YOU MEAN THEY CAN CHOOSE?

wow i'm gonna get one of these bravo systems for my apartment

Yeah, but... It works GREAT for providing the dealer a placebo to give to the drunks whining about cocktail service.

Drunk: "Can we get cocktails over here?"
Dealer: "Right away sir... lemme just push the cocktail service button and she'll be right over" *ploink*
Drunk: "Really... that works? Cool! Thanks, bro!"

And in 5 minutes the waitress makes her usual rounds and the drunk is convinced it's because the dealer pushed a button causing a "3" to light up on the Bravo display screen.

I do it the low-tech way. I yell, "Cocktails, Table 5!" That seems to satisfy people, tho' nothing is ever done as a result of me yelling it.

This the low-content room so I could say "+1" here and get away with it right?

In our room we have the Bravo system and the cocktail ladies are supposed to pay attention to the blinking light but more often than not it is meaningless. However, it does work to placate the players as you mentioned. I've personally taken it a step further at times and when asked to call for a waitress (if the table is right) I will say something like "I can call her, but it doesn't mean she's going to answer right away" - or "It doesn't really do much, but if it'll make you feel better sir, no problem"

i would never say something like that, because it sounds like you are putting down your coworkers in another department.

So you don't make jokes @ a coworkers expense ever?

The problem is that this statement doesn't sound like a joke.

The bravo system is relatively new to our room, several months old at this time.

It's made the room quieter since we aren't shouting for chips, seats or food service.

I'm not sure the wait staff arrive any quicker but once I push the button for food service, I can stop looking for them since the light stays on and their screens in the grill keep flashing until they come to the table.

It's a big room and calling out for chips or anything else can be annoying since some times you simply can't be heard. Bravo has helped solve that considerably.

But a joke at someone's expense sounds like a putdown generally, my statement stands

You and I apparently have a different idea about what a joke is.

If you tell the table that the waitress isn;t fgoing to come when you call her .... thats not a joke. You know why .... its not funny..... (By that I mean its not even supposed to be funny).

If you tell the table that drink service is slow because the bartender is still trying to find the recipe for ice ....... that may be interpreted as a joke or a put-down. But if it is a joke it is not a put-down and vice-versa.

And when I tell the table to ask the next dealer about his guest appearance on Punky Brewster. This is a joke (though I am sure only amusing to me ..... and so much more amusing if I hear someone ask him) .... but can't possibly be construed as a put-down.

well obviously it depends on the context, i think the original statement could easily be viewed as a joke

So I'm not sure if this story is in or out of bounds because of how rules are enforced here but I'll post it anyway. If I get an infraction or have to delete it then fine whatever.

I started dealing in late November and really like it so far. Last week this situation happened to me and I wasn't sure what to make of it so here it goes.

Last push of the night before closing I was dealing a 7 handed 2-5 game with good action and lots of money on the table. This rich foreign guy who is a regular had about 1200 when I got there and was on fire the 40 mins I was there making the nuts or close to it every other hand. He was tipping good as usual so that was cool. Well the floor comes over and says last hand of the night after this one so I deal it out and this same player knocks out 2 players winning a 1500+ pot with a straight. The pot was all red chips so it was a huge pile I pushed him. He tips me like 24 bucks right when I pushed it which I obv appreciate for one hand of work. This other dealer comes over with racks and starts racking the chips up for him when I didn't call him over and neither did the player. Right when he started doing it the player gives him 2 green chips( 50 bucks) which he pockets and continues racking the chips up while I'm resetting the deck. As he keeps racking it up the guy gives him another 4 greens saying thank you and I'm sitting there not sure what to think because the dealer is now up 150 for racking chips up. The dealer says thank you and stuffs them in his pocket and the player then grabs the white chips and says "here take these too, actually wait share them with my friend here"( I'm the friend). So he cuts it out and keeps 20 for him and 17 for me. After all the players cashed out and went home this dealer says to me that he racked them up for him because the guy has a bad back.

