[bigfishead]

Very well written Al Capone!! I have stated each item you mentioned at more than one occasion. Harrah's corp is a perfect example of paragraphs 1 and 2.

Shortly after tha takeover of Jack Binions properties, they made it be known that poker floor people could no longer accept tokes. They even made it be known that tokes from dealers to floor was a no-no.

Come Jan 2005, and the WPO at Horseshoe Tunica. The floor has to work 7days a week, zero overtime, no envelope from the tournament, and no tokes with 3x times the biz and heartaches. Well they recorded 2 floorpeople taking tokes and fored them. These were the 2 best floor people in Tunica county!

I get the call at home, we want you to take over graveyard says Dennis the asst poker room manager. Kenny Lamberts request (poker room manager). "no thanks Dennis".

After the torunament was over Kenny Lambert asked me to take over the shift. Point blank I said "Kenny, why would I want to take a $500 per week cut in pay?" "Have less job security, with no obvious upward possibilities from a company like Harrahs."?

I always covered the shift when someone wanted a day off, or the holidays. Everyone knew I could do the job well with both customer service and professsionalism within the room. But why would I want to do it under these circumstances?

The pit mentality is a huge huge problem. Most people just dont "get-it" when it comes to what we mean by "pit mentality".

Al, I understand your points well. I take SMALL issue with your thoughts about Bellagio and Mirage having the best...Thats probably true as a general statement. But let me just say, I work at Bellagio, and I play on the clock often. There are tons of long time dealers there with incredibly bad habits. And they get away with everything since they have been there so long, or they "look pretty".

The problem is that even at Bellagio where they actually have a man in suit in charge of hiring and TRAINING...they dont do it! Train I mean...at least not from a "be a professional dealer" standpoint. And I promise you there isnt a school in LV that has a clue either.

Hence as you stated, when it comes to promoting people within the poker business to work in suits in some capacity, they also have not been trained well. And the cycle goes on. Even creating a bigger overall problem.

Best wishes.