Bellagio dealers are told to "Shut Up"

I am a regular player at the Bellagio playing hold'em. I'm sure many players there read these posts. Tonight, while playing one dealer by the name of Gus, told me that they have a mandatory meeting 15 minutes before coming in to deal. Recently in one of the meetings, the dealers were told to "Shut Up" and just deal. Speak only when spoken to. I really agree with this. Some of the dealers slow up the game and are not paying attention. This stems from the recent email regarding Tim, who hardly pays attention to his game. Dealers go in there to do a job, not to socialize for 8 hours. They expect us to tip them. I firmly believe that "Tipping" is based on service, not obligation. Just because you push me a pot, I'm obligated to give you a tip? What kind of bullshit is that? When I go to dinner, I tip according to how the waiter treats me. This goes the same for poker dealers. Another thing about some of the dealers, not only at Bellagio but at Mirage, What is the frown on their face when a player asks them to "Chop" a dollar chip? One dollar is not enough? If you don't like it, you have the option to take your tie off and name badge and quit. Nobody forced you to deal cards for a living. Let's look at how much a dealer can make. If they deal 30 hands an hour, they can make $30 an hour. That's incredible and they're still whining. Are you kidding me? You're a mindless dealer. You're not a rocket scientist. I play there very frequently. I personally have a thing against these dealers: Chong and Perry, Chong is very rude and disrespectful, same as her husband. I am the customer and she is the worker. There is a fine line that shouldn't be crossed. She crossed that line with me and I wrote her up. I will continue to write her up or anyone else. Samir is another one. He has no personality and expects us to tip him. I could care less if he starved to death. I don't care about him. Another one that rolls her eyeballs is Penny. I know she's a degenerate video poker player. She should be lucky to have a job. If somoene gives you 50 cents, you should be appreciative. If you don't like your job, then simply quit. Believe me, if a dealer now looks at me wrong, I will write there ass up, not only to the poker manager, but to the president of the hotel and the chairman. So, for those dealers who think they cannot get fired from this poker room, think twice. It's not Steve Wynn's property anymore. It's MGM Grand and they'll fire your ass in a heartbeat. I really don't care about some scummy dealer losing there job, so get the word around and shape up.

Magnificent!!! Just burn and turn. If you can't deal and speak at the same time(which most of you can't) just do your job. It is no great talent to be able to deal poker and the Bellagio should take a hard look at who is expendable in that room. I am sure there are many dealers in town that would be happy to deal there that can keep their mouths shut.

Have you ever played at Binions? And had the mouth of poker deal to you? Makes all other dealers seem like mutes.

"You're a mindless dealer. You're not a rocket scientist."


People like you and Cartman are going to be the reason that we will have computer-generated cards spit out at us from a machine.


"She crossed that line with me and I wrote her up."


"Believe me, if a dealer now looks at me wrong, I will write there ass up, not only to the poker manager, but to the president of the hotel and the chairman. "


Why don't you just admit that you are a sour little man that is sitting at poker tables playing with money you don't have. People like you, with such a piss-poor attitude make it miserable for people, in service or not, to come into everyday contact with you. People that don't have to take your crap tell you off on a regular basis so you're left yipping and biting at the heels of people that are forced to tolerate your belligerant surly butt, like the rear-guarding hyenas that you are.


If you guys don't like the dealers so much why don't you go hit the video poker machines. You don't have to tip, which in my FIRM opinion, is the true foundation for most of the bitching about dealers that goes on, and you dont have to subject the rest of the players with your gnarly-ass attitudes at the tables.


"Let's look at how much a dealer can make. If they deal 30 hands an hour, they can make $30 an hour."


Are you crazy? Dealers don't make 30 bucks an hour. Know why? Because there are schmucks like you at the table that slow the game down with your constant whining so you can justify your not tipping, not just to the dealers, but to the other players, who by the way, you're not fooling. Someone that doesn't tip the dealers is viewed as a stiff...period.