Lemme be clear when I say I'm not complaining about a tip for one hand cause I got way more than I deserved but I totally felt hussled as I was driving home thinking about it. The dealer who conveniently shows up with racks after a big pot happens made 170 when I made 41 for that hand. When I was counting my box with a few other dealers that night I told them what happened and they all said that it was effed up and that its a hussle for tips. It then hit me that my very first week dealing I had a table break and this same dealer came over with racks for the player with the most chips and racked up his 2k+ and got 5 bucks for it. Now that I remembered it I realize this guy is doing it intentionally the whole time. Whats the best play to make sure this doesn't happen again? Do I just say don't worry I got it next time I see him walking over with racks or should I just tell him personally to stay away from my tables from now on. Maybe just tell the floor?

Once again sorry if this post is violating rules with revealing numbers but I felt like the story was pointless unless they were included.

rack up chips on his tables obv

Steve I'd be furious....u have every rite to either go to the shift or blast him for soliciting your game....that dealer should be talked to and he is a dbag for not throwing u a green...it's slick dealers like that that I love seeing pushing pots and getting stiffed

This is an interesting point. It is a hustle for chips. At the same time, it is good customer service to bring racks to players that need them. When someone says "I'm leaving get me some racks" someone should appear with racks, also if a table breaks, someone should appear with racks. Where I do see an issue is the player starts racking the chips instead of giving the player the racks. The fact that you or the player had not asked for racks is irrelevant because the racks were needed because it was the last hand (racks should be brought before someone asks for them, specifically the floor that came over and said last hand should have brought some racks or directed someone to bring racks).

Well the floor did bring racks over earlier and most of the players chips were already in them but then he won the big pot.

There's another thread going right now that says, "Waaaah, the Omaha BBJ is 100x easier to hit than the HE BBJ," and everyone's response, "Don't complain, shut up and start playing Omaha."

By that logic, Don't leave if your game breaks right before closing, stick around, rack up the big winner's chips for him, profit.

BTW, if a dealer came over and tried touching my money when I hadn't asked him to, he might lose a finger.

Yeah unfortunately I'm still new to being a dealer so I wasn't expecting my coworkers to hussle my tables like that. If I tell the floor now even though the incident was over a week ago do you think it will still be effective or should I have spoke up right away that night? It just sucks knowing I now have to worry about shady stuff like that.

Well steve you have learned early that there are some dealers out there that are scum. Guys like this give dealers a bad rep. I think it's too late to do anything about this. I'd say something to the guy though. If it happens again be sure you talk to the shift.

I might approach it a different way. Instead of complaining about the dealer hustling your table, ask the floor if it's okay to do what that dealer did. Describe what happened without mentioning any dealer's name and ask if there is anything wrong with offering such service.

If the dealer is overstepping, the floor will ask who did it and hopefully handle it. If the floor is okay with what happened, you won't come off as complaining about something he isn't too worried about. And you know you can look for similar opportunities.

I might bring someone racks, I wouldn't start racking chips without being asked to.

FWIW, while I think the dealer COULD have shared with you, it's the player's money, he can and should tip who he wishes when he wishes. After all, the dealer who brought him racks and racked his chips up had as much to do with the player winning those hands as you did.

It does suck, but hey, that's poker. It is a hustle, no question. I've seen some shady stuff go on.

What works for me is not worrying about it. Clearly this guy's life sucks to the point where he needs to scam an extra $150 away from you. In the grand scheme of your life, $150 doesn't mean anything. In the grand scheme of his life, he's still a jerk.

Not everybody is like this. The other night I dealt a high hand jackpot. A dealer came over to give him the paperwork to sign for the chips he received, and the player tipped that dealer a few reds. The dealer dropped the reds in my toke box.

Hold your head high, and live your life well. Don't let the scumbags get you down.

If you sweat the money, you'll never be happy. It'll come. Don't let others get you down.

To be honest I actually love my job so far but this particular dealer has such an arrogant attitude about everything and he bitches about tips like he's entitled or something so this incident just topped it off. I'm not holding a grudge towards this guy at all but I figured I could get some good advice from this thread. And I did so far.

I think this **** comes around. At least I like to think it does.

When I dealt the BBJ in August, I went around the room and gave all the dealers greenbirds. I mean, I didn't do anything that all of us do 15-20 times a down, I just got lucky, and then I got lucky that most of the players took good care of me. May as well share it and have some fun doing so.

I felt like the pied piper; it was fun, and most of the dealers and some players were really appreciative.

I wound up giving away over $500. Of course there was a time or two since where I could have used it. But no price can be put on the smiles I got when I did it.

There will always be "that" dealer anywhere you work.

Keep your head up and good luck!