Are Dealers on Average this dumb?

[DoctorJames]

Going on the topic of Progessionisms, and other lines of falicy (not phalicy). I had a dealer tonight at my local card room suggest that I use a progression system, and actually *boggle* took time to try and explain and convince me to do it. I have found that very few dealers around here know basic stratedgy, especially when I am hitting a soft 18, and they skip me... and I know that even fewer of them know how to count. I hear them talk about flow, and taking the bust card, and if I owned the casino I would like that. ;-} For the most part I find it funny, but is this the norm in your parts of town, or in Vegas ?
I would think someone in that enviroment 8 or more hours a day would know better, especially if they are trained to "spot" counters ????

 

[LV Bear]

Most dealers are ignorant

I would think someone in that enviroment 8 or more hours a day would know better, especially if they are trained to "spot" counters ????

Dealers are not trained to spot counters. They are trained only on the mechanics of dealing the game.

For example, the Mohave Community College in Bullhead City, AZ has a dealer training course that provides virtually all the new dealers for the Laughlin casinos. The class is six weeks in length, and the class workbook is about 75 pages. There is nothing in the book or in the class presentation about simple basic strategy, let alone any forms of advantage play, other than outright cheating, such as capping bets.

The Mohave Community College program is considered one of the best, so I imagine that the quickie, for-profit grind-them-out type schools in Las Vegas are even less thorough. Some students have not even played casino games in their lives, so have no preconceived ideas. If they have played, it was as a ploppy, with all the same superstitious voodoo nonsense that most ploppies believe in.

Casino personnel are taught things on a "need to know" basis. The dealer needs to know how to keep the game moving, how to yell "Checks play" at times set by casino policy, and how to yell "Floor" if there is any problem. Anything else is unnecessary.

Though some will pick up things on their own, if interested and motivated, most are merely there to put in their eight hours, and get a paycheck. To most, it is merely a dull, boring, repetitive factory job. The ones to watch out for are the ones who want to move up into supervision or casino management. They are the ones motivated enough to learn extra things, usually on their own. Once they have that casino mindset, they mirror the casino management's view of wanting every patron to lose every penny they have. If they know correct advice, they certainly won't tell a player. And they cartainly won't be above outright lying to a player. Lying to customers is simply a part of casino employment.

Remember that for most, it's "just a job" -- they don't care to know more.

 

[Coug It]

This is a post of mine from an earlier thread that I felt was appropriate:

<<Two months ago I had the following occur. Playing two hands and end up w/ 20 and 18 against the dealer's 18. Dealer pays both bets, scoops the cards into the discard tray and comments, "I should have pushed you on that 18, instead of paying you."

I acted surprised and said, "Won't the cameras catch it?" His response was, "I don't care if they do." To which I said, "Well I sure don't want to get you in any trouble." His reply, "They can't get me into trouble, I've been working here too long.">>

 

[Felix Rue-de-Guerre]

After I first started playing I used to test dealers on BS all the time. Just ask the dealer: "what does the book say?" the next time you are "thinking" about splitting 9's against a 9, or doubling an A,3 against a 4 in a shoe game. Many will tell you not to split the 9's and to double the A,3. Most will just admit they don't know.

Ignorance is the norm.

I did come across a dealer who was counting at the H-shoe once.

 

[Stealth Bomber]

How did you know the dealer was counting? What happened? More! More! ???

Stealth

 

[Felix Rue-de-Guerre]

There was another lady at the table. She doubled on an 11 and drew a low card. The dealer said, Wow, into a plus five count, too. His count was correct, it was, in fact at plus five.

 

[DoctorJames]

Amazing... Maybe you could send that dealer my way... ? =P Except I think I would have to say, "Plus five ?? what does that mean ?"

 

[Felix Rue-de-Guerre]

Well... I'm sure this is exactly what you don't want. I left after that hand. I'm sure he would have started noticing things!

I kind of got the impression he was a relatively new dealer who went the extra mile to learn more about his job. He was young.

It just seemed like a pretty useless thing for him to do. I got the impression he was a bit proud and was flaunting his new abilities.

 

[Cyrano]

Unlikely, I think he is at least a part-time advantage player. Actually, I think it's ingenuis, if he is in fact an advantage player.. he gets to 1) make money 2 different ways from casinos (talk about REALLY making casinos pay for his winnings), 2) he can watch the casinos closely 3) he gets to watch others' covers.

I don't think any sane dealer would spend months learning proper BS, indices, and practicing to count, without more motivation.