The dealers are constantly on edge worrying about how much grief they're gonna get from a bozo like you. Go ahead and write you petty lil complaints to their bosses. It is the only empowerment in your empty life, probably. One can only hope that the Bellagio and Mirage Supervisors realize what a bunch of asses a too great majority of the regular pool of players are.


Go back to tearing the wings off of flies and kicking puppies when no one is looking. You need something to relieve that frustration instead of constantly whining about people that are out there grinding out a less than 30-bucks-an-hour living and tolerating stiffs like you.


Thank you and have a nice day.

Dealers SHOULD save most of their pleasantries and small talk for the brief monents when they are getting into and out of the box. During their down, they should focus on the task at hand and try to perform it as efficiently as possible. Talking dealers really do slow the game down, make more mistakes, and annoy a lot of players.


However the attitude that a dealer who "looks at me wrong" should be reported or written up, is going too far. Dealers should be treated with respect, and should not be expected to be perfect, or to have perfect dispositions. There is nothing wrong with expecting dealers to be courteous, to say thank you for tips, and to concentrate on their duties and to not distract themselves and others with unnecessary small talk. However there is something wrong with expecting dealers to be mindless slaves or to become verbal (or written) punching bags.

Although I dont agree with everything you said or the way you said it ,(sounds like youve been running really bad,thats alot of negative energy to go to the floor every time a dealer you dont like looks at you wrong.Just dont tip them.)BUT the bottom line to any dealer that wants to improve not only the game,but his working environment,and make more money is "DUMMY UP AND DEAL".Lately Ive witnessed a day dealer actually stop the game to participate in an ongoing sports discussion between two players.

.....

I am amazed at the amount of anger in this thread. I have played poker in casinos hundreds, if not thousands of times and find most dealers rather pleasant and good at what they do. Yes, there are some who would do better if the talked less, but certainly talking, personable dealers are better than statues.


They have a very tough job and NO, it's not easy to keep up with 200 or so BORING poker hands each day. They also have to put up with very frustrated gamblers who make their lives miserable on occasion. Yes, it's their choice to do the job, but no one deserves to be treated like that.


One good thing about AC is that they tolerate NO CRAP from the players at all. That may be a bit overboard, but it's much better than some disgusting things I have seen on the west coast.


I too get annoyed when a dealer is talking and I am losing. But it's more because I'm losing than their talking and I'm just looking for someone to blame, irrationally I may add!


Let me end by saying there have been dealers that go over the line and need to talk less. When they start making mistakes because of it or when they actually begin to talk the hands! I've always found that politely telling them after the shift or explaining it cogently to the floor manager usually results in much improvement. Power struggles between players and dealers usually are not profitable.

I basically agree with everything you say. Poor quality dealers is and has been an industry wide problem, and the minority of dealers who talk non-stop are a major problem. As I've stated before, in our book, The Professional Poker Dealer's Handbook we emphasized "No extraneous talking in the box." I'm glad to hear that The Bellagio is taking extra steps in this direction.


Best wishes,

Mason

Actually, I know of three card rooms that won't have him back for exactly these reasons.


MM

Hi Desire:


I really disagree. In my experience, many of the problems, if not the majority of them, are caused by dealers who are not paying attention because they are usually talking. Dealers need to pay attention. Furthermore, the money on the table can be very significant to some of the players. So when dealers make careless mistakes, because they are talking away, it can lead to problems.


Over the years, more and more cardrooms have come to realize this and I'm glad to hear that The Bellagio is taking strong action in this area. I do agree that the original poster was a little harsh. But I also agree with his basic premise.


Best wishes,

Mason

"People like you and Cartman are going to be the reason that we will have computer-generated cards spit out at us from a machine."


SWEET! No tokes, no dealer errors, faster games. Let me know what I can do to help further this worthy goal.

