In this age of computer monitoring everything, I wonder if there is a metric by which dealer efficiency is measured? Hands per hour, rake amounts, comments on social media, etc. Last weekend at the Bellagio in an early morning session, I watched an older dealer struggle to make change to the point one of the table captains had to help him. Like a long time, over 3 or 4 minutes to perform a simple count, I even thought to myself there is no way he got that right. When the next dealer tapped in, she counted down the tray and it was $100 short!

Many/most rooms with bravo measure hands per hour on tables that take rake/drop (but not time). It measures how many times the rake pull gets activated in the dealer's down (and knows how not to double count pulls that happen close together, etc.).

Conversations are two way streets. I can give a short, quick answer to a question then be faced with multiple followup questions that require thought. There are people who play poker for social reasons and they expect conversations to be more than just a 5 second question and answer. They want interaction. A dealer is there to deal cards, but also to make the customers happy.

Are there dealers who talk to much unnecessarily? Absolutely. I 100% agree with this. I am usually fairly forgiving of dealer errors knowing that there is more going on behind the scenes, but I can easily think of 5 dealers off of the top of my head that I would fire in a heartbeat because they talk too much unnecessarily and it slows the game. Give me a few minutes and I could think of 5 more.

There are lots of dealers who talk too much. I was just pointing out that part of a dealers job is customer service. There is much more than tossing cards. Dealers are first and foremost the people deal with in a customer service industry. Talking to customers is part of their job for better or worse.

Again. I think you are arguing against things I am NOT saying. I don't disagree with much if what you say. Why pretend I am.saying something different?

Dealers shouldn't dominate a conversation. However in tourist destinations they are dealing with players who are generally there to have fun. Fun means interactions.

It should also be noted that dealers work for tips (for better or worse, different conversation). You know who tips better than most in tourist destinations? People the dealer has a connection with. How is that connection made? Through conversation.

Don't get me wrong. A big game? Dealers make most of their money from being competent. Shut up and deal and move the chips as efficiently as possible. That earns the biggest tips in those games.

Every type of game is different and it is wrong to assume what you want out of a dealer is what everyone else wants. People want different things. A good dealer understands different games require different styles to make the most money.

Let me pull the pin on a grenade by saying something that is really controversial and is sure to generate some hate.

First and foremost, I am a poker player before I am a dealer. I look at the game from a player's perspective first and a dealer second. 99.9999% of the time this doesn't matter. They are the same. Occasionally there is a difference.

It is rare (really rare), but on occasion as a dealer, I find it profitable to make a comment to a really good player about the play of the hand. It is most likely a weird situation where I know he is (correctly) value betting on the river, wins the pot, or such. Maybe he makes a huge lay down. Whatever.

I just see something that is very notable from a strategy standpoint.

After the hand is over, a few minutes later I will ask him a question about the hand. Maybe it is something like "What would you have done if he reraised?" (assuming they value bet lite), or "How strong were you?" (if they made a big lay down). Whatever.

Basically I am trying to make a connection with them by showing that I understand they made a unique or rare play.

Playing poker can be a very lonely endeavor. Having another knowledgeable person acknowledge your skillful play can be very rewarding. As a result, it will most likely create a connection between the dealer and that player. Connections mean better tips.

Before anyone goes there, my comments will always be discreet and will never insult or discuss another player. That is not what I am doing.

I am just letting a good player know his skill is recognized.

Should a dealer ever discuss a hand with a player? Of course not. Is it profitable for me to do so? Yes.

Furthermore, usually the skilled players are regulars. They will be around for a while. Making a connection with them is more than just an extra dollar or two on the next pot they win. It can be months worth of extra dollars or two.

Unfortunately, there are many measures of desler efficiency. Hands per hour is an easy one to measure and isn't terrible as a metric. However it comes with a set of problems. Fast does not mean accurate. Fast with lots of mistakes is bad. Also, hands per hour might not be the most important metric to the casino. Customer satisfaction might be more important. That might mean more interaction (talking).

Like most things in life, it depends.