbersome in poker because the dealers pass through the games.

Mine does for immediate only. Father/son no, father in law okay. They still both make a conscious effort to avoid each other but nothing on the books.

In a large room it's not difficult you can easily reroute a dealer. Smaller rooms are more of a problem.

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We can't deal to family members or (I think) roommates. They usually get re-routed for a single down. Sometimes the family member will just get up for the down.

I run a small room and up until recently it has been no dealing to imediate family or spouse. Now they've changed it to also include significant others as well as ex significant others/spouses. I went from having to worry about only 1 player every once in a great while to having a huge problem because now it includes 2 players that play almost every day and there are a lot of times these players are playing at times when I have only one table going.

Wow, that's a tough spot when you only have one game going--and given your location, it's not like the family member can just go across the street and play there instead.

Given those variables in your particular situation: I would lobby management to scrap this rule, and let everyone deal to everyone. It's not like people will stop coming in because they fear the appearance of impropriety, because you've got the only game in town.

That's the plan. Even tho sometimes it is just easier to put my helmet on and head butt the wall until I'm too exhausted to care anymore.

Agreed!

I don't see it as an issue...you have 8 other police at the table watching.

I say gesundheit when someone sneezes.

I say Happy Holidays, except on Christmas Eve or Day. Only time anyone seems miffed is for the Happy Holidays line.

"It should be Merry Christmas!" to which I reply, "Not if you're Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish...you know, most of the population. Then it's a nice holiday, and I'm an all inclusive sort of guy."

Not sure if that appeases them. Also not sure I care.

Happy New Year!

Good luck to everyone tonight

I came so close to getting the night off ..... but I have already locked it up for next year.

We can't all have good luck!!