I think you people are hilarious! I came to this site for the first time because I overheard some people talking about this post. My only response is get a life!! You have to be kidding right. I mean there is obviously nothing going on in your life or otherwise you would have something better to do then whine like a little girl. If the dealers at Bellagio are so bad, why is it that you aren't playing somewhere else? Oh wait, I know, cause they are worse elsewhere. If I hate the service at someplace I go, I will just stop going there instead of crying about it. I can agree that some dealers need to stop the talking, if for no other reason then the fact that they are just costing themselves a small fortune each year. One final note, I have witnessed Mason Malmuth play over the years and wether the dealer was spectacular and did a perfect job or wether he/she did a poor one Mason always does the same thing.....STIFF!! Good example Mason. Get a life, poker should be a recreational activity, not your whole world.

..it does get him in trouble.


FWIW the first time I ever played in Vegas Darryl was very friendly to me, and was one of only three people, along w/Henry Harvey of Binion's & Donna Harris, who always remembered me whenever I returned, so I can't forget that. I admit I haven't been dealt to by him in a long time.


Some of his RGP posts have been very, um, unfortunate, perhaps. So have some of mine.


There's a dealer out here who makes Razzo seem like a deafmute. He's a nice guy, former craps dealer, but loves both poker[and the tokes, awcourse] too much to go back. Plus I think he likes the interaction w/all the regulars, and the whiff of stakes higher than he can afford.


Point is Darryl's one of those guys I give a lot of slack to, unlike say, 2+2 staff. /images/smile.gif

Why he's in the GCA clique.

I'm a bit sick of people saying how tough a job dealers have. They have few qualifications and do a mundane, systematic job and get paid well for the task. Hey, being a garbageman is tough too, but that doesn't mean that it takes much skill. Who cares if someone is viewed as a stiff when it comes to tipping? I tip probably like 80% of my hands won, but I don't care if someone else doesn't do it. I'm sick of tipping becoming mandatory everywhere, regardless of quality of service. Lastly, when you are supposed to be at work, act like it and if you are supposed to keep your mouth shut unless spoken to, do it.


DN

Great post,


I think most dealers do a good job. I live in CO where the biggest games are 5/5 by law. It amazes me that even the 2/5 games in CO appear to have better tips then the 4/8 up to 20/40 games in LV. My last couple of trips to LV I mostly played 10/20 at the Mirage and I was amazed how many pots where the locals would ask the dealer to chop a $1 for them. In CO almost every pot (unless its less than $10) the winner tips the dealer a dollar. One reason for this is the dealers don't have 50 cent peices in their trays. In the 5/5 game, tips between $2 and $5 are common in big pots. In five days of playing 10/20 at the Mirage, I didn't see anyone except me give a $5 tip. My guess is that the locals in Vegas are mostly struggling pros, where CO could never support a pro due to the silly limit laws.

"I didn't see anyone except me give a $5 tip."


And you won't either. Man, you are a tourist. When in Rome, shoot Roman candles. At the Mirage, make the dealer chop with you. :-)


Actually, I'm only half joking. Tipping well is fine. But tipping well is $1 per hand except maybe in the biggest pot ever and the dealer is good. You won't have a tight image to the regulars if you tip $5. You want a tight image against Mirage regulars. FWIW one friend of mine is a Las Vegas local who saw me tip $1 and got mad at me. He said toke halves, the tokes will eat you alive. I still tip $1 usually tho.

A dealer in a room like the Bellagio's can easily make more than a teacher, nurse, police officer, fireman, etc... Therefore, they should be held to very high standards. Nurses have to deal with literal shit on a daily basis, which makes the figurative shit the dealers get seem a little less damaging. There are many good dealers at the Bellagio, and I don't even mind when *some* of them talk in the box, since they seem to still be able to do their jobs (and I am not playing 200-400 pot limit). However, those dealers who don't seem to understand how lucky they are to make such good money at a relatively unskilled position should be replaced.

When I was there, the games were surprising loose. I still don't think a $5 tip is unreasonable when the pot is >$400, and I actually won a few of these. Especially when the pot was > $500, then the tip is

One day, human dealers will be eliminated. You will play against other players, by use of video devices. On that same day, when you cash out, you will be required to fill out a W-2 Tax form, for cashing out $800 or more. Which would you rather have?