Dealer Insults Player (s) ?

About my favorite poker dealer is an older guy who has "seen it all". He will often wisecrack, lecture the players, dispense some wisdom, give instructions, etc. Sometimes its a little "pointed" especially if someone does something wrong or dumb. He will do this before and after hands--not during. Some people don't like it, but I think he is really funny. It does not seem to detract from his number of hands dealt and his accuracy and attention to the game is always good.


I walk up to his table with a rack of chips and he asks if I want to post behind the button. I drop 2 chips on the table and begin "unpacking". He deals me a K T o and I'm thinking ahead to raising if all fold or only one limps. Instead, an early (tight passive predictable) opponent raises. All fold to me and I put in a very cheezy call. The big blind (a bad player) also calls.


Flop is Q J 7 rainbow. Bad player in blind checks, TPP bets, and we both call. I think it was right to just call here. My raise will just knock out the blind and get me heads up with a better hand and he will probably reraise.


Turn is an A. BP bets out. TPP twitches and calls. I raise, and they both call.


River is a 4. BP bets out again. (??) TPP looks at board again and calls. I raise again, BP calls and looks at me. TPP is not happy -but calls.


Before I can turn my hand over, the BP asks (a little too loud); "Do you have the straight?"


The dealer then says (also loudly); "WELL, OF COURSE, HE HAS THE STRAIGHT."


I bite my lip and turn it over. The BP then shows his A 4 soooted, and complains about how he hit his pair on the turn and again on the river. TPP says nothing but flashes me his flopped set of Q's.


Favorite dealer pushes me a nice pot and then says; "Nice posting job, there."

and another nice post by abe...thanks..gl

I don't think the dealer should have said that "of course he has the straight." This comment could alert any newbies or fresh faces in the game to a couple of things, one being that you aren't the type of player to raise lightly in situations lie that. It also could have made someone feel a bit foolish.


His comment "nice job posting" wasn't all that bad. A little funny, but from a purist point of view probably he shouldn't have said that either--but if he said that to me, I wouldn't mind.


Back to the first point: I don't like it even when dealers call me by my name in the game, as even that gives away information to players who are not regulars. Maybe I go a bit too far with this, but I look askance at anything a dealer says which could influence the course of a hand (a huge no-no) and at anything which could influence the course of future hands (a lesser no-no).


I believe the very best dealers are like good referees at a sporting event. They help keep the game running smoothly and accurately, but they don't add to it or detract from it by injecting too much of their own personality or by comments. Now I don't mind the occasional light comment from a dealer...that's fine as long as that's all it is...but they aren't really supposed to BE PART of the game: they're just supposed to RUN the game. And that's just what the very best ones do.

There are some dealers I happen to like quite a bit who do "get into the game" a bit too much. They are competent in other ways. I would like them just as much personally regardless of whether they "got into the game" so much or whether they didn't; but they would be even better dealers if they didn't.

I agree with M re: dealer's comment about the hand. Dealers should not remark on hands IMO under any circumstances unless it is to call the best hand once cards are turned over. Babe

I'm generally easy on dealer's but this guy I would take aside and let him know I'm not going to tip him until he deals without the "play by play" and that I'm advising all my friends to do the same.


Of course this dealer would say I don't have a lot of friends anyway and he can live without my tip!


Regards,


Rick

Dealer might just have added "you moron" to his f course he has a straight".It was a direct insult.

Since most of you calloused Vegas regulars seem determined to "take the fun out of the game" I might remind you that presumambly it is we tourists who help support your living. Although I have never been accused of supporting the Vegas games yet I suppose I am due for a loss or two. Now most of us go there to be entertained and have fun. If the local rocks are going to be grumpy that leaves the job to the dealers. Personally I would seek out this dealer and enjoy my session win or lose.


In the same vein we tourists enjoy knowing the names of the other players. If the dealer provides this information it is all the better. Familiarity makes us feel more comfortable not afraid of the Big, Bad Vegas Sharks.


My suggestion to M, Poker Babe and other Vegas locals is that they evaluate this informaton and reconsider the value (+EV) of an entertaining dealer.


Just a different perspective,


Jimbo

where i play, half the people are known by name. when i first stared playing it had me very nervous, until i realized that a lot of the regulars were just as bad as me. heh.